Betting.Betfair

Romilly Evans tries to pick another first-round leader from the opening exchanges at Firestone and fancies the big-priced Kevin Na to do the business at nearly three figures on Betfair.


Picking the first-round leader of a golf tournament isn't really rocket science. It's closer to brain surgery. So after a fair few failed attempts at the majors, I was mightily relieved to have finally uncovered the right neurology the other week, with Adam Scott paving the 18-hole way at the Open Championship, rewarding his backers at around 60.0 on Betfair. A nice win in anyone's book.

With this week's WGC at Firestone coming hot on the heels of Lytham - and next week's USPGA already champing at the bit - I'll try not to blithely reiterate the basic tenets of my selection system. But the processes of elimination typically centre around the following four factors:

Early tee time: invariably constitutes the first cut of the proverbial deck. The morning section of players get to attack a course at its most accessible: calmer, cooler temperatures and receptive, smooth greens give rise to more red numbers.

Course analysis: what sort of golfer will be favoured by the characteristics of any given set-up. Is the course, long, short, open, tight, protected by rough, bunkers, small greens or undulating bail-out areas? Depending on where you believe the emphasis is, you can profile the players who will more likely excel.

Weather forecast: about the only imponderable which can derail a morning-wave bias to the draw. Afternoon conditions are usually tougher (windier, firmer, greens spiked etc) but if a significant storm front is set for the morning, scoring trends between the two waves can, of course, be turned on their heads.

Avoid the hot favourites: especially in big tournaments, like the WGC events and the majors where danger lurks round many a corner, I find the market leaders are often more likely to consider discretion to be the better part of valour in the opening round. Even if the big guns are on a roll in round one, they can back off down the stretch and play for consolidation (irons off tees on par-fives, turning town tight flag positions). Reaching the peak can wait till Sunday's summit. Obviously, exceptions slip through the net (like Rory McIlroy at Congressional) but they often represent too short a price for what is essentially a cavalry charge.

The WGC events are unusual for their limited field (78 players this week) which lessens the temporal gap between the morning and afternoon starters (about four hours) and therefore diminishes the potential disparity in scoring conditions. A case on point being Adam Scott, who topped the initial skirmishes in Akron last year, despite emerging from the afternoon wave.

However, with soaring temperatures (in the 80s) and marginally rising winds predicted for Thursday at an already scorched Firestone layout, the elements are in place for the fairways to become firmer (i.e. accommodate fewer tee shots) and the greens to crust up (i.e. become more tricky to read) as the day progresses. So I expect all but the earlier groups to struggle to post the pace-setting number.

Firestone itself has long been the province of the big-hitter (for a par 70, it is ridiculously long at 7,400 yards). Fast, running conditions may shrink the shorter hitter's handicap, but the baking sun has also limited the rough which means accuracy will be at less of a premium. In view of which, we can also chance a couple of heavy artillery players whose performance can depend on playing from the short stuff.

Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (8.40am - 150.0 to back or bigger): alarm calls won't come any earlier than they do for this classy Spaniard on Thursday, as he enjoys the first tee time. A big hitter and crisp striker, the one dimension of his game which falters can be his putting but he has so far enjoyed these surfaces in practice. A potential Ryder Cupper, he can make hay away from the fancier names in round one before the pressure rises on his susceptible stroke.

Kevin Na (9.20am - 95.0 to back or bigger): a fiddly and annoying golfer to watch, but that shouldn't detract from his innate talent, particularly with the flatstick. When Na gets on a roll, birdie streaks inevitably follow and he will look to steal a march on the field with some early-season swing changes now assimilated.

Sergio Garcia and Bo Van Pelt (10.10am both 55.0 to back or bigger): playing together and last off in the morning wave from the first tee. Garcia has always threatened to prosper at Firestone, but is given to throwing in one bad round. That's unlikely to come in the relative anonymity of these opening exchanges, especially partnering Van Pelt, who is a relaxed customer with a pure, quick-draw rhythm that should match up well with Garcia. For his part, Van Pelt recently chased home Woods at the AT&T and has long been a hardy perennial of the first-round scoring stats.


Recommended Bets

Back Gonzalo Fernandez Castano @ 150.
Back Kevin Na @ 95.0
Back Sergio Garcia @ 55.0
Back Bo Van Pelt @ 55.0


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Tournament History
The Bridgestone Invitational is the third of four World Golf Championship events staged throughout the year. First staged in 1976, the tournament was originally called the World Series of Golf. It became a WGC event in 1999.

The qualifying criteria are quite extensive but it's basically an event for the top-50 in the world rankings plus this year's tournament winners and a few others. In short, it's a 78 strong top-class field with only US Open champ, Webb Simpson, a notable absentee.

Venue
Firestone Country Club (South Course), Akron, Ohio

Course Details
Par 70 - 7,400 yards
Stroke Index in 2011 - 69.56

Originally designed by Bert Wray in 1928, Robert Trent Jones completely remodelled the course in 1960 before Jack Nicklaus did some touch-up work in 1986.

