The latest Players champion will be crowned at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday with an exciting finale to The Players Championship in store for us in Florida.
Much was made about the set up of the course on Moving Day on Saturday but at the end of it the world number one exited the golf course with a four shot lead over Hideki Matsuyama, Ken Duke and Alex Cejka. The tournament is Jason Day’s to lose but should he slip up 19 players and within five of second place.
Saturday recap
Carnage ensued at Sawgrass on Saturday as the greens totally dried out and firmed up and almost became unplayable at times. The pins were in awkward positions and that added to the chaos that broke.
Despite the tough conditions and the scoring average shooting up by some four shots our pre-tournament pick Hideki Matsuyama managed to shoot five under for the day to come scooting through the field and take his place in the penultimate group.
It was a different story for two other of our players who were hoping to be in contention. Sergio Garcia bombed out of touch when he six putted the fifth green and just as Russell Knox was emerging as a danger he dumped three balls in the lake at 17 and his race was run.
Sunday preview
Clearly Jason Day is going to have to do something unlikely to bring the field back into this tournament but the course hasn’t been watered so the greens are going to be firm and fast and although the pin placements have been revised holing putts still isn’t going to be easy so this might not be a foregone conclusion.
I still wouldn’t be opposing him in the outright market although hopefully Matsuyama does find a way to come through. The fact I’ve got Matsuyama in the mix means I don’t really want to get involved in any of the tournament outright markets ahead of the final round so my Sunday bet will come from the 2 balls.
2 balls
There is one two ball I like going into the final round and that is on the man who defied belief on Saturday, Ken Duke. He is paired with Alex Cejka in the final round and the two go out in the penultimate group of the day. They tee off at 7.20pm UK time.
Cejka has played well in this tournament but there was a real feel of him hanging on about his round on Saturday and that could extend to Sunday. Cejka has always been known for being a good ball striker but his putting worries me on this course.
With the greens the way they are whoever comes through on Sunday is going to have to hole some clutch putts for par or dare I say it worse from between 5-10 feet and I’m not sure Cejka has the nerve with the short stick to do it on these glass like surfaces.
We know Ken Duke has the putting nerve. He putted terrifically on Saturday and hit the ball as well as anyone. He adjusted to the conditions and played the course in front of him and did it better than anyone in the field. If he does that on Sunday and doesn’t make any glaring errors he’s huge value to see off Cejka over the final 18.
Tips
WON – Back K.Duke to beat A.Cejka for a 4/10 stake at 2.63 with Betfred
Back him here:
