I can't find any real inspiration for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which may not be a bag thing.
Where as first time winners are rare, (wen aren't they), I'm not convinced there's that big a premium on course form, though of course it's always handy.
To me it looks like a course that rewards those players who arrive with their game in good shape and are on a run of good results, if that's the case Ice Tigers picks tick the right box.
It wouldn't take much fine tuning from Rory to win this at a canter and who's to say Adam Scott can't keep the run good going.
Justin Rose - 16/1, the closer we get to The Masters, the stronger I'm feeling that the door to a green jacket is starting to open wider for Justin Rose.
I suppose it could be argued that to win at Augusta, Rose needs to show a little more form leading up to the event.
I'd argue he's already done that and maybe if he hadn't have turned up at Doral with the flu, spent two days bed ridden which lead to back issues over the first days of Doral, Justin Rose may well have had a WGC to his name now, certainly a top 5.
So presumably, no illnesses or aches and pains this week, meaning Justin Rose is set for a big week and will put a marker down for his claims of a Green Jacket with a win at Arnies.
Mark Lieshman - 50/1, a player in good form, who I think should be and will be winning more tournaments very soon.
I'm then backing my 3 main picks from last week, none of which made the cut, in fact one could barely complete his first round.
Maybe this contradicts my point that we are looking for players in form and on a run of good results, but last week was a strange week with tricky conditions and some strange rounds.
So trusting myself not to have been sooooo wrong last week, my 3 main picks from last week, get a mulligan.
Harris English - 66/1 Webb Simpson - 80/1 Sean O'Hair - 150/1
Hero Indian Open Going to go for FRL for Nirat at 80/1 and Paul Peterson also at 80/1. Both start early & both have had good opening rounds recently. Have to say that I fancy Scott for the Arnold Palmer and 8/1 is about right might add him in. Posted by Ice_Tiger
I'm not backing him, so you are good to go with Scott :-)
I just want to say a big Thanks to Darty and Ice Tiger for your in depth analysis of all the golf around the world and tips.
My picks this week for the Arnold Palmer: Harris English 50/1 ew (and FRL same price),and Jason Kokrak 60/1(FRL same price) I've done H.English again because last week i thought he really would have been in contention after the 2nd round, and was annoyed at missing his in running price when nearly leading after 2nd day. Jason Kokrak is golfer i have backed many times and i think any time now he will put it all together and win!
In India for the Hero Open i have stuck with P.Uihlein 22/1 ew(FRL 28/1) and Chapchai Nirat 80/1ew (FRL 66/1)
I can't desert Uihlein after last week and Nirat is a golfer i have backed before but have just gone with the tip above. As i think locals at these events who may have great course knowledge are always worth following.
I've done all of those in cross doubles ew for FRL and main event.
I just want to say a big Thanks to Darty and Ice Tiger for your in depth analysis of all the golf around the world and tips. My picks this week for the Arnold Palmer: Harris English 50/1 ew (and FRL same price),and Jason Kokrak 60/1(FRL same price) I've done H.English again because last week i thought he really would have been in contention after the 2nd round, and was annoyed at missing his in running price when nearly leading after 2nd day. Jason Kokrak is golfer i have backed many times and i think any time now he will put it all together and win! In India for the Hero Open i have stuck with P.Uihlein 22/1 ew(FRL 28/1) and Chapchai Nirat 80/1ew (FRL 66/1) I can't desert Uihlein after last week and Nirat is a golfer i have backed before but have just gone with the tip above. As i think locals at these events who may have great course knowledge are always worth following. I've done all of those in cross doubles ew for FRL and main event. Cheers and Good Luck all ! Dave. Posted by Any2Suited
Thanks Dave, for me its about exchanging information and keeping an open mind.
I always keep an eye out for everyone else's picks, if at least one person on here beats the bookies each week, it's worth it.
A very difficult event to predict, with anybody able to beat anybody on their day.
No course form to go in, the event is in Texas so wind or being able to play in the wind could be a factor.
No real time to study, so I tried the predictor comp on the PGA Tour site and my 4 semi finalists came out as Rory, Mark Leishman, Aphibarnrat and a coin flip between Paul Casey and Danny Willett.
