The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 01 June 2009 / Leave a Comment

He didn't get those big odds but "French plodder's" win was good news for Steve Rawlings.

Saturday was a tale of two Singhs. At the European Open, where the London Club really was proving to be a proper test in the wind, Jeev Milkha started poorly but fortunately ended his third round very strongly and by the close of play he was tied for the lead with French Journeyman Christian Cevaer on nine under par - three shots clear of another of my picks, Alvaro Quiros, and promising youngsters, Chris Wood and Rory McIlroy.

In contrast, Vijay, backed at [4.60] after round two in Texas, birdied his first hole then lost his way, ending the day four off the lead, held by Tim Clark. Unfortunately, I thought I'd be clever and backed Singh again as he drifted before play began with the intention of laying some back later. Not a smart move.

It was an ever changing leaderboard again at the European Open yesterday and I kept myself busy with plenty of trading. My first move was to lay some of my Singh bet back at [2.30], after he saved par on the third. It turned out to be a wise move as he was soon all over the place and very quickly out of the race.

One of my outsiders, Stephen Dodd, was having a fantastic day and I greedily topped up on him at [50.0] just before he birdied the 16th. Standing on the 17th tee he was tied for the lead on seven under par and trading at just over [10.0], but he couldn't sustain the run and bogeyed the last two holes.

Plenty of players looked like possible winners - Wood, Jose Manuel Lara and Marcus Fraser all hit the front but shirked the issue.

After Quiros made a move through 13 holes I layed him back too, at [5.1], then again a hole later at [3.25] and [2.40]. It looked like I may have been a bit premature though, as with just three holes to play he reached eight under par, took the lead and was matched at as low as [1.55], with the big danger seemingly Steve Webster.

Way back on Friday afternoon I had backed Webster at [170.0] when he reached the par 5 15th in two shots, but when he three-putted I changed my mind and layed the bet straight back. To say I was rueing that decision as he scythed through the field yesterday was an understatement of some magnitude, and when it looked like he was the only danger to Quiros I had finally backed him at [5.5]. It looked like I'd got all angles covered and a tasty win was on its way. But I hadn't and it wasn't.

I don't think I was alone in dismissing French plodder Cevaer, after all he'd played the first 14 holes in three over par and looked far from convincing, but just after Quiros had bogeyed the 16th hole and as Webster, who was matched as low as [2.40], was messing up the last, Cevaer was birdying the 15th. All of a sudden he was tied for the lead and I scrambled on at [4.3].

He then did what none of the other leaders had been able to do and belied his pre-event odds of [870.0] by shooting par over the last three holes to take the title by a solitary stroke.

Thanks to plenty of trading I'd made a profit but I was extremely disappointed.

In Texas, having gotten completely stuck with a far too sizeable bet on Vijay Singh, my battle plan for the final round was to just hope he'd start well so I could lay some back, but he didn't. After two 64s on the first two days he shot two 69s on the weekend, missing umpteen short putts.

I had a very busy and successful night all the same...

When perennial bridesmaid Tim Clark birdied the first and went odds-on I just had to lay him at an average of [1.78]. He soon started to wobble and I was also able to lay Steve Stricker at just [2.44], after he birdied the fifth and sixth holes.

Although both my lays looked extremely vulnerable, nobody made a move from a few shots back and only Steve Marino got competitive and I simply had to lay him too when the chance presented itself - as they played the 16th, at an average of [3.10].

Clark should have won, but not for the first time he made a mess of a gilt-edged chance and bogeyed the final hole and so he, Stricker and Marino were in a play-off.

I furiously traded all three until Stricker put it to bed on the second play-off hole.
Clark had missed yet another opportunity on the first play-off hole and had been matched at [1.18] as he stood over a birdie putt of just seven feet but he again fluffed his lines. He was extremely unlucky at the last hole though, with Stricker in close and almost certain to make birdie, Clark hit a cracking approach shot but it hit the flag and instead of being in tight he was left with a 20 footer that he couldn't make. I couldn't help but feel for him.

I'd made my mistake with Singh but I'd traded well all night and finished the week just a few pounds down.

It's been a long weekend, with plenty of ups and downs. I won at the European Open and felt gutted and then lost at the Crowne Plaza but was pleased with the outcome, it's a funny ole game.

Next week's events are the Wales Open and the Memorial, and I'll preview both events on Wednesday.

Post a comment

Name:

Email Address:

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comment: