Us pga

Cant wait for you boys any longer LOL.

As confident as I was about Tiger last week I am equally confident that he will finish the year devoid of a major. He has won the events prior to a major a number of times this year leading his followers to believe that he would win the big one, only to disappoint. A similar fate awaits this weekend.
The tournament was last played here in 2003 and Tiger failed to break par on any of the four days! The winner that year was Shaun Micheel and it would be a fairy tale result if he were to win again as he hasn't made a cut in two years and has just about hung his spikes up. Even at 1000-1 it's not overly tempting but I wish him well.

I am looking for a different fairy tale and that's in the form of new father HUNTER MAHAN 35-1 who missed a winning chance when withdrawing at the halfway point when leading two weeks ago as his wife went into labour. He looked in great form then and I think he will be raring to go and energised by his new status as a Dad. He is a great price in my opinion.

You cant pick just the one in a field this size and my other punt will be on RYAN MOORE 110-1. Moore (not stable jockey to M R Stoute) has only had three top ten finishes this year and is some way down the Fed-Ex rankings. However, this course is well suited to his game and I think he will give us a run for our money.

 

Not a problem stick, i am just doing my 'homework' now and will just put my report up on this thread... Good man for starting it, and lets hope we can hit a winner come Sunday evening...

 

haha stick i too was waiting for Red's thread b4 i told you my bets,
Anyways here they are;

Keegan Bradley 33-1 - Played well last week, and has form in this tournament, albeit a differing venue. I think he will go well and at 33s he represents my joint biggest investment in the tournament (£10ew)

Rory McIlroy 33-1 - Yes! you did read correctly! - It must surely be only a matter of time before he finds his game. Looked steady last week, if not spectacular, and im banking my hopes on a return to form with the good vibes of his win in this last year.

Jordan Spieth 125-1 - This guy will win a major one day -mark my words. Im hoping its this week haha! Jordan has played well all season and theres no reason why this course wont suit.

Geoff Ogilvy 250-1 - Yeah i've backed him again...why not?!

 

Rory Who??????????????

 

The last Major of the year is upon us with the USPGA event from Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York. The USPGA returns for the 3rd time here but this course has also held the Ryder Cup here in 1995, the US Open 3 times, the Seniors Open twice and the US Amateur championships twice before now. So this is a trusted course for the top dogs of the US game to come to. They know it well and can set it up to be as hard as they want, or ease it off if needed.

A Donald Ross designed course where he is known to prefer a course with a natural shape to them. Ross created over 400 golf courses in his time with most of them having a similar theme to them. He liked all his greens to be ‘turtle backed’ in that they all sloped off to the edge of the green if you didn’t hit the correct area with your approach shots. He also favoured his greens to have most of the dangers at the back of the greens, with good run up areas to the front of the greens. Not much has changed since he designed the course, technology has changed the clubs and equipment, but these old courses can still have some bite in them, and the USPGA know this…

I expect another high scoring championship where the all-round skill of the golfer will be tested to the full. You will see some thick rough, and testing approach shots, but the one thing that the players are concerned with is the greens. They havnt had the best of weather here to get the greens in to tip top shape as they would have liked, and Tiger Woods voiced his concerns when he had a practice round last week. It will come down to who is the best putter, it always dos, and so we can expect to find the players who moan the most, well off the pace at the top…!!!

With the greens looking like a turtles back and very few flat spots to hit the winning golfer will be the one who positioned his ball the best, so high GIR stats will be one thing to look for. Sitting as it dos at 7,163 yards it isn’t the longest track they will ever play on, but it’s a Major event so the rough will be penal, the fairways tight and the pin positions cruel at times. But the USPGA like the concept of a ‘Risk and Reward’ course and so the golfer who likes to take the odd challenge on will be rewarded if it comes off. Hopefully we will see some good attacking play, some great approach shots and some spectacular failures…!!!


