Tipster: Stanley

Ford Championship at Doral

Outright plays (1.5pts):

Retief Goosen to win 16/1 e.w. @ SkyBet, Stan James and BlueSq
Being beaten in the first round last week should serve Goosen in good stead for this week. It will surely have taken its toll on those players who got to the weekend. And while Goosen has only limited experience at Doral - 33rd in 2000 - he has finished in the top-10 in three of four PGA Tour strokeplay events this year and is a player who does play well on Bermuda greens. The Tour moves from the West Coast this week and so the ability (and the extra time) to adjust to the new putting surfaces should provide Goosen with a good chance of victory.

Bob Tway to win 66/1 e.w. @ Bet365
I wouldn't say Tway has anywhere near as much chance of winning this event, but he did come very close last year. He held sole lead after round 2, was tied with Hoch after round 3 and finished only two shots out of the playoff. Plus he did win the Canadian Open last year - his first win in eight seasons - so there is good reason to making it an each-way rather than place-only play. Having finished in the top-10 in the Nissan Open two weeks ago, he looks in good form ahead of this event and, like Goosen, he can have prepared early for this event as he lost in the first round last week. Available at half these odds elsewhere, Tway have proved in recent times that he can still compete at this level.

Stephen Ames to finish in the top-five 14/1 @ SkyBet
Much less confidence in Ames' ability to win on this Tour, so a definite place-only play here. He has yet to win a PGA Tour event, with his best finish being 2nd in the 2002 Players Championship. However, he does hold the course record here with a 2nd round 61 in 2000 when he finished 8th. That was also his finish in the Sony Open earlier this year and with top-25 finishes in three of four subsequent events, he looks to be a little overpriced on a course on which he has played well in the past.

Final update: 1-2; -0.75pts

Goosen 3rd
Tway mc
Ames 27th

Another close shave and another place payout, but not from a win. Goosen finished a shot outside the playoff and did have chances on the final nine holes to make the difference as he had when leading the event after 36 holes. He wouldn't have beaten Parry in the playoff, but at least there were chances for Goosen and Ames during the event to make this a lot more profitable.