Betting.Betfair

[b]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.[/b] 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...

[b]Brian Davis returns to the scene of his incredible act of sportsmanship and he's in form too, but they'll all have to go to beat Luke Donald this week says Mike Norman.[/b] Another fine week was enjoyed by the Form Guide at last week's US Masters. Three of our four selections recorded top-10 finishes, and two of them - Phil Mickelson and Peter Hanson - recorded top-five finishes. Hanson was the biggest success story however. A pre-tournament 280.0 selection, the Swede led after round three and was available to lay at a low of 4.1 on Saturday night. Although my recommended bets are always in the Winner market, I would always lay such huge-price selections should they reach a single figure price and/or cover them in the Top Five Finish market pre-tournament. In the last three...

[u]Tournament History[/u] The event was conceived by Bobby Jones, who had originally wanted to stage the US Open at Augusta. The oppressive Georgia summers meant a tournament in June was always going to be out of the question though and when the USGA refused to move the US Open to April, Jones decided to hold his own tournament and the Masters was born. It started life as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament - a name that was to be changed five years after the first event in 1934. This will be the 76th staging of the US Masters and if it's anything like the last three we're in for a treat. Eight different players held the lead on the final day last year, before Charl Schwartzel became the only man in history to birdie the last four holes to win. In 2010, Phil Mickelson secured...

[b]Can Rory make ammends and win the Masters? Will this be the year when Woods dominates again? Or will Lefty eclipse them both? Paul Krishnamurty looks ahead to the four Majors of 2012.[/b] [b]US Masters[/b] [i]When: April 5-8 Venue: Augusta National Defending Champion: Charl Schwartzel[/i] The early US Masters narrative centres on two men, with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy both trading in single figures already. Despite finishing just 128th on the PGA Tour Money List, Tiger served notice of a return to form with victory on his final 2011 start, and duly resumed his normal position as favourite for a major he's won four times. Whether he remains a shorter price than his successor as the game's principal box office attraction, however, will depend on how their respective form...

[b]Mike Norman takes a look at some young golfers who have very exciting futures ahead of them on the European Tour, and who could provide backers with a big price winner in 2012.[/b] As preparation for playing on the European Tour there's arguably no greater experience than plying your trade on the [b]Challenge Tour[/b], European golf's second tier. In recent years players such as Rhys Davies, Richie Ramsay, Nicolas Colsaerts, David Horsey, [b]Alexander Noren[/b], and Joost Luiten have all graduated from the Challenge Tour and claimed wins - and in some cases multiple wins - on the main tour. And not content with being a multiple winner, Italian Edoardo Molinari has made a Ryder Cup team having been a Challenge Tour player in 2009, whilst German [b]Martin Kaymer[/b] - who finished...

[b]Three of the year's Majors have been won by the young generation - but is it really time to bid farewell to Phil and co?[/b] There is plenty left to play for in the 2011 season, but with the majors now completed and money list finales beginning to take shape, we can already declare this to have been a year when golf changed dramatically. The old guard is in decline. [b]Tiger Woods[/b] will not even qualify for the Fedex Cup play-off series. Also outside the top-125 of that points list are triple-major winners Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington. Simultaneously, long-touted 20-something prospects [b]Rory McIlroy[/b] and Charl Schwartzel came of age at the Masters and US Open. Whereas these majors were widely considered as too tough for a novice, Jason Day finished runner-up...

[b]After a hugely frustrating fortnight watching the world's top two players hole nothing, Mike Norman is glad to have a relatively weak field to get his teeth stuck into at the Czech Open.[/b] After two high quality tournaments in the last fortnight the European Tour stages a pretty low-key affair this week, and to be quite honest, it can't come soon enough for myself. Watching [b]Luke Donald[/b] (at the Bridgestone Invitational) and then [b]Lee Westwood[/b] (last week) miss countless birdie putts whilst the leaders rolled them in from all over the place was very painful viewing indeed. Having backed both players at each event there's perhaps a bit of bias in my sentiments, but I'm still struggling to accept that my account balance didn't increase after at least one of those tournaments....

Those already qualified for next week's Open Championship have three choices to make this week, the Barclays Scottish Open, the John Deere Classic or a week off. Option A makes far more sense this year because the event has moved from Loch Lomond to the Castle Stuart Golf Links - a far more logical course on which to prepare for the game's biggest event. As you'd expect, a stellar field lines up but how many of the big names are likely to contend is debatable. The world's one and two, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood will have their sights firmly set on Royal St George's and there's definitely a danger that they won't be fully wound up for this week's tournament and at single-figure prices they're both readily dismissed. Of those at slightly bigger odds, Peter Hanson and Martin Laird ...

[i]Luke Donald @ 2.2 (vs Watson, Wilson) (Starts 13.08) [/i]Sawgrass has always been a tough course where accuracy is more important than power, and given reports of firm, fast fairways, penal rough and baking temperatures, that certainly looks the case again this year. Asides from this layout's infamous water threats, it will be essential to keep the ball in play off the tee, just to retain control of the second shot to drying out greens. Big-hitters may be best served leaving their driver in the bag. With those conditions in mind, all four of my opening day picks share two central characteristics. They are all among the most accurate players from tee to green, and have high-class short game skills. Luke Donald is a master in both of those departments, and thoroughly deserves to be...