Sports betting (not just golf...)

[Diamond Dog]

So it's Rory by one...with Fowler two off the lead, Stenson 4 away and Furyk probably just out of it at 6 behind.

Should be an exciting final round.... hope Ricky or Henryk come up trumps for you!

[Diamond Dog]

Well Funky you can't get much closer than that without actually winning it! Your three (Fowler, Stenson & Furyk) finished three of the top six....nice each way collects on all three - top tipping......

Rory won but, my, it was some struggle. That eagle on 10 was just superb - it really galvanised him and seemed to stop the charge of Fowler & Mickelson just a bit. As we said, if he's at his best, he is the best - but that was a great challenge by Ricky & Henryk and (obviously) Mickelson.

I might just add - I could not believe that course was ready to play two hours after a downpour of biblical proportions - amazing drainage systems in place and, my word, they needed them!

And huge credit to Fowler & Mickelson for letting McIlroy play down the fairway and onto the tee of the 18th, whilst they were still out there, as it allowed the round to be finished in ever fading light - tremendous sportmanship and the kind of thing that still separates golf from most sports, in that regard.

[funky_nomad]

Cracking Major, that. Rory's eagle on 10 changed everything - everyone else was scoring well until that stage, but that seemed to frighten the field as no-one had looked like hitting an eagle there all day. The contrast in teh number of birdies between front 9 and back 9 was marked, and Rory's 32 home to win from behind was reminiscent of Nicklaus in his pomp.

Aye, a decent return, but I have to confess that, at the turn with Rory 3 behind, I was beginning to count more winnings...

[funky_nomad]

Placed a wee Outright Accumulator/doubles/trebles combo for the football before the leagues kicked off:

Aberdeen @ 8/5 (league without Celtic)
Hearts @ 7/2
Dunfermline @ 4/5
Preston @ 8/1
Portsmouth @ 7/1

Nice to know I've still got the magic touch...

[funky_nomad]

While most of the big guns rest up after the USPGA/before the Ryder Cup, the door opens for a pretty muted field in the Wyndham Championship (you know it's an "off week" when Snedeker is outright favourite @ 12/1). Nice of them to name a tournament after The Day Of The Triffids dude...

I'm opting for a couple of picks who showed relatively well last week to maintain some form:

Els @ 28/1
Koepka @ 33/1

Karlsson @ 40/1 looks pretty decent value, too.

[funky_nomad]

I notice that my "bookie-beater" of choice, Brooks Koepka, beat quite a tasty field in Turkey last week, hoping a few crunch putts down the stretch.

I'm predicting an even bigger year for Koepka in 2015 - I think he'll really kick on and be a genuine Major contender.

[funky_nomad]

Time to resurrect this thread, for 'tis the golfing punters wet dream -The Masters.

It's hard to see past Rory winning this, but his odds are almost Tiger-tight, so the value lies in each-way choices elsewhere.

Jason Day's major record is outstanding, so he's hard not to back @ 14/1. Stenson looks good value @ 20/1, and Ricky Fowler even tastier at 33/1 (I'm only assuming his recent weekend collapse was him keeping his powder dry for this week).

For followers of longer-odds, Paul Casey at 66/1, given his form, might be worth a look, and Ryan Moore (if he can handle his stellar playing partners over the first 2 days) is a mouth-watering 90/1.

Bonkers punts at 50p e/w? Sangmoon Bae at 250/1 and Cameron Tringale @ 300/1 fit that bill nicely, although I've also backed them for Top RoW and Top Rookie respectively which I fancy are more realistic.

[sloopjohnc]

No Speith in there? Glaring omission.

[funky_nomad]

No Speith in there? Glaring omission.

His hot streak's got to end soon, and Augusta has a habit of biting back at people who shine on their debuts.

[Diamond Dog]

Well my three against the field are :

J Spieth (generally around 10/1)
J Walker (20/1)
J Rose (40/1)

And my outsider :

V. Dubuisson (100/1).

Have to say , Rose looks like he's been 'laid out' for this - he's a big price for a recent Major winner who can putt.

[funky_nomad]

Gary Player, aged 79, earlier today:

[Diamond Dog]

Did you see Nicklaus hitting a hole-in-one in the Par 3 tournament on Wednesday? A few of the younger players stopped on surrounding holes to applaud him - how cool is that?

Talking of old timers doing well.... Tom Watson hit a 71 in the first round proper yesterday...at age 65. The oldest player ever to go under in a Major. Amazing stuff.

[funky_nomad]

I dunno how Watson keeps managing to do it - incredible, really.

Compare and contrast with poor old "Gentle" Ben Crenshaw shooting 91. Fuck's sake, I'd have been gutted to shoot anything over 85 yesterday...

It'll be interesting to see how Spieth copes with his lead overnight - if he comes out too defensive, the lead won't last long.

[funky_nomad]

It'll be interesting to see how Spieth copes with his lead overnight - if he comes out too defensive, the lead won't last long.

Well, I think we know the answer to that now - what an opening 27 holes!

[Diamond Dog]

Spieth is playing a different course to everyone else at the moment.Every aspect of his game - driving, irons, pitching and putting- has been exemplary and his course management has been superb too. Perfect - maybe too perfect. You'd think Augusta will, sometime over the 72 holes, find a way to bite back at him. If he loses 3 or 4 shots in five holes (which is entirely possible) and one of those guys on 7 or 6 under picks up 4 or 5 to par over 9 holes (again, easy to envisage) then that lead is down to one or two.Then we'll see if that slightly jumpy disposition holds up..... but, at present, he is fearless and imperious. A really quite astonishing performance for a 21 yeear old.

[Lord Rother]

Grand National - Many Clouds at 40/1 is outstanding value.

Class horse of the race who, as a fairly lightly raced 8yo, should still be improving... there's always a chance he'll hate the course but he was 2nd fav for the Gold Cup last month and didn't run a bad race.

[andymacandy]

Grand National - Many Clouds at 40/1 is outstanding value.

Class horse of the race who, as a fairly lightly raced 8yo, should still be improving... there's always a chance he'll hate the course but he was 2nd fav for the Gold Cup last month and didn't run a bad race.

Well done sir!

[Lord Rother]

Why, thank you.

That was rather good, that!

[funky_nomad]

Grand National - Many Clouds at 40/1 is outstanding value.

Class horse of the race who, as a fairly lightly raced 8yo, should still be improving... there's always a chance he'll hate the course but he was 2nd fav for the Gold Cup last month and didn't run a bad race.

Well done sir!

Wish I'd seen this before I headed to bookies yesterday to stick a pin in the paper - a wee e/w profit on Alvarado could've been soooo much sweeter!

Nice work, though.

[Diamond Dog]

Well my three against the field are :

J Spieth (generally around 10/1)
J Walker (20/1)
J Rose (40/1)

And my outsider :

V. Dubuisson (100/1).

Have to say , Rose looks like he's been 'laid out' for this - he's a big price for a recent Major winner who can putt.

Nice weekend's work, all in all.....