Tshwane Open

Subscribe

Justin Walters to beat Edoardo Molinari - 5 points @ Evens (betway)

A short note as the full article went missing into cyberspace!

Molinari is displaying signs of inconsistency throughout his game after looking as if he had recovered fully from injury and was getting to grips with swing changes. As shown at the Trophee Hassan (81/66 first two rounds) and recently at Joburg (led at halfway before plummeting down the board), his game is not anywhere near his 2009/2010 best, he is relatively short off the tee (ranking 120th) which won't help him here and his putting isn't anywhere near where it needs to be to contend. Given the missed-cut here last season he has plenty to prove.

Walters has taken time to get going in his Euro career but has wasted little time in his first couple of seasons. 5 top-10s in his inaugural Challenge Tour season encouraged a 5th at the finale and a main Tour card. Highlight of his first year was an excellent runner-up in Portugal, again to secure his card, this time under personal distress as his mother had passed away just weeks previous. That effort, with all rounds under 70 and a second-round 63, showed him to be an excellent ball-striker, putter and above all with a willingness to perform and in higher grade. The 33-year-old should have won at Joburg but played as if under enormous pressure for the majority of the final round before coming again to run-up to George Coetzee, itself decent form. As an aside, Walters went into the weekend at Joburg two shots behind joint-leader Molinari, and finished 8 shots ahead. The South African's most consistent form is, of course, at home and recent finishes of 20th and 29th on courses that may not have suited are fine in the context of this field and he comes here with the memory of last years 16th place finish.

There seems to be no reason bar past best efforts why Dodo is favoured here and on recent overall efforts, plus the home advantage, Walters must be backed as the outsider.