So I've gone with:
Paul Casey -33/1, the long running story for Paul Casey in 2016 has been his decision not to commit to the European Tour which means he is not eligible for the Ryder Cup. Much has been made about the likelihood of a European likely to be in the worlds top 20 not playing in the Ryder Cup. Sometimes headlines right themselves and it wouldn't surprise me if the Paul Casey Ryder Cup story went to the next level this week with the 'Europes World Matchplay Champion will miss the Ryder Cup'.
Casey's matchplay is excellent and he pushed Rory in the quarters all the way last year.
He's playing well and is not afraid to square up to anybody.
Danny Willett - 35/1, Last years 3rd place, has the belief he can go all the way this year.
Could be heading for a big English quarter final against Paul Casey, if that happens I'd say this quarter final will produce the eventual WGC.
Marc Leishman - 50/1, very good matchplay golfer, playing well and is Australian which seems to be as important as anything when looking for a winner in 2016.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat - 110/1, 'only' has to get past DJ, local favorite Jimmy Walker and Rober Streb to win his group and then no doubt beat players ranked top 10 in the world to reach the semis, but when I clicked the buttons on the PGA Tour website, that's what Kiradech did.
Very good preparation last week with an excellent final round at Bay Hill.
Won the Paul Lawrie Matchplay last year, so obviously likes the format.
Then I have had a saver on Rory at 11/1, an ew dabble on Charley Hoffman at 150/1, who has been threatening to pull off a big result.
A different challenge this week with match play. There are 16 groups of four players who play a round robin with the winners of each group going through to a knock out. The top 16 players have been seeded so it is a question of picking which players can come through and win seven matches in five days (can maybe get away with one loss or tie in opening three games).
This is being played at the Austin Country Club in Texas. All of the top 64 players are here with the exception of Stenson & Furyk so it will take a good performance to win.
This event tends to have quite a few upsets along the way but generally it is a top player that prevails. It is tricky on a different course to compare but generally good match play players do well as do form players. Seven rounds in five days also takes its toll so I would tend to go for younger players.
Rory McIroy 11/1
While Rory hasn't been brilliant recently, he has played some great rounds and has tended to throw it away with a couple of careless shots. In match play, he won't be penalised so heavily. Rory is a top match play player & won this event last year We get used to seeing Rory at 6/1 so I see 11/1 as value. It can all go wrong very quickly but Rory is the most likely winner.
Paul Casey 33/1
Casey put in a good show last week and is a good match play player. He also probably feels that he has something to prove. He has got to get past Jason Day in the group stages, which might be tough, but that is reflected in the price.
Patrick Reed 35/1
Another good match play player. Has to get past Mickelson in the group stages but feel he could go the whole way if he gets on a roll.
Mark Leishman 80/1
Has a decent match play record with recent wins against Speith & Kuchar. Reached the QF last year & is in better form now. Took the price before the draw was made and a good draw means his price has been cut.
Andy Sullivan 70/1
A good punt at this price. Sullivan is the type of player who can get on a roll. He has a decent group with Oosthuizen beatable in his group.
Also plenty of betting opportunities on groups & individual matches.
I'm not looking at this event in any great depth this week, but one player that jumps out at me is Dean Burmester 50/1.
The South African gets an invite to makes his debut on the PGA Tour this week and is in pursuit of a late qualification for The Masters.
He won The Chase to The Investec Cup last month which is the Sunshine Tours equivalent to the R2D.
Ranked 87th in the world, full of confidence and self belief with an Augusta goal in his sights, 50/1 looks good value for a player with big dreams.
Others I may consider if the mood takes me are fellow South African George Coetzee at 33/1, Boo Weekley at 33/1 and dare I mention Graham Delaet at a very unattractive 18/1.
Hello strangers. Rude not to show my face this week.... I've watched pretty much zero golf or any scores for months, so feel free to totally ignore my picks, but I wanted a bit of interest. DJ 18/1 Schwartzel 35/1 Both £10 e/w Posted by FlashFlush
Hey Flash welcome back and good luck
If I remember rightly you used to this the other way around, have a flutter on the regular events and skip the majors.
The years first major promises to be a fascinating event, with so many top players having very strong chances.
Eight players priced between 7/1 to 20/1 is a rare sight in a golfing major and fair play to SkyBet for going 8 places to give us mug punters a sense of value when looking further down the field.
I had a bit of a love in last month when Danny Willett was priced at 66/1 for the WGC at Doral and had a number of bets that came in.
