Matchup plays (1.5 units):
Carlos Rodiles to beat Nick Dougherty -135 @
Five Dimes
Dougherty seems to have still not fully recovered from glandular fever and apart from a 2nd place finish in the Scandinavian Masters in July, he has had a torrid year (no other top-10 finishes). Rodiles shot 83 in the 2nd round last year and still finished ahead of Dougherty; he should do it with greater ease this time around.
Fredrik Jacobson to beat Ricardo Gonzalez -114 @
Centrebet
Were it not for last week's win, 2003 would also have been a torrid year for Gonzalez - he has had just one other top-10 finish. Apart from the standard policy of opposing last week's winner, support for Jacobson comes, for example, in the fact that his last missed cut in Europe was in the 2002 British Open!
Fredrik Jacobson to beat Maarten Lafeber -111 @
Paddy Power and
SIA
Lafeber is another player who makes a lot of cuts - he has made his last 12 - but is simply not in the same class of Jacobson who had three top-10 finishes in a month on the PGA Tour in mid-summer and one of those was the U.S. Open. He also has a convincing 8-2-0 h2h lead over Lafeber in Europe over the last twelve months.
David Howell to beat Robert Karlsson -111 @
Ladbrokes
Opposing Karlsson who has certainly lost his form, even though that only last two weeks at the start of September. Howell was playing some of the best golf of his career in that month and looks far more likely to be a contender this week.
Nick O'Hern to beat Robert Karlsson -118 @
Expekt
Opted not to take him in the outrights, but have at least found one opportunity in the matchups. While Karlsson has been struggling, O'Hern has been playing some of his best golf in Europe. Returning to golf after a two-month layoff, he has finished in the top-20 in each of his four events and has finished 6th and 2nd in his last two starts. No course form, but playing much better than the Swede.