The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 28 February 2011 /

Devastating Donald delivers as Steve finds success at the Matchplay....

Luke Donald survived a mid-round wobble to overcome the new world number one Martin Kaymer in the WGC Accenture Matchplay final. Whilst down Mexico way, a delighted Johnson Wagner pared the first play-off hole to get the better of Spencer Levin at the Mayakoba Classic. It was a far cry from the emotions of three short months ago, when a distraught Johnson narrowly failed to secure full playing privileges when his tied third place finish at the Children's Miracle Classic resulted in him finishing 126th on the 2010 money list. Wagner was yet another triple-figure priced winner on the US PGA Tour this year.

My Bets

After years of disappointment at the WGC Matchplay I made the decision to take it easy this year. Match bets were nonexistent and I made just six selections from the start. With the benefit of hindsight I should have got involved with the individual matches, as I would have made a profit, but that's by the by now.

Zach Johnson and Alvaro Quiros fell by the wayside on day one and Phil Mickelson followed them out in round two- losing to an inspired Rickie Fowler, but with three men left standing at the last 16 stage I felt I had a chance. I was confident that Ben Crane would wriggle past Miguel Angel Jimenez, after he'd battered Rory McIlroy in round two, but he was never at the races against the Spanish veteran and Geoff Ogilvy didn't play much better against Bubba Watson. I'd backed Bubba last week at Riviera when he withdrew injured and had toyed with backing him to win the event at around [19.0] before he met my man Ogilvy. It's fair to say I wasn't a happy bunny when he duly dispatched with the Aussie but mercifully Donald, backed before the off at [46.0], had pounded his way through to the last eight - beating Matteo Manassero with ease.

At this stage I'd had just one further bet - backing Louis Oosthuizen during his round one match against Bo Van Pelt. The graphics used to show the match scores caused much confusion all week long and had thrown me and the commentators a few times. When I looked up late on Wednesday night, through tired, red wine affected eyes to see Bo Van Pelt miss a putt on the 17th, the US commentator declared Oosty one up with one to play and the graphic had one up written next to his name. So why was he [170.0] in the win market? I didn't hang about and availed myself of this remarkable value but you know that old saying, if something looks too good to be true.....he was [170.0] because he wasn't one up, he was one down. Oh well.

Anyway, on Saturday morning I had two further bets. I felt Y E Yang had a reasonable chance against Matt Kuchar in his quarter-final and as he could well meet my last man standing, Donald, in the semi-final, I backed him at [12.0]. And I bit the bullet with Bubba and backed him at [7.2].

Yang was yet another player to perform far worse than he had the day before and tamely lost 2 and 1 to Kuchar but Donald breezed into the last four by hammering Ryan Moore and Bubba benefitted from a monumental JB Holmes choke. Holmes was matched at [1.01] when five up through ten holes but lost the plot after that and all of a sudden I was in a strong position.

By the time Bubba lined up against Kaymer in their semi-final Donald had started to pull away from Kuchar in his. I toyed with backing Kaymer at [3.0] but decided to let it roll. If I could get a Donald - Bubba final I was in clover. Unfortunately, despite being handed a real chance by the German, Bubba couldn't quite pull it off and he finally went down to the German on the very last hole.

Before the final I backed Kaymer at [1.92] to ensure a profitable event, whilst leaving Donald as the better result. With hindsight I'd have been far better off if I'd done nothing all week but I've no complaints - Luke had been my main fancy in this last year too so I was delighted to see him collect last night.

At the Mayakoba Classic I backed Cameron Beckman and Mark Hensby after round one. The first four year's results had suggested that the winners had needed to be out of the gate early so I'd picked out a couple that were within one of the lead after day one. Both my men were pants though and Wagner came from outside the top-20 after round one so that theory looks to have gone west now.

What have we learnt for next year?

Oppose the usual suspects at the Matchplay. The likes of Lee Westwood, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson just don't perform here and are simply not worth persisting with.

Don't take it as red that someone will take great form into the next day. Mickelson, Fowler, Crane and Yang all dominated one day and flopped the next.

And finally, the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club maybe very long with generous fairways but steady accurate plotters do well here. The last two winners now, Luke Donald and Ian Poulter, are by no means big-hitters and the 2009 winner, Ogilvy, won the event with superb iron-play and a remarkable putting display. Indeed, all week long the big bombers were finding trouble in the desert and when that they did, it usually meant a lost hole.

There's no event this week on the European Tour but a cracking field will assemble in Florida for the Honda Classic on Thursday and I'll preview the event tomorrow night or on Wednesday morning.

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