The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 27 April 2009 / Leave a Comment

The Punter discusses his fortunes and misfortunes after an exciting finale on Jeju Island and a miserable day at the Zurich Classic...

After witnessing the horrendous conditions on Saturday at the Ballantine's Championship, I thought there was a chance that the event wouldn't get past 54 holes - that's what I was hoping for anyway.

I'd backed Robert-Jan Derksen at [4.2] during round three and although his play was getting tardy as he finished his round, bogeying the last four holes, I didn't lay too much off. I kept thinking about this year's A T & T Pebble Beach, where having backed the winner, Dustin Johnson, I'd waited until the end of day three to lay any back because of the weather forecast and as round four didn't start all my lays were cancelled, maximising profits. Had I layed while round three was still in progress the lays would have stood.

Anyway, I hadn't liked the way Derksen had finished round three and as play was due to start at 1.00 am again I layed the vast majority of my bet back at [2.32] and went to bed hoping there'd be no play.

When I woke up yesterday at around 5.30am , they were well into the final round and Derksen had given up his two shot lead rather tamely so I was happy enough with my actions, I wasn't going to lose on the tournament and I was still shouting on Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano for a decent win, having backed him on Saturday at [17.0].

It was an exciting finale which culminated in a three man play-off between my man Gonzo, Thongchai Jaidee and 22 year old Korean Sung-Hoon Kang, who prior to yesterday was completely unknown to me. He'd had a great chance in regulation play and traded at [1.50] but three putted the last.

Before the play-off got underway I thankfully had the good sense to lay some of my Gonzo bet back at an average of [2.3] so when Jaidee won the event at the first play-off hole it was marginally less painful, but it was still very painful. I'd won but nowhere near what I would have done had I backed Jaidee at the start at [40.0], and I still can't believe I didn't.

That Scott Strange result last week has really cost me dear, as on the back of that I showed far too much caution pre-event. Both Gonzo, who went off at [25.0] and Jaidee were both very much considered, especially Jaidee.

Having just about recovered, though still unable to shift a sick feeling in the pit of my not inconsiderable stomach, I turned my attention to the US event, the Zurich Classic, where things hadn't gone well for me in round three.

I'd had six players with a chance of sorts before the third round started but none of them advanced their cause and to make matters even worse I'd also backed Troy Matteson at [7.0] as he birdied the tough par three 9th. I've struck better bets - he proceeded to drop five shots on the back nine and didn't have a ghost of a chance after that.

So last night my choice was this - leave the event alone and have a stress-free early night and a completely neutral week, with the Ballantine's profits covering the Zurich losses, or go in again?

I went for option one, or did to start with. But when overnight leader, Jerry Kelly, who was searching for his first win in seven years and 200 events, was treading water but was still only [2.72] after three holes, and his closest challenger was perennial bridesmaid Charles Howell III, who was trading at [3.25]. I just couldn't resist it and I layed the pair. And as play progressed I also traded in and out of Sabbatini.

Kelly was predictably wobbly and drifted out to double figures as he dropped three shots off the pace, but much to my regret I didn't back him back. Howell looked the likeliest of winners and traded as short as [1.36] but not for the first time, or even the 10th time, he couldn't get the job done.

Sabbatini missed from inside three feet for birdie on the 16th, and then bogeyed 17, David Toms ran out off steam, Charlie Wi missed umpteen putts from inside 10 feet and Steve Marino couldn't take advantage of an outrageous pitch in for eagle on the 16th.

It was like the parting of the waves as one player after another stepped aside and allowed Kelly through to win by a shot and cap what can only be described as a thoroughly miserable day.

Crossbars were rattled, a small loss was incurred and frustration levels had reached staggering new levels but I have to move on. The two events to focus on now are the Quail Hollow Championship in North Carolina and the Open de Espana, which I'll preview on Wednesday.

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