Firestone is the longest par 70 encountered on the PGA Tour, with seven par 4's measuring at least 464 yards. Following a period of hot weather, the rough is far from brutal, the course is running fast and so are the average-sized greens.

Although the course's signature hole, the par 5 16th, measures fully 667 yards at its longest, it's actually the only respite the players get on a very tough finishing stretch. Last year, holes 13-18 ranked 5th, 2nd, 7th, 14th, 6th and 3rd hardest, so if you're trading in-running, bear that in mind. Once through the 12th, it's more a case of holding onto your score than looking to improve on it.

TV Coverage
Live on Sky at 7.00pm on Thursday and Friday, 5.00pm on Saturday and 5.30pm on Sunday.

Last Five Winners
2011 - Adam Scott -17
2010 - Hunter Mahan -12
2009 - Tiger Woods -12
2008 - Vijay Singh -10
2007 - Tiger Woods -8

What will it take to win at Firestone?
Although a long course, you can't just bomb-it off the tee and expect to figure. It can be a long and draining week if you're continually trying to find the greens from the rough but it's not so brutal that finding fairway after fairway is crucial - and possibly less so this year after the dry weather. Fairly long and fairly straight is about what you need though, so a good place to start is the Total Driving stats.

Whether you hit it long or short, straight or wide, you have to find the greens. Although there have been 13 WGC Bridgestone's in total, there have only been 12 at Firestone as Sahalee was used in 2002 and of the dozen tournaments here, the winner ranked inside the top-ten for Greens In Regulation ten times. The last seven winners have all ranked in the top-ten for GIR for the week, so an analysis of those stats won't go amiss either.

Market leaders
Tiger Woods' record in this event is quite simply superb. He's already won it seven times and given his record so far in 2012, at courses he has fared well at in the past, the layers could really be up against it this week.

His detractors will point to his reluctance to use the driver at Lytham but that was on a course he had very little experience of and where a missed fairway could spell disaster. He knows Firestone intimately and he'll know where and when the Big Chief can be safely given an airing. He heads the market at a very fair price of 6.0.

Second favourite, Luke Donald, finished runner-up to Adam Scott twelve months ago and that was his best effort in seven attempts. He's neither particularly long nor especially straight off the tee though and if he performs averagely in that department, his short game will need to be at its very best for him to contend again this year.

Third best is the defending champ and he'll have plenty of moral support this week. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to feel for Scotty after his meltdown at the Open Championship but how's he going to react? The pressure of defending, coupled with the obvious letdown he's experienced after Lytham, mean it would take a monumental effort to double-up and he makes no appeal whatsoever.

Selections
I was always going to back Tiger Woods at a reasonable price in this event and I fancy 6.6 was far better than reasonable. A clear pattern has emerged in 2012 and I'm hoping it will continue this week. Take a look at his wins to date and it's quite obvious, he's at his best when playing at a venue he's fared well at before.

His first win this season came at Bay Hill in March, when he won his seventh Arnold Palmer Invitational. He went off the boil after that but bounced back in June with a win at Muirfield Village, taking his fifth Memorial Tournament title, and that was quickly followed by his second win from three starts in his own event, the AT & T National, at Congressional.

His game may not be quite at its glorious best nowadays and maybe it never will be again, but it's clearly in good enough nick for him to prevail at venues he feels comfortable at and Firestone certainly falls into that category.

Having had a fair bet on Tiger, I didn't want to add too many other picks but I was very tempted by a couple of players I backed last year. Zach Johnson has always played well here and he's in terrific form and ever since he shot 64 in his first round at Firestone, I've always fancied Bubba Watson could win at the venue but they've been reluctantly left out from the start and I've backed just one other player...Kyle Stanley.

I've been keeping a close eye on Stanley for a while now and he's been showing a bit of form of late. He ranks inside the top-20 for both Greens In Regulation and Total Driving, suggesting Firestone might just suit. It's never ideal backing anyone making their course debut, but at 180.0 I felt he was worth chancing from the start.

Selections:
Tiger Woods @ 6.6
Kyle Stanley @ 180.0

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Adrian Lewis was criticised by Wayne Mardle and Eric Bristow for the manner of his performance in victory over Andy Smith. Although I can see where Mardle was coming from in his Sky Sports commentary, I cannot agree with the idea that he was in anyway intentionally disrespectful towards Pieman. It was, in my opinion, merely the nature of the match that led to Lewis looking lackadaisical at times; a slow early tempo with very little pressure put on Jackpot's throw, allowing him to cruise home, only upping the ante when required.

The fact that Lewis was able to up his game and take out big shots almost at will, should send out a harrowing message to the rest of the field. The two-time World Champion is on top of his game, and as mentioned in my Wednesday preview, has his eyes on the prize of not only the World Matchplay title, but also the number one ranking.

And he'll need to be close to his best to beat a resurgent and typically-dogged Terry Jenkins. The Bull has shown all the qualities that have kept him at the top of this sport for the past five years in wins over Kim Huybrechts and Raymond van Barneveld to reach this stage, but there's always a nagging feeling with Jenkins that another heart-breaking defeat is just around the corner.