I also had two 'pending' bets, which were an ew double on Danny Willett in the WGC at 66/1 and Justin Rose for The Masters at 25/1 and an ew double on Danny Willett at 66/1 with Brandt Snedeker for The Masters at 50/1.
So with Willett finishing third at Doral I'm in the unusual position of standing to win more than I would normally stand to win, if either Rose or Snedeker manage to place, top 5.
I topped up my Justin Rose investment with a free £20 ew at 28/1 thanks to a £40 win in one of the SkyPoker Cheltenham freerolls.
I haven't backed Sneds to win yet, but I guess it makes sense to, though at my stakes, a Sneds place will still be promising to pay me more than a Sneds win.
I have felt for some time that Justin Rose is the man to be on this year, his Augusta record is good and last year he played really well for 4 days, only to be pipped by Jordan Spieth.
More than any other player, Rose looks to have geared his playing schedule to peak at The Masters and even with a lighter schedule, his form coming into the event this year, is stronger than it was last year.
The man himself is talking a good game and the stats tell us he's added a few yards to his drives, which can only help his chances around here.
On news of the arrival of master Zachariah James Willett, I rushed to take the 70/1 (6 places) on Danny Willett and will probably top up with SkyBet to get the 8 places, since he's a generous 66/1.
After day one of the Houston last week, I was one of many that rushed to back DJ, getting 20/1 especially when SkyBet went 8 places.
Much has been made of his efforts to improve his short game which could help around Augusta, but if I'm honest I'm not sure DJ has it in him to win a major and feel I was bit trigger happy last week in jumping on the bandwagon.
At the moment its, a much lighter portfolio than normal for me thanks to my ew doubles; I will probably add a couple or three more, With Patrick Reed and Bill Haas, leading contenders on the shortlist.
I do like Rickie Fowler, but would like to see him at 20's to make it seem worthwhile.
Angel Cabrera at around 200/1 will get a few pennies for old times sake.
I think Jason Day is a worthy favorite at 7/1, but with Spieth, Rory, Bubba and Scott right behind I just don't think those odds make much sense from a betting point of view.
I would also like Phil Mickleson, but he'd have to be 33's to get my backing.
Fascinating week ahead, golf should be the winner, but hopefully a few of us can make a bit of money as well.
Thought i,d plonk my list onhere - These are mainly outsiders, although i do beleive it will be between the top 6 this year
so i,ve also done £10 on Mclroy at 8/1, £3 on Scott at 18/1 , £5 on Bubba on 13/1.
Haven,t done Speith as i can,t see him putting like he did last year and his form just hasn,t been there recently. Not sure about Jason Day. He,s come good recently and can see why he,s the favourite . Just don,t see any value there tho.
Out of all my bets i,m probably most confident that Adam Scott will go close. If i could still get 18,s i,d have some more on him.
GL folks
Webb Simpson600£1.80
£1,078.20
Webb Simpson600£0.70
£419.30
Jimmy Walker95£0.85
£79.90
Jimmy Walker90£1.13
£100.57
Jimmy Walker90£0.52
£46.28
Kevin Kisner150£0.62
£92.38
Kevin Kisner140£0.19
£26.41
Kevin Kisner140£1.79
£248.81
Rickie Fowler19£0.16
£2.88
Rickie Fowler19£1.84
£33.12
Rickie Fowler19£3.00
£54.00
Charley Hoffman300£0.38
£113.62
Charley Hoffman270£2.00
£538.00
Charley Hoffman270£0.12
£32.28
Harris English420£2.29
£959.51
Harris English280£2.00
£558.00
Kevin Kisner210£2.49
£520.41
EDIT : If you want an outsider you could do worse than 529/1 (atm )shot Webb Simpson - and he,s just knocked in a hole in one in the par 3 comp
More bets than normal because of 8 places on offer. I've done D.Willet @ 55/1,J Rose @ 25/1,B.Haas @ 100/1,P.Reed @ 45/1,R.Fowler @ 16/1,and L.Oosthuizen @ 30/1.Good luck all.
Yep Fair play to skybet and their 8 places, they made sure I added to the portfolio;
Patrick Reed- 40/1, right game for Augusta and confidence clearly buoyed after finally getting a few putts to drop last Sunday.
Bill Haas - 100/1, Lost a play off last month and has very solid form here and at least capable of making top 8.
Rafa Cabrera- Bello - 100/1, debutants are readily dismissed at Augusta and for sure course form is a premium, but in recent times, first timers have gone close, Spieth, Day and Lieshman all going very close.
