The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 14 July 2008 /

After another poor week, can our man on the markets make it third time lucky at the big one?

Some players seem to suit my punting eye and I seem to catch them at the right time, others, like Graeme McDowell, most certainly don't. He edged out Jeev Milkha Singh in Korea earlier in the year, to my cost. And last week when I backed him he capitulated very disappointedly once he hit the front, but he didn't this week. While the likes of Poulter, Westwood and Scott stuttered McDowell powered on for a comprehensive victory.

It would have been very hard for me to have backed the Ulsterman after last week's poor effort and I didn't. My only saving grace was a lay off Simon Khan, cruelly known occasionally as Simon Khant, when he took a two shot lead after birdying the 11th at [1.82]. He double bogeyed the 12th and with few players in with a chance of winning at that stage I backed him back at [4.4] for a quick stress free gain.

I had backed Jimenez at [7.0] early on yesterday but his chance went when he got stuck in a bunker on the 7th and made a double bogey, not that the woeful TV coverage showed it.

In fact the TV coverage was decidedly average the whole tournament. Auntie Beebs decision to start their programmes on Thursday and Friday afternoon with at least an hour and a half's recorded mornings play was both baffling and frustrating.

It had been one of those tournaments when I hadn't even got close to picking the winner but the Khan lay had limited the damage and I was happy to move on to the John Deere Classic having incurred a modest loss.

My only realistic hope in the US event going into last night's final round was Will MacKensie, backed at [7.2] after round two. He had had a poor third round and lost the lead but thanks to a late rally he was the only one back when play resumed yesterday.

Kenny Perry's price hadn't made any appeal all week but he was always the man to fear and when my man reached the tee on the easiest hole of the course, the par five 17th, Perry, playing a hole behind him, was a shot in front. With all still to play for MacKensie hit a hideous drive in to the trees and a bogey six ensued and he ended up losing by a solitary stroke.

Then with the title at his mercy Perry made a mess of the last and in the end had to make a bogey putt of about six feet just to get in to a play-off.

Also in the play-off were two veteran rookies, Brad Adamonis and Jay Williamson. Adamonis had a chance to seal the deal on the 18th but hit a very poor birdie putt whereas Williamson had finished the strongest of the three and also had play off experience when he'd done nothing wrong when losing out to Hunter Mahan at last years Travelers Tournament. I backed Williamson at [3.4].

Adamonis hit a very poor drive and when he bravely went for the green with his second shot his ball just fell short and trickled in the water. Then from the middle of the fairway Williamson hit a shocking pull shot and it was always taking a swim.

So Kenny Perry was left to make a standard issue par and secure his third win in five outings. Some run, but you really do have to question his decision not to play next week.

So a second successive poor week, fingers crossed I can turn it back around in time for the big one next week. I'll post my Open picks on Wednesday morning.

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