We've seen already this week that you can never write Jenkins off at any stage in a match, but Lewis looks to be in the sort of form and mood that will thrive on this type of game. The Bull won't allow him to take his foot off the gas and for that reason I fancy Lewis to notch another fairly comfortable win in terms of the final scoreline.

Recommended Bet:
Back Lewis -3.5 legs @ 1.90

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Home improvement always occurs...

The last eight nations to host sport's ultimate spectacle have improved upon the gold-medal count that they achieved in their previous participation, and the difference is often staggering. The average rate of increase for the three this century was a ridiculous 62.33% and there have been even more remarkable rises in the past. Spain went from one gold in 1988 to 13 at Barcelona 1992, South Korea doubled up from six to 12 at Seoul 1988 and USA made up for lost time after boycotting Moscow 1980 by going from 34 golds in 1976 to an unprecedented 83 in 1984.


...and Great Britain start from a position of power

Team GB don't need to find much extra to reach the Contrarian's target of 26 because they compete at home four years on from their best ever gold-medal haul. They claimed a superb 19 in Beijing to finish fourth on the medal table, the first time that they had ranked higher than eighth since 1924. It means that Great Britain just require a 37% improvement to hit 26. USA at Atlanta 1996 were the only hosts since 1980 not to manage that but their climb from 37 to 44 was still a seven-gold leap, which is what Great Britain need.


The wonders of the wildcard

One perk of staging the Games is the greater number of medal chances afforded, either through wildcards or automatic entries to certain events. It means that while Great Britain were represented by 311 athletes in Beijing, they will have 541 at their disposal in London. One example of a fresh opportunity arising is in football, where they have been allowed to enter a men and women's side. Both are judged to have an outside shot at winning, with Stuart Pearce's men fourth favourites and Hope Powell's women sixth favourites.


The athletics performance should improve

Great Britain reached a post-WW1 gold-medal record in Beijing without much athletics success, suggesting that it is an area where the gold count could increase this time. Christine Ohuruogu was the sole British winner then in the 400m and defends her title, while Team GB have three other favourites with Jessica Ennis odds-on in the women's heptathlon and Mo Farah a clear frontrunner in the men's 5000m and 10000m. There are several others well placed to challenge, with Dai Greene 4.3 to win the 400m hurdles, Robert Grabarz 6.6 in the high jump, Greg Rutherford also 6.6 in the long jump and Phillips Idowu 8.2 in the triple jump, having been 3.85 before doubts over his fitness surfaced. Perri Shakes Drayton is another gold-medal candidate at 6.2 in the women's 400m hurdles.


There are other clear areas for gains

Athletics is the most obvious spot for a superior British showing but isn't alone. In boxing, GB have earned just two golds in the last ten editions yet have a promising group, the standout being 3.3 super heavyweight favourite Anthony Joshua. Nicola Adams meanwhile is 2.9 in the women's flyweight and Savannah Marshall tops the middleweight market at 3.35.

There is also the prospect of a first British triathlon victory with Alistair Browning 1.61 in the men's and Helen Jenkins 2.2 in the women's. Tennis is another possible source of renewed threat. Andy Murray waved a first-round farewell in 2008 but is third favourite in the men's singles after reaching the Wimbledon final.

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Stuart Pearce has had just a fortnight to prepare for the tournament and the lack of playing time together showed as GB slumped to a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Brazil last week.

There has also been the Gareth Bale controversy, hinting that players may not take the tournament seriously: the Tottenham winger pulled out of the competition through injury but has since appeared for Spurs on their pre-season tour in the United States.

Despite all that, coach Pearce insists his 18-man squad will be one of the best-prepared at the Games. "We will have to chop and change and to be successful we will have to use all 18 players and use them wisely. There are a lot of matches in a short period of time. There is a lot of travelling involved as well. But we feel as though our preparation will be on a par with anyone else's, if not better."

GB have no injury worries going into tonight's opener so Pearce is likely to put out his strongest side as they look to get off to a winning start in the 20:00 kick-off. Alongside captain Ryan Giggs will be plenty of Premier League quality, with Micah Richards, Tom Cleverley, Daniel Sturridge and Craig Bellamy all expected to start.

There will be a couple of familiar names in the Senegal line-up, too: West Ham midfielder Mohamed Diame and Everton striker Magaye Gueye are set to be in the starting line-up. Sadio Mane, a 20-year-old who plays for Metz, caught the eye in France's second division last season and is one of the young players in the competition to look out for. But overall GB should have too much experience and home support for their African opponents.

The fact Great Britain are likely to win is also reflected in the outright betting for the tournament - Pearce's side are trading around 15.0 to lift the trophy while Senegal are among the outsiders at 70.0.

But if the 1.68 on the hosts to make a winning start tonight is too short for you, then the alternative would be to put them in a multiple with some of the other leading sides that launch their campaigns on Thursday.

