Golf Bets / Mike Norman / 21 October 2009 / Leave a Comment

Martin Kaymer may be returning to action after a seven week absence, but the form he was in prior to his foot injury entitles him to go very close at the Castello Masters says "Mystical" Mike Norman.

The European Tour has moved in recent weeks from Spain, to Portugal (the Algarve no less), and now back to Spain again - makes you bloody sick doesn't it!

But despite this article being written from the cold, rainy town of Stockton on Tees, the quest for winners must go on, and this week it's the Castello Masters Costa Azahar that is the focus of my attention.

The field isn't that strong if I'm being honest, though the presence of home favourite Sergio Garcia, two-time major winner Angel Cabrera, PGA Tour member Robert Allenby, and some established names in European golf does make for a competitive betting heat.

Garcia is a worthy favourite, being the only previous course winner in the field and playing at the venue where he perfected his skills as a youngster. But at just [6.6] to back, he certainly isn't the one for me. His putting from inside 10 feet remains a constant worry, whilst it was rather alarming how he got himself into contention at the Madrid Masters two weeks ago, only to falter badly over the weekend.

Garcia's accuracy from the tee and excellent approach play will make him hard to beat on this tree-lined, relatively short course - but at his odds, I'm happy to let him go.

One man who I can't let go is Germany's Martin Kaymer, an incredibly talented golfer who I'd expect to be the best in Europe before too long. He was in outstanding form prior to the freak accident (that resulted in a broken foot) that kept him from playing for seven weeks, including back-to-back wins in the French and Scottish Opens and a marvelous 6th place in the US PGA Championship.

Form like that is ridiculous to ignore, so subsequently, Kaymer - who is available to back at [28.0] in the Winner market - is my main selection this week. If his game is anywhere near what it was during the summer, then those odds will look massive come Sunday afternoon.

I'm keeping my selections to a minimum this week as I'm more than happy with my Kaymer selection, but I'm once again going to keep a close eye on Michael Lorenzo-Vera (available to back at [190.0]).

The Frenchman has shown steady progress in recent weeks and despite missing the cut by just one shot in Portugal (due to some unusually woeful putting) he remains one to keep on your side. His GIR and Putts per GIR stats are impressive, and I think he is worth some interest in both the Top 10 Finish (where he can be backed at [14.5]) and the Top 5 Finish ([32.0]) markets.

Fast improving Chris Wood is another player I like, and I think he's a stand-out selection in Thursday Morning's 3-balls. At [2.14] to back he should have little problems recording lower scores than playing partners Pablo Martin ([2.84]) and the very disappointing David Howell ([3.4]).

Best Bets

1 pt win Martin Kaymer @ [28.0] in Winner market
1 pt win Michael Lorenzo-Vera @ [14.5] in Top 10 Finish market
0.5 pt win Michael Lorenzo-Vera @ [32.0] in Top 5 Finish market
3 pts Chris Wood win @ [2.14] in First Round 3-Balls

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