Find Me a 100 Winner: Take a chance on Cody

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Cody Gribble in action at the Valspar Championship on Sunday

Austin Country Club hosts the final edition of the WGC Match Play but our man heads for South Africa and the Dominican Republic where the chances of a big-priced winner are far better...


As Dave Tindall points out in his each-way column, with the Sportsbook paying up to eight places there's definitely an opportunity to catch at least a place with an outsider at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play.

Anyone winning their group and their opening knockout match is already into the quarter-finals so there's a chance one or two outsiders do at least reward each-way players but the chances of a longshot winning are, well, very long.

We haven't seen a triple-figure priced winner of the Match Play since Geoff Ogilvy way back in 2006 and four of the seven winners at this venue have been seeded first, first, second and fifth. The world number one, Scottie Scheffler, is looking to defend the title and I'll be very surprised if anyone emulates Ogilvy.

I'm happy to swerve the WGC and head to South Africa and the Dominican Republic, where two players have caught my eye in both the Jonsson Workwear Open and the Puerto Rico Open. First up is 120.0119/1 chance, Jaco Ahlers, who has both course and current form...

Prolific Jaco can contend again

Last week's SDC Championship was a muddling affair. Poor weather caused lengthy delays and there were some very high scores over the first two days.

Jaco Ahlers had won the South African Players at the venue - St Francis Links - last April so his 78 in round one was a disappointing start but he was hampered by an afternoon tee-time on day one and he got his skates on after that.

Having sat tied for 127th and seemingly out of it completely after round one, Ahlers shot 64-68-69 to finish third and it was all down to his accurate iron play and a hot putter.

The 40-year-old ranked first for Greens In Regulation and second for Putting Average and repeat of that will see him go very close here.

Ahlers, who has now won ten times on the Sunshine Tour, finished only 16th here in the Steyn City Championship 12 months ago but he opened up the event with a 64 after birdying eight of his first 11 holes to sit second, so we know the track suits.

Back 2u Jaco Ahlers @ 120.0119/1
Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.01/1

Big-hitting James worth chancing at a monster price

The man Ahlers sat behind after round one of the Steyn Championship here last year was James Hart du Preez - whose opening 63 could have been so much better...

Having began the round on the back-nine, the giant Pretorian threatened to break 60 but he closed the round with bogeys at eight and nine. With rounds of 66-73-68, he finished the week in fifth place and a repeat of the will reap rewards given he's a juicy 200/1 with the Sportsbook.

At six feet nine, the 27-year-old can hit the ball a country mile off the tee but he's a very good putter too. He's ranked inside the top-six for Putting Average on the last four occasions he's made the cut in his homeland and I'm happy to dismiss last week's missed cut given how poor the weather was.

Back 1u each-way James Hart du Preez @ 200/1 (Betfair Sportsbook)
Back 1u James Hart du Preez @ 270.0269/1
Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.01/1

Take a chance on Cody

The Corales Puntacana Championship has been a great event for outsiders so I'm happy to chance two there, starting with a player I'm very surprised to see trading at 100.099/1 - the 2016 Sanderson Farms Championship winner, Cody Gribble.

The 32-year-old Texan burst on to the PGA Tour with his sole success - an impressive four-stroke victory at the Country Club of Jackson - in just his second start after graduation from the Korn Ferry Tour.

There was a lot to like about the manner of his win in Mississippi given he'd sat outside the top-100 after round one - trailing by ten - and he gave the impression that he was capable of winning at a high level.

Injuries have hindered Gribble's career quite badly but for the first time since his sole success almost seven years ago, he's just recorded back-to-back top-10s with a seventh placed finish at the Puerto Rico Open and the Valspar Championship.

Gribble begun the final round tied for fourth on Sunday and he was paired with the eventual winner, Taylor Moore, and that can only have whetted his appetite for some more success.

Back-to-back top-seven finishes is really strong form in the context of this event and his stats were solid across the board at both events too.

I like Cody's chances a lot this week and I was very surprised to be able to back him at a triple-figure price.

Back 3u Cody Gribble @ 100.099/1
Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.01/1

Don't be in a rush to dismiss Derek

I'm staying at the Corales Puntacana Championship for my fourth and final pick, plumping for 300/1 longshot, Derek Ernst.

With form figures reading MC-MC-MC-MC-MC-MC-47, Ernst caused an almighty shock on the PGA Tour when he won the Wells Fargo Championship as an alternate ten years ago and I'm happy to chance him here, where yet again he gets in the field thanks to a number of withdrawals.

Ernst finished 21st at the Puerto Rico Open at the start of the month, where he ranked second for Putting Average, in his first start anywhere in eight months.

He's clearly a risky play but with seven places up for grabs, the industry-best 300/1 looks worth chancing.

Back 1u each-way Derek Ernst @ 300/1 (Betfair Sportsbook)

*You can follow me on Twitter @SteveThePunter

Recommended Bets

Back 2u Jaco Ahlers @ 120.0119/1
Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.01/1

Back 1u each-way James Hart du Preez @ 200/1 (Betfair Sportsbook)
Back 1u James Hart du Preez @ 270.0269/1
Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.01/1

Back 3u Cody Gribble @ 100.099/1
Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.01/1

Back 1u each-way Derek Ernst @ 300/1 (Betfair Sportsbook)

STEVE'S 2023 FIND ME A 100 WINNER P/L

Staked: 55 units
Returned: 40 units
P/L: -15 units

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