Ryder Cup - Special Market v Special Market

13 August 2009

Preview By Tipster rdeacon (England)

The final major of the year is upon us in the shape of the USPGA, and even though my golf tips lately have been missing out, I can't resist having one last go at winner finding.

First port of call is obviously Tiger who is a very short price to win his first major of the year. You cannot get better than 2.91 on him as he has been playing wonderful golf these last 2 weeks by winning the Buick Open and the Bridgestone invitational. He is still making some wild drives though, and on this course which will be the longest ever to hold a major, I am going against all the expert tipsters and I am backing against him, purely on a value point of view.

My first one against the field is one I put up last week and that is Phil Mickleson. Phil ended up down the field last week in what was his first tournament back after a long break to look after his sick wife. He said how much he enjoyed getting back to the thick of things and will relish this test as it is a major he has done well in in the past. A winner in 2005, he has also posted 8 top ten finishes which outside Tiger is the best recent record on show in this major. The price of 31.0 is simply too big, and I reckon lefty can give us a good run for our money this week.

My 2nd pick is Zach Johnson. Twice a winner on tour this year, Zach has already won a major and knows what it takes to perform at the highest level. Arrow straight off the tee, which will be important this week, he is also a demon with the flatstick. He was a very solid T15th last week with a closing 72 which would have put him spot on for a stab at the final major.

Next on the list is the aussie Geoff Ogilvy. Geoff started off the year magnificently with 2 wins early doors in the Sony and the world matchplay. He went a little quiet after that but bounced back lately with a top 10 at Memorial, a very god start but then faded in the US open, and only last week came T22 at Firestone, when again a poor final round of 73 saw hin slide down to that position. A former US open champion, he knows what it takes to win against the best in the world on a tough track, and is a good one to have in our portfolio.

Henrik Stenson seemingly knows how to play golf 2 ways, brilliantly, or very poorly ! He won the season's 5th major at Sawgrass with a fair bit in hand and has since been 9th in the US open and T13th at Turnberry a few weeks ago. It has been said about the swede that he seemingly only concentrates on the big tournaments and just goes through the motions on the smaller ones. T4th in the USPGA last year and top 10 in 2006 seems to bear that theory out, and if not quite good enough to win, he is a good bet to get a place.

Mike Weir seemed to go very cold after winning the Masters a few years back and many wondered if we had seen the last of him. However, the diminuitive canadian has had a decent season this year and is in line for a big prize again sooner or later. A very good start to the year with a 2nd and a 3rd in 3 weeks was then followed by 2 months of humdrum golf. Lately however he has really been getting into contention and has posted 5 top 20's in his last 10 tourneys, with 3 of them top 10's. He has the attitude for the majors and really should have done better than his 10th spot in the US open when he posted 2 74's to slide back from a decent lead he had built up.

My final pick in the portfolio is a young man who could seriously go places in the coming years. The young irishman Rory Mcilroy has one of the best swings I've seen for a long time and anyone looking to model themselves on a player could do a lot worse than start with him. He has youth on his side, which therefore brings nerves of steel, a touch of arrogance, and that little thing called attitude. He has only won once this year in the desert at the start of the season, but he has played some good stuff in between, not quite doing enough to string 4 good rounds togfether though to win again. He has length off the tee, and he can be a demon on the green. Many eyes will be on another irishman this week in the shape of Harrington, but this young superstar could just upstage him.

1.5 points each way (3 points in total) Phil Mickleson @ 31.0 with William Hill. 1/4 odds a place 1,2,3,4,5

1 point each way (2 points in total) Zach Johnson @ 76.0 with William Hill. 1/4 odds a place 1,2,3,4,5

0.75 points each way (1.5 points in total) Geoff Ogilvy @ 51.0 with William Hill. 1/4 odds a place 1,2,3,4,5

0.75 points each way (1.5 points in total) Henrik Stenson @ 56.0 with William Hill. 1/4 odds a place 1,2,3,4,5

0.5 points each way (1 point in total) Mike Weir @ 101.0 with William Hill. 1/4 odds a place 1,2,3,4,5

0.5 points each way (1 point in total) Rory Mcilroy @ 111.0 with William Hill. 1/4 odds a place 1,2,3,4,5