Buick Challenge

Outright plays (1 unit):

David Toms to win 16/1 e.w. @ Totalbet
Retained as a selection from last week even though he failed by a shot to finish in the top-4. Considering that he slipped on his way to the 1st tee last Thursday and hurt both his hand and his leg in the process, it was a very fine effort to finish as highly as he did, shooting 65-65 over the weekend. has a chequered history on this course - he won in 1999, but missed cuts in 1998 and 2000 before withdrawing injured after an opening 72 last year. As long as he can avoid injury this week, he is justifiably joint favourite with SkyBet and in my opinion as well.

Davis Love to win 20/1 e.w. @ BetInternet
Strange to find myself backing Davis Love as many times as I have done this year - at least I haven't repeated the same mistake with Darren Clarke in Europe - but his course form is compelling. He has made very cut since the Mountain View course was first used in 1991 and has finished in the top-5 four times in the last six years, including victory in 1997. The lengthening of the course should suit him and he has been playing well this summer; he would have been close to a top-5 finish last week had he not had such a disappointing opening round. Will back him again.

Stuart Appleby to win 35/1 e.w. @ Five Dimes [.5 units to win @ 35/1 & .5 units to finish in top-5 @ 38/5]
Not siding with a local player in the third selection, but backing a player in excellent form. He attributes his 2nd place finish in the British Open to turning his game and his confidence around and he has carried that form onto the PGA Tour as well. He finished 2nd in the Invensys Classic two weeks ago and started strongly last week, though he shot a higher round each day. Standing 32nd in the Money List, he will not be short of motivation this week and a repeat of his 2nd place finish in 1999 is a distinct possibility.

Matchup plays (1 unit unless stated):

Scott Verplank to beat Billy Andrade -111 @ Ladbrokes
Scott Verplank to beat Scott McCarron -110 @ GameDay
Brad Faxon to beat Steve Elkington +100 @ Sportingbet or Sporting Odds
John Huston to beat Craig Parry -120 @ Intertops
David Toms to beat Steve Lowery -150 @ WSEX [2 units]

Mid-point update:

Verplank/Andrade LOST (Verplank withdrew "for personal reasons")
Verplank/McCarron LOST (ditto)
Faxon/Elkington WON by 4
Huston/Parry Trails by 4
Toms/Lowery WON by 9

Toms 5th
Love 55th
Appleby 41st

Decent tournament spoiled by Verplank's withdrawal. At the other two matchups that were decided at the cut were decided on the golf course. If Huston catches Parry, we could still find the matchups in profit. Hopeful of the same thing in the outrights. Appleby and Love are not that far behind on a congested leaderboard.

Final update:

Matchups: 3-2-0; +0.79 units

Huston/Parry Tied (Push)

Outrights: 1-2; -0.50 units

Toms 2nd
Love 16th
Appleby 33rd

So close to a great event ... for the 2nd time today. Toms shot a great 65 to push Jonathan Byrd all the way. He finished one shot behind which was quite an achievement with Byrd shooting 7-under-par in a 5-hole stretch on the back nine! Huston made a late bogey to surrender a victory against, but the push enabled it to be a (very marginally) profitable event in the end.