The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 28 May 2008 /

Steven fills the trolley with some big-price bargains ahead of the Wales Open while a more circumspect approach is taken to The Memorial

This week's European Tour event, the Wales Open, is staged at the Celtic Manor Resort on the Twenty Ten course, venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup, so you can bet your bottom dollar there'll be plenty of pointless and boring waffle on Sky about something that's going to happen in two-and-a-half years time!

For the last three years the event has been staged on the Roman Road course, while extensive alterations were carried out on the Twenty Ten, so with no relevant course form to go on it's not easy to make any selections with confidence.

What has struck me though is how short some players are; Padraig Harrington is always too short for me, while second favourite Karlsson must be suffering mentally, having wasted three chances to win in as many weeks. Also, I know he's in good form but I couldn't dream of taking [26.0] about Oliver Wilson. Or [34.0] about another maiden in the shape of Alexander Noren and surely last weeks winner Jimenez is too short @ [20.0]?

Having thought about it, Harrington is so short I've layed him to make the cut at [1.12].

On the flipside there are some massive prices about some proven winners and I've filled my trolley to the brim with a plethora of bargain bets, listed below. A few of them have form at the event but I've backed most of them purely because their prices are just far too big.

Selections:

Richard Sterne @ [50.0]
Alastair Forsyth @ [90.0]
John Bickerton @ [140.0]
Marc Warren @ [180.0]
Marcus Brier @ [250.0]
Philip Archer @ [250.0]
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano @ [270.0]
Francesco Molinari @ [290.0]
Raphael Jacquelin @ [400.0]
Jean-Francois Remesy @ [450.0]
Simon Wakefield @ [530.0]
Rhys Davies @ [610.0]
Stephen Dodd @ [650.0]
S S P Chowrasia @ [670.0]
Chapchai Nirat @ [800.0]

The Memorial is one of the most prestigious events in the US Tour calendar. It's hosted by course designer Jack Nicholas at Muirfield Village, named after the course he gained his first Open victory at in 1966. The course has parallels with Augusta and my first selection has a great record in the Masters and isn't hard to pick: surely last week's winner, Phil Mickelson would love to add 'Jacks event' to his C.V. He's got decent form here, will appreciate the wide fairways and has won in consecutive weeks a couple of times in the past. With an early tee time tomorrow, if he can get through the tricky 10th hole (his first) in par, it's highly likely his price will only shorten from the [8.0] that's available now and not get that big again all week.

Kenny Perry has already won here twice, has been under par in his last 16 rounds here and is in pretty hot form. A final round 81 when in contention at the Players' was a disappointment and I thought he would have 'bounced' the following week but he was unlucky to lose the play off at the AT & T at Sugarloaf. Last weeks tied 46th was therefore not a shock, a 'double bounce' maybe. He's not a massive price now at [34.0] but I can see him improving on last year's third place.

Last up is Ryan Moore @ [95.0]. Runner-up last year after a flying finish he merits support, especially after his efforts at the Byron Nelson. I'd had reservations about his temperament until that event but he showed in no uncertain terms that he's not frightened to win now and this could just be the week he breaks his duck.

Selections:

Phil Mickelson @ [8.4]
Kenny Perry @ [36.0]
Ryan Moore @ [95.0]

I'll post an update after the cut at both events on Saturday morning.

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