The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 14 March 2011 /

Troy falls short in Puerto Rico but Watney redeems all with an impressive putting display at Doral...

On an exciting and entertaining final day at the Cadillac Championship, Nick Watney held his nerve and putted his way to victory. At the week's other event, Michael Bradley came from four back to win his second Puerto Rico Open in three years.

My Bets

With big-priced pre-event pick, Troy Matteson, backed at [120.00], in charge at that the Puerto Rico Open it looked like it may be a good day yesterday and it was, eventually! I'd stated in my Live Golf Blog that I'd input a lay on Troy at [1.55] but I did have to adjust that slightly and I ended up laying him at [1.57], and thank heavens I did.

Having birdied the first two holes, it should have been a cakewalk for Troy but he struggled after that, dropping shots on the 4th and 6th holes and paring in thereafter. With Matteson stalling, Bradley took up the running but he then managed to bogey the final hole and they were level again, with my man having just the par 5 final hole to negotiate. Unfortunately, he couldn't make birdie to win and in the play-off, he couldn't even make par to stay in the game!

The lay had made for a great result but it wasn't the spectacular outcome I'd hoped for.

At the Cadillac I had chances with Nick Watney, overnight leader Dustin Johnson, and I'd also added Adam Scott, so despite my disappointment I knew things could soon get better.

An event very rarely pans out as you'd expect it to but it's fair to say last night's final round pretty much did. Luke Donald had started the day alongside Johnson in the final two-ball but put in his usual poor stroke play in-contention performance. Hunter Mahan and Matt Kuchar, and indeed Adam Scott, all came out of the gate at breakneck speed, making birdies galore, only to stutter once they were in with a genuine chance of glory and Rory McIlroy was yet again hopeless in the mix. And even more predictable was Francesco Molinari's performance. An early bogey looked to have put him out of the reckoning so he then started making birdies at will to get back in the mix but then when it really mattered, the putts stopped dropping.

That left the power boys, Watney and Johnson to play it out between them. Neither looked wholly convincing and Watney needed a couple of monster par saves on the par three 13th and 15th holes and his first ever birdie on the 18th hole to seal the deal.

I layed some Watney back at [1.77] and I also layed some Johnson back at [1.95] but it was a great result and it more than made up for Matteson's mishap.

Player to swerve

It pains me to admit it but it has to be Phil Mickelson. A poor performance from Lefty at a track that doesn't suit is one thing but Doral's right up his street and he struggled over all four days here. I really hope he can get his game back into some sort of shape for the fast approaching Masters but it's not looking good and even Tiger Woods is playing better than him now!

What have we learnt for next year?

Although neat and tidy players like Donald and Molinari have again featured, raw power just about holds sway and once again the par fives were key.

Somewhat surprisingly, despite driving brilliantly all four days, Dustin Johnson made only seven birdies at the par fives all week, whereas Watney made 11 and one eagle. He did throw in a couple of bogeys too but his combined total of -11 on the par fives was four better than Dustin's and along with his sensational putting, that's what won him the title.

You clearly have to be up with the pace here early on. I had the wherewithal to swerve dodgy front-runner Mahan when he opened up an early lead but I knew I wanted to be with the pace-setters and I backed Watney at [16.0] as he closed out round one to sit in a tie for 4th. Other than a sublime Tiger Woods in 2007, that's as far back as any winner has been after day one since Craig Parry's miracle pitch in win in 2004. And even then he beat Scott Verplank in a play-off, who'd been in a tie for 3rd after round one and the 3rd and 4th placed finishers, Retief Goosen and Joe Durant had been tied 3rd and 2nd respectfully after round one. The message is simple; winners have to start fast here.

The European Tour returns this week and all the usual suspects will be raring to go at the brand new Sicilian Open and in the States; a quality field assembles for the Transitions Championship. I'll preview both, either tomorrow night or on Wednesday morning.

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