Find Me a 100 Winner: Kim can crack Scottsdale

Matt Cooper
07 February 2023
4:00 min read

Si Woo Kim is already a winner this year.

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Matt Cooper steps in for Steve Rawlings to preview the WM Phoenix Open and the Singapore Classic, with a focus on seeking out a big-price winner

The Punter's replacement picks three outsiders to trade
Read Steve Rawlings' WM Phoenix Open preview here
And his Singapore Classic preview here

Before stepping in for Steve for the week, a quick review of how last week's selections fared.

In the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Kevin Streelman did highlight his consistency in the tournament, but only, alas, in round three, digging deep to make the cut without making any headway near the top of the leaderboard while Troy Merritt didn't achieve that.

Over in the UAE Tapio Pulkkanen also got off to a rotten start and also didn't play the weekend.

Onwards and upwards as both circuits head east - the PGA Tour from the West Coast to the desert, the DP World Tour from the desert to the Far East.

I had two fancies for this column this week who have just come up shy of the magical three figures, but I'll give them a mention.

In the Singapore Classic Jorge Campillo hasn't landed a top 25 in five seasonal appearances but he has a very fine record in Asia and no less than four of his last five starts there were top threes (no win yet though).

Over at the Phoenix Open Shane Lowry's failure to make the most of a winning opportunity in Abu Dhabi and missed cut in Dubai seem to have been judged very harshly. He's 3-for-3 at Scottsdale with a sixth and 16th (he's also a winner in the Middle Eastern desert).

So much for the near misses, here are the selections.

Desert rat

In his preview, Steve highlights how desert golf form in The American Express (which takes place in Palm Springs, California) often holds up for this desert test in Arizona.

It hasn't done so thus far for Korea's Si Woo Kim, but the lack of a strong course record has rather overridden his good form and potential which means he's been pushed out to a big price.

There's no getting away from the course logbook: last year's 26th was the only finish better than 50th in seven visits.

On the other hand, he does keep coming back.

He won The American Express in 2021 and he's won on Bermuda greens at Sedgefield, Sawgrass and, just one month ago, at Waialae.

He's also played four rounds in each of his last 12 starts.

Back 2u Si Woo Kim 150.0149/1
Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.01/1

Club class for Garrick

Since the remarkable vein of form which transformed his career back in spring 2021 it's not been a great period on the PGA Tour for South Africa's Garrick Higgo.

That spell saw him land two wins in Europe in three weeks then travel to the States to first make the cut in the PGA Championship and then triumph in the Palmetto Championship to land a PGA Tour card.

Amid those subsequent difficulties, however, one of his finest efforts was 21st place in this event 12 months ago, when a third round 64 had him just four shots off the lead heading into Sunday.

In making his last three cuts - and showing his face on the first page of the leaderboard at some point in the week - he's currently in his most consistent form since the breakthrough win.

His four main tour wins have all come on grainy greens and modern courses - he can ride the wave this week.

Back 1u Garrick Higgo 400.0399/1
Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.35/4

Flash Wang wallop

After resuming his golfing career post-national service Jeunghun Wang enjoyed himself late last year, contending on the Asian Tour's International Series and briefly contending in the Australian PGA Championship.

Since the break, however, he struggled a little but 28th in the Dubai Desert Classic was more like it and only a poor second round cost him last week.

The key to the pick is that he has the rare distinction this week of having competed on the course.

Moreover he shared the first round lead and hung around for third place.

He has also finished sixth and 22nd elsewhere in Singapore.

A three-time winner on the circuit, this is a good spot for his recovery process to gain a kickstart.

Back 2u Jeunghun Wang 100.099/1
Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.01/1

*You can follow Steve on Twitter @SteveThePunter

Recommended Bets

Back 2u Si Woo Kim 150.0149/1 Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.01/1

Back 1u Garrick Higgo 450.0449/1 Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.35/4

Back 2u Jeughun Wang 100.099/1 Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.01/1

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

Staked: 26 units Returned: 20 units P/L: -6 units

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