Golf Events / Editor / 15 May 2007 /

Stewart Cink has enjoyed more than his fair share of near misses over the years, and there will be no more popular winner if he can prevail at this week's AT & T Classic in Georgia.

Cink has finished second no fewer than eight times on the PGA Tour since he joined it in 1997 and has made a reputation for himself as being something of a 'nearly man'.

But the American Ryder Cup star enjoys a fine record at the AT & T Classic - formerly the BellSouth Classic - and this week's surroundings will be very familiar as he lives at the TPC Sugerloaf course where the event is being played.

Cink, who reckons he plays the course on average 12 times a year, chased home David Duval here in 1999 while six other top ten finishes in the tournament have made him the Betfair market leader in one of the most open events of the season so far.

Cink is trading at 16.5 to win his first PGA tournament for more than three years with US Masters champion Zach Johnson, a previous winner of the title in 2004 - available to back at 17.5 to claim his second success of 2007.

European Order of Merit leader Henrik Stenson can be backed at 19 to win his third title of the year ahead of in-form South African Rory Sabbatini (23), with the American quartet of Chris DiMarco, David Toms, Charles Howell III and Vaughn Taylor all trading at 38 to triumph.

With Stenson the only person in the world's top ten playing in the 157-man field this week, the tournament looks wide open and there look likely to be plenty of good opportunities to back players at attractive odds.

Phil Mickelson romped to a massive 13-stroke win here in 2006 and, while his winning score of 28-under-par is unlikely to be matched this year, experts are predicting scoring will be generally lower with the course expected to be a lot drier and faster with the tournament having been moved from early April to mid-May.

This could play into the hands of the longer hitters, with world number seven Stenson falling into that category.

The 7,343-yard course should prove no problem for the big-hitting Swede and Stenson will come into the tournament with his mood lifted by his performance last week, where he outscored playing partner Tiger Woods over the first three rounds of The Players' Championship before finishing in a tie for 23rd place.

Stenson is still adjusting to life on the PGA Tour but can be backed at 4.9 to claim a top-five place this week, while he is favourite at 2 to finish as the top European ahead of compatriots Fredrik Jacobsen (4.5), Daniel Chopra (6) and Niclas Fasth (8).

Cink came to the attention of many with his impressive display at last year's Ryder Cup, which included beating Sergio Garcia 4 and 3 in the singles, and he looks to have found similar form over the last few weeks.

The 34-year-old followed up his joint-fifth place in the Wachovia Championship by finishing just three strokes behind Mickelson at last week's Players' Championship in third position.

Interestingly, three of his four PGA victories have come in weeks following major tournaments and Cink is trading at 4.4 to come in the first five and 2.42 to finish in the top ten on his home course.

Johnson has already enjoyed a year he will never forget but he will fancy his chances of claiming more silverware this week in an event he has happy memories of.

As well as winning his first PGA title here three years ago, he also finished joint-second to Mickelson last year and, available to back at 4.2 to place in the top five and 2.44 to come in the top ten, could be the man to follow this week.

Chris DiMarco - trading at 8 to claim a top-five finish - has not won in America for five years but showed improved form last week to finish in 12th place, while Toms' performance here last year, when he played the final three rounds in 12-under, suggests he could be a good bet.

JJ Henry and Jonathan Byrd, joint fourth and sixth in the event last year, will also have their followers and both can be backed at 42 to win, while Howell III will be keen to rediscover his form of earlier this season when he led the FedExCup standings.

Sabbatini, 5.3 to come in the first five, lost his way over the weekend of The Players' Championship to finish well down the field but he wasn't the only person to do so and he is likely to be a threat after finishing in the top three in his three previous tournaments prior to last week.

It may also pay to keep a watching brief on the trio of Jose Coceres, Peter Lonard and Jeff Quinney - who all finished in the top ten at Sawgrass.

Coceres, 55 to win and 6.2 to finish in the top ten, is in the form of his life at the moment, Lonard - trading at similar odds to Coceres - is a steely character who is a proven winner on the PGA Tour, while Quinney - 70 to win and 12 to come in the top five - has already racked up five top-ten finishes in his rookie season.

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