General / Tareq Quiroz / 05 March 2008 / Leave a Comment

Betfair's very own Tareq Quiroz is eyeing up a few lesser known names at one of the PGA Tour's younger events while the Masters looms large on the horizon.

It's early March and already the top players are starting to turn their minds to the year's first major. Augusta may be several weeks away but preparation for the game's big players is what the long season is all about. For some, that preparation starts on the range; for others it starts right here at the PODS Championship in Tampa Bay, Florida.

Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club is the host of what is one of the newer events on the PGA Tour schedule. This week will see the eighth renewal of the event that this year will have its fourth different tournament name. Ernie Els is undoubtedly the headline act and after his fine win last week he will be confident of securing back to back wins.

A decent field lines-up for what should be a high quality affair. Recent data suggests that it will be the greens in regulation specialists that are most suited by the course layout. It is most definitely an iron player's course and you can expect to see all the likely candidates well supported in the build-up to the tournament.

There are plenty of possibilities that you could make a decent case for this week but I can't get away from Kenny Perry. He is a great iron player who certainly knows how to win. With nine PGA Tour victories to his name you can be sure that if the opportunity presented itself then he would be more than capable of getting over the finish line. He has shown some good form this season and with decent results on this course you can expect him to put in a big showing this week. Get on him at [55.0] and you will not be disappointed.

Of the market leaders it is Stewart Cink who most catches my eye. He has been in excellent form this season and is clearly getting his game together. It would be no surprise to me if he was to add to his four PGA Tour victories this week. At current odds of around [29.0] he represents some decent value in what is a tricky event to call.

One of the peripheral markets that I like this week is the Top European. Only ten Europeans start the event and with Justin Rose taking up a fair percentage of the book there has to be good value elsewhere. Rose has yet to hit top form this season and I would rather side with the improving Alex Cejka. The German has steadily got his game together this year and I expect to him follow-on from his respectable seventh last week with another big showing. He is currently available at [12.5] in the Top European market and is a must bet.

The course will play relatively tough this week and if you are betting in-running I would suggest that we are unlikely to see someone charge through the field on the final day. Once the cut has been made I don't envisage many changes to the top of the leaderboard. Always remember to never under estimate an outsider going well at the business end of the tournament. The quality of today's players is such that no liberties can be taken. Get on your pre-tournament fancies and be willing to support any outsiders who are in contention going into the final round.

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