The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 20 October 2009 / Leave a comment

Steve's swerving Sergio in Spain and keeping faith with a couple of last week's picks in the States

"Campbell missed one putt inside seven feet last week, the crucial one in the play-off. The price isn’t fantastic but I felt I had to back him."

The Race to Dubai returns to Spain this week for the second staging of the Castello Masters, at the Club de Campo del Mediterraneo, Sergio Garcia's home course. And it was Sergio who comfortably won last year's inaugural event - holding off Peter Hedblom by three shots.

For obvious reasons I've carefully considered the Spaniard's chance again this year but it was his putter that was responsible for the win last year. He was second in putts per GIR and fifth in putts per round, which is a far cry from his performance in Madrid two weeks ago, where his putting touch deserted him. There he was 33rd in putts per GIR and 58th in putts per round, a vastly different performance.

Obviously he could well improve considerably, playing in front of friends and family, and on a course he knows like the back of his hand but for me he's just too risky a play at less than [7.0].

I backed Robert Karlsson last week in Portugal, where he missed the cut, but there was some encouragement on the back nine on Friday. He suddenly found something from somewhere because he made six birdies in seven holes, and that was enough of a sign for me to take another chance on him this week.

England's Oliver Fisher is finally showing some form this year, which he puts down to hooking up with coach, Pete Cowan, but maybe it's down to him having finally stopped growing! I've heard that he's grown around five inches in the last 12 months and that has to have had a detrimental affect on his game. He'll be one to keep on the right side of next year and he's worth chancing with this week at triple figure odds.

Others on the shortlist, who didn't make the portfolio, but whom I'll be monitoring closely in play, are Martin Kaymer, Gonzalez Fernandez-Castano, Marcel Siem and Ignacio Garrido.

Selections:

Robert Karlsson @ [60.0]
Oliver Fisher @ an average of [110.0]

In the US this week it's the third staging of the Frys.com Open, held at the Greyhawk Golf Club, Scottsdale, Arizona, where I'm, somewhat bizarrely and totally unintentionally, backing the last three Bob Hope Classic winners!

When Chad Campbell narrowly failed to win last week's event, it wasn't the first time I'd experienced final day disappointment with him. I was oin the Texan at last year's Shell Houston Open, when he was edged out by Johnson Wagner. And even more memorable was the 2006 Hawaii Open, when he came off second best to David Toms in a straight fight. The pair had streaked seven shots clear of the field after three rounds but it was Toms who kept the pedal to the metal and he comfortably beat Chad by five.

I was convinced Campbell would have been mentally drained and turned my nose up at the [20.0] about him the following week at the Bob Hope Classic but he picked up where he'd left off and scooted up and I didn't have a bean on!

In common with the Bob Hope, this week's venue is a desert resort course, and I'm not making the same mistake again. He missed one putt inside seven feet last week, the crucial one in the play-off. The price isn't fantastic but I felt I had to back him.

My second pick is DJ Trahan, also a previous Bob Hope Classic winner, and also backed last week. He lost the event there halfway through his round on Thursday and I can pinpoint when he lost his way. After starting well, getting to three under par through six holes, he reached the par five 16th green (his seventh hole) in two but then three-putted from 22 feet. That stopped him in his tracks and he then dropped the three shots gained to leave him far too much to do. In the end his seventh place was a very good performance and I've chanced him again.

Last up is this year's Bob Hope Classic winner - Pat Perez. That was his first title and having finished tied seventh here last year and tied sixth in 2007; he may just get his second title this week. He's not in great form at present but nor was he the last two years.

Selections:

Chad Campbell @ [28.0]
DJ Trahan @ [46.0]
Pat Perez @ [55.0]

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

Tags: Bob Hope Classic, Castello Masters, Chad Campbell, David Toms, DJ Trahan, Frys.com Open, Gonzalez Fernandez-Castano, Hawaii Open, Ignacio Garrido, Johnson Wagner, Marcel Siem, Martin Kaymer, Oliver Fisher, Pat Perez, Peter Hedblom, Race to Dubai, Robert Karlsson, Sergio Garcia, Shell Houston Open