There are just 18 holes left in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and after a Saturday masterclass of ball striking our main tournament pick Justin Rose takes a share of the lead into the final round.
Rose sits alongside perennial Firestone bridesmaid Jim Furyk on nine under going into Sunday and is now no bigger than 7/5 to win the tournament. European hopes of a winner don’t just rest with Rose. Shane Lowry sits two back while Henrik Stenson and Ian Poulter are in a high quality group a further two shots back waiting to pick up the pieces should the leading duo falter on Sunday.
Furyk has had the lead going into the final round before but a crazy double bogey on the final hole when a par would’ve given him the title handed the crown to Keegan Bradley that year and since then Jim’s never been the most reliable closer. He will be so far behind Rose off the tee it will be like they’re playing two different courses. That doesn’t bother Jim but that lack of length won’t help him.
Shane Lowry has gone into all-out attack mode on this golf course and when he does it well this is the result. The Irishman is improving all the time and he’s at the stage in his career where he should be contending for the big titles. Whether he’s at the stage where he’ll win one we’ll find out tonight but anyone who thinks he is can get 9/1 on him landing the title.
The group on five under, four back has some very aggressive players in it. Bubba Watson, Steven Bowditch, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson make up the group and none of them can be truly ruled out. Watson and Stenson begin the final round 16/1 to win while the other two are 40/1. Three more men – Robert Streb, Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka are on four under and everyone else is playing for minor honours.
Followers of this blog will already be on Rose at 16/1 before a ball was hit and I’m happy with that position. He is by far the most likely winner of this tournament now and as long as the idiots who ruined the final round of the Memorial stay away I don’t see any reason why Rose, with his impeccable tee to green game won’t get the job done so it is to the two balls I go for a Sunday bet.
Graeme McDowell is going to have to really attack this golf course if he is to put himself in with a chance of winning the tournament but from the positions he is going to be playing it from that carries a significant risk and he could get found out this evening. Since that wonderful front nine on Thursday I sense Gmac has been hanging on a bit and tonight could be the night he fades.
Brooks Koepka has the length to get involved still. Accuracy off the tee isn’t his forte but he’s still hit more fairways than McDowell this week and the rest of his game is in much better order than the struggling Northern Irishman. The advantage of Koepka’s length is that even if he misses the fairways he’ll be hitting shorter irons in so he has a chance of holding these firm greens. He’s outscored McDowell in the last two rounds and he can complete the hat-trick tonight.
Back B.Koepka to beat G.McDowell for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with Skybet
