18-Hole Match Picks - PGA Tour

Tipster: Stanley

Odds: 2-Balls

Odds: 3-Balls

2-1; +6.60pts  (system plays: 6-6-1)

Round 1 play (2pts):

Bryce Molder to beat Ben Curtis +108 @ Pinnacle [available generally]  LOST by 4
With all the course changes at Congressional in recent years, it is hard to say that previous performances here should be important, but there is such a stark contrast between the histories of these two players at Congressional (and in this event) that it must be a factor this week: whereas Curtis has two missed cuts from two previous visits (and he missed the cut in this event at Aronomink last year), Molder finished 4th in his previous visit to Congressional (and he has finishes of 25th - 9th with one round to play - and 8th in this event at Aronomink. Curtis did have a purple patch of form in April/May, but finishes of 68th and mc in his last two starts suggest that he is not as that level any more. If so, Molder's course and event form should prevail in this matchup.

[unofficial rd1 system plays: Singh tb Villegas +100 (W); Wi tb Adams -104 (W)]

Round 2 play (2pts):

Vijay Singh to beat Jhonattan Vegas -120 @ Stan James [also available @ Bet365]  TIED
Singh has been playing well for a month or so, but struggling on the greens. Yesterday, he putted well and the reward was a 2nd place position on the leaderboard, but it was a matter of a very tough course separately out those striking the ball well from those not so putting was less important. That should continue today and, even if doesn't putt as well, he still looks likely to match the top-10 finish that he had in his last visit Conressional. Vegas has two missed cuts and finishes of 56th and 69th in his last four starts, so doesn't appear to have the form to compete on such a difficult course.

[unofficial rd2 system plays: Singh tb Villegas -155 (W); Love tb Sabbatini -125 (L); Johnson tb Leishman -125 (L); Love tb Leishman -107 (L)]

Round 3 play (4pts):

Brendon De Jonge to beat Pat Perez +115 @ 5Dimes, The Greek and Carib [available generally]  WON by 3
De Jonge has been playing well for some time - this is his 11th straight cut made - and he closed with 65-66-66 last week to finish 8th in the Travelers Championship, so maybe it isn't too much of a surprise that he is 2nd at the cut in this event. Perez lies a shot back in 5th place, but he has secured just one top-10 finish all season (9th in the Byron Nelson Championship, having been 2nd at the cut). When ranks 19th in the Scoring Average Before Cut, but then 66th in Round 3 Scoring Average and then 76th in Final Round Scoring Average, it is clear how he has struggled to convert his chances this season. That makes it strange for him to be such a large favourite in this matchup.

[unofficial rd3 system plays: Palmer tb Laird +100 (W); Flores tb Kim +120 (T); Cink tb Pampling +109 (W); O'Hair tb Cauley -105 (W); Immelman tb Cantlay +120 (L); Singh tb Noh -110 (L)]

Round 4 play (4pts):

Adam Scott to beat Jason Day -110 @ SkyBet  WON by 3
Both players within six shots of the lead, so on the fringes of contention, but it is Scott who is the likelier to mount any challenge for this title. Whereas Scott has finished 17th or better in ten of his last 12 starts, Day can match that just twice in the whole of 2012. A major reason for this is their respective final round performances - Scott averages over a shot better than Day in Final Round Scoring Average on the PGA Tour this year. And whereas his momentum is forward this week - he started the week with 75 that saw him in 76th position - Day ended the first round in 5th place with his 69, but hasn't broken 70 since.

[unofficial rd4 system plays: Jobe tb Walker -104 (L)]