Golf Bets / Mike Norman / 09 February 2010 / 3 Comments

The Avantha Masters may be making its debut on the European Tour, but this week's venue is very familiar to some of India's top golfers, and therefore 'home' players are the ones to follow says "Mystical" Mike Norman.

So then, if you're struggling to find a winner then clearly the strategy is to knock yourself down a peg or two and have a serious rethink - as I did recently.

After a dismal start to the 2010 European Tour season (punting wise that is) I went back to basics last week, selecting 'class' golfers at decent odds that had previously shown solid form on the golf course they were playing. I was rewarded with a victory for Miguel Angel Jimenez (advised at [18.0] in the Top 5 Finish market) at the Dubai Desert Classic, who was available to back at around [85.0] in the Winner market pre-tournament.

I'm using a similar strategy this week because although the Avantha Masters is making its debut on the European Tour schedule, the venue - DLF Golf and Country Club - has been used regularly on both the Asian and PGTI (Professional Golf Tour of India) Tours, and we have plenty of form to go on.

Of course, there is a school of thought that will argue that the European Tour players are of a higher standard than the Asian and PGTI Tour players, but it's not the strongest contingent of Europeans ever assembled this week and I much prefer to back a few 'local' boys.

Top of my list is India's Jyoti Randhawa, who is available to back at [30.0] only because of his poor start to the season. His form at this week's venue is arguably the best on offer however. He won the DLF Masters here by an amazing 10 shots in 2007, defended that title a year later, finished eighth in the Johnnie Walker Classic (staged at this course in 2008), and finished tied fourth here in 2009 when trying to make it a hat-trick of DLF Masters victories.

Randhawa clearly loves playing in this part of the world - proved by the fact that he finished fifth on last season's Asian Tour money list despite playing in only 10 events - and he clearly loves playing around this par-72, 7,156 yard-long golf course. I just can't see him not being in contention this week.

Another Indian golfer high on my shortlist is 21-year-old Gaganjeet Bhullar ([32.0]). By all accounts this guy is India's answer to Rory McIlroy - except this guy knows how to win! Remarkably, Bhullar only played seven events on last season's PGTI Tour, made the cut in all, and won five of them. He has already won around this golf course (winning the 2009 DLF Masters by five shots) and comes into this week's event in great shape having just triumphed at the Asian Tour International, shooting 64 on the final day to snatch the title.

Randhawa and Bhullar are going to give us a great run for our money in the Winner market, but for some bigger-priced runners to back in the Top 5 Finish market then look no further than Anirban Lahiri (should be available to back at around [24.0] once the market develops), Ashok Kumar ([30.0]), Shamim Khan ([40.0]) and Mukesh Kumar ([34.0]).

All four are well-renowned in this part of the world, know how to win, and have some excellent form around the DLF Golf and Country Club. In fact they filled the first four places on last season's PGTI Order of Merit (ahead of Bhullar no less), a fact that makes their win odds this week (Lahiri [100.0], A Kumar [120.0], Khan [200.0], M Kumar [140.0]) very tempting to small stakes.

True, I've taken a chance on some local players that will have to perform better than ever (bar Randhawa) if they are to triumph this week, but I'd much rather back these guys than some out-of-form European, playing the course for the first time, and available to back at much shorter odds. I've put plenty of hours of study in for this tournament; let's hope it all pays off.

Oh, I nearly forgot. During my study I found a player by the name of Digvijay Singh. If he isn't the best named golfer in the world then I don't know who is. He sounds like a player who has a lot of respect for the great man from Fiji!

Recommended Bets

1 pt win Jyoti Randhawa @ [30.0] in Winner market
1 pt win Gaganjeet Bhullar @ [32.0] in Winner market
1 pt win Anirban Lahiri @ [24.0] in Top 5 Finish market
1 pt win Ashok Kumar @ [30.0] in Top 5 Finish market
1 pt win Shamim Khan @ [40.0] in Top 5 Finish market
1 pt win Mukesh Kumar @ [34.0] in Top 5 Finish market
0.25 pt win Anirban Lahiri @ [100.0] in Winner market
0.25 pt win Ashok Kumar @ [120.0] in Winner market
0.25 pt win Shamim Khan @ [200.0] in Winner market
0.25 pt win Mukesh Kumar@ [140.0] in Winner market

Comments (3)

1. thefreodoc | 10 February 2010

   Mike - your tips in this Indian tournament could be your best work yet - your staking plan in particular looks really good prior to the start at least - but we must admit you are coming off a lowish base (although Angel did help last week). Continued good punting!

2. brian clough | 10 February 2010

   This is a good way to go with local players, in 2008 i backed SSP Chowrasia at 200-1+ to win in India on European tour.
   A player who won a torney in 2009 in India
   was Chapchai Nirat who won by 11 shots!!!!
   to 2nd placed Gaganjeet Bhullar. Nirat must be worth a punt at 60 in win market.

3. Mike | 12 February 2010

   Thanks for your kind comments guys, much appreciated.

   Having submitted my preview prior to the tee-times being available to view, I was a bit gutted to see that all six of my selections were on the same half of the draw.

   However, having said that, none of them have performed well enough to warrant a cry of, "If only he'd been on the other side of the draw" from myself. Ashok Kumar got it to four under midway through round one but then fadad, but the biggest dissappointment has to be Bhullar.

   He got it to three under (could have been better) on round one and was the very first man out in round two - calm weather, fresh greens and all that. What did he do? He shot four over par and is likely to miss the cut.

   My only hope remaining is Randhawa. He is five off the pace at the moment but the quality ahead of him isn't that great. It says something when you have golfers ranked 886 and 1356 in the world sharing the top spot!

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