Xander Schauffele was generally a 21.020/1 chance for the Scottish Open after he'd won the 35-hole JP McManus Pro-Am on Tuesday and he went into yesterday's final round trading at 2.1411/10 with a two-stroke lead over Rafa Cabrera-Bello.
Birdies at the two opening holes saw him stretch his lead and his price dropped to just 1.351/3 but he made it interesting after the fast start when he dropped shots at six, seven and nine.
None of Schauffele's closest pursuers through 54 holes made much impression but Patrick Cantlay and Max Homa started nicely from off the pace, and my 55.054/1 in-play pick after round one, Kurt Kitayama, emerged as the main danger as Schauffele drifted out to 3.02/1.
Having gone off at around 720.0719/1 (matched at a high of 880.0879/1) and having been a 120.0119/1 shot on Sunday morning, Kitayama shot three-under-par on the front nine yesterday and he was matched at a low of just 2.021/1 after he hit the front with birdies at 11 and 14.
Although he missed a 15-footer for birdie to extend his lead on 15, he still looked in control after this brilliant bunker shot on the par five 16th but soon after he'd missed the nine-footer for birdie there, Xander drew back alongside him with a birdie at 14.
Kitayama then handed the initiative back to Schauffele with a bogey at the 17th as pre-event 800.0799/1 chance, Joohyung Kim, threw his hat in the ring with back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 to draw alongside Kitayama in a tie for second.
The 20-year-old Korean hit a low of 6.05/1 after he'd found the fairway on 18 but he missed the green and recorded a bogey five and it was Xander's to lose yet again.
A birdie at the par five 16th gave the 54-hole leader a two-shot cushion and it was needed. He made a tricky six-foot par save on 17 before taking an iron off the tee for safety on 18, where he chalked up a steady bogey five to win by one.
The first and second were both drawn on the wrong side of the draw (PM-AM) and the winner was matched at a high of 120.0119/1 after round one when he sat tied for 69th and fully 11 strokes off the lead on Thursday night.
Schauffele responded brilliantly after the slow start though, firing the best round of the day on Friday, a five-under-par 65, and the joint lowest score on Saturday, a four-under 66. And that was with a bogey-bogey finish!
After weather delays on both Friday and Saturday, it was a long day over at the Barbasol Championship yesterday, where the halfway leaders had only played three holes of their third rounds when play began.
Germany's Matti Schmid led after rounds two and three but having been matched at a low of 1.9520/21 after a birdie at his first hole in round four, the 24-year-old DP World Tour player fell away to finish tied for eighth.
My 20.019/1 in-play pick after round one, Kevin Streelman, who had drifted form 30.029/1 to 40.039/1 before the off, was matched at just 1.330/100 when he hit the front with back-to-back birdies at nine and ten but winning is never easy and he bogeyed the 12th after three-putting the par five 11th for par.
Having looked like going two strokes clear with eight to play, Streelman and playing partner, pre-event 150.0149/1 chance, Trey Mullinax, who was matched at a high of 180.0179/1, were suddenly tied with seven remaining and the pair had a ding-dong battle to the house.
The pair made matching birdies at 13 and 15 before Streelman missed a par putt on the par three 16th from inside five feet.
Mullinax hit a low of just 1.3130/100 when he gave himself 14 feet for birdie on the par four 17th but he left his putt short, and Streelman holed for a three from nine feet so the par marched to the 18th tee tied again on 24-under-par.
Both men hit great drives and Streelman was matched at less than 1.51/2 when he hit his approach to nine feet, but Mullinax responded with a great second shot of his own before draining his third birdie in six holes to pile the pressure back on his playing partner and the 43-year old couldn't respond. His birdie putt slipped by and Mullinax was left to pick up his first PGA Tour title.
Mullinax had missed ten of 17 cuts on the PGA Tour this year and his best result all year had been a tied 24th at the Mexico Open but he was probably more inspired by events off the course than on it.
With his wife expecting their third child, this was Trey's first start since he turned 30 at the end of June.
My Open Tip: Take it easy before the off and lay often in-play
With the Open looming large (previewed here), it's oh so tempting to go backing a raft of pre-event picks but patience is very often the key to success.
I didn't get the rub of the green in either event last week but having backed Kitayama at 55.054/1 and Streelman at 20.019/1 after the opening rounds, I was able to trade to a juicy profit at both events, even laying the latter at just 1.548/15 on the 72nd hole!
As highlighted in the In-Play Tactics section of the Open Championship preview, there are some very clear patterns with the year's final major and although it's great to back the winner before the off, it's arguably a lot more sensible to keep most of the powder dry until after the first round when it's very much easier to get to grips with the championship.
I'll be back later in the week with the Barracuda Championship preview, the Find Me a 100 Winner column, and with a look at the Open side markets.
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