Utah Championship

Subscribe

After a week's break we return to the newly named Web.com Tour and find ourselves in Utah and the Willow Creek Country Club in Salt Lake County. This is an event shrouded in history and with plenty of course form as Willow Creek has hosted the Utah Championship for the last 15 years. It is a 7,104 yard layout that is situated in the Wasatch Mountains, minutes away from the ski slopes of Salt Lake City and for this reason I will be focusing on players who appear to play well in either altitude or on mountain courses. Obviously length will be a key attribute this week too so I will be looking at Driving Distance but also Accuracy as the course now includes three large and dramatic water features that add a distinct challenge. I have also been drawn to the fact that last year there were 45 eagles over the week and would like to add somone who ranks highly in Par 4 or Par 5 eagles (with there being six Par 5s on the course).

My picks are as follows.

Charles Warren - First off, Warren's results here at Willow Creek read pretty well 11/22/35/mc/12, his most recent finish being the 12th and included a 3rd round of 65 which bodes well considering he comes here on the back of a 9th in Kansas and 21st (which could have been better but for a 3rd round 75) in Indiana. He ranks 7th in DD, 35th in DA and 30th in Eagles (holes per) not to mention 4th in Total Eagles. Throw into the mix a respectable 71.5 Scoring Average on a Par 72 course and I feel we have a contender. 1pt e/w @ 66/1 Various

BJ Staten - Ok, hes not the longest off the tee at 292 yards but he does rank a respectable 32nd in DA and while he only sits 72nd in Total Eagles he does rank 30th in Birdie Average which will certainly bode well for him here. What appeals to me most though is the fact that he lives on the course and was born and raised in Colorado, so will be more than adept to playing at altitude and familiar with the course. his record here isnt outstanding, nor are the three missed cuts on his last three outings but he has a 3rd at the Rex Hospital Open amongst classier opposition and is worth a chance. 0.5pts e/w @ 100/1 stan James

Christopher DeForest - A very outlandish choice by myself again for a small stake bet and solely on the fact that DeForest ranks 2nd in DD and 1st in Eagles (holes per) and Total Eagles. He is not the most accurate and he hasnt any decent results so far this season but he made the cut in both altitude events in Chile and Colombia and ruined a good finish in both with one errant round. One final plus is the fact that on his only outing here at Willow Creek he finished a respectable 30th with a tidy card reading 71/68/68/68, hopefully he can build from last year. 0.25pts @ 500/1 Various

Total staked - 3.5pts