The Punter's De-brief: Longshots claim the spoils

• 54-hole favourites convert again

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A week after the odds-on four-stroke leader of The American Express, Sepp Straka, had comfortably won on the PGA Tour and the even money favourite at the Dubai Desert Classic with a round to go, Tyrrell Hatton, had gone on to win, favourite backers with a round to go enjoyed another successful weekend, with both tournament leaders kicking on to claim the spoils.

Last week's PGA Tour event, the Farmers Insurance Open, finished on Saturday, and it was eventually won by the third-round leader, Harris English, but the veteran didn't have it all his own way.

English, who was one of Dave Tindall's each-way selections at Torrey Pines, was generally a 130.0129/1 chance on the Exchange before the off and he was matched at as high as 220.0219/1 during the opening round.

Playing the easier of the two courses, the North, on Wednesday, English was only two-under-par after 13 holes of his opening round and he still wasn't on my radar when he finished on four-under to sit tied for 18^th and five adrift of the early leader, Ludvig Aberg, who shot nine-under-par around the North Course.

Foul weather caused chaos on the second day, and we had to wait until Friday before the second round could be completed.

With Aberg said to be suffering from flu-like symptoms, it was all change at halfway. The Swede was caught at the top by Lanto Griffin and although he'd moved to within three of the lead, sitting in a tie for seventh, English was still a 40.039/1 chance with two rounds to play.

In more benign conditions, English finished his third round with three straight birdies to post a six-under-par 66. A round that was matched only by pre-event 300.0299/1 chance, Andrew Novak.

English began round four leading Novak by one, Alderich Potgieter by two and the rest by four but it was far from a three-man race.

With the wind picking up again on Saturday, the final round was never going to be straightforward.

After English had started poorly, playing his first five holes in two-over-par, Novak was matched at 2.01/1 when he led by two after a crazy birdie putt at the fifth but he fell away on the back nine and Sam Stevens put himself in-the-mix with a fast start too.

Insane putt from Novak!

Taking the lead in crazy fashion @FarmersInsOpen. pic.twitter.com/qJ8gWcvXsy

-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 25, 2025

Having played his front nine in a remarkable bogey-free four-under-par, the 28-year-old Texan sat alongside English in a tie for second.

Sungjae Im was matched at a low of 3.613/5 when he got to within two after back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11 and Stevens, who birdied the 17^th hole to get within a stroke of English, was matched at a low of 2.546/4, but he found water on the 18^th to end his charge and English held on impressively in the end.

After a birdie at the par five sixth, the 35-year-old Georgian parred his way into the clubhouse to win by one and to claim his fifth PGA Tour title.

Del Rey cruise to first DP World Tour win

Over on the DP World Tour, Sunday's final round at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship was effectively all done and dusted after the first two holes.

Pre-event 140.0139/1 chance, Alejandro Del Rey, shortened up to around 1.564/7 before the final round began when he led by two but he soon extended his lead.

He and pre-tournament 310.0309/1 shot, Marcus Armitage, who had sat alone in second, were five clear of the rest after 54 holes and once Del Rey had birdied the first two holes on Sunday, that was effectively that.

The Spaniard, who was in search of his first win on the DP World Tour, was five in front after another birdie at the fifth and although Armitage, who was matched at a low of 2.77/4 in-running, closed the gap back to three with back-to-back birdies at seven and eight, it was all over when Del Rey birdied three in-a-row from the 11^th and he went on to win by a comfortable four strokes.

Al Hamra is a venue that appears to produce runaway winners. Daniel Gavins double-bogeyed the 72^nd hole to win by just a stroke in 2023 but the inaugural winner of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, Nicolai Hojgaard, also won by four, last year's winner, Thorbjorn Olesen, won by six, and Ryan Fox won the Ras al Khaimah Classic at Al Hamra in 2022 by five.

Draw bias helped English at Torrey Pines

The Farmers was a tough watch on Thursday, with so many players struggling in the high winds but it's a round to remember going forward.

It's often debated whether it's better to play the easier of the two courses in rotation in bad weather or the harder of the two, but this year's edition appears to have ended the debate with the scoring rocketing on the easier North Course on Thursday.

R2 scoring → @FarmersInsOpen

75.232 = North (+3.232)
75.567 = South (+3.567)

AVGS THRU 2 ROUNDS
72.571 = North (+0.571)
74.026 = South (+2.026)

AVGS DY DRAW
145.784 = North-South
147.719 = South-North

CUT
145 [+1]

CUTS MADE BY DRAW
45 = North-South
25 = South-North https://t.co/tVtO0vucOH

-- Rob Bolton (@RobBoltonGolf) January 24, 2025

English was drawn North - South over the first two days, and Stevens and Im deserve much credit given they were the only two players to finish inside the top eight places and within six of the winner to have been drawn South - North on Wednesday and Thursday.

*You can follow me on Twitter @SteveThePunter

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