Betfair Official Blog

Woody loses tournament but wins quote of the year

Click here to view market

A middling week for The Punter was enlivened by Austin's choice words

The European Tour hits Spain for the Open de Andalucia - a new event won last year by Lee Westwood, who looked a very fair price at [11.0] to make a successful defence. I'm not a big fan of Westwood though and my initial salvo is aimed at four outsiders, Fernandez-Castano [55.0], Molinari [70.0], Brier [95.0] and Warren [160.0].

On the US Tour the Zurich Classic of New Orleans is one of the oldest events on the tout but the venue, TPC Louisiana, was being used for only the second time. Half a dozen picks ranging from Woody Austin [60.0] to Tim Petrovic [180.0].

Day one

In Spain, those with a morning tee time enjoyed an advantage as the wind got up in the afternoon. Only one of my four, Fernandez-Castano, was out early, playing in the same three-ball as Westwood and he was well and truly left in his wake. At the close of play Westwood led the field after a flawless 65. My best was Markus Brier, six back on -1. Molinari was very slow out of the blocks, for the umpteenth time, and ended the day along side Fernandez Castano on +2, but the biggest disappointment by far was Warren. Three under par after seven holes he finished up on +4!

I faired better in America. By the close of play both Woody Austin and Steve Flesch (backed at [170.0]) were on -3, three behind overnight leader Dean Wilson.

Day two

A strange morning's play, nobody seemed to make any significant headway into Westwood's lead, any low rounds came from those a long way back and as a result he shortened from [3.1] to [2.5] before hitting a ball. I don't trust Westwood enough to plough in at that sort of price with 54 holes to go. In the Mercedes-Benz last September he followed up a first round 61 with a 73 and ended up sixth. I just don't see him as the rock solid closer he used to be. With all that in mind I back Dredge @ [12.0], far from a safe conveyance himself, and Miguel Angel Jimenez @ [40.0], both as their rounds came to an end.

Westwood did indeed stutter, shooting 73 and dropping back into a tie for sixth. At the end of play I also backed Robert Dinwiddie @ [46.00], a fair price for the talented youngster, just one off the lead.

Just a quick note on Marc Warren: awful, he shot 80 and missed the cut by a mile. Hard to understand how someone of his talent can lose the plot so badly. Those who saw him almost single-handedly win the World Cup last year would struggle to believe he could be so bad.

In the US it was one of those frustrating days where the players I backed that were way off the pace shot low rounds while those in the mix performed poorly. Austin shot -1 and Flesch level par. The lead was now with Briny Baird on -8, who simply can't win. He is the worst finisher in the game by a mile. I make a further play and back 41-year-old tour maiden Jay Williamson @ [21.0]. One off the lead, the maiden tag wasn't going to put me off given that this title has been won by first time winners in five of the last six years.

Day three

Markus Brier carved through the field with a 66 and ended the day in a tie for 11th but was five shots behind the lead. As for my other picks, Dinwiddie was -2 for his round after nine holes but then missed a two footer for birdie on the 10th and completely lost the plot thereafter. Dredge was also poor, and now seemingly too far back alongside Brier on -7. The lead was again with Westwood on -12, who had birdied the first five holes, steadying up somewhat he too shot 66.

So what now, give it up as a bad job? Or re-examine the leaderboard and make things worse, sorry, I mean try and make things better?
Option two, and it's a hefty bet on Westwood, he'd drifted from [2.2] to [2.4] by the evening. As stated I don't trust him much and I certainly don't concur with Sky's Tim Barter who described him earlier as the second best closer in the game. I can only assume Tim's had his eyes shut for about five years! But I do think, given the chasers propensity to shirk a battle, the price is fair. Only Ollie Fisher, one shot back, is an unknown quantity. The other leaders have all provided plenty of evidence of final day weakness over the years.

At the Zurich, play was stopped with the leaders having only played five holes. Williamson was out to [55.0] being +1 for the day and now two shots back of four co-leaders, one of which was Woody Austin. Woody was -4 for the day through 11 holes and was an [8.6] chance. Tim Petrovic was also having a great third round. Despite a double bogey on the 6th he was -5 for the round with only three holes left to play. One off the lead on -7 he traded at [40.0]. Thirty players were separated by just three shots and Sunday looked like being eventful and very hard to predict.

Day four

In Spain, by the time the last group reached the 10th tee I had reduced my exposure by laying some Westwood back @ [1.68], and I was glad I had. Fisher had gotten two clear of Lee and was the new favourite trading at slightly odds-on. Once the TV coverage started Westwood hadn't look at all smooth, failing to make a birdie on the par five 5th, scrambling a par on the 7th and then bogeying the 8th and 9th. Fisher was three clear by the 13th tee and although he bogeyed the next two holes, equilibrium was restored with birdies at the 15th and 16th.

Matched at a low of [1.09] a smooth victory looked assured. In stepped Thomas Levet, a birdie at the 16th was followed by another on the tough par three 17th. When Fisher visited the water and bogeyed the last it was a play-off. Levet, slight favourite before the play-off, won it with a par.

Because of the weather delay play started early in the US and players went out in the same three-balls as they had on Saturday, with no redraw. When Tim Petrovic birdied the first two holes and got to -10 he traded at a low of [5.6], but that was as good as it got for him and he ended the day in a tie for seventh on -9.

Early starter Andres Romero set the pace, closely followed by my man Woody Austin, just a few holes back of the young Argentinean. Austin had taken the lead early following birdies at the 4th and 5th and he'd hit [2.9] but I'd held off laying any back, and when Romero finished his round on -13 it looked as if any chance I had had been missed. Austin had to make lengthy par putts just to stay one back of Romero but then he made a birdie at the 13th and I didn't need to think very long about laying a load off @ [1.95].

A bogey at the next and the price was out to [4.0] again. Austin made about a 12-foot par save on the 17th to need a birdie on the last to get in a play-off. Onto the 18th and what a mess he made of it, having driven in to the thick rough he then, despite his caddy's desperate urges, tried in vein to reach the green with a wood. He topped the ball twenty feet in front of him. He then took another swipe with the wood sending the ball into the lake. It all resulted in a double bogey seven and one of the most candid interviews I've ever heard. Woody, who you may remember fell in the water during the Presidents Cup, is a real character, also famed for punching himself and striking himself with his putter when things haven't gone well was very honest when interviewed.

"I choked my guts out. I flat out choked. I played like a dog the last nine holes. I was puking my guts out."

You have to admire his honesty.

Peter Lonard did manage to draw level with Romero and they both traded at [2.0] but he then made bogey at the 17th and the title was the Argentinan's. So another PGA Tour rookie wins this event.

A lot of work for nothing this week, still thanks to the Austin lay back I hadn't lost. Next week is the Houston Open where I will have to back Stuart Appleby, his record there is superb. In Europe I think I'll be doing Brier again, he seems to be coming back in to form.