Miracle Covers

A Tradition Like Several Others

In my Fantasy Golf League I am taking Adam Scott to win this week.  I would have hands down taken Rory this week if he was healthy.  Below are additional side bets I have going.  I am in the process of trying to get Loubacca to take some Krazy exacto bets that pay out like 400:1 involving Adam Scott, if he takes any I’ll post ’em.

Finish Top 20

Sergio Yes (Bet 20 to win 24)

RoarE

Vegas officially has a hard-on for McIlroy.  He is an actual juice-riddled coin flip today for the final round of the PGA Championship.  This would not be especially noteworthy except for the reality that there are 3 million people within 4 shots of the lead.  Mmmmm, 4 shots….This week was a “How do you take Rory” “How do you not take Rory” week which was very Tigeriscent circa 2001.  The odds by normal standards are horrifying….we should all be jumping on the No bet…except, “How do you not take Rory?”

Return of the Mack

Been out of action for a bit.  Let’s get back to business.  In the British Open I have Henrik Stenson to win in golf fantasy.  That pick is about as bold and inventive as oatmeal but for the purposes of the league I am in its just about mandatory.  In thinking outside the box stuff I have a guy named Danny Willett @ 155-1 for 2 bucks.  He finished 15th last year at The Open, has oodles of top 20s on the Euro Tour this season, and hes actually from England.  Hes at this point a poor mans version of Justin Rose, but you are getting well compensated on odds for the difference.

Golf Pick ’em League – WGC

Picked Louis Oosthuizen this week.  The bracket he is in looks to be one of the two easier ones.  He is a #1 seed and provided he gets there the third round will be the first time he plays someone I have heard of before.

Northern Trust Open

I have entered a golf pick em league where each week the goal is to pick someone who is going to finish super high up on the leader board.  Apparently leader board is two words.  This week I am going with a rather bland, pedestrian pick of Bill Haas who has done very well here in recent years including winning it last year.  Side action bets for 5 units

Charl Schwartzel at roughly 20:1

Sergio Garcia at roughly 19:1

Let’s watch!

Rideher Cup Follow-Up

Go USA, I swear.  With that said, here are plays I have made.

Luke Donald v Bubba Watson (+116) – 10 Units

Ian Poulter (-128) v Webb Simpson – 11 Units

Nick Colsaerts (-105) v Dustin Johnson – 10 Units

Lee Westwood (+124) v Matt Kuchar – 7 Units

UPDATE

Normally would not like betting against Rory, but for anyone else watching this he showed up late to his match, minutes before his tee time.  Plus I owe the U.S. some love

Rory McIlroy v Keegan Bradley (+121) 9 Units

Rideher Cup

Leans I am thinking of going into the last day…

L Donald vs B Watson (-102)

I Poulter (-145) vs W Simpson

N Colsaerts (-102) vs D Johnson

Looking at the match-ups, I don’t like saying it, and because I have a soul I couldn’t do it, but Europe at +600 is not a bad idea either…

Not Scared of Tiger

Pinnacle has an interesting golf prop on Tiger Woods:

From last weekend’s tournament

Rookie Brendan Steele couldn’t believe what he saw from one of golf’s all-time greats in his first tournament of the year on Sunday. He basically saw Woods, still winless since his infamous Thanksgiving car crash and ensuing public divorce, quit on the course.

“I don’t think he gave it everything today,” Steele told Sports Illustrated following the round at the Farmers Insurance Open. “Once it started going in the wrong direction, I don’t think it had his full attention.”

It just goes to show how far the world’s former No. 1 has fallen.Tiger never used to concede a shot, let alone give up on a back nine or an entire round. And he almost certainly would have never been called out by a rookie several years ago.

The thought of Woods alone used to send rookies cowering back to the clubhouse. His presence would make them wilt.

Now, Tiger’s competition has improved drastically and the once unbeatable aura that surrounded him has vanished. Players are no longer afraid of him on the course and apparently they’re willing to attack him off it as well.

As best I can tell, Tiger has won 14 Majors in 52 appearances starting with his first in at Augusta in 1997. That’s just over 25%. At -127, Pinnacle is basically installing Tiger as +630 on each major. As of right now that’s insane, or at least it would be for any other golfer not named Tiger Woods.

Phil Mickelson is the favorite to win this week’s Phoenix Open at +750 and I can’t imagine that the field in a Major is appreciably easier, nor that Tiger will be playing appreciably better than 90+% of the field in one anytime soon. His scoring average of over 71 since returning to golf in 2010 compares favorably with the likes of Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and YE Yang. For any of them to receive less than +2500 to win a tournament, regardless of form would be ridiculous.

There was talk on PTI last week over Tiger’s slump and its causes, whether they were more mental or physical. Whatever the cause, there’s been no suggestion of “Old Tiger” returning as yet. The most likely scenario has him back as excellent but not Barry Bonds on steroids at some point and even with that, there’s still value here. Max bet on NO, -1whatever.