Quicken Loans National

"There is nothing worse as a professional golfer than forgetting to commit to a golf tournament" - Graham DeLaet......Oooops

Little snuffle of Sean o Hair 200/1 and a pidgen of Russel Knox 200/1 both ew

Will there be a 'winning margin' market ???????

Happy to take on the top of the market here with Jason Day only having recorded the 1 PGA Tour stroke-play event victory over 4 years ago, Tiger's obvious fitness concerns and Speith's inability to close from numerous strong positions so far this year.

Bill Haas at 40/1 looks overpriced to me. A winner every year since 2010 including this event last year, Bill interestingly has an stellar record when coming into an event as defending champion, finishing tied for 2nd at the Bob Hope Classic and tied 3rd at the Northern Trust Open in just the two times he has tee'd it up a year on from being victorious. Recent winners at Congressional all had enjoyed success at the Memorial Tournament in the weeks leading up to playing here with Haas finishing tied 4th last year, Woods winning the event before his win here in 2012 and Rory finishing 5th before going on to claim the US Open back in 2011. With that being said and Haas notching up a tied 8th place finish at Muirfield Village this year, everything is trending towards another big defence.

thanks for the heads up

Brendon Todd and Kevin Na have earned exemptions into The Open Championship on July 17-20.

The top five and ties not otherwise exempt inside the top 20 in the FedEx Cup standings through the Travelers Championship gained entry into the season's third major.

Only Todd (10th) and Na (11th) were previously ineligible.
In his major championship debut, Todd shared 17th place at Pinehurst No. 2 last week.
Na is 1-for-3 in The Open Championship with a T27 in his first appearance at St. Andrews in 2010.

The next exemptions into the major via the PGA TOUR will be distributed to the top four not otherwise exempt inside the top 12 and ties at this week's Quicken Loans National.

Presume you mean Rory Sabbatini (as he's the only Roar in the field this week) - 100/1 6 places with PP

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TIGER IS BACK !


THIS week in Bethesda, Maryland for the QUICKEN LOANS National (one remembers it as the AT&T National) at the historic Blue Course of Congressional Country Club.
The new title sponsor inked a multi-year agreement in March.
Tiger Woods missed this event last year through injury (elbow) and this year he returns “rusty” just 87 days after he underwent a procedure to relieve a pinched nerve in his back (microdiscectomy).
He plays in the Pro-Am at 6.30am (off 10th tee) so expect news of his well-being on Wednesday night before the bookies find out.
PP 16/1 - 6 places maybeasgoodasitgets so callitasYOUseeit quick !

“BEWARE the injured golfer” was never so apt ! Devil


The Tiger Woods Foundation is the host & benefiting charity, in another ‘Invitational Event’ (only 120 players), at this famous venue –
held 3 US Opens (1964, 1997 and 2011), the 1976 PGA Championship, the 1995 US Senior Open and was the venue for the Kemper Open between 1980 & 1986.

http://www.tigerwoodsfoundation.org/events/national/index



Looks like we’re in for a “MIDWEEK SOAKER” according to Accu Weather which will soften the course earlier in the week, as it did so famously in 2011 when RORY decimated the field.

Expect isolated afternoon locally very drenching thunderstorms with the usual high 28/31 degree temperatures.
The high humidity level may also evoke tribute to Ken Venturi's 1964 US Open win in sweltering heat rather than the RORY’s 2011 ‘rein on his parade’ around this track.


THE GOLF COURSE opened in 1924 and since then the Devereaux Emmet design has undergone a number of redesigns,
with Robert Trent Jones Senior overseeing one of these for the 1964 US Open and Rees Jones completing the last redesign for the 1995 Senior and 1997 US Open.

The AT&T event joined the PGA Tour schedule in 2008 to give Congressional a regular slot again,
although the event was held at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania in 2010 & 2011 as Congressional sat out two years to prepare for the 2011 U.S. Open.
The old Poa annua greens were replaced with bent grass in that period.


The Blue Course measures 7,569 yards to a par 71 (the second-longest of the season behind Torrey Pines South 7,698 yards) represents one of the toughest tests in golf.
The 120 players can expect a real challenge and every aspect of their game will have to be working very well to succeed this week.
This is not a course where we can pin point a couple of areas of a game that can prove crucial, as any weaknesses in a player’s game are likely to be exposed.


EXPECT Congressional to play more like U.S. Open than AT&T National with ‘penal’ rough.


IN 2011 Rory McIlroy’s eight-stroke victory at the U.S. Open was the most dominant and awesome of performances in recent golf memory.

Up there with Martin Kaymer this year (well almost) -
“To do what (Kaymer) is doing - I think it's ‘nearly’ more impressive than what I did at Congressional.”
McIlroy (tweeted, rightly in recognizing Martin’s accomplishment).