Rafa is playing the golf of his life this year and is finding new levels of consistency. He described his closing round last Sunday as his best round of the year. If he does settle quickly a top 8 finish is more than possible.
I will be backing a few of my picks for FRL, with main FRL bet being DJ at 20/1.
My favourite tournament of the year and one where I have been very succcessful in the past with winners with Speith, Bubba, Scott, Mickelson, Cabrera (plus a RU), O Meara & Tiger several times. In fact I started my Blue Square (remember them) bankroll with a free bet on the Masters, getting a place at 33/1 on Luke Donald plus £30 free bets for each hole in one - there were three that year.
Usually I go in with a firm idea of my player(s) but this year is different with little to choose between a dozen good candidates. My bets are going to be relatively small although I have decent ante post prices on Scott (28/1) & Day (18/1) taken when they were both off the boil which means I already have some value.
The Augusta course favours big hitters, GIR players and putters. Tha ability to put long irons into the right spots to chase shots on the par fives is crucial and that makes it relatively easy to rule out over half the field at a stroke. The problem is that most of the better players tick the boxes.
Also, experience is key here. First time players rarely do well. The last first time winner was Fully Zoeller in 1979. While defending the title is tough, going back and winning again does happen a lot as the cream often reaches the top here.
Cases can be argued for most of the top dozen in the betting so lets have a look at a few plusses & minuses.
I think we have to look at the value of the prices available and it is hard to see flaws in the bookies prices although the eight places on SKY Bet is a great offer.
Day (7/1), McIlroy (8/1), Speith (10/1) & Mickelson (20/1) represent poor value. They all have chances & I am happy to be on Day at double that price but 7/1 is skinny. There are too many questions about McIlroy & Speith to go at these prices. Speith's figures around the green are just nowhere near good enough to give him a tilt here and McIlroy still has question marks surrounding his putting. Mickelson looks in good shape and at 33/1, I would be punting but 20/1 is too tight for me.
Scott is about right at 12/1. He is a previous winner, is in form and meets most of the criteria to win it. Happy to be on at more than double that price but still think he has a great chance.
Bubba is similar to Scott. About right at 12/1. A previous winner and in form. There have been questions about his health but he has the ability to switch quickly to the golf after off course issues so not too bothered there. A great chance.
Fowler is probably the favourite to be a first time winner and meets most criteria and is priced right at 16/1. His form is up & down but if it is an "up week" then he will be close.
Dustin is 18/1 but he isn't a winner & bottles it when he gets close to a major. He has the atributes but I feel he will fall short. A great possiblitlity for FRL though as he has a habit of starting well in recent majors.
Rose meets most of the criteria and has three top ten finishes here. Can he win? His form suggests not but he could just jump into top gear like Scott & Day have in the last month and take the title.
After that, we are looking at medium to long shots and there are a few that I like.
Patrick Reed is in good form with two consecutive Top Ten finishes & looks ideal for the demands of the course. He has two previous appearances and is value each way at 45/1.
Brandt Snedeker at 55/1 is value. Loved the way he won the Farmer Insurance in February and feel that he could be the one to break through this week.
Rafael Cabrera Bello is one that doesn't meet all the criteria but is on a roll at the moment so might be worth a punt even as a rookie here at 110/1. He has improved around the greens this season so might surprise everyone if he gets on a roll.
Bill Haas is a lively outsider at 110/1. He has three consecutive top twenty finishes here and is in form so a top ten finish is likely.
It is the Masters so Angel Cabrera has to be considered. If one player over performs at Augusta then Cabrera is your man. He might be 46 but I have cashed on him twice at triple figure prices here when he was written off. He might do nothing but he might do a Red Rum and have one more day in the sun. A small investment at 200/1 is a must for me.
There are other long shots worthy of consideration - Wiesberger, Willett, Sullivan, Grillo & Dechambeau. I would be looking to swerve players like Stenson, Garcia and most rookies, who have little chance.
I feel the five highlighted give me a decent portfolio to back up my ante post bets on Day & Scott. There are a few decent bets to be had in other markets though.
I like a FRL bet but am not convinced of the advantages of tee times this year. Maybe an early start is worth half a shot but not enough to rule anyone out. I think 16/1 on Dustin Johnson is a fair price.
