The Open 2014

According to the commentators is a wide open competition. Well forgive me but that’s what it is called - and I suspect for a reason.

For once Tiger is not the favourite - that accolade goes to Justin Rose, however it is notoriously difficult to win back-to-back although Phil managed it last year. Adam, Henrick, Rory and Martin all have the shorter odds. I am not sure any of them have the game for links. However if the weather keeps fine the course will be tamed into submission by the big hitters. Luke Donald is running into some form and at 50/1 looks a good bet. McDowell again has been playing well,I think it might be a good course for Sergio if he can get the putter going. Jiminez is always worth a good e/w at any Major. Marc Warren and Stephen Gallagher are also good outsiders - both with some recent form and both doing well at the Scottish Open.

My pics are McDowell, Donald, Jiminez and Stephen Gallagher. Let’s hope the golfing gods are good to me this time!

Ricoh - The Results

And the Winner is…………………………………………

Mo Martin of the USA, who I suspect was a rank outsider at the start of this year’s third major, congratulations to anyone who had a wager on her. There is no doubt that she played very well down the stretch with some hardened players breathing down her neck. Great performance, I just hope its not too much too soon for Mo and that her game continues to develop and she wins more on LPGA. This is all good news for the LPGA - the rising to the top of some of its younger (and in some cases older) players. This is the first time since 1999 that the first three Ladies Majors have been won by Americans. Let’s hope that helps the LPGA Tour in the USA. There was a lot of negativity when it was a succession of foreign (especially players from the Far East) were winning consistently on the Tour.

My bets didn’t fair too well - the shock was Catriona - she had a nightmare second round and missed the cut. Hedwall also missed the cut. Meadows faded and Charley Hull played some gutsy rounds - we have out own young talent on the LET.

Ricoh British Women's Open

The Next Major on the calendar is the British Women’s Open at Royal Birkdale, a classic links course with its distinctive slightly Art Nouveau club house. The Women’s Open was last here in 2010 when Yani Tseng won and became the youngest player ever to win three major championships. However since then Yani’s form and her number 1 place have fallen away, so I really don’t think she will be in contention this week a- although the venue will provide her with positive memories.

I am backing Catriona Matthew - she won the Open in 2009 at Royal Lytham - she is in good form and will be well-suited to the Links course. Obviously the bookies share my views as she is priced at 33/1. I am also going with some of the most amazing younger talent on the LET - Carley Hull and Stephanie Meadows, both at 50/1. Both have been in good form and show no fear when getting into contention in the big tournaments. My outside bet is Caroline Headwall - again I think coming into better form and she is a grinder which might be needed should the weather be less than pleasant. Headwall is at 100/1 - so a good long odds e/w bet.

The downside of this Major is that although in the UK time zone it is covered by the BBC - so expect lots of patronising inane comments from Peter Alliss. No doubt fronted by Hazel Irvine and possibly with Maureen Madill these will be the only two women to be heard and seen (apart from the players). Its about time the BBC got more women commentators for their limited golf coverage. 

Pinehurst - Reprise

No luck with any of my bets - a few looked good for a day or two but then fell away. I am very pleased for Martin Kaymer - he has spent a good few years in the wilderness. His form started to come back after the 2012 Ryder Cup and he has looked more like his old self before all that dodgy mucking around with his swing that was supposed to give him a better chance of winning the Masters. Of course getting back with his old caddy Craig Connelly has also helped enormously! So now it is the tun of the women to see how they cope with Pinehurst and how the experiment of back-to-back majors works. Don’t take any notice of my choices - wouldn’t want to inflict any losses on anyone but here are my picks:- Ko - 14/1 - she has been in great form and with Fluff on her bag I think that will be a great advantage. Pettersen - 16/1 - again has had good form she needs to keep patient in this terrain but her length should assist. Munoz 40/1 - again showing form a cool customer I was very impressed with her at the Solheim. Matthew - at 66/1 a steal at that price - has had good form and she definitely has another major in her - Pinehurst is a thinking golfers course and as a natural links player I think she will be able to innovate and produce the shots that are required especially around the green. Time will tell!

The US Open - Pinehurst

The second major of the year for the men starts on Thursday followed the next week with the second for the women on the same course! Not at all sure about that - but will wait and see how it works. My first thoughts on hearing this were what about the condition of the course after the Mens Open and the fact that being in the same geographical location denied other areas from hosting a major. However I understand when the decision had to be made about location of these majors we were deep in recession and there were really no other offers! Its good to try new things so I for one will reserve my thoughts until we see how it all works.

