New Zealand Open

FINAL RESULT: 0-3; -4.50pts

O'Hern mc
Stenson mc
McKenzie mc

Ahem, not really a lot to be said about these picks!

Outright plays (total stake per play: 1.5pts)

Nick O'Hern to win 12/1 e.w. available generally
After a performance that confirmed why he should not be backed to win an event, I'll back O'Hern to win this event with ease. There are just too many positives to take from last week's performance - great tee-to-green play despite only being able to hit balls at full power for a week since surgery in December, a great performance in normal time to regain the lead and hold onto it over the difficult closing holes only to be denied by an even better performance by Parry and a rise up to 47th in the World Rankings, a position that, for the first time, opens up all the Majors and WGC events to him. He has stressed the positives in what he accomplished last week and with his knee improving every week, he could really be a force against this very weak field.

Henrik Stenson to win 40/1 e.w. available generally
The 2001 Benson and Hedges International Open champion is finally showing that that win was no fluke. He finished 2nd in the Scandinavian Masters in August, won the Heritage with ease in September, had another top-10 finish in October in Madrid and finished 6th last week and only three shots out of the playoff. Tee-to-green, he is one of Europe's best players. Last week, for example, he ranked 3rd in driving distance, 1st in driving accuracy and 2nd in greens in regulation. It would only take a lukewarm putter each week and he would be on the leaderboard every time. Against this field, these odds look generous for such a promising player.

David McKenzie to win 125/1 e.w. @ BetInternet
Huge odds for a player who came within $8,000 of being a fully exempt member of the PGA Tour this year. He ranked 23rd in the Nationwide Money List with the top-20 gaining PGA Tour Cards for this year and finished the season in good form with five top-5 finishes in seven starts from July to September. Returned home to Melbourne after the close of that Tour season and come close to winning the MasterCard Masters on the Australasian Tour, losing to Richard Green in a playoff. He played steadily to finish 21st last week in his first outing of the year with each round no higher than the last and he returns to New Zealand in an event in which he was 7th with one round to play last year. Shouldn't even be half these odds!