WGC-Accenture Match Play Betting Preview

With no European Tour event this week, the focus shifts to the WGC-Accenture Match Play which is to be held for the third time over the Jack Nicklaus-designed Ritz Carlton course in Arizona. The tournament will see Ian Poulter defend the title he won last year against Paul Casey, and the entire field comprises of the top 64 players in the world so competition is fierce.

Predicting the outcome of a matchplay tournament is a minefield for punters as it only takes one round to kill your bet stone dead, and so with each of the 64 players split into ‘divisions’ – the Bobby Jones Group, Gary Player Group, Ben Hogan Group and Sam Snead Group – our methodology this week is to analyse and look at the players who are likely to progress from their respective divisions to make Saturday’s semi-final.

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Watney takes early lead in HSBC Champions

In a star-studded field, it was American Nick Watney who emerged from the pack to post a course-record equalling eight-under-par round of 64 to take the early lead in the WGC-HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai, China.

However, despite taking the early lead he will no doubt be casting an anxious glance at the leaderboard and won’t fail to notice world number one Tiger Woods poised just three shots behind, despite a round marred by the over-exuberance of fans and their cameras.

Watney, a twice-winner on the US PGA Tour scored an eagle and seven birdies during his opener over the Sheshan International Golf Club and could have been further clear but for a bogey on the last. Still, his two shot lead sees the player continue his fine form of 2009 in which he finished 12th on the FedEx Cup rankings.

Two shots further behind are Germany’s Martin Kaymer, who is slowly returning to full fitness, Irishman Shane Lowry and American Ryan Moore who each shote opening 66s in the first ever WGC tournament to be held in Asia.

Woods, who had carded six birdies and a bogey as he sought to win a first HSBC title was less than impressed by his treatment at the hands of photographers enroute to his opening 67. Even on the opening hole, the clicks of cameras threatened to upset Woods, who is traditionally sensitive to cameras. His opening drive was greeting by a battery of camera clicks which caused the number one to flinch and even drop his club at impact, sending his tee shot off tho the right and so short that his caddie had to walk some forty yards before he could gauge the distance for Woods’ second.

“The guy in the grandstand basically did almost a photo sequence,” Woods said.

Phil Mickelson had two opening birdies and reached the turn in 32 but couldn’t add to his tally and eventually finished with a 69, while defending champion Sergio Garcia made a solitary birdie in a disappointing round of 75.

Harrington collapse hands Woods victory at Firestone

Tiger Woods made it five for the season and seventy overall as he captured the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club. The world number one got the better of overnight leader and playing partner, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington with a final round 65 to collect back-to-back tour wins ahead of this week’s US PGA Championship at Hazeltine.

Harrington had started the day with a three-shot lead over Woods, and given the Irishman’s form on the previous three days it appeared it would be enough to give Harrington a first win of 2009 and signal a return to form for the player, who stripped down and rebuilt his swing during the winter.

In truth, Harrington did little wrong over the opening holes and having gone to par over the first ten holes Harrington might have been in command of the tournament on any other day. However, Woods had signalled his intent early and went on a now-customary charge, covering the first four holes in three-under par to wipe out Harrington’s lead.

Indeed, Woods even went ahead of the Irishman at one stage, before Harrington pegged Woods back and again nosed a stroke clear with three holes to play to set up a mouth-watering conclusion to the tournament. However, the tournament was to be settled on the 16th fairway in specatular and dramatic fashion.

With Woods having the honour, he drove left into the trees where he would be unable to reach the green in two, and instead played his second shot back onto the fairway some 170 yards from the flag. Harrington, meanwhile, failed to take advantage of Woods’ blip with the driver and fired his drive down the opposite side of the fairway where it would take a wicked kick into the trees. Unluckily for Padraig, he misjudged his second shot and found himself short and left of the green and on the up-slope to a bunker – a small touch of fortune for the Irishman.

Then came perhaps the shot of the tournament from Woods – the kind of shot that wins tournaments. With an 8-iron in his hand, the world’s best player launched his approach over the water and onto the green where his ball would come to rest a mere foot from the hole and really pile the pressure on Harrington’s new swing. But not even Tiger would have expected what happened next as Harrington caught his approach too strongly and fired through the green, landing on deep rough at the back fringe. An attempted flop shot fizzed off the club and into the water and Harrington’s dreams of victory were dashed as he eventually holed out for a triple bogey and drop to eight-under par, alongside Robert Allenby.

