North-East Trends Fan

COURSE:  TPC Scottsdale (Par 71)
LOCATION: Scottsdale, Arizona
FIELD SIZE: 132

A stadium course with huge, boisterous crowds, a strong field and the return of a certain Tiger Woods all add up to what should be a fascinating and gripping event this week in the Arizona desert.

There are plenty of value prices to be had. Solid ball-strikers form the backbone of my selections.

Selections (all prices from Betfair unless stated):

Nick WATNEY 2.5pts @ 85
Classy ball striker who is returning to form and has been bullish about his game recently. Easier greens here should help his cause too

Hunter MAHAN 4pts @ 40
Superb tee to green and gone well here last two years

Zach JOHNSON 1.5pts @ 95
Simply too big a price for a solid, class act who has won 11 times on the PGA Tour from 292 starts

Morgan HOFFMAN 0.5pts @ 360
T15 here last year and the youngster enjoyed a hugely promising 2014 season. The lengthening of this course this year will help too

Geoff OGILVY 0.5pts @ 470
Scottsdale resident who is a multiple winner on the PGA Tour and leads the early season GIR standings

Spencer LEVIN 0.5pts @ 500
Promising showings here both last year (T29) and in 2012 (finished 3rd after leading through 54 holes)

Lucas GLOVER 0.5pts @ 590
T15 last week in California and is 22nd in GIR on the PGA Tour this season

COURSES:  Palmer Private, La Quinta, Nicklaus Private(All Par 72)
LOCATION: La Quinta, California
FIELD SIZE: 156

The three easiest Par 72 courses on the PGA circuit play host to this week's event which is in Pro-Am format.

The pros and amateurs play each course in turn for the first three rounds before the cut, after which the final round is played by the pros only on the host Palmer Private course.

The event has thrown up a mixed bag of winners in recent years in terms of profile but I'm leaning towards steadier types who are very good putters:

Selections (all prices from Betfair unless stated):

Jonas BLIXT 2pts @ 100
Outstanding putter. Went very close in last year's Masters and conditions here should suit

Harris ENGLISH 3.5pts @ 38
Hugely talented youngster who tied for 3rd last week in Hawaii

Shawn STEFANI 2pts @ 100
T6 last week in Hawaii and was 2nd in Mexico on his last appearance before that. 20th in the All Round ranking this season

Kevin STREELMAN 1.5pts @ 110
Streaky type. T10 here in 2013 and this event requiring a barrage of birdies could suit

Ryo ISHIKAWA 1pt @ 190
Huge talent and his price just looks too big

COURSE: Waialae Country Club (Par 70)
LOCATION: Honolulu, Hawaii
FIELD SIZE: 144


A disappointing end to last week after things had looked so promising for three rounds. My top pick (Russell Henley @ 44) eventually finished tied for 3rd and Brendon Todd finished in a tie for 8th.

The PGA Tour stays in Hawaii this week for the Sony Open and what looks a wide open event.
Steady play tee to green and excellent putting will be required. I'm also looking for players who can go very low on their day:

Selections (all prices from Betfair unless stated):

Matt EVERY 1.25pts @ 130
Excellent putter and two Top 10s in last three starts here

Francesco MOLINARI 1.5pts @ 120
Solid driver in decent form at back end of 2014

Geoff OGILVY 1pt @ 190
High class and won twice in Hawaii before

Camilo VILLEGAS 1pt @ 270
Multiple winner who can go very low if gets hot with the putter

Brian STUARD 1pt @ 140
6th here last year and T5 the year before that

Spencer LEVIN 0.75pts @ 250
Certain future winner who is back in form and has played well in this before

Matt JONES 1pt @ 150
Solid showing last week and T15 here in 2013

Rory SABBATINI 1pt @ 200
Streaky but multiple winner on PGA Tour

Brian HARMAN 1.5pts @ 100
Very good putter and more wins to come

COURSE: Plantation Course at Kapalua (Par 73)
LOCATION: Maui, Hawaii
FIELD SIZE: 34


The PGA Tour finally returns after a break of almost 8 weeks with the traditional opener to the calendar year, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions from Hawaii.

This tournament has previously thrown up all kinds of winners from a profile point of view but I'm focusing on confident types who putt well and are a decent price.

