The PGA Tour continues its global trek this week as it trudges from the Asian suburbs of Malaysia and China to another popular spot in Mexico for the OHL Classic of Mayakoba.
This tournament used to be seen as a chance for the lesser lights to earn a few quid in the low key fall series in years gone by but the invention of the wraparound season on the PGA Tour and the extra incentives for playing this week has seen stronger fields and much more competitive golf.
Charley Hoffman landed the title last year and that set up a really positive season for him and a number of hopefuls will be crossing the border with the aim of emulating him this week. Hoffman is 40/1 to keep hold of the title on Sunday evening.
El Camaleon Golf Club at Mayakoba Resort continues to host the tournament this week. The course is a par 71 which measures a yardage of 6,987 so it suits tee to green specialists rather than the bombers which is a welcome change from recent events.
The Greg Norman designed track has seen its lowest scoring in the last two years which highlights how much stronger the field is since the change in status of the event. As a golf course it doesn’t play particularly difficult and those who hit it the best and putt well will be in the mix to win the tournament.
Matt Kuchar tees it up this week and he does so as the 12/1 favourite. He’s a clear favourite too with the second favourite Brendan Steele available at as big as 25/1. Jason Bohn is the same price and then there is a quartet on 28/1 which includes last week’s WGC winner Russell Knox who deserves credit for fulfilling his commitment this week.
I’m firmly in the ball striker’s camp this week but they still need to be able to putt because this is likely to turn into a bit of a shootout. For the first time this season I’m going to ignore the Web.com Tour graduates and side with a bit of experience.
Along with Matt Kuchar the standout player in this field is Graeme McDowell and he’s enough of a price to be my main bet this week. The Northern Irishman can be forgiven for a slow early part of 2015. He has a young family and you sensed priorities had changed, understandably so but he seems to have refocused now and has his eye firmly on the job.
McDowell has been playing well in Europe recently and improving all the time and if continues that improvement then this course should set up very well against a field that is way below Gmac at his best. McDowell remains a really classy ball striker and I sense we’re going to see him back to his best and challenging real soon. Hopefully that is this week.
Another really good putter in this field is Chris Stroud and he is in good form too which helps. He began the season with a top 10 in the Frys.com Open which followed a runner up finish in the Dunhill Links where he putted particularly well.
Stroud strikes an excellent ball and has a couple of top five finishes around this track so we know he can deal with the conditions he will face and if the wind blows he might not be as disadvantaged as some based on his Dunhill Links performance so he’s also worth taking this week.
I’ll take a couple of longer shots this week too albeit not at the prices that some of my picks have been this season so far. The first is on a man who contended strongly in the CIMB Classic in Malaysia a couple of weeks ago.
Spencer Levin found the scoring too hot to handle in the final round there but that was extraordinary low scoring and I don’t see this being so low so the previous tournament runner up here should be able to compete much better this week.
Those first three rounds in Malaysia were promising as were the pair of 65s he shot in Las Vegas in the Shriners and that shows the putter is working as you don’t make those kind of scores otherwise. If his putter stays friendly this week he should go well again.
My final pick is a man who has already won on the PGA Tour in 2015 and who recently followed Smylie Kaufman home in the Shriners Open and that is Alex Cejka.
Cejka won a low key event, not too dissimilar to this in terms of the strength of the field, in Puerto Rico earlier in the year so we know if he gets in contention he is unlikely to wilt. The German is hitting the ball well but perhaps most importantly he is holing some putts and on a track which should suit him he’s my final selection this week.
Back G.McDowell to win OHL Classic (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with Stan James (1/4 1-5)
Back C.Stroud to win OHL Classic (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 36.00 with Betfred (1/4 1-5)
Back S.Levin to win OHL Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Paddy Power (1/5 1-7)
Back A.Cejka to win OHL Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 71.00 with Paddy Power (1/5 1-7)
Blog golf YTD: +142.71pts
Very gutsy performance from G mac after a double at the first. That sort of tenacity may well stand him good for the rest of the tournament. GL with that Kev.
Cheers Jackie.
If he could play the first hole properly he might have this sewn up already! Leads by 2 and has dropped 3 shots there in the first two rounds! Fingers crossed he’s saved some putts for the weekend.
Hope you are well
Kev
Cheers Kev, well apart from a few let downs in the golf over the past few weeks. I hope the Irish yank has a good weekend. The one thing he has in his locker is the ability to play Sunday like a Thursday. I remember backing him at Celtic Manor just before he won the US Open. I think it was Marcel Siem that he broke on the Sunday as he tore the course up. G mac looks to get back to where he was. A long way to go no doubt but that experience should hold him in good stead in his attempt to regain winning ways. GL JR
Absolutely uncanny Mc Dowell’s relationship with that first hole. Still in there, so let’s hope he birdies it tomorrow!!
GL with Mc Dowell and Levin Kev. The 7 places on offer from PP look very attractive now, given Levin’s position.
Cheers mate. Just praying Gmac doesn’t lose any ground at the first for once!
He is in position now Kev. Hope he carries the Sunday form into today.
Kept us waiting as long as possible but he got it done in the end! Some shot into the playoff hole….
As Bill said Kev “All’s well that ends well” Another notch on your belt, well called. I thought he had blown it, but one thing G Mac is, is tenacious. As you said before, lose the first hole of his card and he has scooted home. I’d say Knox will be pretty disappointed, the last hole in regulation proved to be a bridge to far.
I guess it’s Groundhog Day….as I say once again…great call.
Cheers Jackie. Nice to end the year in some decent form in the golf.