Spain (14:00), Uruguay (17:00) and Brazil (19:45) are all on show, facing Japan, United Arab Emirates and Egypt respectively in the group stages. These three plus Great Britain head the outright betting market, and all four stand a good chance of collecting three points from their opening fixtures as they look considerably stronger on paper than their opponents.

To win on the day Spain are around 1.4, Uruguay 1.26 and Brazil 1.2. At those prices, a four-fold including Great Britain at 1.67 would pay out at around 3.7. That's a decent return considering all four teams look in decent shape and will take the competition seriously.

A more cautious selection would be to simply put Brazil and Great Britain in a double. Home fans saw last week just how powerful this Brazil side can be, and by including them alongside the hosts you'll push your selection to around the evens mark.

Best Bet: Great Britain and Brazil in a win double @ 2.04

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Ability and application are a lethal combination in any sport. The former has never been in doubt in regards to Adrian Lewis, but the latter is regularly brought in to question. When he turns it on Jackpot is unstoppable, as he has shown at the last two World Championships, but lacklustre performances at many of the season's other major tournaments have prevented the 27-year-old from stamping his authority as the world's best.

That could, however, all change this week as the World Matchplay title would also mean the world number one status for Lewis. The protégé could finally unseat the master.

With his 10-0 trouncing of UK Open champion Robert Thornton, Lewis laid down a marker to his competitors, one that nobody, Taylor included, has been able to pick up.

Next in line is world number 22 Andy Smith, who booked his place in the last 16 with a 10-6 win over Paul Nicholson. The Pieman did all that was required of him in the first round, but was rarely put under any serious pressure by the struggling Aussie-Geordie who averaged a measly 83.85, and it's hard to see him keeping tabs with the world champion this Wednesday evening.

An in-form and relaxed-but-focused Lewis is one of the most majestic sights in darts; as flamboyant as Messi, as lethal as Ronaldo. With the number one spot in his sights the application is matching the ability this week, and he's going to take some stopping.

Recommended Bet
Back Lewis -5.5 legs @ 2.0

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Tuesday night's matches involve four odds-on favourites at odds around 1.50 or shorter, but I could make a case for all four outsiders progressing to the second round. I certainly wouldn't be averse to suggesting backing all four outsiders to level stakes, with only two needing to come in for a healthy profit.

There is, however, one that I believe to be slightly better value than the others. The 3.2 available on Joe Cullen to beat Justin Pipe.

Cullen's run to the last 16 of the UK Open last month could, on reflection in a couple of year's time, mark the beginning of a special career. A player in control of his emotions and, on top of his game, Rockstar looks to have all the attributes required to make it in this sport. Now the youngster needs to take the next step and start establishing himself in the rankings and thus making TV appearances a regular occurrence.

Pipe is also looking to make a significant breakthrough on the big stage this year. The Force's quality is unquestionable as evidenced by results on the tour, but he needs to start doing it in front of the cameras. It is in front of the big crowds, in the biggest tournaments, where the best players are crowned and, ultimately, remembered.

Although Pipe has gained some invaluable big-stage experience over the last 12-18 months, he's still a long way from being an established performer in front of the cameras and he has a lot to do in order to convince me that he should be priced as short as 1.46 to win a match in any major event against any opponent. Least of all, against a young, talented upstart with very little to lose and everything to gain.

Recommended Bet:
Back Cullen to beat Pipe @ 3.2

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I like Mark Webster. He's a likeable sort, one of the good guys. And so it is through gritted teeth that I suggest today's bet. But that's what you have to do in this game; put sentiment to one side.

While Webster's form has dipped over the past six months, Colin Llloyd's own game has traversed a contrasting trajectory. The 2005 World Matchplay champion won the second Players Championship event of the weekend in Crawley at the beginning of this month, that victory coming off the back of a nine-darter in Berlin the week before and a semi-final appearance in Birmingham seven days previously.

Having won one of only two major titles here, Winter Gardens occupies a special place in the heart of Jaws, and although his more-recent record in Blackpool isn't anything to write home about (do people still write home about anything?), given his current form he'll fancy himself to have a good run this week.

Although Webster is the seeded player here, and probably a deserving favourite, he can be taken on at odds of 1.80n/a. The pair have never met on the big stage in front of the cameras, but of the eight head-to-heads on the Tour Lloyd has won five.

Jaws is the value and therefore Jaws is the bet.

Recommended Bet:
3 points - Back Colin Lloyd to beat Mark Webster @ 2.2

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06:30 3 Ball - Estes - O Hara - Jones
Estes - Whole of the first round bogey free - that is an impressive achievement.
O'Hara - A triple at the 15th cost him any chance of a reasonable score.
Jones - Will feel good after finishing with a pair of birdies
Selection: Jones will move away the other two.

06:41 3 Ball - Pagunsan - Pinckney - Cullen
Pagunsan - Will be encouraged by an opening 71. Might be as good as it gets.
Pinckney - Only hit 5 fairways so how he scored 68 is amazing.
Cullen - Going so well until he triple bogeyed the last. That isn't going to make his task any easier.
Selection: Go with Cullen to overcome his last hole blues.

