Golf Bets / Mike Norman / 09 February 2011 /

The top three golfers in the world are in action on the European Tour this week and Mike Norman believes Lee Westwood can prove why he's top of the tree.

Throughout this season Mike will give one selection in each of the Winner, Top Five Finish and Top Ten Finish markets every week a European Tour event is being played.

The eyes of the golfing world will be on the Emirates Golf Club this week as Tiger Woods returns to the European Tour to attempt to put one over the two men who have leapfrogged him in the world rankings.

Woods - available to back at [7.8] pre-tournament - is going in search of his third Dubai Desert Classic victory but will face stiff opposition in the form of world number's one and two Lee Westwood ([14.0]) and Martin Kaymer ([5.9]). And in what promises to be a mouthwatering clash over the first two days the terrific trio have been 'drawn' together in a three-ball that will have armchair viewers drooling in excitement.

Woods has never finished out of the top five in the desert, winning this event twice in 2006 and 2008. But that was the brilliant pre 'revelations about his personal life' Woods and he has since proved that having equally fantastic records around the likes of Firestone and Torrey Pines mean absolutely nothing in his current guise.

I'm not going to be too damning about Tiger's chances this week as I know sooner or later he will return to winning ways and make me look silly, but for the time being he is easily opposable.

Kaymer got the kiss of death selection from yours truly last week and he duly opened with a five over par 77. True, he had a poor record around Doha but that wouldn't have mattered if he was in the same form as he was in Abu Dhabi a few weeks earlier. He wasn't and he finished well down the field. Like Woods the German has a fantastic record at this venue, but I agree with The Punter on this one, Kaymer looks just a tad too short in the betting, especially given his disappointing performance last week.

Winner

Like Kaymer Rory McIlroy ([7.8]) looks poor value in the Winner market but I will be very surprised if one of the top four in the betting doesn't lift the trophy on Sunday afternoon. That just leaves Westwood then, and based on his poor start to this season his selection might come as a bit of a surprise to some.

But I feel that out of the star three-ball Westwood is the least likely to underperform. Woods has a lot to prove and might come under a bit of pressure to do exactly that, whilst Kaymer has never played with the 'great man' before and it remains to be seen how he reacts. Westwood meanwhile is unflappable and rarely stays out-of-form for long. He rarely starts a season well so I wouldn't read too much into what he has (or hasn't) achieved so far. The company he is in on Thursday and Friday will surely make him raise his game, and given that he has a fine record here (he was runner-up last year) he is fancied to prove just why he is the number one ranked golfer in the world.

Top Five Finish

At [8.0] to back veteran Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez looks worthy of a wager this week. He is the defending champion and his record of five top-10 finishes and three top-five finishes in the last six years is up there with the best. He has started this season in fine fettle too, finishing 11th in Abu Dhabi and second at the Volvo Golf Champions, so his poor weekend in windswept Qatar a few days ago can easily be forgiven.

Top Ten Finish

It's not if he wins a tournament it's when. Those words have often been spoken about Oliver Wilson - nine times runner-up on the European Tour - and it might just be a case that they've got to him a little. Wilson has shown only glimpses of the form that saw him qualify for the 2008 Ryder Cup in recent months, though last week's 12th place finish was definitely more like it. His last two visits here have seen him finish 16th (2009) and 15th (2010), so at [9.2] to back, his odds for a top-10 finish this week are about right. Here's hoping he can achieve that position.

Recommended Bets

Back Lee Westwood at [14.0] in Winner market
Back Miguel Angel Jimenez at [8.0] in Top Five Finish market
Back Oliver Wilson at [9.2] in Top Ten Finish market

Total pts bets this season (one pt bet per selection): 18
Total pts returned: 5.5
2011 European Tour season Profit/Loss: -12.5

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