The Punter's picks for the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and Tahoe Open

Golf Events / Steven Rawlings / 04 August 2009 /

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Phil Mickelson has the week before a major and after a long break - he figures in The Punter's staking plan this week

"I quite like this week’s main event, the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, as it’s been a decent event for me over the last few years. I really haven’t used a complicated system to make it profitable - I’ve just backed Tiger Woods. His record here’s fantastic, and while I turned my nose up at the 3.3 or thereabouts on the great man last week, I couldn’t resist the 2.9 this."

He may be holidaying in Cornwall but that doesn't stop Steve Rawlings from posting another batch of weekly golf bets...

As I'm down in Cornwall with family and friends and was unable to monitor the action, last week was a losing one for me. I wasn't really able to follow the weekend's golf and my in-running activity was limited to just a small bet on Y E Yang after day one of the Buick Open, and he sandwiched two mediocre rounds in between two very good ones and fell short of Tiger Woods' total.

I had looked at Woods on Friday before he started his second round when he traded around [6.8]. Probably on any other week I would have been able to jump aboard but his impressive birdie-eagle blitz to start round two coincided with me packing the car. When I came to log off the pc and get on the road he was nearly [3.0] and I'd missed the boat.

On to this week and I obviously haven't spent the usual amount of time on research but I have had a few bets to kick the week off.

I quite like this week's main event, the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, as it's been a decent event for me over the last few years. I really haven't used a complicated system to make it profitable - I've just backed Tiger Woods. His record here's fantastic, and while I turned my nose up at the [3.3] or thereabouts on the great man last week, I couldn't resist the [2.9] this. Having already won here six times I really thought he'd be no bigger than [2.5] after last week's win.

I've also backed Phil Mickelson at [22.0] and Zach Johnson at [100.0]. Mickelson returns to action this week, largely I suspect, in preparation for next week's US PGA Championships - the season's final major. But he's a former winner here and has shown in the past that he can both win the week before a major and after a lay-off, so I'm happy with the price. And I can't resist Johnson at a triple figure price. I know I've backed him a few times this year but it's not been without reward.

Selections:

Tiger Woods @ [2.90]
Phil Mickelson @ [22.0]
Zach Johnson @ [100.0]

The Tahoe Open is very much the supporting act this week but it was the main event for me last year when Parker McLachlin won after I'd backed him before the off at [80.0]. His form has dipped quite dramatically since then but I had to back him again at [130.0].

The shortest priced of my four fancies here is Matt Bettencourt, last year's Nationwide Tour leading money winner. He's been prominent on a few leaderboards already this year but hasn't been able to sustain his efforts for 72 holes. I'm hoping that a lower profile event might do the trick though, because he certainly has the talent to win on the big stage.

I've also backed another Nationwide Tour graduate in Marc Leishman at [90.0]. The big-hitting Aussie has just the sort of profile to win this event and he too has been showing up with increasing regularity.

Finally, I've also taken a chance on 2006 winner Will MacKenzie at [150.0].

Selections:

Matt Bettencourt @ an average of [42.0]
Marc Leishman @ [90.0]
Parker McLachlin @ [130.0]
Will MacKenzie @ [150.0]

As I'm away this week I won't post an update on Saturday but hopefully it will be plain sailing for Tiger by then anyway....

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