THE European Tour returns to HQ for the BMW PGA Championship and here are a quartet of picks from the first-day three-balls.
Ian Poulter was disgusted with his performance at last week's Matchplay where he exited at the first hurdle.
However, he is as strong as they come mentally and stated he'll get over it by winning this week. Although outright victory might be a little ambitious, winning his three-ball on day one should be attainable.
The Englishman is up against two opponents who have a disappointing record at Wentworth – Nicolas Colsaerts and Brett Rumford have missed a number of cuts here.
We all know anything can happen in Match Play so we can forgive Francesco Molinari his quarter-final exit to Thomas Aiken last week. Molinari has struggled to get going this season but looked to be striking the ball beautifully in Bulgaria.
The straight-hitting Italian was seventh at Wentworth last year and the course sets up perfectly for him. At the prices he must be backed to outscore Lee Westwood and Ernie Els on day one.
Ross Fisher is in the middle of his first full season on the PGA Tour in America, he's currently 120th in the FedEx Cup standings and despite a number of missed cuts is well on the way to keeping his card.
Fisher was a Wentworth member and has come close to winning this tournament a couple of times, not least in 2007 when he collapsed when holding the final day lead.
Perhaps we'll see the Englishman go well in familiar surroundings, away from the pressures of the new tour. His playing partners George Coetzee and Jamie Donaldson will be no pushovers in what looks a tight three-ball.
World No.2 Rory McIlroy is the best player in the field, Graeme McDowell is the form player (two wins in his last three starts) but Paul Lawrie – the third member of what looks a high quality three-ball – has the best stroke average around Wentworth, was second last year and sixth in 2010. At the prices the Scot has to be the bet.
Recommended Bets
Back Ian Poulter @ 2.45
Back Francesco Molinari @ 3.0
Back Ross Fisher @ 2.55
Back Paul Lawrie @ 3.75
Milesey (Betfair)
Resident football tipster at Scotland's most read newspaper, the Daily Record, for over 20 years and proud host of one the best betting communities on the web with daily betting tips.
EUROPES WINNING RYDER CUP TEAM
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Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) – Odds to win tournament 70.0
This one-time party animal is now to be found larging it off the tee, generating effortless power. He has the confidence to match it too – especially having carried Lee Westwood to victory against Messrs Woods and Sticker in last September’s biennial battle. Trying to breakthrough Stateside this term and perhaps not blessed with the patience needed to cope with the unique demands of the Burma Road.
Luke Donald (England) – 9.4
A reliable rock of a player whose textbook plotting has already seen him land back-to-back triumphs here. Plod’s game may not be in the shape it was in the last few years, however, and he will likely be foiled in his hat-trick bid against this stellar European field.
Sergio Garcia (Spain) – 19.0
Great to see him back in the thick of things as a world force, having had his love for the game rekindled after Monty handed him a gig as his assistant at Celtic Manor. He’s a multiple winner in recent years and the only question marks are lack of a recent course outing and his late bath at the Players Championship, this event’s US equivalent. Possesses all the shots to bounce back in the warm familiarity of old friends and the tour that raised him. But will media scrutiny after his fallout with Tiger prove his undoing.
Peter Hanson – (Sweden) (doesn’t play this week)
Sulked off back to his hotel rather than support his teammates because he felt under-valued by captain Jose Maria Olazabal at Medinah. But perhaps that petulant behaviour should be overlooked for this reunion, as he’s normally a mild-mannered guy, not to mention a straight-shooter on and off the course. Was injured earlier in the year, but is returning to full fitness and form.
Martin Kaymer (Germany) – 32.0
His breathless rise from the Challenge Tour to major champion and World No.1 was as impressive as it was unexpected. Then came a subsequent fall from grace outside the world’s top 30. However, holing the winning putt and the Ryder Cup appears to have fostered some self-belief and Kaymer is rediscovering his form. A top five at last week’s Byron Nelson attested to that, but the German has always struggled round Wentworth.
Paul Lawrie – 70.0 (Scotland)
Still to register a top ten this year. But in China a fortnight ago, Lawrie hinted at a return to the level which saw him play so strongly last season, culminating in that memorable mauling of Brandt Snedeker (5&3 singles). Parkland and links tracks come alike to this underrated Scot.
Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) – 24.0
Arguably in the form of his life after following up a PGA Tour win at Hilton Head with victory in last week’s World Matchplay. The absolute embodiment of plucky, yet remains a far paper shy of the top grade in golf. He doesn’t like this track much either.
Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) – 12.0
Labouring from being billed as the best player on the planet, while switching stables and clubs to Nike only seems to have served to propel their original poster boy back to his former dominance. As if he needed another challenge, McIlroy has just switched managers again, this time to his father. But both stats and results suggest that Rors is returning to the boil and he is simply too good to discount, despite an average record here. Should be favourite in my book.
Francesco Molinari (Italy) – 48.0
Seems to play better when his brother is around which hasn’t been for a while. Yet Edoardo is back in good health and in the field this week to reignite their sibling rivalry. Francesco is by far the more talented, though, and should thrive on a layout which rewards his precision play. A live contender who just needs the putts to drop.
Ian Poulter (England) – 55.0
The self-styled hero of Medinah. Yet strokeplay is a different beast which you can’t simply tame with a putter and a fist-pump. Even struggled in his preferred matchplay format last week where he said “I’m going to go and find the nearest tree and string myself up… and then win the BMW.” Poults is brash, crass and clearly doesn’t have a flair for logic. But he’s made the most of his talents and his time will come again next September.
Justin Rose (England) – 13.0
The likeable, more talented foil to Poulter. Rose has a formidable record at Wentworth (one top-ten and two second places since 2007), although seems destined to be eternally frustrated. His ball-striking has improved with each passing year on tour, but it seems his putting touch has receded in exchange. A threat but prohibitively priced on recent outings.
Lee Westwood (England) – 13.0
Four finishes inside the “telling ten” from his past six events, Westy has come across a purple patch (that air-shot at the Players aside). He also resides is a surprising fifth place in Scrambling (getting up-and-down from the greenside) on the PGA Tour this term – an improvement which led analyst Johnny Miller to mark the Worksop Wonder out as “a perfect example to kids of where hard work will get you.” Does this mark a definitive improvement for the Nearly Man or another false dawn?
Milesey ( betfair )