Golf is finally back for 2015! We have all been eagerly awaiting its return over the Christmas and the New Year break.
Last year was one of the toughest years on record for backing a winner on the PGA Tour with so many first time and longshot winners! This year I am going to put in the extra effort to make sure we get back to a profitable year just like we had in 2012 and 2013.
Each week I will be selecting two players to back on the PGA Tour with the recommendation being an each way bet on both selections. The results that will be recorded will be based on a $10 each way bet.
So without further ado lets get 2015 underway with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions which is once again being played on the Plantation Course at the Kapalua Resort on the Island of Maui, Hawaii.
The Purse for the tournament is US$5.7 million with the winner taking home US$1.14 million. The small field this week is due to the tournament being restricted to players who won on the PGA Tour the previous year.
The Tournament has been played here since 1999 and the course measures 7411 yards and plays to a Par 73. It is the only event that plays to this Par on the PGA Tour. There are seven holes measuring over 500 yards with huge elevation changes giving you amazing views of the ocean and surrounding islands.
While the fairways are wide and the greens are large in size players will need to contend with several contours and breaks that will require plenty of concentration. Course management will come into play and the wind can also cause plenty of issues in the afternoons.
The average winning score over the last five years has been -20.8 so we can expect to see our fair share of birdies this week. Of the last five Champions only Zach Johnson and Geoff Ogilvy are teeing it up this week.
The SportsBet Top 5 in betting this week are- $8.00 Bubba Watson, $8.50 Jason Day, $10.00 Matt Kuchar, $15.00 Hideki Matsuyama and $17.00 Zach Johnson. With only 34 players teeing it up this week it is worth remembering that all each way bets will only pay Top 4, not the usual Top 5. There is also no cut this week due to the field size.
Now it is time to look at the two players I have selected this week.
Billy Horschel $19.00 www.sportsbet.com.au
What a way to finish 2014! Horschel cleaned up at the FedExCup taking home the US$10 million prize bonus after producing some amazing golf. He missed the cut at The Barclays then turned on the switch and finished T2nd at the Deutsche Bank Championship. From there he took out the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship and lifted the Cup.
Billy last played at the Hero World Challenge in December where he finished in a tie for 8th so his game is still hot and he should take his game to a whole new level in 2015.
At this tournament last year he finished 6th at his first visit and hit 83% of greens in regulation as well as 83% of fairways. His ball striking had him ranked 9th in the field. If he can produce those same stats along with his improved game over the last 12 months we should expect to see him up there challenging on Sunday.
Looking at his stats for 2014 you will notice he was ranked 23rd in driving accuracy, 4th in greens in regulation and 3rd in ball striking so we know that his game is perfect for this course. To get 18/1 for the current FedExCup Champion is an amazing price.
Kevin Streelman $34.00 www.sportsbet.com.au
Streelman won the Travelers Championship in June last year which sees him back in Hawaii for the second time. Apart from this victory Kevin only had two other Top 10 finishes from 26 starts.
One of those Top 10’s was here in Hawaii when he finished in a tie for 3rd last year. He finished at -17 just two shots back from the winner Zach Johnson. It is also worth noting that he went 13 under par on the Par 4’s last year. This fits in well with his 2014 ranking of 20th in Par 4 birdie or better conversion.
He also hit 83% of fairways last year on a course that appears to suit his game well. Looking at his photos on twitter it looks like he has settled in well in Hawaii and a happy golfer is a relaxed golfer. I have a feeling that Kevin could be popping up on our radar a few times in 2015.
Good Luck and Good Punting!