Hope the title is ok for Harrigan



My favourite major is less than a week away now. Anyone got any good outside bets. Not checked the odds yet, don't know why but fancy Poulter might go well this year.

Any outsiders worth a dabble on? Gone with Harrigans tips the last few years but they sadly haven't payed off!!!

As always there is free cake involved to someone providing a good tip!

Woods is currently 7/2 with William Hill which is not bad price

But for me Lee Westwood at 25/1 & Hunter Mahan at 40/1 interest me

Not seen too much golf recently but Snedeker should be a good shout, if in doubt pick a South African.

Sorry Ferdy this is the formatting police you need to put | instead of /

Replace the "/'s" with "|'s" (thats shift & backslash) and I will be

Personally, the way Woods is playing, he will take some stopping. He has played 4 stroke play comps this year and won 3 of them. He looks as good as I have seen him, apart from maybe 2000/2001.

Rory looks well off the pace at the moment and from memory, has only had 1 good round all year. The change of clubs seems to be really affecting him.

Justin Rose looks the best of the British at the moment. He has been driving well and finished the holes too. 4 events in the US and 3 top 10 finishes. McDowell has 3 top 10's from 5 goes too.

From the Americans, Woods apart, Snedeker and Kuchar are playing OK and Mickleson always has a chance.

I don't really have a bolter this year though. Maybe Keegan Bradley? But I doubt it very much.

Also, dont forget to watch the par 3 comp on Wednesday. It's always fun and you get to see the 3 legends, Nicklaus, Palmer and Player, having a knock around. These guys would still beat the majority of scratch handicappers.

Come on Lee Westwood.

Top 5 in Europe this season:
1. Richard Sterne (RSA) - 6 Comps - €607,803
2. Charl Schwartzel (RSA) - 5 Comps - €593,016
3. Sergio Garcia (Esp) - 4 Comps - €572,346
4. Scott Jamieson (Sco) - 9 Comps - €525,497
5. Graeme McDowell (NIR) - 2 Comps - €521,517

Other Top British Players in Europe:
7. Jamie Donaldson (Wal) - 5 Comps - €455,068
10. Ian Poulter (Eng) - 2 Comps - €428,522
11. Stephen Gallacher (Sco) - 7 Comps - €418,988
13. Chris Wood (Eng) - 6 Comps - €409,665
16. Justin Rose (Eng) - 4 Comps - €394,999

Top 5 in the US this season (FedEx Cup Points):
1. Tiger Woods (USA) - 5 Comps - 1,605
2. Brandt Snedeker (USA) - 7 Comps - 1,282
3. Matt Kuchar (USA) - 7 Comps - 902
4. Phil Mickleson (USA) - 8 Comps - 797
5. Kevin Streelman (USA) - 9 Comps - 752

Top British players in the FedEx Cup:
18. Justin Rose (Eng) - 4 Comps - 531
41. Graeme McDowell (NIR) - 5 Comps - 338
48. Ian Poulter (Eng) - 4 comps - 306

Top 5 in the US this season (Money List):
1. Tiger Woods (USA) - 5 Comps - $3,787,600
2. Brandt Snedeker (USA) - 7 Comps - $2,859,920
3. Matt Kuchar (USA) - 7 Comps - $2,154,500
4. Steve Stricker (USA) - 4 Comps - $1,845,420
5. Phil Mickleson (USA) - 8 Comps - $1,746,360


Top British players in the PGA Tour Money List:
18. Justin Rose (Eng) - 4 Comps - $1,115,550
26. Graeme McDowell (NIR) - 5 Comps - $866,654
33. 48. Ian Poulter (Eng) - 4 comps - $812,000


And, because I'm nice,

Top 5 World Rankings:
1. Tiger Woods (USA) - 11.75 ave points
2. Rory McIlroy (NIR) - 10.87
3. Justin Rose (Eng) - 7.01
4. Luke Donald (Eng) - 6.69
5. Brandt Snedeker (USA) - 6.29

Other top British players in the WGR:
12. Ian Poulter (Eng) - 5.18
13. Lee Westwood (Eng) - 5.13
17. Graeme McDowell (NIR) - 4.80
33. Jamie Donaldson (Wal) - 3.14
34. Paul Lawrie (Sco) - 3.05

Edited!

