European Masters

Outright plays (1.5 units):

Retief Goosen to win 12/1 e.w. @ Five Dimes (.75 units to win & .75 units to finish in top-5)
This is a field that lacks real depth beyond the top-four of Els, Goosen, Bjorn and Campbell and two of these are chosen without reserve. Would have taken 10/1, but Five Dimes offer two points more than anyone else and with Goosen lying 2nd to Els in the Volvo Order of Merit, there should be no lack of motivation as he tries to defend the coveted title of European Tour #1. Has played the course five times previously, which is important given the altitude, and is a much better player nowadays.

Michael Campbell to win 16/1 e.w. @ Five Dimes, Sportingbet, BetInternet, Surrey or Heathorns
A win and a 6th place finish in Europe in July and two good performances in the PGA Championship and NEC Invitational is ample evidence that he is one of the class players on view this week. There are few doubts over his liking for this course either. Top-15 on his last two visits, he could have finished much higher. He had been 2nd after the 1st round in 2000 and has been the leader at the halfway cut in 1999. But at least he has won on this course - 1994 Memorial Olivier Barras, a European Challenge Tour event - and he should go close this week.

Eduardo Romero to win 33/1 e.w. @ BetInternet
Discount the world-class events - British Open, PGA Championship & NEC Invitational - and Romero is in cracking form. His last eight finishes would then read 4th, 6th, 32nd, 24th, 2nd, 6th, 30th, 1st. And then there is his course form: top-10 in the last three seasons and a double-winner (1994 and 2000). Add that his fellow Argentinean won this title last year and Romero looks a good prospect to be in contention this week.

Matchup plays (1.5 units unless stated):

Nick Faldo to beat David Howell -120 @ Bet365
Ignacio Garrido to beat David Park -111 @ William Hill [3 units]
Ricardo Gonzalez to beat Trevor Immelman -111 @ Ladbrokes
Soren Hansen to beat Ian Poulter -115 @ Intertops
Carl Pettersson to beat Ian Poulter -118 @ Centrebet
Fredrik Jacobson to beat Stephen Leaney -125 @ Bet365
Barry Lane to beat Thomas Levet -111 @ Ladbrokes
Paul Lawrie to beat Lee Westwood +100 @ William Hill
 

No time for explanation/reasons/excuses ...

Mid-point update:

Faldo/Howell Leads by 3
Garrido/Park Trails by 3
Gonzalez/Immelman LOST by 7
Hansen/Poulter Leads by 1
Pettersson/Poulter Leads by 5
Jacobson/Leaney Trails by 2
Lane/Levet Leads by 2
Lawrie/Westwood WON by 9

Goosen 59th
Campbell 28th
Romero mc

Looks like a break-even event at best at the moment, but most of the matchups are still alive and it would be helpful if Garrido were to overtake Park in the double-play. Very disappointing performance from the outrights. Romero missed the cut by one, Goosen took seven on the last hole to end any interest, while Campbell need to make up four shots to gain a top-5 spot. Will take a break-even event at this stage.

Final update:

Matchups: 5-3-0; +0.65 units

Faldo/Howell WON by 1
Garrido/Park LOST by 6
Hansen/Poulter WON by 7
Pettersson/Poulter WON by 10
Jacobson/Leaney LOST by 6
Lane/Levet WON by 3

Outrights: 0-3; -4.50 units

Goosen 43rd
Campbell 10th

No improvement over the weekend, though Campbell had reached a top-5 position only to bogey two of the last three holes on Sunday. But this never looked like being a good event.