We reach the halfway stage of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the penultimate event of the European Tour season, on Friday, when the 63 man field takes to the Gary Player Country Club for the second round of the ‘South African major’.
As we mentioned on Thursday, there is an enormous prize pool this week so there can be no easing up for the players on Friday no matter whether they struggled in the opening round or smashed it and finished high up the leaderboard.
Round 1 Recap
Louis Oosthuizen took a stranglehold of the competition in the opening round when he carded a fine nine under par round of 63 to garner a three shot lead, which already looks a strong advantage. European Tour maiden Thomas Detry is second on six under ahead of Guido Migliozzi on five under. There is some quality in the group on four under which includes the defending champion Lee Westwood and South Africa hero Ernie Els. Our outright pick Paul Waring is one more back on three under.
It was a disappointing day for us betting wise with our two first round leader bets never getting off the mark, although they wouldn’t have chased down Oosthuizen anyway, while Henrik Stenson played the last three holes +3 and lose the three ball by two to David Lipsky who only shot a level round himself. One that got away that one.
Friday Betting
There are a couple of second round groups to bet on over the course of Friday but understandably bookmakers are not getting involved in a second round leader market. It is going to take something special from someone or an ordinary round by Oosthuizen for anything other than the South African to be leading at the end of Friday’s play and I’m not sure I see either coming really.
The six man groups are tempting but I’m a safe punter when it comes to golf and I’d rather restrict my field down to three balls rather than get more into the mix than there needs to be. I thought about looking into the outright market in the search for value to oppose the odds on Oosthuizen but we’re a little far away from a confident punt in that too.
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Friday 3 Balls
The field remain out in three balls on Friday, but as with last week the order has changed, with the field now out in leaderboard position. That means that the final group out onto the golf course is Louis Oosthuizen, Thomas Detry and Guido Migliozzi who tee off at 08.50 GMT. Ernie Els, Zander Lombard and Lee Westwood are out 11 minutes earlier.
All the groups that are out on the golf course have once again been priced up and it would be wrong of us to let them pass by without getting stuck into a bet or two. The bet I like over the course of Friday comes in the fifth to last group out which includes our outright bet Paul Waring.
Paul Waring/Jorge Campillo/Oliver Wilson
Match tees off at 08.06 GMT
Three men who will tee off their second round on three under and six back from Oosthuizen go out onto the golf course when Paul Waring, Jorge Campillo and Oliver Wilson form the fifth to last group on the second day of action.
Campillo went bogey free on Thursday which is a decent enough effort around here but I’m not convinced it is sustainable. Wilson only made one bogey but this didn’t strike me as his sort of track at the beginning of the week. It is Waring’s though but surprisingly his long game wasn’t the best yet he ranked fifth for strokes gained putting. That is the weak part of his game usually so if he keeps that in good order and tightens up his long game he should have every chance of winning this three ball. Waring made five birdies and an eagle on Thursday. If he tightens up the long game he can make a bigger move than his partners on Friday.
Tips
WON – Back P.Waring to beat J.Campillo & O.Wilson for a 3/10 stake at 2.10 with BetVictor
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