Volvo PGA Championship

[Stanley]

Course: Wentworth Club, Surrey, England
Yardage: 7075
Par: 72 (four par-fives)
Greens: Poa Annua with Bent

Weather Forecast

Best Players Last 10 Years

Past Winners:
2001 - Andrew Oldcorn
2000 - Colin Montgomerie
1999 - Colin Montgomerie
1998 - Colin Montgomerie
1997 - Ian Woosnam
1996 - Costantino Rocca
1995 - Bernhard Langer
1994 - Jose Maria Olazabal
1993 - Bernhard Langer
1992 - Tony Johnstone

 

[Monarch]

A fine event this week. Has anyone read/seen anything regarding the general health/well-being of dear Monty? He threatened to pull out last week a good 5 times and with so little time to fix himself up I'm wondering what to expect from him. With his current/course form he is a major threat so would be good to know of his situation.

 

[Stanley]

Outright plays:

Angel Cabrera to win 16/1 e.w. @ Sporting Odds or Heathorns
Eight top-10 finishes in his last ten strokeplay events. Cabrera has become a must-pick while at these odds and particularly on a course that suits his game. Last year he was 16-under-par for the par-fives and finished 2nd, two shots behind Andrew Oldcorn. In much better form this year coming into the event (including victory in the Benson & Hedges International two weeks ago) and should once again go close.

Darren Clarke to win 20/1 e.w. @ Bet365, Sporting Odds or Victor Chandler
Not a player I normally side with in the outrights - he is far too erratic - but he does have an excellent record in this event - twice a runner-up in the last five years - and comes into the event with some erratic, but impressive showings this season. He followed a missed cut in the Players Championship with 2nd in the Houston Open and a top-20 finish in the Masters; he followed a missed cut in the Benson & Hedges International with a strong showing last week. Unpredictable, but a genuine title contender.

Thomas Bjorn to win 33/1 e.w. @ Sporting Odds or Heathorns
"Unpredictable, but a genuine title contender" could also be written about Bjorn. Two great rounds and two poor rounds last week was typically erratic, but it was evidence that he was rediscovering the form that had deserted him on his return to European action. In four starts on the PGA Tour, he had secured three top-25 finishes. Who knows which Thomas Bjorn will be playing this week, but hopefully one of Clarke and Bjorn will be showing their 'Jekyll' side this week.

 

[steved]

Monty will not practice and will go straight into play on Thurs...more in Racing Post..
1 ew Campbell 28/1 Bet365...driving wayward for first two days last weekend..3rd and 4th rd much better...looks good
1 ew Cabrera 18/1 Bet365...playing well, got tournamanet out of way after win..
0.5 ew Green 66/1 Blue Square..last chance from me for Green..great stats, seems in form, but has disappointed past two weeks..
I am about 8 miles from Wentworth, and there has been a lot of rain..this will make it play longer..than it already is...

 

[milpalm]

I managed to get Cabrera at 20/1 and Clarke at 25/1 earlier in the week at Sportingodds. Cabrera has played well recently and should be suited here. Clarke has a good record at Wentworth and showed glimpses of form last week. My third pick is Campbell at 28/1 with Bet365. He was 4th last year and is showing signs of improvement.

 

[Monarch]

Harrington 14/1
Cabrera 16/1
Clarke 20/1 @ All at Spodds for 1.5 Units ew.

Harrington and Clarke have been on the fringe of things for the past few weeks and I expect a break-out soon and at least one should challenge this week. Cabrera is now finally moving to the next level and with the anticipated wet conditions should have a significant advantage.

 

[Stanley]

Matchup plays (1.5 units):

Nick Faldo to beat Paul McGinley -111 @ William Hill
Not a lot of interest this week, no doubt partly a consequence of last week's whitewash! But most matches were lost by a single shot and the two on Faldo were just that. Will side with him again as I believe he is still in great form - he did have a slight arm strain last week - and has finished in the top-3 in three of his last four starts on this course. McGinley's form on this course is not as impressive: a best-finish of 10th and two missed cuts in the last five years. This is also only his second start in Europe this season and he missed the cut at the Belfry in the first, shooting 74-81.

Nick Faldo to beat Peter O'Malley -118 @ Easybets
O'Malley edged out Faldo by a shot last week, despite missing the cut himself. Was a good player to oppose, but Faldo just let the side down. In his three starts in Europe this season, he has finished 71st, 41st and missed the cut. Definitely worth opposing again on a course on which he has a mixed record: two missed cuts in the last four starts.

