Find Me a 100 Winner: Four long-shots chanced at between 99/1 and 179/1

It's now nine years since Cam Smith and Jonas Blixt won the first edition of the Zurich Classic in the new pairs format at odds of 120.0119/1 and they're the last duo to win at a triple-figure price.

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, and Marc Leishman and Cam Smith have all won since then when very well-fancied and last year's winners, who are back to defend, Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak, were only trading at 30.029/1 before the off 12 months ago.

History suggests that this is an event to swerve when looking for long-shots but this year's renewal looks particularly weak and none of the market leaders make any appeal so I've chanced two pairings at long odds...

Zurich Classic bet #1 - Kuchar/Higgo @ 130.0129/1

The current form of both Matt Kuchar and Garrick Higgo is something of a concern but they're a fascinating pairing given their 21-year-old age gap and their form at correlating courses.

As highlighted in the preview, form at the Pete Dye-designed Austin Country Club shows up here regularly (Dye designed this week's course - TPC Louisiana) and Kuchar was beaten by Kevin Kisner in the final of the WGC Match Play there in 2019.

Kuchar missed the cut at the Puerto Rico Open on the only occasion he played in the event, way back in 2008, and he's never played in the Corales Puntacana Championship, two other tournaments where course form correlates really nicely but he's won at a couple of other Pete Dye designed courses and Higgo has form in both the Puerto Rico Open and the Corales.

He's finished 32^nd and 12^th in his two visits to Puerto Rico and he was a 60.059/1 pre-event pick last year when he won the Corales.

This is only the third time that Kuchar has played in this event in this format and he doesn't have a spectacular record.

He finished 28^th alongside Bubba Watson in 2018, although the pair were seventh at halfway, and he missed the cut alongside the veteran, Steve Stricker, two years ago, but Higgo's record is decent.

The South African missed the cut alongside Ryan Fox last year but the pair finished fourth behind Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry the year before and Higgo was also fourth when playing with Branden Grace back in 2022.

Place order to lay 8 Us @ 10.09/1 and 12 Us @ 2.01/1

Zurich Classic bet #2 - Kizzire/Kirk @ 150.0149/1

I was also quite tempted by the Lee Hodges/Brice Garnett pairing at a big price but given the poor record of outsiders, I've limited myself to two selections.

Hodges is yet to sparkle here with three different partners, but he knows how to go super-low and Garnett has fared well here when partnering Sepp Straka, but after much deliberation, I've left those tow out in favour of two multiple PGA Tour winners partnering for the first time that both have form at TPC Louisianna - Patton Kizzire and Chris Kirk.

Kizzire finished eighth in the last individual edition of the event a decade ago and he finished fifth alongside Jason Dufner in the first edition in this format. And he was tied for the lead after round one two years ago after he and his partner, Ben Kohles, shot 61 on Thursday.

Playing alongside Straka and Brenden Todd, Chis Kirk has had little success in this format, which may explain his absence for the three years but he did finish fifth in the last individual edition 10 years aho and both men have form at correlating courses.

They also have nine PGA tour titles between them and I thought they were an interesting first time pairing at a juicy price.

Place order to lay 8 Us @ 10.09/1 and 12 Us @ 2.01/1

Volvo China Open bet #1 - Daniel van Tonder @ 100.099/1

After back-to-back sixth placed finishes on the DP World Tour, in the South African Open and the Joburg Open, the prolific Daniel van Tonder won his 13^th Sunshine Tour title a month ago.

He finished only 17^th in the South African PGA Championship last time out at the end of March but he started slowly in what was his first start since his latest win before signing off with a 64 in round four.

The 35^th year-old didn't play here last year when Enhance Anting was used as the host venue for the first time but at highlighted in the preview, a great tee-to-green was the recipe for success 12 months ago and van Tonder's approach play is his main attribute.

Place order to lay 8 Us @ 10.09/1 and 12 Us @ 2.01/1

Volvo China Open bet #2 - Ashun Wu @ 180.0179/1

And finally, given he's seeking to defend the title at the same course he won at 12 months ago, and that he also won the Volvo China Open for the first time 11 years ago, I couldn't ignore the defending champion, Ashun Wu.

He doesn't appear to be in the best of form, but he wasn't playing well last year either and he's simply too big at 180.0179/1 given he's no bigger than 80/181.00 on the High Street.

For someone priced so big, he's a very obvious pick.

Place order to lay 8 Us @ 10.09/1 and 12 Us @ 2.01/1

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