Agree woods is in some great form at the moment and will be hard to beat

Odds:

Woods - 37/10 with Betfair
McIlroy - 11/1 with Betway. The rest see him at 7 or 8.
Mickleson - 12/1 with 32Red
Rose - 22/1 with Betfair
Schwarzel - 27/1 with Betfair

Others of note:

Bradley (my bolter) - 33/1 with Bet365 and others
Westwood -28/1 with Bet365 and others
Donald - 39/1 with 32Red
Poulter - 50/1 with Sportingbet
GMac - 66/1 with Coral

Ryo Ishikawa!!!! Remember me saying he was worth a bet a couple of years back and he was in it until the start of the 4th round?! You can get 400/1 on him with SkyBet



If you fancy a stupid bet, Ben Crenshaw is 10,000/1 with Skybet and Ian Woosnam is 2,500/1 with them too.

One last player I forgot to mention... [uRickie Fowler![/u I'm putting something on him. He's on the verge of something. He is where McIlroy was 2 years ago IMO and has played great in patches this year so far. His odds are 50/1 with Bet365.

Sorry if im overloading everyone too, but just looking through the odds and I have noticed a couple of great odds!

Webb Simpson is 94/1 with Betfair and 66/1 elsewhere.
Richard Sterne (European Number 1) is 200/1 with Bet365 and SkyBet but I cant see him getting anywhere near.

Westwood has no chance - you need to be a great putter round Augusta

Woods can't hit his driver right to left with any control - if he can't do that at Augusta he will struggle especially on 10, 11, 13 and 15

He's had more control over his driver this year than he has since the early 2000's. Yes, it's got away from him on the odd occasion, but if he can keep it under control for 75% of the Tournament, he will be there or thereabouts.

[uLive TV Coverage[/u

The Par 3 Competition (Wednesday 10th April) :
1900-2230 / / SkySports 1HD


Day 1 (Thursday 11th April ):
1545 / / SkySports Red Button (Selected Holes)
1900-0030 / / SkySports 1HD
2100-0030/ / Sky 3D

Day 2 (Friday 12th April):
1600 / / SkySports Red Button (Selected Holes)
1900-0030 / / SkySports 1HD
2100-0030/ / Sky 3D


Day 3 (Saturday 13th April):
1600 / / SkySports Red Button (Selected Holes)
1900-0030 / / SkySports 1HD
1930-0000/ / BBC Two & BBC HD
2100-0030/ / Sky 3D

Day 4 (Sunday 14th April):
1700 / / SkySports Red Button (Selected Holes)
1800-0030 / / SkySports 1HD
1830-0000/ / BBC Two & BBC HD
2100-0030/ / Sky 3D

Lets be honest here, Augusta anything can happen

(Plus I've just realised I did forget to mention I'd put them two as E/W bets)

Slightly O/T.
Miracle at Medinah is on now for anyone interested on SS2. If only Poulter could play like he does in matchplay he'd be a multiple major winner by now!

Match play is totally different though. Poultry can't keep 4 rounds going but can be great over 18 holes. You can get away with poor shots because it won't cost you the tournament, only the hole. In club comps I only used to win 2 or 3 a year because I wasn't consistent enough to play well throughout 18 holes. On the same hand though, I was tough to beat in match play because I'm good for 14/15 holes a round. The 3 holes where I stink it up don't matter. It's the same with Poulter, just on a much grander scale obviously.

My game is the same the bad holes are not that many nowadays but it just takes one bad hole to screw your round up. In matchplay you only lose the hole.

Oh and don't play down the fulneck weekly medal. Not many grander scales!!

He has control with a low cut left to right shot - that is not the shot you need round Augusta

A good putter will always be tough to beat in a game of match play - at this level Poulter is not a great/precise ball striker

But you are talking like it is what will define whether he wins or loses. Even if he takes the 3 wood off the tee and lays up with his 2nd, he will get birdies the way his short game and putting has been this year. Lets face it too, even when he uses a smaller wood, he is still in the position that 80% of the others would love to be in. He wont win by a record margin, but if he chips and putts as he has been, he will win. That is where Augusta IS won. It helps to have a big drive, but its not the end of the world if you have to play shorter.

Most Victories at Augusta National:
6, Jack Nicklaus,1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986
4, Arnold Palmer,1958, 1960, 1962, 1964
4, Tiger Woods, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005
3, Jimmy Demaret,1940, 1947, 1950
3, Sam Snead, 1949, 1952, 1954
3, Gary Player, 1961, 1974, 1978
3, Nick Faldo, 1989, 1990, 1996
3, Phil Mickelson, 2004, 2006, 2010
2, Horton Smith,1934, 1936
2, Byron Nelson,1937, 1942
2, Ben Hogan, 1951,1953
2, Tom Watson, 1977,1981
2, Seve Ballesteros,1980, 1983
2, Bernhard Langer,1985, 1993
2, Ben Crenshaw,1984, 1995
2, Jose Maria Olazabal, 1994, 1999

Bookies Odds put Woods and McIlroy way out in front. There has to be some serious value somewhere in the field.