Very best of luck for the golfing and punting year ahead. Enjoy!

Selections (all prices from Betfair unless stated):

Russell HENLEY 4pts @ 44
Streaky type and a good putter who has won in Hawaii before and has experience of this event

Brendon TODD 3.5pts @ 50
Excellent putter who comes off the back of a very solid year on the PGA Tour

Ben CRANE 1.5pts @ 130
Multiple winner and gone well here in the past

Matt EVERY 1pt @ 160
The Floridian is a very good putter who posted his maiden PGA Tour victory last March

SEASON 2013-14 P/L: -287.5pts  ROI: -65.34%
(SEASON 2013 FINAL P/L: +85.23pts ROI: +20.79%)

Selections (all prices from Betfair unless stated):

Webb SIMPSON 2.5pts @ 85
Zach JOHNSON 2.5pts @ 75
Gary WOODLAND 1.5pts @ 95
William McGIRT 1pt @ 130
Bo VAN PELT 1pt @ 150
John SENDEN 1pt @ 130
Stewart CINK 0.5pts @ 460

SEASON 2013-14 P/L: -267.5pts  ROI: -63.69%
(SEASON 2013 FINAL P/L: +85.23pts ROI: +20.79%)

Selections (all prices from Betfair unless stated):

Justin HICKS 2.5pts @ 60
- 9th in Ball Striking on the PGA Tour
- A 2nd and a 3rd placed finish in the last two weeks
- Dual winner on the web.com Tour

Chad CAMPBELL 2pts @ 90
- Leads PGA Tour in GIR

Hudson SWAFFORD 1pt @ 260
- T5 in Ball Striking on the PGA Tour

Andrew SVOBODA 1pt @ 170
- 19th in Ball Striking on the PGA Tour
- Another dual web.com winner

Retief GOOSEN 1.5pts @ 120
- Classy veteran in decent form of late

Ryo ISHIKAWA 1pt @ 180
- Big price for a talented, almost certain future winner on Tour
- T26 here last season

John MERRICK 1pt @ 410
- Solid ball striker who has won on Tour
- T10 here in 2012

SEASON 2013-14 P/L: -247.5pts  ROI: -61.88%
(SEASON 2013 FINAL P/L: +85.23pts ROI: +20.79%)

It's Louisville, Kentucky this week and the fourth and final Major of the season, the 96th US PGA Championship.

There's not a great deal of course form to go off but this Par 71 Jack Nicklaus-designed track looks set to demand accurate and creative iron play as well as a deft touch on and around the greens. Recent form has also been a key component of champions of this event for several years now.

My value selections are below. Apart from the obvious, in-form candidates such as Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia, I also think Justin Rose will go really well here but I decided he was just a bit too short at around the 19 mark on Betfair. The others to be cut from my shortlist at the final stage were McDowell, Matsuyama, Watney, English, Poulter, Woodland, Horschel, Howell III and K.J. Choi.

It's double stakes as ever for a Major. Best of luck...

Selections (all prices from Betfair unless stated):

Hunter MAHAN 4.75pts @ 75
- Superb ball striker and a tie for 15th in the Bridgestone last week shows his current well-being
- An excellent showing in the Ryder Cup here in 2008
- Should win a Major one day given the ability he has and this could be as good a chance as any for him

Bubba WATSON 4pts @ 36
- The double Masters winner is at his best when a high standard of approach play is at a premium

Phil MICKELSON 3.5pts @ 32
- Creative, a master round the greens and coming back to form. This could look a huge price come Sunday
- Forgiving fairways here should help his cause too

Zach JOHNSON 2.75pts @ 110
- Huge price for this Major-winning ball striker in good form

Brandt SNEDEKER 2.5pts @ 65
-  On the way to recapturing his best form since his switch to Butch Harmon

J.B. HOLMES 1pt @ 130
-  Big hitting Kentucky native and another back to somewhere near his best following a long spell of health problems
- Won top event at Quail Hollow back in May

Stewart CINK 0.5pts @ 910
-  A simply insulting price for a class act and a proven Major winner who has not missed a cut on Tour since March

Boo WEEKLEY 0.5pts @ 650
-  Solid ball striker who also put up a good display in the Ryder Cup here in 2008

SEASON 2013-14 P/L: -237.5pts  ROI: -60.9%
(SEASON 2013 FINAL P/L: +85.23pts ROI: +20.79%)

The PGA Tour stops off at Akron, Ohio this week C Bridgestone Invitational before heading to Kentucky next Thursday for the fourth and final major of the season, the pGA Championship.

