GOLF: TAMPA BAY CLASSIC BETTING

ODDS of 170.0 about Sean O'Hair catch the eye and not just because he's already won this Tampa Bay Classic back in 2008.

O'Hair is precisely the sort of proven winner worth sticking with when at big odds due to a lack of recent form.

Four PGA Tour wins is an impressive return most players would envy and because of the odds involved would have amply rewarded those fans who back him loyally.

Prior to his last title at the 2011 Canadian Open, O'Hair had missed nine of his 12 previous cuts. By comparison top-20s from two of his last three starts reads favourably.

It's interesting to see one-time hype-machine Bud Cauley dismissed at 240.0. After making an immediate impact on the PGA Tour this top prospect became unbackable at ridiculously short odds Just as the market over-reacted then in a positive direction so it may be doing the reverse now.

Bud finished a decent 16th on last year's Copperhead debut and confirmed a liking for tough Florida courses when finishing fourth the following week at Bay Hill.

Granted, his early 2013 form has been disappointing but 24th at the recent Phoenix Open, closing fast with three rounds of 68 or better, showed he hasn't completely lost the plot.

Matt Kuchar was impressive at the WGC World Match Play a couple of weeks ago and he's got form at Copperhead, with three top-12 finishes from five starts – last year's effort the most eye-catching to date.

His opening 73 in round one is his worst here to date and it left him languishing in a tie for 109th! But rounds of 67, 69 and his best here yet of 65 on Sunday saw him climb up into the top 10.

With a good record at the Sony Open I came close to backing him but at just a little over 20.0, he's just a shade too short.

And so too is Jason Dufner. In stark contrast to Kuchar, Dufner got off to a 12 twelve months ago and led by two strokes at halfway before melting away over the weekend – something of a regular occurrence before he finally broke his duck at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans a month later.

He caught the eye at Doral last week but just like Kuchar I felt he was fraction shorter than I wanted so he too has been reluctantly left out for now.

While everyone was focused on Tiger Woods last week, Brian Gay put in an incredible performance on the greens – taking just 93 putts all week.

Only one man has made fewer in a PGA Tour event, David Frost, and he took just 92 at the 2005 MCI Heritage at Harbour Town.

The fact Gay finished down in a tie for 35th suggests other aspects of his game weren't at their absolute best but Doral is far too long for Gay and given putting is so important this week, that he already has a couple of top-10 here and that he has a fine record at the Sony Open – and he's already won the Humana Challenge this year I thought he was more than a fair price at 130.0.

My only other pick before the off is Brian Stuard who was most definitely over-priced on Sunday evening at 500.0. He missed the cut here 12 months ago on his course debut but last week's tied fourth in Puerto Rico, along with his impressive tied fifth at the Sony Open in January and a top-10 finish at the Humana Challenge, all compensate for the lack of course form.

Recommendations

Back Sean O'Hair @ 170.0
Back Ben Cauley @ 240.0
Brian Gay @ 130.0
Brian Stuard @ 500.0

Milesey

🔗 Share on Social Media