06:52 3 Ball - Alker - Slattery - Thompson
Alker - Decent long game and isn't overly fazed by the occasion.
Slattery - Another who let a good round go with a couple of late dropped shots.
Thompson - A very late replacement but handled it all well apart from some shoddy putting.
Selection: Alker's steady nature may see him home.

07:03 3 Ball - Lehman - Larrazabal - Owen
Lehman - Many a great round has been derailed at the last at Royal Lytham - Lehman joins the list.
Larrazabal - Not really set up for a course like this and could struggle to make the cut.
Owen - Five bogeys are too many - especially when he hit 14 out of 18 greens in regulation.
Selection: Owen will make his quality iron play tell.

07:14 3 Ball - Siem - Coetzee - Reavie
Siem - Four over the final five holes but unfortunately that could be predicted with Siem's wayward style.
Coetzee - After his poor start I am sure he will miss the cut.
Reavie - Two eagles and a birdie yet still finished four over par. Interesting to say the least.
Selection: Very difficult call but try a tentative call of Siem.

07:25 3 Ball - Fraser - Glover - Havret
Fraser - A fairly solid start but will need to go a birdie run. Will hope the course toughens up.
Glover - Won't enjoy his dinner after a double at the last but played better than expected.
Havret - Not a good day off the tee. Needs to right that or he is going home early.
Selection: Fraser will take care of this.

07:36 3 Ball - Howell III - Broadhurst - Sterne
Howell III - Carded five birdies but still not enough to save him from an opening 72.
Broadhurst - This is too much of an uphill task for the old fella.
Sterne - Still playing good stuff and will fancy his chances of a high finish.
Selection: Sterne has the beating of his playing companions.

07:47 3 Ball - Pettersson - Kim - Woodland
Pettersson - 15 greens in regulation is very good indeed. so will be disappointed with his 71.
Kim - Five fairways and no birdies - says everything you need to know.
Woodland - His three over par score was actually better than I thought he would go. Will get worse.
Selection: Go with Pettersson to easily outdo his rivals.

07:58 3 Ball - Curtis - Casey - Immelman
Curtis - Never recovered from a triple at the 4th. I expect better in round two.
Casey - Out in 31 - back in 4...normal service resumed!
Immelman - Another with no birdies to show for his endeavours in the opening round.
Selection: Curtis will show his class in round two.

08:09 3 Ball - Finch - Wilson - Grace
Finch - Four over through four and nothing else to talk about.
Wilson - Is still his usual accurate self. Needs to keep the mistakes to no more than a bogey.
Grace - Things not really going his way at the moment. Needs a touch of luck.
Selection: Wilson's steady nature will be enough to win this.

08:20 3 Ball - English - Dyson - Fernandez-Castano
English - Rookie showed he may be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come.
Dyson - Four fairways hit is plain awful. Needs to sort that out on the range.
Fernandez-Castano - Bizarre round with five birdies that ended up as a 71.
Selection: Tricky but I like Fernandez-Castano to bounce back best.

08:31 3 Ball - Cabrera - Choi - Fisher
Cabrera - The big man really had it going until a sad finish. Could still feature.
Choi - Three over through six so did well to get back to even par. Will move through the field now.
Fisher - No real headlines in his opening round so will hope to light it up in round two.
Selection: Choi will breeze past these.

08:42 3 Ball - Byrd - Bae - Quiros
Byrd - Not one to get in the frame when off to poor starts - so don't expect to see much of him now.
Bae - Pretty solid opening and can be pretty pleased with himself .
Quiros - Typically wild and not a single sign he is coming back to form.
Selection: Take a punt on Bae here.

08:58 3 Ball - Colsaerts - Mahan - Senden
Colsaerts - A top round from a player that could well challenge for the title on Sunday. Can't see him going away.
Mahan - Super long game and that will only improve his position as the week goes on.
Senden - Played as well as anyone tee to green - just needs to hole a few more putts.
Selection: Try Mahan to just about come out on top.

09:09 3 Ball - Van Pelt - Francesco Molinari - Muto
Van Pelt - Went well for so long but maybe just struggles around the greens.
Molinari - Absolute class long game and will hope to sink a few more birdie putts on day two.
Muto - Terrific opening round and looked good doing it.
Selection: Molinari will be way too good on day two.

09:20 3 Ball - McIlroy - Oosthuizen - Bradley
McIlroy - Up and down round that reflected his season. Plenty to like though.
Oosthuizen - Didn't hole anything early and then lost a bit of confidence.
Bradley - Too many errors off the tee and may be punished even more than he was on the opening day.
Selection: McIlroy could well make his move on Friday.

09:31 3 Ball - Fowler - Harrington - Trappel
Fowler - Hitting the ball beautifully but needs a more positive start.
Harrington - Surprisingly careless and will be very cross with himself no doubt.
Trappel - Decent opening effort from the young amateur. Is unlikely to make the cut though.
Selection: Go with Fowler to shine through.

