The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 09 July 2008 / 3

The big names have assembled at Loch Lomond but aside from the best/worst dressed man in golf (delete where applicable) Steven Rawlings is looking at the rags for a winner this week...

The Scottish Open is once again staged at the stunning Loch Lomond course and it's an event I always enjoy watching, not that it's been particularly profitable for me over the years but it is a stunning setting.

It's really not hard to highlight likely contenders, most of the market leaders have form here and the likes of Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood or Adam Scott would hardly be shock winners should they oblige but none will be carrying my money from the outset.

I backed Mickelson @ [20.0] last year when he lost in a play off. Arguably not in quite as good form this year, he's not a tempting proposition at half that price.

Els has a magnificent record here with a couple of wins and plenty of placed efforts but states on his website that he could be rusty having not played much lately. As for Westwood and Scott they're nearly always too short for me, given how infrequently they get their noses in front.

My main pick is Ian Poulter @ [40.0]. This is a venue he's done well at in the past and he fared quite well for two days last week until a double bogey on the 2nd in round three sparked a rapid demise. Probably, knowing Poults, caused by over aggression in attempt to catch up.

As usual I've picked out a few massively priced unlikely suspects as well.

Selections:

Ian Poulter @ [40.0]
Steve Webster @ [150.0]
John Bickerton @ [250.0]
Thongchai Jaidee @ [250.0]
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano @ [350.0]
Felipe Aguilar @ [600.0]

The US event, the John Deere Classic, probably shouldn't have the word classic in the title as it's a pretty low key field assembled in Illinois, with Kenny Perry the favourite at a pretty short [8.6].

Kenny's done me a couple of favours so far this year but I can't back him this short from the get go.

My first pick is Ben Crane again @ [40.0]. I feel like I'm almost following Ben over a cliff as I've backed him plenty of times this year but, last week apart, he's been in good form and I know that if he does get in the mix he wont shirk the issue.

I've also backed Jonathan Byrd @ [40.0], which is half the price I backed him at last year when Tim Clark very kindly handed him the title. He's not great value at the price but he doesn't owe me anything and with his obvious course form I couldn't leave him out.

Billy Mayfair and Mark Hensby have been backed because of their course form also, while the other three picks just look too big in this field.

Selections:

Ben Crane @ [40.0]
Jonathan Byrd @ [40.0]
Billy Mayfair @ [75.0]
Ryan Moore @ [90.0]
Mark Hensby @ [170.0]
Mark Calcavecchia @ [200.0]
Tim Petrovic @ [270.0]

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(3)

1. Dean | 09 July 2008

   Hi, Some interesting selections here i have backed 3 of yours in the John Deere Classic, R Moore who has threatened to win for the last couple of years, Mark Hensby who has a Win and a 4th place at this course, and also Tim Petrovic who has a couple of decent finishes here and it is about time he showed some decent form this year!

   I have backed 1 of your selections in the Scottish Open, G F Castano simply because he has been up near the leaderboards lately only to play very poorly over the weekend, but hopefully he can play solid this week, and he has one every year he has been on tour, so i expect him to go close again fairly soon!

   Good Luck With Your Bets

   Dean

2. Steven Rawlings | 10 July 2008

   Thanks Dean, good luck to you too.

   I often back Castano as he's consistently over priced. A bit hit and miss maybe but at least you know he can get the job done.

   As for the John Deere, looks like we're going to be reliant on Kenny Perry slowing down a bit, 3 under through 3 as I type!

3. £10 Punter | 10 July 2008

   Bickerton and Jaidee eh? First and third as it stands. Nice work...

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