I like a bet in the "Top Continental European" market because I am anti the two market leaders - Stenson & Garcia. Don't get me wrong, both could be in the top ten but neither are reliable which makes this market value for the other players. I am writing off Langer, Langasque & Kjeldsen. Dubuisson & Lingmerth aren't consistent enough and Kaymer isn't enough of a winner for me. That leaves two candidates - RCB & Weisberger. So small investments on RCB at 8/1 & Weisberger at 12/1.
Some three ball winners for today - Wiesberger (Evens), Hoffman (Evens), Fowler (3/4), Mickelson (11/8), Rose (Evens), Scott (6/5), Horschel (11/10), Day (5/6), Willett (8/5). A few singles, a few multiples and a 700/1 rollup.
Comments
I can't find any real inspiration for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which may not be a bag thing.
Where as first time winners are rare, (wen aren't they), I'm not convinced there's that big a premium on course form, though of course it's always handy.
To me it looks like a course that rewards those players who arrive with their game in good shape and are on a run of good results, if that's the case Ice Tigers picks tick the right box.
It wouldn't take much fine tuning from Rory to win this at a canter and who's to say Adam Scott can't keep the run good going.
Justin Rose - 16/1, the closer we get to The Masters, the stronger I'm feeling that the door to a green jacket is starting to open wider for Justin Rose.
I suppose it could be argued that to win at Augusta, Rose needs to show a little more form leading up to the event.
I'd argue he's already done that and maybe if he hadn't have turned up at Doral with the flu, spent two days bed ridden which lead to back issues over the first days of Doral, Justin Rose may well have had a WGC to his name now, certainly a top 5.
So presumably, no illnesses or aches and pains this week, meaning Justin Rose is set for a big week and will put a marker down for his claims of a Green Jacket with a win at Arnies.
Mark Lieshman - 50/1, a player in good form, who I think should be and will be winning more tournaments very soon.
I'm then backing my 3 main picks from last week, none of which made the cut, in fact one could barely complete his first round.
Maybe this contradicts my point that we are looking for players in form and on a run of good results, but last week was a strange week with tricky conditions and some strange rounds.
So trusting myself not to have been sooooo wrong last week, my 3 main picks from last week, get a mulligan.
Harris English - 66/1
Webb Simpson - 80/1
Sean O'Hair - 150/1
I always keep an eye out for everyone else's picks, if at least one person on here beats the bookies each week, it's worth it.
Good Luck this week.
RAHMAN
LIPSKY
KHRONGPHA
PETERSON
NIRAT.
hope we all get a good run!
A very difficult event to predict, with anybody able to beat anybody on their day.
No course form to go in, the event is in Texas so wind or being able to play in the wind could be a factor.
No real time to study, so I tried the predictor comp on the PGA Tour site and my 4 semi finalists came out as Rory, Mark Leishman, Aphibarnrat and a coin flip between Paul Casey and Danny Willett.
So I've gone with:
Paul Casey -33/1, the long running story for Paul Casey in 2016 has been his decision not to commit to the European Tour which means he is not eligible for the Ryder Cup. Much has been made about the likelihood of a European likely to be in the worlds top 20 not playing in the Ryder Cup.
Sometimes headlines right themselves and it wouldn't surprise me if the Paul Casey Ryder Cup story went to the next level this week with the 'Europes World Matchplay Champion will miss the Ryder Cup'.
Casey's matchplay is excellent and he pushed Rory in the quarters all the way last year.
He's playing well and is not afraid to square up to anybody.
Danny Willett - 35/1, Last years 3rd place, has the belief he can go all the way this year.
Could be heading for a big English quarter final against Paul Casey, if that happens I'd say this quarter final will produce the eventual WGC.
Marc Leishman - 50/1, very good matchplay golfer, playing well and is Australian which seems to be as important as anything when looking for a winner in 2016.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat - 110/1, 'only' has to get past DJ, local favorite Jimmy Walker and Rober Streb to win his group and then no doubt beat players ranked top 10 in the world to reach the semis, but when I clicked the buttons on the PGA Tour website, that's what Kiradech did.
Very good preparation last week with an excellent final round at Bay Hill.
Won the Paul Lawrie Matchplay last year, so obviously likes the format.
Then I have had a saver on Rory at 11/1, an ew dabble on Charley Hoffman at 150/1, who has been threatening to pull off a big result.
Puerto Rico Open
I'm not looking at this event in any great depth this week, but one player that jumps out at me is Dean Burmester 50/1.
