US Masters Betting Update; Top American W/O Woods with the bookmakers making Mickelson their 5/2 fa

Added: (Wed Apr 08 2009)

Pressbox (Press Release) - TOP AMERICAN PLAYER (Without Woods)

ANTHONY KIM: Hugely talented young golfer who was marked down for major success after winning twice on the PGA tour last year, both at championship courses and against top-class fields. This season hasn’t gone quite so well so far despite kicking it off with a second in the Mercedes-Benz Championship before a shoulder injury forced him to withdraw from the Bob Hope Classic and then he was struck down with a bout of flue and had to miss the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Returned to some semblance of form when tying for 26th at Redstone last Sunday and will be hoping that he doesn’t make as many mistakes off the tee at Augusta as he did there. He came to life at about this time last year starting with a second in the Heritage contest before landing the Wachovia in May, so it might be worth backing him to do a similar thing this time round. BEST PRICE: 15-1

SEAN O’HAIR: Has yet to break into the top-10 in the majors but his performance in this tournament 12 months was his joint-second best. Although he was 10th for driving distance, his accuracy off the tee was a little wayward. However, he made up for it with some solid iron play as he tied second for GIR, his best return in any of four big ones so far. Comes into the contest in pretty good shape having only missed one cut in seven starts on the US tour and posted three top-10s, including a second in the Arnold Palmer Invitational where he wasn’t the first golfer, and he certainly won’t be the last, who failed to hold off a charging Tiger Woods. Gave up a five-shot lead there but his stats were good as he tied sixth for GIR and was a total of six-under on the par threes and fours. If he has recovered from that he could post another decent effort and might be worth taking a chance in this market. BEST PRICE: 16-1

STEWART CINK: A very solid and reliable performer in his last six appearances, finishing no lower than 24th and recording a 10th and a career-best third in the tournament 12 months ago. Tied seventh for GIR, 16th for putting and was in single figures for bogeys for only the second time. Although he reached the semi-finals of the World Match Play he hasn’t really been firing on all cylinders so far this term, but he did produce the second-best result of his 2009 season so far when 30th last time out in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Despite a poor season so far his chances should not be underestimated, particularly in this market. BEST PRICE: 18-1

FRED COUPLES: This is ‘Fiery Fred’s’ favourite tournament and although it’s been 17 years since he wore the Green Jacket, last season was the first time he missed the cut at Augusta. In 24 starts in the Masters he has finished in the top-10 on 10 occasions and he looks to have his game primed for another prominent showing. Played well when tying for the third in the Northern Trust Open earlier in the year and again when occupying the same position in Houston last week. He produced some great ball-striking there as well as useful GIR stats and he did well to finish so close considering he had to play eight holes to complete his third round before playing round four. So it was no wonder he bogeyed the last three holes as he was probably feeling fatigued by then. Now entering the veteran stage he’s unlikely to land the title again but there’s no reason why he shouldn’t take high rank on the leaderboard. BEST PRICE: 25-1

HUNTER MAHAN: Hinted at his class and ability when a very respectable 28th on his debut in the Masters in 2003 while still an amateur. Disappointingly missed the cut on his return to Augusta five years later but he has played well in the majors in the past and has posted top-20s in each of the other three. Hasn’t missed a cut in seven strokeplay events this year but clocked up his first top-10 when a promising sixth in Houston at the weekend where his final round 68 was the best of the day and his iron play was very solid as he topped the GIR charts. The latter stat is significant as that has proved a key factor to winning at this week’s venue in the past, accurate approach play. It’s worth remembering that he was the top US player at the Open at Carnoustie and seems more at home playing the tougher courses than the normal run-of-the-mill ones. So he’s another worth bearing in mind in this betting market BEST PRICE: 25-1

JUSTIN LEONARD: Has a record to be proud of in the other three majors but the Masters seems to be his nemesis. His only finishes inside the top-10 were back in the late 1990s and he’s posted just three top-20s this century, but at least two of them have been in his last three appearances in the tournament. He did produce a top-15 for driving accuracy four years ago when he also tied 10th for putting a performance he repeated a year later and just to prove he seems at home on the greens he produced his best-ever result so far with the flatstick in 2008 when tying for fourth. Add to that the fact that five of his top-10 best performances on par fives in the majors have come at Augusta and it’s evident that he can conquer the Georgia track if he could just bring all those aspects of his game together for four days. Began 2009 with a decent fifth in the Mercedes-Benz Championship but seem to go off the boil afterwards until returning to something like his best with a ninth at Doral and a 19th in Houston last week, although he could have been better as he dropped seven shots on the last day. BEST PRICE: 28-1


SELECTION: Hunter Mahan



• All prices correct at time of writing.

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