Nick Faldo to beat Gary Orr -111 @ Sporting Odds
Orr has a decent record on this course - 2nd in 1998, top-10 last year and in 1996 and no missed cut since 1994 - but he is struggling with his game at the moment. He has only missed the cut once in nine starts this year, but his 20th place finish in the French Open has been his sole top-30 finish of the year. Not the level of golf that Faldo has playing.

 

[Clive]

So the single figure fav is concerned that he can't play to the best of his ability and may not play at all...should mean a profitable event then...but I'm at a loss to work out how!
Three, very small stake ideas from me:

Cabrera - 16/1 was the best I could do having spent a very enjoyable few days in Geordie land

Woosnam - 25/1 looking solid and should be there or there abouts on Sunday

Green - 66/1 - Have been impressed with him on courses where I expect him to struggle...therefore he must be followed on a track which should suit his accurate game

 

[Svengali]

Aah, foolishly assumed that this was a Friday start as I thought that Monday was Bank Holiday in UK but realised that Brenda's jubilee has changed all that. Only reco was one that I spotted at Sports.com and is still up this morning so here goes -

A.Hansen to beat Lawrie - 10/11 @ sports.com - 4 points

Hansen is on a good roll at the moment with a couple of top tens in the last two events. He has only missed one cut in last 10 events. Lawrie by contrast is still struggling and has not got into the top ten since his win in the peculiarly Scottish Dunhill Links last year. Course form gives Hansen the edge too so I feel good with the 4 points on this one.

 

[doonhamer]

Bet 365 Match Ups

Bet 365 Match Ups

Anyone seen the Bet 365 2 balls they are all the same price EVENS some real good bets or is it a big mistake ?

 

[Stanley]

Have tried to place a bet on Monty over Rodiles @ evens, but it just came up 'betting suspended'

 

[Monarch]

Doonhamer I think this can only be a mistake. I have gladly accepted the Evens offering and taken the following:

Monty v Rodiles Evens @ Bet365 3 Units
Olazabal v Baker Evens @ Bet365 2 Units
Romero v Hansen Evens @ Bet365 1.5 Unit
Campbell v McNulty Evens @ Bet365 1.5 Unit
Bjorn v Coltart Evens @ Bet365 1.5 Units
Leaney v Raffety Evens @ Bet365 1.5 Units

All these bets have been placed and accepted. Not sure what is going to happen. Hope a) they win and b) they're not called off.

 

[Stanley]

Mid-point update:

Faldo/McGinley WON by 6
Faldo/O'Malley Leads by 1
Faldo/Orr WON by 7

Cabrera 22nd
Clarke 22nd
Bjorn 14th

Faldo shot 6-under-par for the last eight holes to jump out of danger of missing the cut and end the day in 7th place. McGinley and Orr were not so capable in the blustery conditions and that's two wins so far. The outright selections are all on the fringes of contention, but one of them will have a secure a top-5 if Faldo's work is not to be undone.

 

[Monarch]

I placed them around midnight Stanley and got them all on. Under my betting hisory they are all marked as placed. Someone must have realised in the last 10 mins that something was terribly wrong :shrug:.

 

[Stanley]

Good luck with them

 

[bettingmad]

Miguel Angel Martin has not done very well recently, this story may explain why.. http://www.golfweek.com/articles/2002/pro/european/28084.asp

 

[milpalm]

Impressive effort by Anders Hansen. I had him pegged as a future winner and have even backed him on occasion. Not that surprising given his recent form either. I had him on my short list for this event but of course I didn't back him. Good thing Campbell could hang on to a place.

 

[Stanley]

Final update:

Matchups: 3-0; +4.50 units

Faldo/O'Malley WON by 3

Outrights: 0-3; -4.50 units
Cabrera 40th
Clarke 7th
Bjorn 19th

Faldo completed the sweep, but as feared the outrights cancelled them out. Fine effort from Clarke who finished just one shot out of a top-5 position, but a disappointing break-even on the event.

European Tour ytd
Matchups: 15-15; -5.37 units
Outrights: 3-21; +20.05 units

 

[Monarch]

Final Summary:

Final Summary:

Clarke 7th
Cabrera 40th
Harrington MC

-9 Units for week
+21.87 Units ytd.

Matchups for week (2-4) -5 Units
Ytd (8-10) +0.87 Units

Total p/l ytd: +22.74 Units.