09:42 3 Ball - Donald - Mickelson - Ogilvy
Donald - Played classic Open golf and is probably a bit unfortunate not to be closer to the lead.
Mickelson - Lost four shots in three holes before the turn and never recovered. Not at the top of his game.
Ogilvy - Had better days but not too bad. Looks a little down beat.
Selection: Donald is swinging it well and will take this.

09:53 3 Ball - Stricker - Taniguchi - Anders Hansen
Stricker - Bounced back well from last weeks disappointment. Short irons are the best in the business.
Taniguchi - Often ignored but better than people give him credit for.
Hansen - As per the last few weeks Anders is showing top class form early in the event.
Selection: Take Stricker to move past his playing partners.

10:04 3 Ball - Hanson - Goosen - Allenby
Hanson - Never anything but solid. If it gets tough he could win this thing.
Goosen - Almost there but not quite. Will probably finish high without challenging.
Allenby - Has lost his usual consistency and will struggle to make the weekend.
Selection: Hanson will be too strong.

10:15 3 Ball - Furyk - Oda - Jacobson
Furyk - Not like Jim but a little wayward to start the tournament. Needs more.
Oda - Spent far too much time in the rough to make this fun.
Jacobson - Showing everyone that he can play on any type of course.
Selection: Jacobson will edge this again.

10:26 3 Ball - Leishman - Snedeker - Noren
Leishman - Once again he putted superbly - a strength that will be recognised widely soon enough.
Snedeker - Not one to give up easily, so expect a bold showing for the rest of the week.
Noren - Not sure he is showing the necessary patience to make decent inroads.
Selection: Go with Leishman to keep up his good work.

10:37 3 Ball - Romero - Kruger - Ramsay
Romero - Needs to get a grip off the tee...and quickly.
Kruger - A true battler and got the game to be around on the weekend.
Ramsay - Not his usual super pin point self off the tee. Not the way forward.
Selection: Take a chance on Kruger to out battle the others.

10:48 3 Ball - Potter Jnr. - Keenan - Georgiou
Potter Jnr - Ted is loving life at the moment and it is showing.
Keenan - Not a good start but could get his act together on Friday.
Georgiou - Showing signs of being a good prospect and still worth watching.
Selection: Take a chance of Potter to come through here.

10:59 3 Ball - Troy Kelly - Madsen - Lahiri
Kelly - Handled himself well so far and will be growing in confidence.
Madsen - A little too wild but will learn from this experience.
Lahiri - Making a very good fist of things but will find day two much harder.
Selection: Kelly will take this easily.

11:10 3 Ball - Marksaeng - Hicks - Hall
Marksaeng - Didn't make the scores on the easier holes and paid the price.
Hicks - I like this guys game and he could feature high up on the leaderboard.
Hall - Last man out on day one and it clearly didn't help him. Needs a whole lot better to make the cut.
Selection: Go with Hicks in this match up.

11:31 3 Ball - Lane - Driscoll - Mulroy
Lane - Off early and didn't take advantage of the conditions. Can't see him getting any better.
Driscoll - Had a patch in round one where he dropped nine shots in seven holes. Did well to finish 6 over.
Mulroy - Considering he only hit just over half of the fairways a 71 was a good opening effort.
Selection: Mulroy will have too much for his playing partners.

11:42 3 Ball - Baldwin - Da Silva - Takayama
Baldwin - Continuing his good run of form and no reason for that to stop now.
Da Silva - A surprise package on day one and that will be as good as it gets for the Brazilian.
Takayama - No birdies yet and really needs to do something special just to make the cut.
Selection: Baldwin should have this easily.

11:53 3 Ball - Echenique - Ichihara - Huh
Echenique - A bit ragged so far and this is in keeping with the rest of the season.
Ichihara - When you hit 5 greens in regulation you can't hope to compete.
Huh - His iron play was off on day one. Needs to improve or is on his way home early.
Selection: Give Huh one more go.

12:04 3 Ball - Lyle - Hamilton - Calcavecchia
Lyle - 74 is about par for a part time veteran. Will be about the same on day two.
Hamilton - Steady if not spectacular. Will need more red figures.
Calcavecchia - Would probably have preferred trickier conditions but still played pretty tidily.
Selection: Calcavecchia is just too competitive for the other two.

12:15 3 Ball - Canizares - J.M Singh - Chalmers
Canizares - Seven over through the first nine is not the way to start. Much better coming home.
Singh - A very steady start and is showing the confidence gained from winning last week.
Chalmers - Went better than I expected with an opening 71. I do expect him to go backwards from here.
Selection: Singh might just do enough to win this one.

12:26 3 Ball - Daly - Campbell - Hoey
Daly - Held himself together very well after a triple at the sixth. Has birdies in him around here.
Campbell - Not really showing anything to give his supporters hope.
Hoey - Error prone for a while now and he won't solve that on Friday.
Selection: Daly is too good around this type of course.

12:37 3 Ball - Jaidee - Leonard - Khan
Jaidee - Will have been well suited to the easy conditions. Will hope they continue.
Leonard - Has gone to pieces and is getting a little embarrassing.
Khan - Acquitted himself well so far and will be pleased that he was able to put plenty of birdies on the card.
Selection: Jaidee is far too good for the others.

