The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 20 May 2009 / Leave a Comment

Two big tournaments on either side of the Atlantic see Steve making plenty of selections in a bid to break his current poor run...

The Race to Dubai reaches England this week, for the PGA Championship at Wentworth, Surrey - not a particularly successful event for me of late. I've backed Jimenez a few times, but not last year when he won and I haven't backed the winner since Monty won in 2000. In my defence there have been a few massive shocks here in recent years.

I really like the look of Paul Casey this week - in the last three years he's finished in the top 12, so he clearly likes the course and he absolutely battered the opposition when he won the 2006 Match Play. He's already won twice this year, including for the first time in the US, and he could just be making his way up to the next rung of the ladder.

Martin Kaymer's had a lacklustre run of late but he caught my eye in his last two starts in America and he may just have turned the corner. His limited course form isn't bad either, having finished 30th and 16th in the last two years. I really rate Kaymer and view him as a future major winner, so I thought [40.0] was more than fair.

Last year's winner Miguel Angel Jimenez absolutely loves it here and he's a decent price ([55.0]) but the forecast is for rain and plenty of it, and he's always at his best when the sun shines.

Soren Kjeldsen is in a rich vein of form but was amongst those that went the distance last week and I'm not sure getting blown to smithereens on a links course for four days is an ideal prep. The damp conditions won't favour his relatively short driving either so he's also passed over.

I have made plenty of other picks though, all at big prices for small stakes.

Selections:

Paul Casey @ [17.5]
Martin Kaymer @ [40.0]
Alvaro Quiros @ [90.0]
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano @ [120.0]
Richard Sterne @ [130.0]
Marc Warren @ [160.0]
Daniel Vancsik @ [240.0]
Stephen Dodd @ [340.0]

It's the middle leg of the Texas Swing this week with the HP Byron Nelson Championship, where the market leaders make little appeal.

My first pick is Vijay Singh, winner here back in 2003. I've already chanced him once or twice this year, hoping that he'd recovered from the knee injury that halted an incredible run of form back in December. I hope I haven't jumped the gun again here, but there were definitely encouraging signs at the Players two weeks ago.

Brian Gay trounced the field by an incredible ten shots at the Verizon Heritage but had to withdraw at the Players' and hasn't been seen since, suffering from flu. His seventh-placed finish last year shows he has an aptitude for the venue and if he's over his illness he could be value.

Gauging if and when Chad Campbell's Augusta hangover lifts is far from easy but he's a class act at a big price and I've had to give Ben Crane yet another chance after his efforts at Sawgrass.

Dustin Johnson, backed last week, hasn't been neglected either - his 62 last Saturday shows what he's capable of, while Bart Bryant started well last week before fading, but did finish third here last year.

Y E Yang looks a huge price again and my final pick is Marc Leishman, who won in Texas on the Nationwide Tour last year and confirmed his liking for the Lone Star State only last week when finishing in a tie for fifth.

Selections:

Vijay Singh @ [34.0]
Brian Gay @ [55.0]
Chad Campbell @ [60.0]
Ben Crane @ [60.0]
Dustin Johnson @ [95.0]
Bart Bryant @ [140.0]
Y E Yang @ [160.0]
Marc Leishman @ [190.0]

As usual I'll post an update at the halfway stage on Saturday morning.

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