GOLF: VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP/HASSAN TROPHEE TIPS

LAST week wasn’t so good with wind and water blowing away the chances of quite a few players. With only three players managing an under-par score at the WGC-Cadillac we should be grateful for a top-five finish thanks to Dustin Johnston.

The PGA Tour now moves on to Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course for the next step in the Florida Swing – the Valspar Championship

The Copperhead Course played the most difficult par-71 in a non-Major last year. There are five par 3s and four par 5s and the 16th, 17th and 18th are collectively known as the Snake Pit which are the first, fourth and third hardest holes so not an easy finish.

My first pick is Harris English, who has had a win and six top-10 finishes this season and is first in top-10 finishes. Last week he tied 16th on four over after a 77 in the second round.

He’s fifth in the FedEx ratings and is one of the form players this season. In his last four tournaments his GIR is 73.3 and last week his driving accuracy dropped to 48 per cent but that might have been down to the conditions.

Matt Kuchar was among the leaders after the first two rounds last week but didn’t manage to keep it going and finished T13. He’s 11th in par-five birdies with 29 from 54 holes (53 per cent). His GIR stand at 67.59 per cent. I still think a win is just round the corner for the Kuchar and this week is a definite possibility.

Luke Donald seems to be coming back to a bit of form. He finished T8th in the Honda Classic and last week finished T25 after a second round 82! Last year wasn’t a great one for Luke, finishing 55th in the FedEx, and this year he’s only played four PGA championships with one top-10-finish. He won here in 2012, was T6 in 2010 and T4 last year.

We need Donald back at the top, especially for the Ryder Cup this year, and hopefully a top five this weekend with start his drive back up the standings.

If you look at Webb Simpson’s last six tournaments he has finished in the top 10 every other event. So if you take that a bit further he should be in the top 10 this week. Apart from that his stats hold up well, was runner-up here in 2011 and has never been worse than T17 in his four visits.

On this side of the Atlantic the European Tour is in Morocco for the Trophee Hassan II on the Golf du Palais Royale in Agadir.

Hoping to do well here and get into the Masters is world No.54 George Coetzee. He needs to get into the world’s top 50 to be assured entry and a win here this weekend will go a long way to moving him up.

Coetzee has finished in the top 10 four times in six European Tour events this season and the last time he was here, in 2011, he was fourth. At that time it was his highest finish and he still rates it as the turning point in his career.

Definitely an each-way bet for the Joburg Open champion.

20pt staking plan

English 3pts ew (18-1, Betfred)

Kuchar 2pts ew (20-1, Betfred)

Donald 1pt ew (22-1, boylesports)

Simpson 1pt ew (28-1, bet365)

George Coetzee 3pt ew (16-1, Betfred)

Ace Venturer

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