| Product: |
Golf Tipster |
| Date: |
17/07/08 (102 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: A British winner?
Disadvantages: Grim start on day one
The BBC may not have as many premium sporting events these days but The Open is one of them. Four days of brewing drama at a Major golf tournament on TV with a beer in your hand works for me. This year, though, things will be different as there's no Tiger Woods, winner of thee of the last eight Opens of course. The winner of 13 majors has surprisingly decided to have surgery on his ankle mid season, sabotaging two more shots at Majors this year and, of course, the Ryder Cup, the latter not on his Christmas card list. But, being Mr controversial with my opinions, I'm not surprised a few more Americans than normal have pulled out of the Open this week. Its the first time the Royal & Ancient will drug test at the event, and that will mean any one taking remedies for colds or back aches will have to declare what they are taking if they enter the tournament. The drugs of choice for golfers to cheat would obviously be power related, average players regularly booming out 400 yard drives these days. Gary Player, of course, has mouthed off that he feels some guys are on something on the US tour and believes illegal growth hormone usage is also on the increase. Symptoms of excessive synthetic growth hormone make the bones grow much faster than they should and so put strain on the tendons...Tigers injury that he ahs had for 8 years on and off.
Royal Birkdale is a pleasant and long course (Par 70- 7,173 yards) up on the NW 'Scouse' coast and not the most demanding challenge when the wind doesn't blow. If it does blow then any links courses are tough. Americans often didn't get on the plane in the past because they feared their form would quite literally be blown away. Who will forget Tiger dropping 8 shots in three holes in the wind, rain and thick gauze some time ago in to wreck his Open hopes!
So with no Tiger then who will win this week? Padraig Harrington (25-1 became the first European to win a major since 1999 in the 'Open' last year in that dramatic shootout, matching Paul Laurie's surprise fluke win after that silly Frenchman went walkabout. But Padraigh (Irelands second only winner), is carrying a wrist injury into the tournament and already drifting in the betting.
Most national wins...
1 Scotland 42 wins form 22 winners
2 United States 41 wins from 26 winners
3 England 27 wins from 14 winners
4 Australia 9 wins from 4 winners
5 South Africa 8 wins from 3 winners
This year looks good for a European win with England having four or five guys very capable. There are also some experienced Swedish guys in the mix now the Tiger threat is absent. In fact the whole week will be intriguing because of that equation, further spiced up by the race for Ryder Cup points, Captain Nick Faldo missing his first British Open since 1976 to prowl the other side of the ropes to keep an eye on his potential team.
It was ten years back when a young 17-year-old amateur called Justin Rose (20-1) had that amazing finish to be in the top four in 1998 after 72 holes and there has to be a couple of majors in this kid. Luke Donald has pulled out with a wrist injury so Lee Westwood (18-1) must also come into the picture, going very well in the US Open until he crumbled under pressure, the pressure being Woods, finishing one shot off the play-off. Paul Casey (40-1) has a bit about him and may also be one to watch from these shores. All mouth and too many trousers Ian Poulter is just that and now Tigers not here lets see what he can do.
Some records..
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Lowest aggregate 267 Greg Norman (1993)
To-par -19* Tiger Woods (2000
Lowest 18-hole score: 63 - Mark Hayes, 2nd round, 1977
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Europe wise Spain are hot right now being the best at footy and tennis and so the bookies have seen money for Sergio Garcia (10-1), still to win a Major but no stranger to the top of the leader board at The Open. He was in that play-ff last year With Padraigh but this particular 10-1 favorite tends to fold under pressure and so won't be getting my money though. The red headed Spanish oddity that is Miguel Jimenez (40-1) is worth a look, certain to having fun if nothing else this week in the mix. The excellent Robert Karlsson of an excellent young Swedish trio is best ranked player at 33-1, but outside that not a lot of action in the other EN nations, perhaps why this years Ryder Cup will be mostly home nations.
The Open is completely unlike the US Masters in that you are playing a different course every year. Experience counts but temperament matters more, losing three shots on one hole the norm when the weather turns, and you need to be able to react positively to that. Therefore international players who play the worlds warm and sexy circuits are less up for the challenge than the big booming Americans. 2007 US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy (20-1) of Australia and Trevor Immelman (40-1) of South Africa, the latter the US Masters Champion, may not have the game for this. But you can't discount Vijay Singh (20-1), nearly always there in the top ten of the Majors on the final day, but may have passed his Major winning days and again not the best links guys in the field. El's (10-1) is poor value and he hasn't looked like winning a big one for a while now. My tip has to be Retif Goosen, 33-1 with William Hills, again always there or there about on the final day of Majors, he, unlike Singh, still capable of winning them. Angel Cabrera of Argentina at 50-1 will also be on the ball here.
The Americans have won 10 of the last 13 Open Championship so must be favorites. The likeable Phil Mickelson leads the way, poor value at 16-1 for me and not a great links man at all. He is in no sort of form and wont feature for me, his love of the good life showing more chins than a Chinese phone book. Jim Furyk has had good finishes here and other Majors but I just feel his day has passed to win the big one. For some reason Rocca Mediate, who so nearly beat an ailing Woods in the US Open play-off, is not fancied, sitting at 150-1. Zach Johnson, the world's most boring Major winner (Masters 2007) ever is at 100-1. He may need his beloved Jesus to make the cut here.
Outsider wise sees Colin Montgomerie at a miserly 66-1, a man so far past his prime the wife (pick a number) must have been reading the map looking for the turning to it. He seems to improve his form when he gets married and then it goes to sh*t when she dumps him and cleans him out. The guy has a public school education and eloquence but the common sense of a Dung Beetle. Two times winner Greg Norman has bought his new wife over, Chriss Evertt no less, and at 200-1 a terrible price as he's still on his honeymoon. Get the beers in Sheila!
MY TIPS!
£1:00 E/W Goosen-33-1
£1:00 E/W Jimenez 40-1
-Links-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ope n_Championship
http://www.opengolf.com/Championshi pGolf/TheOpenChampionship.aspx
Summary: 4 great days sport...
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