IN 2012 Congressional had a stroke average of 73.04 which was +2.04 to par and was the highest stroke average in relation to par of any non-major.
The fairways hit of 56.94% was the 5th lowest on tour, the Greens In Regulation (“GIR”) of 58.9 and was the 9th lowest.
Scrambling of 48.98% was the ranked the 3rd toughest.


IN 2013, Blue averaged 1.124 strokes over par and boasted the second-hardest set of par 5s all season (next to Merion's pair for the U.S. Open).
The Blue Course's trio of par 5s -- Nos. 6, 9 and 16 -- averaged 4.92.
The second-most challenging par 71’s of the nine played in non-majors, it did not get any easier on the greens either as Congressional ranked as the 4th most difficult greens for putts inside of 10 feet.
It is not surprising then to hear that the Par 3, 4 and 5 averages were the 7th, 5th and 5th toughest on the Tour.


IN 2014, what Woods does when he re-enters the ropes will no doubt command constant attention this week (expect the TV ratings to soar).
Woods has won two of the five editions of the event at Congressional, which served as site of the first three in 2007-2009 and again since 2012.



This is a lot of stats to throw up but it serves to underline just how tough this course can and probably will play unless it gets the real soaking that is forecast - which should only make it a little easier.


WHEN trying to find the winner we really are looking for quality players, a proven winner in the past, with solid recent form or a recent winner that has the potential to develop into one of the better players in the game.
They will have to drive the ball well, find as many greens as possible, have a solid week with the putter and have their around the green game in tip top shape !
YES you got it, we could name most of the 'invited field' or Catch Me iyc and the usual buckos could just throw their usual darts.




Defending champion BILL HAAS (is the bet at 33/1 - 6 places PP) flourished en route to a three-stroke margin (at 12 under), ranking 6th in greens in regulation and second in strokes gained-putting.
He circled a field-high 25 birdies.
No one else had more than 21 par breakers. He was six under for his 12 trips through the par 5s with one bogey on the 9th.
All the more remarkable considering he also signed for a double bogey and two penalty drops.
The Golden Bear's Memorial form stacks up well here and some of the recent winners have an outstanding record at this venue.

Surprisingly none of this year’s top 8 except Haas (Tied 8) are ‘invited’ to play this week –
although he is among a group of golfers including
Brendon Todd 28/1 (Four straight top 20s sparked by his Byron win),
Billy Horsh8te 40/1 (see below)
and Charley Hoffman 50/1 (T19 at Memorial, winner in waiting)
who had excellent weeks at Jack’s Place - this should certainly enhance all their prospects this week.



Jason DAY 14/1 simply cannot be overlooked - a man for tough events and competitive fields. Runner up spot to McIlroy in the 2011 US Open, 8th here in 2012, T21 last year and T4 in the recent US Open, he clearly will enjoy this test.


Brandt Snedeker 22/1 has very solid form at this venue with an 8th placing in 2007, 5th in 2009, 11th in the 2011 US Open and T8 last year.
He also had quite a good week at Pinehurst No2 with 69 68 72 73 and rounding into form with consecutive top 15s for the first time in 11 months and arrives here in fair form at a venue that clearly suits.


Horschel (over a cliff at this stage at 40/1) is another winner in waiting after his remarkable 2013.
His ball striking is among the best in the game and if he keeps his head, he is here to stay for a long time.
He prefers challenging tracks and he's one of the most accurate drivers on TOUR.
No worse than T26 in his last four starts this season.


I'm ‘Spiethless’ again, (14/1), after all that tripe !

© CM iyc

Jason Day the favourite........where's Sherlock Holmes to investigate why?

Field includes 13 of the Top 30 in the FedEx.....the list anyone ?

Had my usual psychological bet on Will Mackenzie. I need to get over this, but it's the worry that he'll do well & not backing him.

It's a bit like using the same lottery numbers every week and can't stop!

It puzzles me how someone can be in contention for winning so many times, then suddenly not being able to make the cut.

Garnett & Merritt are also starting to have a psychological hold on me!

Anyway, good luck everyone with your bets...

Added Hicks, one of these times he'll get the putter hot.

gl everyone

Fair play to Tiger, keeping pace with his playing partners so far.

There can't be many times where the entire marquee group is tied for last after their first 9.

Tiger Woods Live on the PGA site

Still 10/1 for the OPEN ffs - NO CHANCE

VD,

ONLY just starter and those you mention are not out 'till 6.12pm........exactly half the field have teed off, as Tiger is currently in 60th place and DEAD LAST !

cheers catch me but the fact they had not started yet was my point - u would have thought with woods/day/speith/simpson not running well the other "top players" would have shortened a bit.

VD,

Horsch8te 33/1 STILL & 5 places in Laddies if you QUICKEN

and Charley Hoffman STILL 50/1 (T19 at Memorial, winner in waiting).

Quicken Loans National Winner
Tiger Woods - Each Way
EW Terms: 1/4 Odds | 5 Places
  75/1

ON HERE