It always hard to gauge who goes well at a course that they only visit every 7-8 years or so, and in picking my selections it’s hard to work out who will have a good 4 days. But a few things are at the front of my mind… Good GIR, a strong putter, experience and weather they are currently playing well…


Keegan Bradley came 2nd last week and looks to have got on a roll recently with his putter. He has yet to register a win on the Tour this year but his last few showings have seen him back to somewhere near where he was when he won the USPGA event in 2011. Ive read that he will continue to use his ‘anchored’ putter right up to when you cannot use them, so I think he wants to get as many titles under his belt before he has to change a very big part of his game…

Jason Dufner has that laid back attitude that makes him a joy to watch, but most importantly for him keeps him calm when all around are falling down. Another player who hasn’t registered a win on the Tour this year, he comes here on the back of a 4th in the WGC, missed cut, T26th in the Open and a 4th in the US Open. His main strengths in the last 4 events has been his approach shots where for someone with only 2 top 10’s to his name sits 30th in the rankings. He has been accurate off the tee, which you definitely need here, hit his putts well and is just coming into form at the right time…

Zach Johnson is on fire at the moment with his last 3 events showing a T4th, T6th and a 2nd placed finish to his name. I’ve picked another who hasn’t won on the Tour this year but with form like that coming into the USPGA how can you ignore him. His stats aren’t the best to look at, but that is only down to his poor showing at the beginning of the year. He knows how to win a Major title and that is enough for me to back him when he is in this current form…

There is always one player who comes in from left field to either win it, Shaun Micheel won here the last time it was staged at Oak Hill, to Englishman David Lynn coming 2nd to Rory last year. With this in mind I’ve gone for a player who I’ve backed before this year Chris Kirk. He sits 5th in the All Round rankings, 1st for Scrambling, Actual Scoring, Scoring on the Par 4’s and is in the 20 top for 8 of the 22 Distance Stats. He has a sole 2nd place finish to his name this year plus 3 other Top 10’s but with stats like that he is hard to pass over at the price…

Keegan Bradley @ 35/1…
Jason Dufner @ 40/1…
Zach Johnson @ 50/1…
Chris Kirk @ 200/1…

All done in the usual £2.5 e/w… PadPow pays ¼ odds top 6… Good luck to all…

 

Going to be the best ball strikers that fare well here and also the putting will have to be going good obviously to compete for the Wanamaker trophy at Oak Hill. Looking forward as ever to the last major of 2013.

My picks:

Zach Johnson 45/1 - has come into form the past few weeks and I expect he will continue that way here, excellent putter and a really good ball striker, sure to put in a good showing on a course where accuracy is essential.

Francesco Molinari 150/1 - showed glimpses he was close to his best at the British Open and his ball striking is second to none, a chance is taken his putting will be adequate but I'm sure if he is on form he will have plenty of good birdie chances and is pinpoint accurate most of the time and this course should suit his playing style.

All the best guy's..as usual let's hope one of us brings home the bacon!

 

Keeping the faith with Stenson @ 25s but my patience is wearing a little thin. Also Poulter @ 55s and Cabrera @ 80s. The former because of his strong finish at the Open and the latter because he knows how to win majors and has been in their pitching at the business end in both the Masters and the Open in 2013.

 

Bloody Colsaerts, dropped 3 shots in his last 4 holes to pretty much rule himself out

 

As he's only 5 behind I've had a little bit of the 60/1 on Hunter Mahan.

 

Not seen Mahan play a single bloody shot yet!

 

Im afraid you get this when Tigger is still in the event, and it dos my head in...!!!

We all know he is box office but why would you keep showing a guy who is 10 shots off the lead, struggling with his game and looking like getting no nearer to the leaders. We would rather see the golfers who are 2-4 shots off the lead, pushing for a challenge and are obviously playing better...!!!

You have my sympathies Stick, but that's just how the US coverage is with Tigger... Fookin useless...!!!

 

Leaderboard after the 2nd round...