The South African gets an invite to makes his debut on the PGA Tour this week and is in pursuit of a late qualification for The Masters.
He won The Chase to The Investec Cup last month which is the Sunshine Tours equivalent to the R2D.
Ranked 87th in the world, full of confidence and self belief with an Augusta goal in his sights, 50/1 looks good value for a player with big dreams.
Others I may consider if the mood takes me are fellow South African George Coetzee at 33/1, Boo Weekley at 33/1 and dare I mention Graham Delaet at a very unattractive 18/1.
Good Luck everyone.
If I remember rightly you used to this the other way around, have a flutter on the regular events and skip the majors.
Eight players priced between 7/1 to 20/1 is a rare sight in a golfing major and fair play to SkyBet for going 8 places to give us mug punters a sense of value when looking further down the field.
I had a bit of a love in last month when Danny Willett was priced at 66/1 for the WGC at Doral and had a number of bets that came in.
I also had two 'pending' bets, which were an ew double on Danny Willett in the WGC at 66/1 and Justin Rose for The Masters at 25/1 and an ew double on Danny Willett at 66/1 with Brandt Snedeker for The Masters at 50/1.
So with Willett finishing third at Doral I'm in the unusual position of standing to win more than I would normally stand to win, if either Rose or Snedeker manage to place, top 5.
I topped up my Justin Rose investment with a free £20 ew at 28/1 thanks to a £40 win in one of the SkyPoker Cheltenham freerolls.
I haven't backed Sneds to win yet, but I guess it makes sense to, though at my stakes, a Sneds place will still be promising to pay me more than a Sneds win.
I have felt for some time that Justin Rose is the man to be on this year, his Augusta record is good and last year he played really well for 4 days, only to be pipped by Jordan Spieth.
More than any other player, Rose looks to have geared his playing schedule to peak at The Masters and even with a lighter schedule, his form coming into the event this year, is stronger than it was last year.
The man himself is talking a good game and the stats tell us he's added a few yards to his drives, which can only help his chances around here.
On news of the arrival of master Zachariah James Willett, I rushed to take the 70/1 (6 places) on Danny Willett and will probably top up with SkyBet to get the 8 places, since he's a generous 66/1.
After day one of the Houston last week, I was one of many that rushed to back DJ, getting 20/1 especially when SkyBet went 8 places.
Much has been made of his efforts to improve his short game which could help around Augusta, but if I'm honest I'm not sure DJ has it in him to win a major and feel I was bit trigger happy last week in jumping on the bandwagon.
At the moment its, a much lighter portfolio than normal for me thanks to my ew doubles; I will probably add a couple or three more, With Patrick Reed and Bill Haas, leading contenders on the shortlist.
I do like Rickie Fowler, but would like to see him at 20's to make it seem worthwhile.
Angel Cabrera at around 200/1 will get a few pennies for old times sake.
I think Jason Day is a worthy favorite at 7/1, but with Spieth, Rory, Bubba and Scott right behind I just don't think those odds make much sense from a betting point of view.
I would also like Phil Mickleson, but he'd have to be 33's to get my backing.
Fascinating week ahead, golf should be the winner, but hopefully a few of us can make a bit of money as well.
£2.50 e/w @23
Haven't looked at this thread for some time but well done to all who've had winners.
Be lucky.
Rory Mcilory (win)
Justin Rose (ew)
Dust-bin Johnson (ew)
Danny Willett (ew)
Westwood, Cabrera & Webb Simpson (FRL) (ew)
Good luck all.
Patrick Reed- 40/1, right game for Augusta and confidence clearly buoyed after finally getting a few putts to drop last Sunday.
Bill Haas - 100/1, Lost a play off last month and has very solid form here and at least capable of making top 8.
Rafa Cabrera- Bello - 100/1, debutants are readily dismissed at Augusta and for sure course form is a premium, but in recent times, first timers have gone close, Spieth, Day and Lieshman all going very close.
Rafa is playing the golf of his life this year and is finding new levels of consistency. He described his closing round last Sunday as his best round of the year. If he does settle quickly a top 8 finish is more than possible.
I will be backing a few of my picks for FRL, with main FRL bet being DJ at 20/1.
Good Luck everyone.
Also, experience is key here. First time players rarely do well. The last first time winner was Fully Zoeller in 1979. While defending the title is tough, going back and winning again does happen a lot as the cream often reaches the top here.