The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 25 August 2008 /

After losing in Europe our man was off to the States for what turned out to be a classic. And he isn't missing Tiger.

Darren Clarke's four shot victory at the KLM did not looked likely after the 2nd hole and, going into the last round, I thought I had a decent chance of a win.

Clarke started the day with a three shot lead but three of my picks were hot on his heels and I was confident that if Dazzler messed up I'd collect. And boy did he mess up on the 2nd hole. He bungled and scuffed his way to a bogey and looked all out of sorts and very nervous. While this was going on Stenson birdied the first two holes and they were level.

I'd backed Stenson again at a generous [3.8] as they played the 2nd hole and after they'd finished it I was able to lay back at [2.0], reducing my liability and increasing my potential win quite considerably. Stenson then made a very lengthy birdie on the 3rd hole and for the one and only time hit the front, trading at a low of [1.69].

After his tumultuous start Clarke settled superbly while Stenson went the other way and by the time they reached the 10th hole the event was effectively over.

John Bickerton and Marcus Warren were a disappointment, both unable to mount any sort of challenge once they'd bogeyed the 3rd hole. To say I was disappointed with Stenson would be an understatement. In the scheme of things this wasn't the strongest of events and yet again he showed his inability to close out the deal. His body language is deceptive, he looks like he's invincible and a cool and collected customer. One commentator yesterday described him as `a street fighter who never knows when he's beaten`.

The facts suggest otherwise and he's one to be wary off. I know that everyone struggles to win to a degree but they're not all as short in the betting as Stenson usually is.

A loss in Europe, but it hadn't been a complete disaster.

So it was over to the States, to what turned out to be a classic.

With Mickelson out of the reckoning I was left to rely on my sole in running pick, Hunter Mahan, and he started well enough on Saturday. As did overnight leader Stricker, at one point they were three and four shots clear but then all hell broke lose. Stricker lost a ball and Mahan just lost the plot and the event completely changed complexion in the space of about forty minutes.

As the leaders dispensed with strokes like confetti, attention turned to those in the clubhouse who had enjoyed favourable morning conditions and I backed V J Singh at [9.2], -8 and climbing the leaderboard fast.

It proved a good move, by the time they teed off on Sunday he was trading under [6.0].

If ever there's a player who gets punted harder than his results warrant it's Sergio Garcia who has just the one win to his name in the last three years. I layed him at [2.0] when he wasn't even leading and he still had six holes to play, and then again at [1.58] a hole later when he held the slenderest of leads.

Under normal circumstances I would have been a bit bolder and hung on to all of the lay but given the run I'd been on caution was the watchword and when he bogeyed the 16th I backed him back at [3.2], still making him a loser but not as damaging a loser as he had been.

There were some badly burnt fingers as Garcia played the last hole in regulation, bizarrely he was layed as low as [1.03] and to good money at [1.10]. A commentator somewhere out there had confused someone!

All the time I was concentrating on getting Sergio in the book my post third round pick Singh was plodding along well and to cut a long story short it came down to a three man play off between Singh, Garcia and Kevin Sutherland.

Sutherland, who had crept into the fray almost unnoticed, played the play-off hole poorly and was all set to make bogey when the other two were surveying their birdie putts.

First to putt was Sergio from 27 feet and when it toppled in I was cursing my luck and he was trading at around [1.15] but just as the last of my faith seeped away Singh made his birdie from 26 feet. It seems I'm not cursed after all.

Singh and Garcia went back to the 17th hole where Garcia hit a bad drive, followed by a bad 2nd shot. Then he got a very friendly drop which saw him go from being stymied behind a tree to having a clear path to the green and all thanks to a moving mole hole! But it wasn't enough and when Singh made a comfortable birdie my mini bad run was over. The rot was stopped.
I'd got away with one there; Garcia had done nothing wrong and was unlucky to get beat this time.

Yet again it was success for the over forties. Singh at 45 is an incredible competitor who I thought, until he won at Bridgestone the other week, was just about finished. Clarke, who you couldn't help be pleased for, has just turned forty.

Two strong fields will fight out the Johnnie Walker and Deutsche Championships next week; I'll preview both events on Wednesday.

And one last thought. Anyone missing Tiger? No nor me.

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