Harrington’s meltdown gave Tiger a seventh win on the course, becoming the first player in PGA Tour history to win seven times over the same course and it was also his 16th victory in the World Golf Championship series. Woods has now won the Bridgestone Invitational seven times out of ten starts and has never found finished outwith the top five in the tournament.

His 70th career win puts him only three victories behind Jack Nicklaus in the alltime winner’s league; only Sam Snead with 82 victories has more than the Golden Bear, and on recent evidence, even that total may fall to Tiger before long.

Despite the collapse, Harrington enjoyed being at the forefront again and vowed to bounce back as he looks to defend his US PGA title, where he will again lock horns with Woods in the opening pairings, while his joint second-place finish sees him return to the world’s top 10 rankings after having slipped to 17th place in the world. Woods also consolidated his place at the head of the rankings and his win opened up a 4.66 pints gap over second-placed Phil Mickelson, who showed signs of ring-rustiness following his sabbatical away from the game. When Woods returned from injury, the gap was only 0.2 points.

American player Hunter Mahan and US Masters champion Angel Cabrera both finished on seven under in a tie for fourth, while British Open winner Stewart Cink and his fellow American Steve Stricker closed at six under alongside Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez. For Cink, however, it could have been better after the Open champion reached 8-under in his round with holes to play and could have challenged the top of the leaderboard. But a bogey at a crucial time in his round stopped his momentum.

England’s Lee Westwood finished at five under for ninth place following a 65. That was his best round of the week and secured his fourth consecutive top-10 finish, which included a tie for third place at the Open.

Harrington leads at Firestone after opening 64

Irishman Padraig Harrington will take a two-shot lead into today’s second round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone. The bogey-free round of 64 was his lowest round of the year and hopefully hints at a revival of fortune for the popular player.

Harrington, who relinquished his British Open title at Turnberry last month, has devoted a large part of his season thus far to fine-tuning his swing. However, such adjustments caused him to miss five straight cuts earlier in the season and the Irishman has struggled with his game for most of 2009 as a result.

It’s a welcome boost for Harrington, who will head to Hazeltine next month to defend his US PGA title and the man himself compared his opening 64 to the closing 66s he shout at Oakland Hills last month to become the US PGA champion – the first European to hold the title since Tommy Armour in 1930.

Elsewhere in the round, world number one Tiger Woods shot a solid round of 68. Tiger’s round was the eleventh time in succession he has broken par in the opening round at Firestone in his quest for a seventh victory on the course. His rivals will no doubt be hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself and Tiger goes on a charge akin to the one he did at the Buick Open – he was tied for 95th spot after the first round there, before rampaging through the field to win by three shots.

Phil Mickelson, making his welcome return to the tour following a string of personal problems, played steadily to card an opening 70 along with defending champion, Vijay Singh. This tournament is Lefty’s first since the US Open at Bethpage Black, New York and despite a double bogey at the second hole, fought back with three birdies on the back nine.

Open winner Stewart Cink also made his first competitive appearance since lifting the Claret Jug at Turnberry, where he defeated Tom Watson in a playoff, to card an opening 69, which included bogeys on two of the last three holes.

But the opening round was Harrington’s and even playing partner Scott Verplank gave the Irishman some plaudits after their round, stating it was one of the best rounds he had seen the Irishman play.

Harrington isn’t getting carried away though, and said after his round that the score has no relevance overall and it was only one round.

Mickelson to return to action at Firestone

Phil Mickelson will make his return to competitive golf next week at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.

The world number two has officially declared he will play in the tournament via the competition committee’s executive director Dom Padgett III. Padget revealed he is still awaiting confirmation from world number one, Tiger Woods.

Mickelson has been missing from the professional circuit for some considerable time, having taken a leave of absence from the game in order to help care for his wife, Amy, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Mickelson’s mother has more recently also been diagnosed with the disease and there were doubts surrounding the likelihood of Mickelson competing again in 2009.

Mickelson’s last competitive outing came in the US Open in June at New York’s Bethpage Black where he finished in a tie for second place with David Duval and Ricky Barnes. The major was won by Lucas Glover.

But while Mickelson elected to miss out on the Open Championship, his appearance at Firestone suggests he may take part in next month’s US PGA Championship, which will be staged at Hazeltine National.

Mickelson has previously won the WGC’s CA Championship in March this year and has also competed in each of the 10 previous Bridgestone Invitationals, where he has collected five top 10 finishes. His best finish came in 1999 when he tied for second in the inaugural event.