In terms of the US Open, I think there is a wide-open field this week. Really interesting some new players coming into contention and some of the “old guard” finding their game at just the right time! I couldn’t care less if Tiger is playing or not he is a busted flush and even if he was in the field it would only be the bookies who would make him favourite!

On that basis my bets are placed. This time I’m going with Skybet as everyone seems to be paying top 6 for an e/w and the odds are also fairly similar and I have more credit in that account! I’ve taken their 8/1 bet on and Englishman winning, and then e/w bets on all of the following:- McIlroy 10/1, Garcia 28/1, Poulter 66/1 and Jimenez 125/1. I think in particular Garcia and Jimenez are generously long odds - time will tell! Game on!

The Green Jacket

Bubba wins again!

Well all my tips crashed-and-burned. Sergio and Luke Donald didn’t even make the cut - shows you how much I know. However I can’t say that it  was one of the great Masters, and not because of the lack of Tiger - I don’t think his presence would make any difference to the result. It just didn’t have any great charge down the back nine on Sunday - sure the lead oscillated around a bit on the front nine between Jordan and Bubba and some others threatened to get involved but by the last 2 hours of play it was just a bit boring and predictable!

I’m not a Bubba fan - nothing personal but the way he plays golf is just plain ridiculous. He can’t hit a straight shot to save his life, and usually with the driver at the point of contact he has both feet of the ground. Just how long will he and his body be able to sustain that? Golf is about swinging within yourself, keeping your balance and shaping the ball all of which is a bit of an anathema to Bubba. I hate to see the effect of his swing on the impressionable junior golfers, will we be seeing them imitating the jump at the point of contact on our courses in the near future? I can’t think that will do any good and will ire the green keepers!

Good luck to him - its not pretty but for the moment it is effective. I really had him written of as a one-major golfer, however I’m not sure he really can contend on course that are less than manicured or that have some rough.

Last time Bubba won the Masters there followed an almighty slump in his game - hope that doesn’t happen this time! He can always console himself by looking at two jackets and devising the menu for the champions dinner next year!

The Results and The Masters.

Well I certainly didn’t need an escort for my winnings on the Kraft Nabisco - won nothing, although all my tips did finish in the top 20! So here’s hoping for a better result from the Masters. Its a fantastic tournament - but as a woman I have very mixed feelings about it. I would like to go but the cost and my conscience has kept me away - I suppose on that basis I shouldn’t really ever watch it and I should also boycott some of the more chauvinistic clubs that host The Open - but of course I don’t. Maybe as woman who has played golf for years I’ve just got used to the way we are treated and to be fair most of that type of golf course nowadays is the minority, but as a result more high profile. I do think it is about time the R&A flexed their muscles and did something about the The Open course rotation, but that whole debate - much as with anchoring putters is full of vested interests! Progress has been made and of course Augusta now has its “token” women members, so it just highlights how behind the curve some of the “gentleman's” clubs in the UK are! We owe it to the next generation of women golfers to keep the pressure on, in particular the LGU should not have any of their junior tournaments at courses who do not have equal membership for all regardless of ethnicity or gender.

Enough of the golf politics. My money for the Masters is all going with Paddy Power as they are paying top 6 places! Here we go with my distinctive European bets, all e/w :- McIlroy - 10/1, Garcia 22/1, Rose 33/1, Poulter 55/1.

Golf - the first Majors of the year

Back Issues

Seems to be infectious these days for world ranked golfers and majors. Tiger has withdrawn from the Masters. Its always a pity to see players withdrawing due to ill health, but I’m not sure that Tiger was going to contend in any event. I know to right him off is dangerous especially at Augusta, but I just don’t think he has another Major in him. More worryingly and not many people know this - mainly because of the dearth of news about women's golf in the UK, but Suzanne Pettersen has withdrawn from the Kraft Nabisco, the first women's major of the year with back issues. More troubling because coming into the Kraft Suzanne was playing well and looked as if she would contend. With Suzanne out Azahara Munoz is one of the Europeans with the shortest odds - playing well coming into the event and a different player since her fantastic Solheim experience she will will be in the mix come Sunday. Paddy Power looks to have the best e/w bets So where’s my money going? Well firstly on the aforementioned Munoz on an e/w at 5/1, followed by another European Solheim player, Anna Nordqvist at 4/1 e/w, Charley Hull (see a pattern here?) is on remarkably short odds at 11/1 e/w and I can’t not bet on Catriona Matthew at 14/1 e/w. So there we go - all Europeans, all successful Solheim Cuppers - game on!