US Open / Paul Krishnamurty / 21 June 2009 / Leave a comment

Paul Krishnamurty looks ahead to today's 2-balls at the US Open where the likes of Ross Fisher and Vijay Singh look solid prices to beat their playing partners.

US Open Update - The pick of today's 2-balls

With only two rounds completed and a series of rain delays, this has not been the most memorable golf major by any means, but its important to remember that there is a very long way to go. Nobody ever remembers the opening rounds of classic majors - it is the final day drama that matters. Assuming the ground staff can get the course playable again, we should be looking at finishing the 3rd round today, and the final 18 holes on Monday. At least we US Open afficionados are well used to Monday finishes in this major, most recently last year's marathon play-off.

There is one reason why the final delay last night was welcome. Because the schedule had already been interrupted, there had been barely any time in between rounds to pick bets for the next set of 18 holes. That final delay ensured the last dozen third-round 2-balls have yet to start, and its those that form the core of today's betting strategy, with the three following bets taking the eye.

Ross Fisher @ [1.85] (vs Hamilton)

This will be the next 2-ball to start once play gets underway, involving two players well poised on the fringes of contention. Hamilton famously landed one of the great all-time shocks to win the 2004 British Open at Troon, and that taming of a major venue means that he must be afforded respect today. Nevertheless, the bottom line is that Todd started this week as a no-hoper, and is a vastly inferior player to Ross Fisher.

Ross is enjoying his second crack at this major, and despite his obvious inexperience, cannot be ruled out to win the event. After all, he has proven his ability in bad weather conditions previously and there aren't that many superior candidates ahead of him on the leaderboard.

The key for me here is their comparative power off the tee. Bethpage is a long course at the best of times, and after yet more rain, players are going to be hitting some very long irons in to the greens. So long as he hits the fairway, Fisher will enjoy at least 25 yard distance advantage over Hamilton on every par-4 or par-5.

Vijay Singh @ [1.62] (vs Lucquin)

Its a measure of how far Vijay has slipped down the pecking order that he can be backed at above [1.5] against a journeyman like Jean-Francois Lucquin. There are very few weaker players left in after the cut than the Frenchman, and its hard to see him doing anything other than struggle. This is a player who hasn't made a single top-10 on the European Tour in 2009.

Nor is Lucquin a long-hitter, so he will concede significant distance to Vijay on most holes. Another sound reason to take the odds-on about Singh is that he is the ultimate trier. This long, distracting weekend will test players' discipline and commitment, but nobody is better equipped to cope than workaholic Singh. He's a long way back, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Vijay reach the top-10 by the end of this marathon.

Ian Poulter @ [2.1] (vs Clark)

Yesterday's round was a bitter disappointment for us Poulter backers, but I'm giving him one more chance. The lowest point of yesterday's 74 was a pair of tiny putts missed on consecutive holes, which turned Poulter's prospects around. Nevertheless, he is another very determined player, and I strongly suspect he will battle hard through the elements to get the best possible result.

In contrast, Clark is not a player I fancy much in these conditions. He's disadvantaged anyway by being a short-hitter, and has been suffering for years with a neck injury that can hardly be helped by such conditions. He hasn't look particularly suited to Bethpage so far, and looks set to run up further big totals as the course gets softer, and even tougher.