12:48 3 Ball - Duval - Jacquelin - Jimenez
Duval - Just not making enough putts. Will still fancy he can somehow make the cut.
Jacquelin - A couple of late birdies was enough to bring some respectability. Needs more.
Jimenez - The flat stick behaved and consequently he is not out of it yet.
Selection: This is a real mess but Jacquelin might just edge it.

12:59 3 Ball - Ames - Rock - Stanley
Ames - Going through the motions and you don't just come back out of that in a hurry.
Rock - Dreadful start and considering his recent form he can start to work out how to get home on Friday evening.
Stanley - A level par 70 doesn't tell the story. If his putter had behaved he could have been right up in contention.
Selection: Stanley will blitz this.

13:10 3 Ball - Cink - Cabrera-Bello - Wagner
Cink - A couple of late bogeys ruined a reasonable day.
Cabrera-Bello - Excellent ball striking but didn't score as well as he would have liked.
Wagner - Nothing to get too excited about and will hope for some wind on day two.
Selection: Cabrera-Bello will turn in the best score of these.

13:21 3 Ball - Donaldson - Haas - Yang
Donaldson - Came home strongly and will fancy his chances of improving yet further.
Haas - Has all the attributes but can he apply them to a links test?
Yang - A birdie to finish can't disguise his current failings.
Selection: Try Haas again in the hope he can get his game together.

13:32 3 Ball - Love - Clark - Paul Lawrie
Love - A super back nine has him right back in the tournament. I expect that trend to continue.
Clark - Really surprised he has been so wayward and isn't usually one for fighting back.
Lawrie - Terrific opening 65 but it has to be said there was a fair amount of luck involved in that.
Selection: Love will show his partners the way to do it.

13:43 3 Ball - Scott - Dunbar - Kuchar
Scott - Scott was too hot on day one. Generally when he plays well he does so all week.
Dunbar - It was a tough opening day for the amateur but will be better for the experience.
Kuchar - Predictably right there in the mix without doing anything particularly amazing.
Selection: Scott may just have a slight come down after that opening blitz so go with Kuchar.

13:59 3 Ball - Vijay Singh - Watney - Poulter
Singh - Very impressive that Vijay managed to get three over back to level par. He will be buoyed by that.
Watney - Won't be far away but won't contend either unless he gets more birdies on the card.
Poulter - Hit the ball really well but didn't putt all that great.
Selection: Poulter will surely putt better on day two so take a chance on him.

14:10 3 Ball - Clarke - Els - Zach Johnson
Clarke - Horrible start for the defending champion. He really needs this place to get tough so he can use his links skills.
Els - Big Ernie looks so comfortable at the moment. Wouldn't be surprised to see him in contention on Sunday.
Johnson - The benign conditions really helped this super accurate player.
Selection: Els looks the best bet in this 3 ball.

14:21 3 Ball - Westwood - Fujimoto - Bubba Watson
Westwood - Very poor start and not a good sign that his long game was so average.
Fujimoto - After a shaky start he came back well. Another who will have been pleased to see virtually no wind.
Watson - Bubba is going to love knocking it around Royal Lytham and could have been even better than his 67.
Selection: Westwood will bounce back and take this.

14:32 3 Ball - Dustin Johnson - McDowell - Fujita
Johnson - There will be a lot of disappointed Johnson supporters after he came home in 40.
McDowell - Hit the ball tight to the flags all day and has the look of someone who thinks he can win this.
Fujita - Not what he was looking for to begin with and is not helped by a very poor round of putting.
Selection: Based on what happened in round one this seems simple for McDowell.

14:43 3 Ball - Woods - Rose - Garcia
Woods - Started superbly and there was some thought he was going to spread eagle the field. Handily placed.
Rose - Never got it going. Once behind he started to attack a little too much, hence a poor 74.
Garcia - Another who made a poor start but recovered to just about keep him in the tournament.
Selection: Tiger has got a game plan and that is too good for his playing partners.

14:54 3 Ball - Ishikawa - Kaymer - Tom Watson
Ishikawa - All going so well until he bogeyed his last five holes. Ouch!
Kaymer - Seven bogeys and not one birdie to open with. His game is all over the place.
Watson - A slightly annoying end to his round but still better than his two playing partners.
Selection: Watson is your man - he did it once and can do so again

15:05 3 Ball - Schwartzel - Baddeley - Bjorn
Schwartzel - Has gone under the radar recently but is playing very tidily.
Baddeley - Tee to green is playing some good stuff. Could move through the field on day two.
Bjorn - The Dane will really want a tough few days to showcase his links know how.
Selection: All three are playing well but I think Baddeley could be the man.

15:16 3 Ball - Dufner - Laird - Na
Dufner - Two doubles marred what was a very good round. If he cuts out the errors he can still challenge.
Laird - Everything from an eagle to a double on day one. Inconsistency may be his undoing.
Na - You can't score with no birdies on your card.
Selection: Dufner will take this very easily.

