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JoePa's 137TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP & US BANK CHAMPIONSHIP
THE 137th OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
SERGIO GARCIA 9 / 1 – I hate picking Sergio, just when you think he’s on the cusp of winning he stumbles with the putter again. Even though he’s seemingly improved his flat stick skills, he still ranks a paltry 148th on the PGA Tour. However, he’s got 6 Top10s in the 7 years he’s played in THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP. He’s also made 11 of 12 cuts on the PGA Tour this year with 2 Top 10s – winning The PLAYERS and T4th in the St. Jude. He lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington last year, and there’s no Tiger, so no problem. He won’t have to watch for the stirring in the high grass behind him this week and could snag his first major.
ROBERT KARLSSON 30 / 1 – Since May he’s played in 8 events and his worst finish is a T13th at the Open de France, while he’s also got a T8th at The Masters, T6th in The European Open, T4th in the U.S. Open, two T3rds in the BMW PGA Championship and Irish Open, a 3rd in The Italian Open and 2nd in the Celtic Manor Wales Open. He ranks 3rd on the European Tour and with good reason. His stroke average is a career best 69.77, the first time he’s been below 70 aggregate since joining the tour in 2001, his GIR is 71.84% by far the best of his career, along with a career best 70.21% average in sand saves - is previous average was 66%.
GEOFF OGILVY 30 / 1 – The Aussie is poised to strike at any moment and one of the PGA Tour players that everybody is waiting for to draw the hot iron. He’s currently ranked #3 on the PGA Tour, and has been a contender this season despite starting fast and fading thru the middle part of the season. He won the WGC-CA and T2nd in the Shell Houston then fell off the map until he finished 9th at The Memorial, T7th at the Crowne Plaza, and contended for the U.S. Open finishing T9th. It could happen because he’s a big tournament player.
GRAEME MCDOWELL 40 / 1 – I love watching the Euro Tour on The Golf Channel each Saturday and Sunday morning, listening to the musings and song in the voice of beloved Renton Laidlaw and his trusty sidekick Warren Humphreys. But more so than listening I love watching Graeme McDowell scratch his way to the top of the leaderboard. He does so without much flash but is a solid performer who can do some amazing things with his irons. Consider these: Hit a 7-iron from 179 yards to within a foot on the third extra hole, to win the Ballantine’s Championship in a sudden-death play-off in March 2008; holed his second shot at the treacherous 17th at Valderrama for an albatross which catapulted him into a share of the lead for the season-ending Volvo Masters which was one of 5 Top10 finishes on the year; won his first European Tour title on his 4th start in the 2002 Scandinavian Masters; finished sixth on the Order of Merit in 2004; at the University of Alabama at Birmingham was ranked #1 Collegiate Golfer in the USA, and out of 12 starts won 6 events with a stroke average of 69.6 – beating the previous best by Luke Donald and Tiger Woods. This year McDowell ranks 2nd on the European Tour, solidified his Ryder Cup status early this year by winning The Scottish Open, finishing 3rd in the European Open, and T13th in the Open de France…..his last three tournaments. For the year he has 7 Top10s to his credit along with 10 Top20s.
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ 50 / 1 – No love for the top ranked player on the European Tour with odds like that! His play has been steady in the big tournaments with a T6th in the U.S. Open, T3rd in The Scottish Open, 1st in The BMW PGA Championship, T8th at The Masters, T4th in The Open de France, and 1st in the Hong Kong Open. The only thing holding him back is his driver, which he manages to find the fairway with only 59% of the time. Jimenez is a likeable Spaniard with his pony tail and goatee and often flies under the radar.
THE US BANK CHAMPIONSHIP
OK, OK, I know I could just go with Kenny Perry but I’d like a little larger return on my investment since he’s the big favorite again this week. I could easily pick him and go for my 7th PGA tour winner of the year, but I’d rather watch THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP and just hope for a long shot winner here.
JON MILLS 125 / 1 – A Kent State graduate who has 3 Top20s on the year with his best a 13th in the Puerto Rico Open, T19th at The Travelers, and T20th in the Zurich Classic. He’s got a legit game, but might make more money if he caddied for fellow alum Ben Curtis who will be teeing it up at Royal Birkdale.
