The Punter's De-Brief: Zach shocks Woods to win the final Sherwood showdown

Steven Rawlings
09 December 2013

Zach Johnson with his latest trophy

Join

Twitter

Facebook

Having backed all three winners before the off, it's been a cracking week for our man, but what have we learned for next year? Read Steve's look back at last week's action here...

“A memorable week indeed - I’ve backed two pre-event winners in a week before but this was the first time I’d nailed three!”

On a sensational Sunday for golf fans everywhere, yesterday started with a dramatic playoff at the Hong Kong Open and ended with one of the most remarkable finishes I've ever witnessed, at the World Challenge.

In Hong Kong, Miguel Angel Jimenez, just weeks before his 50th birthday, broke his own record (set at the event last year) as the oldest man to win a European Tour event, when he birdied the first playoff hole, to beat Wales' Stuart Manley and Thailand's Prom Meesawat. It was his 20th European Tour victory and a record-equalling fourth Hong Kong Open title.

A few hours later, Thomas Bjorn powered home to win the Nedbank Challenge in impressive style before we were treated to the most spectacular climax to the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, where Tiger Woods bogeyed the first playoff hole to hand Zach Johnson the title.

Woods had led by four with only eight holes to play and he was matched at just 1.031/33 in-running but Zach played the next seven holes in four-under-par to Tiger's level and when they got to 18 all this happened.

My Bets
A memorable week indeed - I've backed two pre-event winners in a week before but this was the first time I'd nailed three!

Miguel had been a confident selection in Hong Kong before the off at 10.09/1, as had Zach in the States, at the rewarding odds of 28.027/1, and after I'd published my preview for the Nedbank Challenge on Tuesday, I tweeted this on Wednesday.

"Couple of small late bets, Bjorn @ 46 in the Nedbank and Sung-Hoon Kang @ 75 in the Hong Kong Open"

I'm frustrated that Bjorn wasn't a selection before the preview went up but he was only trading at around 32.031/1 then and as I've repeatedly stated in the De-Briefs of late, you simply must revisit the markets on a Wednesday. Incredibly, Bjorn was matched at a high of 50.049/1 on Wednesday night and big late drifters are now common and a very definite angle in.

I know it's not ideal that I've started to add to my wagers after the previews have been published, but I will continue to exploit these crazy late drifts. I will always post any late pre-event bets to Twitter though, so if you're not already doing so, get following @SteveThePunter.

What have we learned for next year?
With Thailand's Prom Meesawat making the playoff, we very nearly witnessed a win for an Asian Tour player for the first time in six years but Wen-tang Lin's triumph in 2009 is still the only victory by an Asian Tour player since the event was co-sanctioned and with Jimenez winning, we had yet another top-drawer European taking the title - even though he was just about the only one in the field that could be described as one.

Stats-wise, Mig didn't really fit. He's the only winner since 1996 (as far back as Tour-tips.com's stats go) to win from six back after round one and he's the only man this millennium to win after failing to break par in round one, but I wouldn't pay too much credence to it. This was an extremely weak renewal and provided the event doesn't go up against the Nedbank in future, and that the field is stronger, I would concentrate on the early pacesetters.

At the Nedbank Challenge, once again, course experience proved vital. If you got sucked in to thinking the course would suit first-timers Gary Woodland or Victor Dubuisson because they had the required length off the tee, write a hundred lines of 'I must not back a Gary Player CC debutant'.

More than half of the field were playing here for the first time and yet Brendon De Jonge was the only first-timer inside the top-six and within eight strokes of Bjorn at the finish.

The par fives were again key to victory (Bjorn eagled both 10 and 14 yesterday) and his long and straight play off the tee was the reason for his victory. I know the old saying is drive for show and putt for dough but it doesn't necessarily apply here. Bjorn shot an impressive seven-under-par 65 yesterday and yet 29 of the 65 strokes were with his putter.

Given how well the course form has stood up at Sherwood over the years, I'm gutted that the World Challenge is leaving California for Isleworth in Florida next year and given the change in venue, there's no point in analysing this year's result in depth.

I'll be back tomorrow with previews for both the Nelson Mandela Championship, which starts on Wednesday to avoid Sunday's funeral, and the Thailand Golf Challenge.

*You can follow me on Twitter @SteveThePunter