Leader - Jason Dufner @ -9

1 - Jason Dufner............... -9
T5 - Henrik Stenson.......... -6
T15 - Hunter Mahan.......... -2
T22 - Zach Johnson........... -1
T28 - Chris Kirk................. E
T28 - Ryan Moore ............. E
T28 - Francesco Molinari.... E
T28 - Rory McIlroy............. E
T38 - Keegan Bradley......... +1
T38 - Ian Poulter............... +1
CUT - Jordan Spieth
WD - Angel Cabrera


Dufman leads the way, ooh yeah...!!! Jason Dunfer nearly produced the best round seen in a major by leaving his last putt short on the 18th last night, but nevermind as he has put himself into a great position going into the final 2 rounds. The leaderboard looks full of the top players around at the moment and it isnt a fore gone conclusion that Duffers will hold onto his lead, though i bloomin well hope so as ive got money on him...!!!

Scott, Rose, Kuchar, Furyk, Stenson, and Garrigus are only a few shots back and if the course n greens stay like this you cant count out anyone who is currently 5 shots off the lead...

It is looking like a right royal battle is ahead of us and i am sure we will see the odd twist n turn yet...

 

Leaderboard after the 3rd round...

Leader - Jim Furyk @ -9

2 - Jason Dufner................. -8
3 - Henrik Stenson.............. -7
T7 - Rory McIlroy................ -3
T12 - Zach Johnson............. -1
T21 - Francesco Molinari....... E
T38 - Keegan Bradley........... +3
T38 - Chris Kirk................... +3
T38 - Ryan Moore ................ +3
T63 - Hunter Mahan............. +6
72 - Ian Poulter................... +8

Well our picks are doing ok for now, with 3 of them in the top 10 and a couple of them just floating around the 6th place for our e/w money... Fingers crossed one of us brings home the bacon come 10 o'clock tonight...

Looks like the course bit back yesterday as most of the players shot par or worse, but some did shoot low, Rory 'where have you been all year' McIlroy...!!!

Lets hope for the usual twist n turns to keep us enthralled and hope none of our picks go the way of Justin Rose who wilted to a very poor +7 over round to go from contender to also ran very quickly...

Good luck to us all...

 

I think I am right in saying that McIlroy and Westwood would be out together which could be very good news for them both. Ideal position for Westwood to attack from in a final round rather than being out in front. Can he finally shake the monkey off his back? At 28-1 he could be worth an interest.

 

Shocking start from Westwood but McIlroy looking the best we have seen him for a long time. Come on Rory Who LOL

 

Well done Red, Dufner deserved that no doubt he went and won it and should have won by more but for the putting but he and you won't mind that now. Well done lads who landed the e/w money on Stenson and the likes too. Enjoyed that tournament and already looking forward to Augusta next year...

 

Dufman, Oh yeah...!!!

Jason Dufner won his first Major title of his career and he fully deserved it. He played some great shots in his round and just like he said at the end he just wished he had gone round without dropping a shot. He made it sound like he was just out hitting a few balls with his mates, superb... He is as cool as a cucumber and so laid back he is horizontal, im so pleased for him, as he really looks like one of the good guys on the Tour. Obviously it meant i won some money off it, which was nice, but it couldn't have gone to a better bloke...

Gotta feel a bit for Jim Furyk in the end, but the toll of pushing the bar that little bit extra just got to him in the end. A true champion but he just got beat by the better man on the day...

I thought Henrick Stenson was superb in his interview after he finished saying that he cant wait for next year to turn these top 5's into big Major wins. And youve got to say he probably will in the end...

On a downer though, what is Westy going to do about his putting...??? It gets painful to watch when he is missing 2 footers again and again and again... He may well have a Major win in him but its getting harder to believe that story with every passing year...

On a plus, i thought Rory was showing some of his form again, which is always good to see. Nice one Smokin for picking him, as you wont get 33/1 on him again this year...!!!


Overall a good tournament, a good winner and i won a bit of money...

 

Nice won red. You are right about Little Mac he will be winning again soon. Slightly worrying that his putting is looking rather mechanical though. Pulled at least three four footers left!

 

Great pick Red. Away from tv at present so only followed it now and again via BBC interweb updates and it seemed your man had it pretty much secured from the turn on the back nine. Stenson will win one eventually, he has to otherwise he'll look back at 2013 as a year of missed opportunities.

 

Red