The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 18 March 2009 / Leave a Comment

The European Tour has thrown up a very poor tournament in the shape of the Madeira Islands Open so the US will be Steve's focus this weekend...

The Race to Dubai resumes this week with the worst event staged on the European Tour in many a moon.

The Madeira Islands Open not only has a field as weak as a cup of tea made with a thrice used tea-bag, it's also being staged at a new venue. Oh how helpful.

The temptation to use a pin was suppressed, as was the urge not to bother at all until after the start and I've eventually talked myself into a couple of speculative picks.

Chris Wood is a player I've been really disappointed with so far this season but if the break has refreshed him the [50.0] is more than fair, but he does need to improve considerably on his recent form.

My only other pick is 2007 winner Daniel Vancsik; another player in poor form, even poorer than Wood's, but when he won here it was following some pretty disappointing efforts and throughout his career he has often suddenly sprung to life and found unexpected form.

Selections:

Chris Wood @ [50.0]
Daniel Vancsik @ [140.0]

On the other side of the pond there's a far stronger event in the shape of the Transitions Championship, known last year as the Pod's and won by Sean O'Hair.

It's by no means an old event, now in just its ninth year, but it's rapidly establishing itself as a favourite, with me at least. It's in stark contrast to the usual 'whack it, chip it, putt it' fare that's commonplace on the US Tour and that's what I enjoy about it.

A study of the Driving Accuracy and Greens In Regulation stats is a good place to start - this is not a place where inaccurate boomers are rewarded.

I had quite a few players in mind for this event and KJ Choi was almost certainly going to be a pick, but he joins Kenny Perry, Heath Slocum, and Bart Bryant in the just too short to back pile. Though in truth Perry only just made the pile, and I'd take [28.0] about him, if I could get it.

First up is my old mate, Ben Crane, who didn't let me down last time at the Honda and who I'm convinced will win again, and soon...hopefully.

My second pick, Chad Campbell, definitely has the game for this place. He's gone close a couple of times when the event was staged in the autumn and should be better suited to this spring slot as he tends to play well at this time of year. He's not had a spectacular start to 2009 but I'm hopeful he'll find something this week.

Stephen Ames often finds my radar when he approaches a three figure price. He hasn't yet set the Innisbrook Resort alight, with just one top ten in five visits so I'm hopeful rather than confident.

Finally I've backed a pair of Florida residents, Will MacKenzie, who like Crane did well at the Honda and Boo Weekley, whose Ryder Cup hangover has to ease sooner or later.

Selections:

Ben Crane @ [65.0]
Chad Campbell @ [80.0]
Stephen Ames @ [95.0]
Boo Weekley @ [120.0]
Will MacKenzie @ [180.0]

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