US Open / Tareq Quiroz / 11 June 2008 /

The course is evil, the odds are amazing, and Make the Cut and Top Nordic are full of opportunties says Tareq Quiroz

It seems like an eternity since we saw Trevor Immelman take Augusta by storm and claim his first Green Jacket. A lot has happened in the meantime but here we are again as all the top players line-up for the second major of the season. Without a doubt the US Open is the tournament that aims to test the players to their limits and beyond. Expect a brutal test this week- the officials here love nothing more than to see the best players in the world struggle around a course set-up that is nothing short of evil.

Most players will know Torrey Pines well. The Buick Invitational is played over Torrey Pines North and Torrey Pines South but the revamped South course will host the US Open. At over three hundred yards longer than any previous US Open course it is a severe test. Expect a tough week and if you are the kind of golf fan who prefers watching players struggle to a birdie blitz then this week is for you.

When it comes to finding the winner it would be crazy not to assess the Tiger situation. His recent knee surgery is well documented but many questions remain unanswered. Tiger is a very private individual so the snippets coming out of the camp are all we have to go on. His price has drifted dramatically in the last few weeks as the general consensus is that he isn't 100%. Whilst I agree, I would argue that he is so much better than the rest that he doesn't need to be firing on all cylinders. Add into that the fact that he has won six times at Torrey Pines and you have a man who will be perfectly at home come tee time on Thursday.

Tiger hasn't won the US Open since 2002 and if you had asked me at the start of the year I would have said that at the likely prohibitive odds he would be a probable lay for this tournament. We have to remember his record here and his form would have seen him starting at something close to even money for this tournament if all had gone to plan. He is currently available at an amazing [4.5] and I firmly believe he is a must bet at those odds. Forget all the stuff about how badly he performed when he played in the US Open following a long lay-off after the death of his father, this is a completely different situation and I fully expect him to win this week.

This major has thrown up a few surprise winners in recent years and there is scope for that trend to continue this week. After Tiger I really don't see any appeal in the top section of the market although I wouldn't put anyone off backing Immelman or Cink on this track. If you scroll a little further down though you will be met with several value bets on decent performers. I am certainly going to include last year's winner Angel Cabrera in my staking plan. The big hitting Argentinean was a shock winner and is a player that often flies under the radar as you don't see him on tour as often as most players but he is definitely a player that gears himself up for the big tournaments. At [160.0] in the Winner market he is worth a punt but I would also advise checking out the Top 5 or Top 10 markets for any value as I am hopeful that Cabrera will contend this week.
The other outsider that catches my eye is Korea's K.J Choi. A prolific winner on the PGA Tour Choi has to be respected in any event he plays. He has made decent starts in majors before and this might be the time that he makes the next step and takes the title. He stands out at current odds of [120.0] in the Winner market and must be a back.

With so many extra markets available for a major I feel I must point out a couple of cracking opportunities. The Top Nordic market would be my first point of call and a big vote of confidence for Robert Karlsson. The giant Swede has been in supremely consistent form on the European Tour and I am confident he will take that form into this week. Get on him at [4.5] and you will not be disappointed.

The other peripheral market that makes appeal is the Make The Cut market. Although there are several decent options the stand out one is to lay Adam Scott. The awesome Aussie has been suffering with an injury in recent weeks and I feel he may crumble under the pressure of playing his opening rounds with Tiger and Mickelson. At current odds of [1.64] he is a must lay.

I cannot wait for this event to get under way and see just how the USGA officials have made this Torrey Pines course a typically fiery US Open venue. Don't make any plans for the weekend, just sit back and watch the world's best players get themselves into a sweat as they chase one of the most coveted titles in world golf.

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