Chrysler Championship

0-9, -11.9pts.

Update after round 1:

Back Dean Wilson 1pt e/w @66/1 at Centrebet (place odds are 16/1 for top five)

Think this price is a bit big for a player who has made an excellent start and has been in good form recently.

Back Bernhard Langer 0.75pts e/w @66/1 at SportingOdds

Considered him before the off but I wasn't too sure how he'd go seeing as he hadn't played competitively in 6 weeks. A good start though has alleyed those fears and these look good odds to pick up at this stage.

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Update:

A quick one to add on Thursday morning after Betfair added him to the list:

Back Heath Slocum 0.5pts @260

He earned an instant graduation to the PGA tour in 2001 after 3 victories on the Nationwide Tour that year. Since then he has become a winner on the main tour, but his game has really suffered from inconsistency. From May this year though he has turned that around, making 15 of 16 cuts and with a couple of recent top 15 finishes looks to be in good shape to make a challenge this week on a course that should suit his sound ball striking game.

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Update:

Back Steve Elkington 0.75pts @170

Back Steve Elkington to finish in the top five 1pt @33/1 at Skybet

Hasn't played this event before so no course form to go on, but with his classic golf swing he is a great ball striker and normally well up the accuracy and GIR stats that seem to be important here. He has a good Florida record: 6th, 12th and 26th in his last three events in the state and it is not so long ago that he was competing right to the wire in the PGA Championship. I find it hard to see why he's at such a big price here.

Back Billy Mayfair 0.75pts @180

Back Billy Mayfair to finish in the top ten 1.5pts @14/1 at Paddy Power

Mayfair has suffered a slight dip in form after a fantastic summer of very consistent play when he was going off at prices much lower than this. I just think he has been forgotten about a bit too hastily. All his good performances have seen him high up the accuracy/GIR stats on that week and maybe this course will bring the best back out of him.

Back Brian Davis 0.3pts @260

Back Greg Owen 0.3pts @240

Back John Senden 0.3pts @280

These three look somewhat overpriced to me and fall in to the 'back to lay later' category.

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Back Fred Funk 1pt @140

Back Fred Funk to finish in the top five 2pts @25/1 at IASbet, Skybet

Joe Durant has had 2 top five finishes here in his last three starts, and that indicates to me that this course is one which can be taken on with accurate ball striking - the hallmark of Durant's game. The tough bermuda rough makes keeping the ball on the fairways and green is important. Obviously I've had a good look at Durant this week, and I can't knock his chances, but I think his price has been set with that excellent course form in mind and so isn't great value. The player who mainly interests me this week is another who's game is based on accuracy - Fred Funk, who I believe is an overall higher class of player than Durant. He hasn't been in too bad form of late, posting two top 30 finishes in his last two start, and followers of this page will know very well what happened the last time he teed it up in Florida!