MCI Heritage

FINAL RESULT: 1-2; +0.00pts

Clarke 2nd
Verplank 10th
Ogilvy 32nd

I'm shell-shocked and I'm sure Darren Clarke is as well. Having a 6-shot lead with 36 holes to play, having a 4-shot lead with 15 holes to play and having an opponent who gave Clarke chance after chance after chance on the final day, he will never have an easier tournament to win. He was 9-over-par for his last 13 holes and still only finished two shots behind Lonard. Shell-shocked!

Outright plays (total stake per play: 1.5pts)

Darren Clarke to win 20/1 e.w. available generally
Only once since this event moved to the week after the Masters has this title been won by a player who missed the cut at Augusta. Rather than fatigue, the momentum from a good performance at the first major of the week appears to be the carry-over from last week. And that fits both Clarke and Verplank. The Irishman had a strong weekend after making the cut on the mark to finish 17th and while he hasn't quite captured his pre-March break form, he is still is in plenty enough form to prosper on this links-type course. He finished 11th last year despite a poor weekend, so should be competitive in his last PGA Tour event of the Spring.

Scott Verplank to win 28/1 e.w. @ GolfingGods
Verplank also finished in the top-20 last week and it was enough to confirm that after a very difficult start to the year that his 2nd place in the Players Championship was no fluke. When in form, he is a very consistent feature on the leaderboard and is well-suited to this short track where he finished 11th, 3rd and 5th from 2000 to 2002.

Geoff Ogilvy to win 40/1 e.w. @ Paddy Power, Ladbrokes and Tote
By contrast, Ogilvy didn't play last week having narrowly failed to qualify by virtue of being in the top-50 of the World Rankings. But now rested since the Players Championship, he should be very well-prepared for this event and particularly having finished 11th and 3rd in the last two years here. He has already won this year and with that course form, it is rather surprising that his odds are so large.