After the disappointment of 2 players (Glover and Hubbard) sharing place money for minimal profit last week (don't want to talk about Glover's bogey on the last) we head this week into Open Championship prep and 2 vastly different tournaments. The PGA tour travels to Kentucky for some Yeeha's at the Barbasol and the world's top players head to North Berwick for the Scottish Open at the Renaissance club.
2 picks in each this week we will start with the poor dishevelled, adopted, smelly cousin that is the Barbasol from the Keene Trace Golf Club. A par 72 measuring 7238 yards the Champions course at Keene Trace, is so similar to what we saw at the John Deere last week, and a mix of World Rankings, previous showings and form make my first pick very very easy. The top ranked player in the field this week is LUCAS GLOVER and he is my first pick. Watching him last week, and the tempo and rhythm he putted with, was such a delight. After so many years of torment, maybe this new putter, the same horrific thing that Adam Scott uses, could see a return to the world's top 50 by the end of the season. Again in terms of ball striking this guy is a sensation, he always has been. Listening to his pressers about the pain he has felt just practising over the years, knowing he can't hole a thing, and now the love he has for playing again is great to hear. In this field he (and Pendrith) is a stand out, his price is way way too big, and the only fear is his short chipping which is a bit jabby and cost him big time on the 9th yesterday. He's an outrageous 28/1 6 places with Hills, I'm very excited about what he can do and I'm 5pts e/w.
***PLEASE NOTE MERRITT HAS NOW WITHDRAWN***My other pick is also finding some form running into this, and given that he is also a previous winner here in 2018, TROY MERRITT is well worth another go. In a field like this he has a huge chance, and although this tournament does throw up a lot of first time winners, the quality in this field is poor. Like Glover, Troy is a brilliant ball striker, and it seems recent putting woes have healed since he proclaimed himself as having the yips on Twitter last month. Ever since then something has clicked, he has finished 17th in his last 2 events after 6 consecutive missed cuts and at 4pts e/w I'm going with Bet365 top 8 at 33s.
A vastly different set of conditions and quality of field next, as many of the world's best golfers head to Berwick for the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick. The tournament has been held here since 2019, and like last year when Schauffelle won with just 7 under, the wind and rain is looking set to cause havoc to the field. I love playing links golf in all conditions, it's my favourite type of golf, but many opens bore the pants off me as players rip these historic courses to pieces when it is calm. However, when the wind blows it becomes a great watch and moving to Sunday we could have 30mph winds so it could be popcorn out and lots of laughing as players are rightfully tortured. He was going to be my second pick, but now the rain looks set I'm moving him to first as two glove man AARON RAI won't be perturbed by the weather. Rain gloves are brilliantly effective when needing to grip the club, but they do take some getting used to and this is a real handle in this week as Rai plays with two gloves in all weather tee to green already, this is a huge edge! Couple that with his 2019 win here, which was in October, where he beat Fleetwood in a play off (well who hasn't these days), and he is great value He's a lip smacking 70/1 with Skybet 8 places and I'm 3pts e/w.
The last pick this week could be picked by a deaf dumb and blind dog in a Frey Bentos factory. Sometimes us bloggers pull out an unknown quantity, but I'm saving it all for an obvious pick this week in RICKIE FOWLER. Rickie has been playing the most consistent golf of any player in the last 4 months. He shot a terrible 5 over last round at the US Open to cost him his first major, but soon made up for that with a first win in 4 years at the Rocket Mortgages. His stats from the players on are 13th, 17th, 10th, 15th, 14th, MC, 6th, 9th, 5th, 13th WON.- His putting stats are getting better each week, he loves links golf, having won in 2015 at Gullane and he is top 20 on tour in all strokes gained stats, and top 10 in ball striking, which is a must in the wind. He hasn't missed an Open Championship cut in 10 years, he has a 6th and a 2nd (which was at next week's Open venue at Royal Liverpool) and he is a brilliant player in the wind as changing his ball flight comes easy to him. The revival he has made is no small part down to Butch Harman III who was Tiger's coach famously and is a soothsayer for Rickie and if the stars aren't aligned here then he will go close next week, but I can't not back him. Biggest investment this week, he is 16/1 8 places with Skybet (and others) and I'm 8 points e/w.
In Summary (8 places Skybet unless specified)
Barbasol
Glover 28/1 6pts e/w 6 places Hills
Scottish Open
Rai 70/1 3pts e/w
Fowler 16/1 8pts e/w
