Hong Kong Open

Finishing Positions: (0.5pt Stakes)

Result: 10pt. Profit. Disappointed with Poulter considering most of the Euro Tour players coming over here these last two weeks have went back home a little richer (only 6 home players in the Top 30). Still, no complaints about Faldo who does seem now to have a different game when playing in Asia. Schwartzel done well in R1 then just stayed static for 3 days a la' Dredge last week. Enough though to give us a loss.

Post Round Two Trades

Buy Paul Broadhurst at 35 with IG Sport (M/U 50, Profit 7.5 pts)
In the exact same position as Dodd is Broadhurst who at only a point more is worthy of a bet in the same way Dodd is at a point less.

Buy Stephen Dodd at 34 with Sporting Index (M/U 50, Profit 8 pts)
With half the field gone Dodd finds himself in T45th place only two shots above where the cut was made. He is four shots away from the Top 20 and with a cut that brought in 81 players the value is definitely in buying at 34.

Post Round One Trades

Sell Iain Poulter at 29 with IG Sport (M/U 50, Loss 10.5 pts)
Poulter started with a level par round but looking at the full layout of the leaderboard he is Tied 53rd and close to the cut line, but equally he is only 4 shots out of 6th place. Comparing Poulter's scoring record to others in the field he would be a very strong bet if he gets the chance to play a full 54 holes in the rest of this event. We are therefore risking the chance of a complete loss tonight for a strong position come the weekend, At 29 it is a worthy risk.

Pre Tournament Trades:

Sell Nick Faldo at 36 with IG Sport (M/U 6.5, Profit 14.75 pts)
Faldo has a record in this event of 11th and 15th in the last two years he has played it (2002/03). His general 2004 record has been poor but then he has stated a desire to get back on track in 05'. Whether he does or not remains to be seen but he has shown a liking for this side of the world as he has posted a 13th in the Johnnie Walker in those years as well. Faldo should be lower, maybe by as much as 4 or 5 points.

Buy Charl Schwartzel FP at 29 with IG Sport (M/U 9.5, Loss 9.75 pts)
Sometimes taking limited form on a tour on someone so young can be dangerous but there is no patching up the fact that Schwartzel has yet to beat 29th on this tour in 4 attempts. The one MC of the four was here and when he burst on to the scene in 2002 finishing 15th in his home Open then 3rd the following year we were talking of the next Els or Goosen. However, Schwartzel has a long way to go still. IG quote 29 whereas Sporting Index go a more realistic 31-34. This means they have given less importance to the three Top 10's Charl has posted in November in South Africa and Japan and more to the performances in this general company whilst missing 12 cuts in Europe this past season.