able to get a profitable week in, granted just .85u, but WEBB made it interesting getting off to the good start, but faded because of just not being all that sharp and confident with the game, which he has shown for majority of 2014. not too surprised from the result, more at beginning of week counting on his experience to get him through, wishful thinking i guess.
will mention i feel for those who had WATNEY last week, was able to find him @ 4.5/1, played him for a 1u, got # before he reached par5 on front, had it going with long game after that hole, until the 14th, which a crucial 3putt completely stopped his momentum. had a big advantage on VILLEGAS before his 1st putt. was favorite @ -130 up 2strokes on rest of field with VILLEGAS at that point. WATNEY who is slowly finding his game again, goes to show again, what form does for a player later on in the week. tough 2 putt for sure on 14, but he didnt even come close on the comeback and stood up out of it as soon as he hit it. getting closer, but last win was 2years ago.
speaking of WATNEY and his last victory, it came in the BARLCAYs 2 years ago, when he was able to ride an opening 65 @ BETHPAGE all the way to the end. mostly took the title with his, his ball striking! granted that was at BETHPAGE, but the rough isnt a whole lot different it seems from this weeks host course at RIDGEWOOD CC. has hosted this event 2years before, in 2010(kuchar winner) and 08(singh). both those names in KUCHAR and SINGH should tell you what needs to be done to win at RIDGEWOOD CC. hell, you can even take it further, and look at the SENIOR PGA that was held here in 2001, which was won by TOM WATSON, and then go back further to 1990 SENIOR OPEN, and TREVINO won that week. all 4 of those champions know how to put the ball in the fairway consistently. will be a key theme this week, as the rough looks thick but also, the size of the greens are smaller than avg.
will add there are alot of bunkers this week, 1 hole has 6bunkers just around the green. it is just 300yds, but being somewhat handy from the sand will be important as well.
weather looks to be dry for most of the week with some precipitation on thursday.
will say PGA CHAMP rough looked not too overly difficult to play out of, which for PGA CHAMP, not too surprised, but am at the same time. wouldve figured since TIGER/MAY shot -18 the last go around, that they wouldve looked to make it a little more difficult. guess dry weather had something to do with it leading up, yet during the week it didnt look so dry with the buckets that poured down.
that leads into RORY this week, will he be around? i would certainly think so considering his confidence with his driver, but i think if that rough plays any more difficult than what it did at PGA, which im counting on it does, i dont like him this week. especially considering what hes done, and now what will his mindset be like going into this week, knowing that there are 3 weeks after, then the RYDER CUP, then he has the RACE TO DUBAI after. so RORY i think has a bit of a letdown this week, and this course could provide a winner worse than -10, so RORY may sneak into a top10 later on, but buying early to start isnt ideal. sure ive said that the last 2 involving RORY, but i just think again there is a letdown waiting to happen, and this week could be it with some very lengthy par5s, that wont be reached in 2, even by RORY.
have talked myself into these 3 players. will look to add more, but am already bumping these plays up from avg weeks. going to press a bit here. seem to be good fits on this course from my eyes. can argue all 3 #s are worse than what i should be buying "bigger" from. maybe im not the only 1 thinking this, but i will go with my read, and see if these 3 can find themselves around the lead late.
THE BARCLAYS(+.05u)
14/1 A. SCOTT(2u) -- to win L (t15)
25/1 J. FURYK(1u) -- to win L (8th)
32/1 J. DAY(.5u) -- to win L (t2)
1.15/1 A. SCOTT(2u) -- top10 L
2.15/1 J. FURYK(1u) -- top10 W
2.75/1 J. DAY(.5u) -- top10 W
scott(+140) / mcilroy(1u) -- tour mu W (t15 - t22)
scott(+135) / mcilroy(.5u) -- 1st rd mu W (69 - 74)