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John Deere Classic @ Betfair

FINAL RESULT:

Loss = 3 pts

Bank is now £1399.73 after 13 weeks (Up 19.99 pts overall).

Summary:
Not a bad effort by two of the four; both Sluman and, particularly, Hoch looked like getting involved on occasions, and as late as mid-Sunday they both hit the top 8, but it wasn't to be. There was the expected good iron play by the two to see them put in a decent week, but ultimately they couldn't fulfil the hopes I had for their putting.


Page Update #1:
(Winner market)
Back Scott Hoch 1.25 pts @ 75
Back Jeff Sluman 0.75 pt @ 75
Back J.J. Henry 0.5 pt @ 100
Back Rocco Mediate 0.5 pt @ 260
Not very inspired at all by this event and disappointed at the lack of liquidity on Betfair, resulting in not overly-generous prices. Maybe it's the poor field not exciting me, and being sandwiched in between Major events wouldn't help, and also it's not easy to see what type of players this course now favours. I don't think driving is important here and I'm just edging towards favouring the GIR specialists over those with better short games after the course was toughened up prior to last year's event.
In their current form, hitting greens but putting poorly certainly covers Sluman, Henry and Mediate, and I can only hope one of them finds some form on the greens this week.
Sluman has now switched to the belly putter (since the Memorial) and his form has improved. He was lying 22nd at halfway at the Buick Classic a month ago when a silly technicality saw him being DQed and he followed that with 11th at the Booz Allen. Last week he struggled to 47th by putting poorly on that putters course, but his ball striking was top notch; it is to be hoped that his previous improvement on the greens can be found again - if it is he could easily do as well as his 4th here in 2001.
Henry has, barring the freakish US Open, been T5th, T11th & 2nd for GIR on his last three outings, and this has led to some improved finishes of 16th, 18th & 23rd. Also a factor in that improvement would have been some better putting, and overall he has made definite progress in that area this season.
Mediate has had a desperate season but there are definite signs that he is on the way back. He said at the Memorial, three outings ago, how he felt so much better and his game was coming around, and he followed that up by being tied top for GIR at the Buick Classic and then playing well in a 2-day charity event. Despite missing the cut at the Western Open he had shot the joint-best score of the day in the pro-am on the eve of the event, and overall you can see how he's progressing; over 200/1 is too big in this field, I feel.
Hoch was a deadline-day addition to this field, and I take that to mean he's pleased with his 11th place last week. That was a welcome return to form after having had wrist trouble, but we mustn't forget how it was only just over two months ago he was chasing down Vijay Singh in Houston. He went off under 40/1 the following week because of that second successive top-7 and seeing how his iron play is looking so good again, I think anything around the best bookmaker's quote of 66/1 is very appealing.