Australian PGA Championship

Outright plays (1.5 units):

Stuart Appleby to win 14/1 e.w. @ SkyBet or Totalbet
Passing over Parry, whose price is just a little too short, and siding with Appleby and Lonard from the favourites. Appleby has been in excellent form since the British Open and was set for another top-10 finish last week until a final round 74. With a weaker field than last week, and particularly without Allenby who has won this title for the last two years, this represents a particularly good chance for Appleby to record his first win of 2002. He is the last person to have a Tour title at the Hyatt Regency Coolum resort - he won the 1998 Coolum Classic - and has finished in the top-15 in four of five starts on this course.

Peter Lonard to win 16/1 e.w. @ BetInternet (6 places)
Not quite the same course record for Lonard, but three top-10s and no missed cuts in eight starts is hardly shabby. He played well last week with three rounds in the 60s to finish in the top-15 and had been scoring well in the aborted first round as well. He has done everything but win this year, but he has won on the Australasian Tour in each of the last two years and is playing well enough to continue that run.

Geoff Ogilvy to win 33/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes
Has yet to win a title, but looks a perfect player for outright betting. In his last six events he has three top-10 finishes and three missed cuts! It is a similar story with his performances on this Tour alone. In his last six Australasian Tour events, he has finished no worse than 11th in five of them and missed the cut in the other. He has no course form, but so long as he make the weekend, he is definitely a player who can play himself into contention.

Matchup plays (1.5 units unless stated):

Craig Parry to beat Aaron Baddeley -118 @ Centrebet or Expekt (-120 Bet365)
Peter Fowler to beat Andrew Buckle -111 @ BetandWin
Richard Green to beat Gavin Coles -111 @ BetandWin
Rod Pampling to beat Gavin Coles -118 @ Expekt
John Senden to beat Gavin Coles -110 @ BetInternet
Phil Tataurangi to beat Adam Crawford -111 @ BetandWin
Peter O'Malley to beat John Daly -125 @ Expekt [3 units]
Nathan Green to beat Kenny Druce -111 @ BetandWin
Michael Long to beat Brad Lamb -111 @ BetandWin [3 units]
James McLean to beat Craig Spence -111 @ BetandWin

Mid-point update:

Parry/Baddeley Trails by 9
Fowler/Buckle LOST (tied)
Green/Coles WON by 7
Pampling/Coles WON by 2
Senden/Coles WON by 1
Tataurangi/Crawford All Square
O'Malley/Daly WON (Daly disqualified ... in typical fashion!)
Green/Druce WON by 7
Long/Lamb WON by 13

Appleby 16th
Lonard 3rd
Ogilvy mc

Could have had a lucky break. The cut was supposed to be 65 and ties, but those on 2-over-par are not included in the list for the 3rd round tee-times and they include Gavin Coles. If so, then only two of the matchups remain and decent situation with those that were decided. The only disappointment was with Fowler who double-bogeyed his last hole to miss the cut and tie with Buckle and that means a loss on the play at BetandWin. McLean did not start, which was unfortunate as Spence missed the cut by 6 shots. Appleby and Lonard, in particular, are in good shape for the weekend so some of last week's heavy losses at the Australian Open could be recouped this week.

Final update:

Matchups: 7-2-0; +10.07 units

Parry/Baddeley LOST by 9
Tataurangi/Crawford WON by 5

Outrights: 2-1; +8.78 units

Appleby 3rd
Lonard 1st (joint champion)

Got to be happy with Lonard being a joint champion as he trailed Moseley by five shots after the third round and though he caught him three times on the back nine, he had followed his birdies with bogeys on the first two occasions. Appleby's recovery from a first round 74 was very impressive - he gave up 9 shots to the joint champions on the first day, but finished only three back - and it was a very pleasing event all-round.