Asian PGA

Singapore Masters

In inaugural event and on a course last used for a European Tour event eight years ago, it is difficult to predict anything for this one. The Island course at Singapore Island Country Club was the setting for the Singapore Open two months ago and here it was the long-hitters who prospered in the Asian PGA Tour event. This week, the Bukit course will play host and it is much tighter. Accuracy is the key this week and this could be no more exemplified by the top-two eight years ago: Faldo won by a shot from Monty in the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Judging by that result and the last time the Johnnie Walker Classic came to Singapore (1996), it does not appear that the Europeans are particularly disadvantaged by the climate and the course conditions that greet them in Singapore: In 1996, Ian Woosnam needed a playoff to beat Andrew Coltart and the Omega Tour contributed just one player to the top-20. As a result, the three picks this week are all Europeans: Padraig Harrington, Gary Orr and Andrew Coltart.

Two events and two impressive performances for Harrington so far this year. He continued his run of excellent finishes in Malaysia last week when edged out on the 3rd hole of a playoff by a very popular opponent. Noted as being one who travels well, he looks to be the better value of the triumvirate of Monty, Singh and Harrington and at double-figure is just enough to take the safe e/w option.

Just as Harrington may have been rusty and it didn't show last week, the same is expected of Gary Orr. His driving accuracy stats are matched only by Richard Green and his greens in regulation stats better those of everyone else in the field. On a tight course, provided he can once again start the new season without any sign of rustiness, he could push Monty and Vijay just as strong as Harrington.

The 3rd choice is Andrew Coltart whose only start apart from the WGC Matchplay was at the Dimension Data pro-am. He is a regular competitor in the Southern Hemisphere, having won the 1998 Australasian Tour Order of Merit and having competed in the Malaysian Open and Johnnie Walker Classics in virtually every year. As noted above, the lost the 1996 Johnnie Walker Classic by a playoff and other notable finishes in Asia include 4th at the 1998 Classic in Thailand and 4th in the 1999 Malaysian Open. Another good greens in regulation player, he should figure highly among the leading Europeans.

Outright plays:

Padraig Harrington to win 10/1 e.w. @ Easybets

Gary Orr to win 25/1 e.w. @ Surrey or Victor Chandler

Andrew Coltart to win 33/1 e.w. @ Surrey

72-hole plays:

Lian-Wei Zhang to beat Anthony Kang -110 @ Intertops
Kang won the London Myanmar Open two weeks ago, but with the increased purse and in the company of many of the game's bigger stars, he missed the cut last week. Expect the more experienced and well-traveled Zhang to perform better this week and the tight setup does favor his game

Charlie Wi to beat Mardan Mamat -118 @ Easybets [2 units]
Wi has been in tremendous form of late with his 3rd place finish last week only continuing a run that has seen him finish in the top-4 of five of his last six Asian PGA Tour events. Mamat may be leading home player, but cannot compete with that

Lian-Wei Zhang to beat Graeme Storm -133 @ Easybets [3 units]
Three missed cuts, a 10th place and a 61st place finish is hardly good reason to side with Storm who has struggled to make an impact in the past two years. In a strange matchup, Zhang should win this by the weekend

Update:

Disappointing week as the course plays absolutely nothing like it was billed. A course on which accuracy was important has yielded a 36-hole leader at 17-under-par!  All three matchups are decided at the cut, but with only one winner. Charlie Wi safely made the cut to best Mamat by five shots, but the big matchup hope of the week was a big flop. Zhang ended the 36 holes twenty-two shots behind the leader! He missed the cut and lost to Kang by twelve and to Storm by nine.

In the outrights all three picks made the cut with Harrington relinquishing the lead he held at the conclusion of the 1st round to now lie 3rd. Orr is still in contention in 23rd place, but probably not Coltart who is back in 60th place. With all three 72-hole matchups decided at the cut and a three-ball format for the weekend., it looks as if interest in this event will just remain with Harrington & Orr.

Final update: 1-2-0 and -3.09 units for the week

No 3rd or 4th round plays offered as 3-balls were the format. Though for the record, Kang finished down in 29th place and Storm in 51st. The pickings were there had Zhang made the cut

Update on outright plays: 1-2 and -1.87 units

Harrington managed to scrape into a share of 5th place to turn a unit loss into a small profit. Fairly negligible return, but still better than losing! Orr and Coltart lost ground today though, finishing in 17th and 24th place respectively.