15:27 3 Ball - Morrison - Chopra - Luiten
Morrison - Excellent long game is being rewarded on this tough layout.
Chopra - Could have been worse but 73 isn't exactly sparkling stuff.
Luiten - If he can putt just a little better he might just sneak in for the cut.
Selection: Morrison is playing too well for the others.

15:38 3 Ball - Olesen - Matteson - Aiken
Olesen - This guy is just living the dream. Has the potential to go all the way.
Matteson - Six birdies on day one shows a confidence and willingness to go on the attack. Fine in good conditions.
Aiken - Putted unbelievably and very handily placed.
Selection: Go with Olesen to prove the best on day two.

15:49 3 Ball - Kennedy - Mamat - Tiley
Kennedy - Five over through six holes meant that he was forever trying to hold on.
Mamat - Not got the long game to be able to get it around a test such as this.
Tiley - Putted well and as a result carded a 72. Can't always rely on the short stick though.
Selection: Trust Kennedy to prove to be the best of a bad bunch.

16:00 3 Ball - Bennett - Townsend - Veenstra
Bennett - Super return for Bennett and another round like that and he will make the cut.
Townsend - Very calm and steady - great attributes for a successful career.
Veenstra - Wouldn't surprise me if this guy is propping up the leaderboard at the end of day two.
Selection: Go with Townsend to come out on top here.

16:11 3 Ball - Whitnell - Walker - Elliot Saltman
Whitnell - Impressive opening effort and showed exactly why he was a top amateur.
Walker - Not up to this. Easily ignored.
Saltman - Did well to qualify but that's where his success stops.
Selection: Go with Whitnell again to come out on top.

For more Open betting articles, go to http://betting.betfair.com/golf/golf-events/the-open/

The Obvious Choice
It doesn't take a darts aficionado to pick Phil Taylor out as a potential winner of the World Matchplay. The Power has 11 Matchplay trophies in his cabinet and has won the last four in succession.

Those bare statistics alone suggest that the 2.7 available on Taylor winning the 2012 World Matchplay are fairly generous. And the draw handed to the world number one backs up that idea.

Taylor can be vulnerable in the early stages of tournaments, but an opening round match against old foe Mervyn King will only serve to focus his attentions. Should he beat King then Vincent van der Voort or Ian White would not be expected to pose much of a threat in the second round while the same could be said for potential quarter-final opponents Andy Hamilton, Brendan Dolan, Mark Webster and Colin Lloyd.

Gary Anderson is the next highest seed in the top half of the draw but the Scot hasn't played competitive darts for over a month due to an eye problem, and so his form is something of a mystery.

Come next Sunday evening that 2.7 on Taylor could look like a gift from the darting gods.

One to Trade
The best options for trading in the outright winner markets of a darts tournament usually come from players in the opposite half of the draw to Taylor. However, this week, the bottom half of the draw is a potential minefield and so I am plumping for an in-form player in The Power's half but in the opposite quarter.

Wes Newton is now a firmly established top-eight player and has recently moved above Simon Whitlock and Raymond van Barneveld to number five in the rankings.

Young James Hubbard will provide a stern examination in the opening round, but The Warrior's experience on the main stage should see him progress with some comfort. Justin Pipe or Joe Cullen await in the second round, and Newton would go into a match against either as a deserved short-price favourite. Then, given Anderson's injury problems, Dave Chisnall is probably the most likely quarter-final opponent.

Although Chizzy has had a fantastic year, Newton has a considerable 6-1 head-to-head advantage over the St Helens flinger, and would again go into the match as strong favourite. Taylor is a potential semi-final opponent but by that point Newton will be trading considerably lower than the 36.0 that is currently available and we can bag a tidy profit.

An Outsider to Keep Onside
As mentioned above, the bottom half of the draw is a real minefield. But it does offer up a couple of bigger priced options as a result.

Richie Burnett showed that he can still mix it with the best by reaching the semi-finals of last season's World Grand Prix and subsequently beating Mark Webster at the World Championships. He then teamed up with Webster to guide Wales to the semis of the PDC World Cup of Darts, before a rather inconspicuous UK Open.

The Prince of Wales appeared to have slipped back into the 'also-ran' status that he had become accustomed with, before bursting back to life in Dusseldorf a fortnight ago. There he beat Andy Jenkins 6-2 in the opening round with an astonishing 121 average before defeating Scott Rand, Michael van Gerwen and James Hubbard to reach the semi-finals. The 1995 Lakeside Champion couldn't go all the way as Raymond van Barneveld beat him in the semis, but he did enough to warrant backing him this week, for small stakes at 140.0.

The action kicks off this Saturday evening with the final taking place the following Sunday. I'll be here all week with daily previews of individual matches so be sure to check these pages before placing your individual match bets.

Recommended Bets:
5 points - Back Phil Taylor to win @ 2.7
3 points - Back Wes Newton to win @ 36.0
1 point - Back Richie Burnett to win @ 140.0

For more darts betting articles, go to http://betting.betfair.com/betting/darts/