The South Course at Firestone Country Club is a long, tough Par 70 track demanding accuracy off the tee and on the approach to the well guarded greens.

Selections (all prices from Betfair unless stated):

Henrik STENSON 4pts @ 26
- T2 here last year. Classy. Accurate off tee and on approach to greens and is due a win

Zach JOHNSON 3.5pts @ 60
- Accurate ball striker at his best when the scoring is low. T4 here last year and T6 in 2011

Harris ENGLISH 1.25pts @ 140
- Top class youngster who T14 here last year. 23rd in Par 4 performance on PGA Tour

John SENDEN 0.75pts @ 190
- Extremely solid from tee to green and confidence up following win earlier in year. T16 here two years ago

Richard STERNE 0.5pts @ 810
- On the comeback from injury but a player of undoubted ability who finished T9 in this last season

SEASON 2013-14 P/L: -227.5pts  ROI: -59.87%
(SEASON 2013 FINAL P/L: +85.23pts ROI: +20.79%)


Selections (all prices from Betfair unless stated):

David HEARN 2pts @ 55
Russell KNOX 2pts @ 65
Bo VAN PELT 2pts @ 80
John HUH 1pt @ 130
Bryce MOLDER 1pt @ 280
John MERRICK 1pt @ 290
Hudson SWAFFORD 0.5pts @ 280
Mark WILSON 0.5pts @ 490

SEASON 2013-14 P/L: -207.5pts  ROI: -57.64%
(SEASON 2013 FINAL P/L: +85.23pts ROI: +20.79%)

T3 (Jhonattan Vegas @ 260) was the best of my finishers last week in the John Deere Classic.

It's the 143rd Open Championship this week from Royal Liverpool, Hoylake and what promises to be a dramatic, enthralling affair with question marks against most of the market leaders meaning it's wide open from a betting point of view.

Ball striking and positional play will be key as well as the ability to get up and down when missing the well protected greens. Players will also need to take full advantage of the four Par 5s if they are to go low enough to contend (Tiger Woods posted -18 when winning here in 2006).

My value selections are below (as ever it's double stakes for a Major). Others who look decent value are reigning champion Phil Mickelson @ 28 and rising young star Jordan Spieth @ 48 who plays well in the wind and states that he loves the sort of conditions that the players will face this week.

Can't wait for four superb days of viewing to begin. Enjoy!

Selections (all prices from Betfair unless stated):

Tiger WOODS 8.5pts @ 24
- Won this in style the last time it was played here and I've decided that his price is simply far too big, even given his recent injury problems

Charl SCHWARTZEL 2pts @ 90
- Former Masters winner who has three Top 16 finishes in the last four Opens and ranks highly in Par 5 performance on the PGA Tour

Angel CABRERA 2pts @ 85
- Wily veteran who loves the big stage (two Major wins to his name) and is in fine form. Went well here in 2006

Brendon TODD 1.75pts @ 140
- Extremely consistent form this season. The Pennsylvanian scores well on the Par 5s and has a superb short game

Jonas BLIXT 1pt @ 230
- Tremendous short game and the Swede T2 in the Masters earlier this year to show he can contend on the biggest stage

John SENDEN 1pt @ 230
- The Aussie is a fantastic ball striker who also went well here in 2006. 2nd in Par 5 performance on tour this season

KJ CHOI 1pt @ 270
- Multiple winner and a calm, solid ball striker who has gone well in The Open before

Harris ENGLISH 1pt @ 200
- Excellent young talent with a great all-round game who scores very well on the Par 5s

Chris KIRK 0.75pts @ 330
- Already a dual winner in America. Solid short game and again is one who goes low on the Par 5s

Matt EVERY 0.5pts @ 540
- Excellent putter and is 19th in Par 5 performance on the PGA Tour this season

Brendan STEELE 0.5pts @ 480
- Long hitter and a good ball striker. Posted four Top 10s already in America this year and has previously won on tour