Golf Betting Column: What The Golfinggods Say….
It is funny that after a year of great stories and talking points one of the very best has occurred at the last tournament of the year. Bart Bryant's victory in the Tour Championship capped a remarkable year for the forty two year old. After six trips to the Q School he found the confidence and the swing to be a very good player. He proved this with a win at The Memorial around a course that demands winners of a high calibre earlier in the year. His play during the Tour Championship simply was irresistible with him leading every statistical category there is, except the amount of milkshakes consumed as Tim Herron led that category by some way!
A special mention for Tiger Woods must be put forward. Basically he would have trouble hitting the side of a barn with his driver right now but his amazing recovery skills and his mental strength simply kept him in the tournament. Over the last four years, when his driving has been erratic I think he has become the best exponent of the recovery shot since Seve. If he keeps driving like he did at East Lake he may have to become better than the Spaniard!
On a sadder note I must say I was disappointed with Phil Mickelson not playing last week. Unless he had a family emergency, which I believe he did not then to miss the Tour's Championship, especially as a major winner in 2005 is a real shame.
The major tournament this week is neither in the US or Europe but China with the inaugural HSBC Champions Tournament played in Shanghai. This is the beginning of something very big in China for golf and the presence of Tiger just confirms their intentions. The tournament is to be played around the Sheshan International Golf Course on the outskirts of Shanghai. The course is relatively new with very grainy greens and a lot of water. In fact water is part of twelve holes around this layout. The key to foreign players this week will be their ability to handle the greens, especially the Nap, which can be very awkward.
Selections:
Padriag Harrington: has good form in Asia and has the ability to handle both the weather and the greens. Is coming back into some form with a good showing at the Tour Championship and could go well this week.
Rod Pampling: cut his teeth on the Asian Tour before joining the US Tour some years ago. He was a proven winner in these conditions and could be a contender this week at good each way odds.
Thomas Bjorn: another player who likes the Asian conditions. He has had a break now and will be fresh for the challenge this week. If his head is right then his game is right and that could prove dangerous for the rest of the field. I expect a good showing this week.
Others to mention: Tiger Woods, Vijah Singh and Paul Casey.
Until next week – May The Golfinggods Be With You!