The Masters

By Profit Swing

This Thursday sees the start of the most eagerly awaited Major Golf Tournament in history; The Masters at Augusta. It is already regarded as the supreme test of a golfer and is the only Major played on the same course each year which breeds familiarity with the fans and the media. This year however the expectation and excitement has gone up several notches as a Tiger is being released back in to the wild after several months of captivity and whether you like it or not this is the biggest story in the history of golf and it will unfold this week in front of the watching world.

I am not going to be so stupid as to say that Tiger will not win as he won the US Open two years ago on one leg but I will say I think it is highly unlikely and certainly not a betting proposition. Without any of the distractions he will face this week Tiger has struggled in the last two Masters through a combination of wild driving and the fact that other players have started to hit it longer which has nullified his advantage. He is human as we have found out recently and he will surely be nervous in a way he never has before on the fairways. There is talk of American Tabloid papers smuggling in one of his former “friends” and  even though it is Augusta which is incredibly well policed there maybe one wag in the crowd who shouts out some of the gags we have all been texting each other (come on own up) and who knows how this intensely private man  will react. I would not be staggered if Tiger missed the cut and I cannot see him featuring at the business end of the Tournament next Sunday and I personally hope the BBC resist the urge to make this week all about the returning number one but sadly I bet they do!

Right then let us find the winner! 

Well we already have our Ante Post selection Martin Kaymer running for us and I think this is the Major that he will come of age. He certainly has the game and the temperament for this place and since his win in Qatar has been building his training around this one week. Kaymer’s idol and compatriot Bernhard Langer who won two green jackets has been working with him and advising him in preparation for this week and they both feel that this is his best chance of Major success. I would not disagree and given some luck in running I see him right in the mix come Sunday.

We will have three more bets in the outrights as there is some amazing value to be had as Totesport are using this Tournament to attract new customers by offering the best prices.

Our first selection is Ian Poulter who did us a good turn by winning the World Matchplay event recently. That will have done his already strong confidence the world of good and now in his mid thirties Poulter is ready to win a major. He hits longer than ever thanks to a winter of weight training and is the best pressure putter in the world right now and that will count for a great deal this week.

Pick: 1 point EW Ian Poulter 41.0 Totesport

Our next selection is another player who has found the winning touch this season and has shown terrific mental strength, it is Columbia’s number one not that that took a lot of doing, Camilla Villegas. He hits the ball miles and hits superb low penetrating iron shots but it is the fact that he has finally added a reliable putting stroke that makes me think this could well be his year. Villegas like Poulter finally believes that he can win the big Tournaments, why not this week?

Pick: 1 point EW Camilla Villegas 46.0 Totesport

Our final selection is a Masters Champion who is available at huge odds and its not Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicholas but a young man who has been injured but is fully fit once again Trevor Immelman. I watched Immelman at the Tavistock Cup two weeks ago and he was swinging it beautifully and has been spending time at Augusta recently practicing for this week. Like Tiger Woods he has had a layoff but he has won the Masters more recently than Tiger and will draw on that next week. He is a huge price and far more appealing than backing Woods at 5!

Pick: 0.5 point EW Trevor Immelman 251.0 Totesport

All bets are ¼ the odds 5 places.

It is going to be an unforgettable week for golf and the sporting world let us hope we have reason to remember it by bagging the winner. I will be back on Friday morning and then every morning to review and preview each round.

Profit Swing