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Dutch Open
The week after the British Open and with the exception of John Huston, it's back to the usual European Tour field. Westwood and Clarke headline the field and along with Huston they have been regular competitors for this event, despite its timing, with Westwood being the defending champion and Clarke being the runner-up the year before. Not that that is worth much this week as a new course is being used for this event, the first time that Noordwijkse has been used for this event since 1993.
This is a true links course with sand dunes prominent and wind set to be much more of a factor than it was last week. Little danger of bunker-phobia continuing this week as there are not many of them on this course, but there are plenty of blind second shots. The course is short, being a par-72 at only 6,900 yards, so it will need the wind to remain a force if it is not to be rendered defenceless.
The top two ranked are Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke. On any ordinary week, they should easily fill the first two places, but Westwood was looking pretty disenchanted at the weekend playing his least favorite course and Clarke could suffer a let-down having played himself into contention for 2nd and then surrendered it lamely to his playing partner, Thomas Bjorn. On top of that, both are available at very short odds, 4/1 and 6/1 respectively and there is no value in that. Instead, this week's three e/w picks are Bernhard Langer, John Huston and Stephen Allan.
It may be some time since this event was staged at Noordwijkse, but when it was Langer won the event in 1992 and was 2nd in 1991. He showed last week that he does not struggle on the links and normally plays even better when in or close to his homeland. Westwood and Clarke ensure good odds and he currently stands at 20/1 with Ladbrokes. The second pick, John Huston, is a regular exception to the American exodus after the British Open. He has played this event six times in the last ten years with pretty impressive results: 15th, 4th, 16th, 5th, 11th & 8th. The weekend off will not have done him too much harm with all the major contenders this week having played the extra 36 holes. Also available at 20/1 (at Ladbrokes, William Hill and Sportingbet) he should be good for at least a place again.
The dark horse is Stephen Allan, the Australian who has suddenly rediscovered his game since the Wales Open seven weeks ago; before that he had a season-high finish of 60th! He didn't play in the Open, but was 4th the week before in the Loch Lomond and should be able to play the wind as well as the other Aussies in Tour. He is priced at 50/1 with Sportingbet, and like the others, will need a top-4 place for a win.
Will have 72-hole plays this evening.
72-hole plays:
Stephen Allan to beat Jarrod Moseley -118 @ Sportodds [3 units]
This week's dark horse in much the better form than Moseley - two top-10
finishes in last four events; Moseley has not had a top-20 finish all year
Stephen Leaney to beat Mathias Gronberg -111 @ Ladbrokes [2 units]
[same odds @ SIA]
Neither player in great form at the moment, but Leaney does have a good history
in the event even though on a different track: 15th last year and the winner the
year before. Psychological lift rather than course form should lead to a better
performance from Leaney
1st round plays:
Angel Cabrera to beat Paul McGinley -115 @ Five Dimes [3 units]
Lee Westwood to beat Darren Clarke -125 @ Five Dimes [3 units]
Gary Orr to beat Jose Coceres -120 @ Five Dimes [3 units]
1st round update: 2-1-0 and +2.40 units
Time for VENTING!!! Gary Orr withdraws from the tournament after hitting TWO
shots! I'll give him a bad back! Might have noticed he couldn't play when on the
practice ground - sure would have been better for his playing partners, the
first alternate and my play. Coceres rightfully shot 76 to lie down in 132nd
place, but won the matchup 
The other two were as easy as this should have been: Cabrera beat McGinley by
six and Westwood beat Clarke by five.
Of the two 72-hole plays, Allan lies in 8th place and leads Moseley by two, while Leaney is the joint leader of the tournament and leads Gronberg by two also.
Final update: 4-1-0 and +7.40 units for the week
No further lines from Five Dimes and 3-balls the order of the day at the weekend, so no more plays but still a very satisfying week. The only loss being the farcical loss with Gary Orr. Leaney won the tournament and so beat Gronberg, the margin being five shots while Allan beat Moseley by two shots.
Update on outright plays: 1-2 and +0.50 units
Langer finished 2nd four shots behind Stephen Leaney who showed no sign of relinquishing the lead on the last day. 40/1 Stephen Allan had been the 2nd round leader and was 2nd overnight but had a very indifferent day to finish 7th and out of the place money. John Huston lost the tournament on the 1st day and finished down the field in 33rd place.
