The International

Final Result: -5pts. Only Owen made the cut and he never looked like getting in the top 10.

Adding:

Back Greg Owen to finish in the top ten 2pts @ 11/1 at Paddy Power

Still offering great value every time he plays, this price just don't make sense. In 15 starts on this tour this season he has finished in the top ten 3 times, a 1 in 5 return ratio. What's more it's not as if those were just isolated good performances: he has a further 5 top 25s. At 11/1 we have a price which, without considering his suitability to this event or otherwise, is in my opinion at least double the true odds. So, what about his suitability to the event? Well, making birdies is obviously important here due to the stableford format and Owen ranks 29th on tour for birdie average so I don't see any reason there to think twice about taking these odds.

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Back Charles Warren 0.25pts e/w @400/1 at Coral

Warren is a very talented, relatively young player who I feel is very much in the same mould as the likes of Jason Bohn and Ryan Palmer, in that they make the step up to the main tour and show their talent very sporadically, but seem destined to win sooner rather than later. He is a multiple winner on the Nationwide Tour, including two events last year which got him his tour card via 8th place in the Nationwide money list. This season he has blown very hot and cold - numerous top 25s separated by even more numerous missed cuts - but that is not something I worry too much about as it is the sort of pattern shown by the aforementioned players. At these sort of odds it is not too expensive to follow him and hope that this week will produce his maiden tour victory.

Back Nick O'Hern 1.25pts e/w @80/1 at Ladbrokes, Coral, Willian Hill

Nick O'Hern is a real enigma. He is undoubdetdly supremely talented, as his convincing dispatching of Tiger Woods in the world matchplay earlier this season emphatically displayed. He is also one of the most consistent players around - no matter where in the world he is teeing it up. He just doesn't win - EVER! Not entirely true as he does have some Australian events to his name, but the last of them was over six years ago. So why back him here? Well for a start the 20/1 place part offers great e/w value. Secondly - could he just be inspired by fellow Aussie Rod Pampling's success here last year? Pampling was considered something of a trophy dodger too - indeed his only other success came in an Australian event in 1999 - the same year O'Hern won his last event. Could lightening strike twice? Well, despite O'Hern never having played the event before, there is reason to believe that the modified stableford format could suit him. Since 2002, the ANZ Championship in Australia has been played in this format. O'Hern has played that event three times and finished 11th, 2nd and 6th.