SERGIO GARCIA 9 / 1 – I hate picking Sergio, just when you think he’s on the cusp of winning he stumbles with the putter again. Even though he’s seemingly improved his flat stick skills, he still ranks a paltry 148th on the PGA Tour. However, he’s got 6 Top10s in the 7 years he’s played in THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP. He’s also made 11 of 12 cuts on the PGA Tour this year with 2 Top 10s – winning The PLAYERS and T4th in the St. Jude. He lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington last year, and there’s no Tiger, so no problem. He won’t have to watch for the stirring in the high grass behind him this week and could snag his first major.
ROBERT KARLSSON 30 / 1 – Since May he’s played in 8 events and his worst finish is a T13th at the Open de France, while he’s also got a T8th at The Masters, T6th in The European Open, T4th in the U.S. Open, two T3rds in the BMW PGA Championship and Irish Open, a 3rd in The Italian Open and 2nd in the Celtic Manor Wales Open. He ranks 3rd on the European Tour and with good reason. His stroke average is a career best 69.77, the first time he’s been below 70 aggregate since joining the tour in 2001, his GIR is 71.84% by far the best of his career, along with a career best 70.21% average in sand saves - is previous average was 66%.
GEOFF OGILVY 30 / 1 – The Aussie is poised to strike at any moment and one of the PGA Tour players that everybody is waiting for to draw the hot iron. He’s currently ranked #3 on the PGA Tour, and has been a contender this season despite starting fast and fading thru the middle part of the season. He won the WGC-CA and T2nd in the Shell Houston then fell off the map until he finished 9th at The Memorial, T7th at the Crowne Plaza, and contended for the U.S. Open finishing T9th. It could happen because he’s a big tournament player.
GRAEME MCDOWELL 40 / 1 – I love watching the Euro Tour on The Golf Channel each Saturday and Sunday morning, listening to the musings and song in the voice of beloved Renton Laidlaw and his trusty sidekick Warren Humphreys. But more so than listening I love watching Graeme McDowell scratch his way to the top of the leaderboard. He does so without much flash but is a solid performer who can do some amazing things with his irons. Consider these: Hit a 7-iron from 179 yards to within a foot on the third extra hole, to win the Ballantine’s Championship in a sudden-death play-off in March 2008; holed his second shot at the treacherous 17th at Valderrama for an albatross which catapulted him into a share of the lead for the season-ending Volvo Masters which was one of 5 Top10 finishes on the year; won his first European Tour title on his 4th start in the 2002 Scandinavian Masters; finished sixth on the Order of Merit in 2004; at the University of Alabama at Birmingham was ranked #1 Collegiate Golfer in the USA, and out of 12 starts won 6 events with a stroke average of 69.6 – beating the previous best by Luke Donald and Tiger Woods. This year McDowell ranks 2nd on the European Tour, solidified his Ryder Cup status early this year by winning The Scottish Open, finishing 3rd in the European Open, and T13th in the Open de France…..his last three tournaments. For the year he has 7 Top10s to his credit along with 10 Top20s.
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ 50 / 1 – No love for the top ranked player on the European Tour with odds like that! His play has been steady in the big tournaments with a T6th in the U.S. Open, T3rd in The Scottish Open, 1st in The BMW PGA Championship, T8th at The Masters, T4th in The Open de France, and 1st in the Hong Kong Open. The only thing holding him back is his driver, which he manages to find the fairway with only 59% of the time. Jimenez is a likeable Spaniard with his pony tail and goatee and often flies under the radar.
THE US BANK CHAMPIONSHIP
OK, OK, I know I could just go with Kenny Perry but I’d like a little larger return on my investment since he’s the big favorite again this week. I could easily pick him and go for my 7th PGA tour winner of the year, but I’d rather watch THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP and just hope for a long shot winner here.
JON MILLS 125 / 1 – A Kent State graduate who has 3 Top20s on the year with his best a 13th in the Puerto Rico Open, T19th at The Travelers, and T20th in the Zurich Classic. He’s got a legit game, but might make more money if he caddied for fellow alum Ben Curtis who will be teeing it up at Royal Birkdale.
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