Stenson to Tame the Blue Monster
Best Bets
1 Pt EW (1-5) Henrik Stenson (28/1 Bet 365)
0.5 Pts EW (1-6) George Coetzee (125/1 Sky Bet)
This week sees the first of the WGC events held at the Blue Monster Golf Course in Doral, Florida. The WGC Cadillac Championship can be seen as an early tester for elite golfers as they gear up for the Masters. As usual with WGC events the field in this one is small which often can provide a great opportunity for punters.
So this week golfers will remain in Florida at Doral. The course is known as a monster for a reason, and it regularly yields over par scores for the best golfers in the world. The fact the course is reasonably long and wind can blow heavy in this area means that winning scores are often relatively modest. Last year nobody reached double digits under par, so the players are again in for another tough test. A quick look at the overhead course map reveals that water features on almost every hole. There will be plenty of big numbers that can sometimes come out of nowhere on this course. A key for the eventual winner will undoubtedly be avoiding the numerous water hazards that are in play.
When looking for patterns at Doral it’s not hard to see that bombers do well at the Blue Monster. Driving distance is key, and despite all the water, accuracy off the tee isn’t as essential as one would think. When making our picks we have considered whether our tips will be able to cope with the lengthy demands of this course. Saying that however, Luke Donald has fared well here in the past showing that there are some exceptions to the rules.
Looking at past winners strong current form seems to provide a good indicator as to who will go well at Doral. Essentially what we think this indicates is that you can’t fake it at Doral. Eventually the water will find your ball and errant shots will be punished over the course of the four days. We have considered all of the above and have come up with the following tips.
1 Pt EW (1-5) Henrik Stenson (28/1 Bet 365)
Our headline tip this week is Henrik Stenson. He simply looks overpriced on a course that should suit his game. Stenson has solid course form and finished fourth here last year despite an indifferent weekend by his high standards. Although he has been battling some injury problems recently his finishes have not suffered. In his last three starts his worst finish has been 6th in high calibre European Tour events. Unlike most he can get away with hitting a lot of three woods round this golf course as he is so accurate and long with this club. He looks great value this week and we are happy to make an each way play on him.
0.5 Pts EW (1-6) George Coetzee (125/1 Sky Bet)
Our second tip this week goes to George Coetzee who goes off at a big price. In his last start he won on the Sunshine Tour at the Dimension Data Pro-Am. Although this wasn’t a high calibre field the win will give him much confidence going into this week. Aside from the win in his last outing he has consistently being playing well of late on the European Tour. He also has all the necessary tools to go well at Doral. Simply put Coetzee hits it miles. If his driver is firing he can really cut down this golf course. In 2014 Coetzee went well in this event and finished inside the top 20, and has definitely improved since then. In his last start in a high calibre field like this one he finished in the top ten at the PGA Championship showing the confidence he possesses. At 125/1 we are happy to take a shot on him and see how he goes this week.