Credit: GETTY
WILL Scottie Scheffler be able to recover this week from the appalling shame he must be feeling after failing to finish in the top ten for the first time in seven Majors?
Joking aside, Scheffler’s share of 14th place at the USPGA was the best he could have hoped for, considering he looked like he was putting with his eyes closed.
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The world No 1 is the defending champion at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas, after shooting a ridiculous 31 under par to romp home by eight shots a year ago.
OK, the opposition this week is not exactly red hot, with world No 24 Si Woo Kim and 47th-ranked Jordan Spieth the only other top-50 players in action.
But it usually takes something better than the 20 under mark to win at Craig Ranch – and on what we saw at Aronimink, is Scheffler really going to make that many birdies again?
He is priced up on most lists at just 15-8. At those odds, would you really want to side with him? Honestly?
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Kim, who is a neighbour of Scheffler’s in Dallas, knows the course well, and he is the obvious alternative.
He finished second in this event in 2023, and has been in good form this year, making every cut and posting top-four finishes in the Heritage and the Cadillac Championship.
But a best-priced 14-1 still looks skinny for a player who could only manage tied 15th a year ago.
This is wide open if Scheffler continues to struggle on the greens, so there has to be value elsewhere.
The bookies seem to think Matti Schmidt will be running on empty after playing his way into the final group at the USPGA.
But the way he ground out a gritty par at the last to secure a share of fourth did not suggest he was feeling the strain, and at 80-1 he looks a sound each-way proposition.
Small stakes on a few longshots is probably the way to go this week. Kevin Roy, another player widely available at 80-1, fits into that bracket, along with 100-1 listed Patrick Rodgers. Both have played well here in the past.
Max Greyserman and Michael Brennan both had their moments at Aronimink, and both can be backed at 60-1 and better. Pierceson Coody is a slightly shorter-priced each-way option at 40-1.
It is a case of most of the usual suspects reappearing on the DP World Tour’s Soudal Open, with one or two of LIV’s lesser lights joining the field in Belgium.
Thomas Detry seems to occupy the head of the market almost by default as Belgium’s leading golfer. But apart from finishing second in Singapore, he has not made much noise since joining LIV at the end of last year.
Ewen Ferguson owes us one after failing to build on a promising fourth place in Turkey by finishing outside the top twenty at the Catalunya Championship.
Ferguson was beaten in a play-off here last year by Kristoffer Reitan – who has gone on to bigger things. With Reitan not back to defend, 22-1 shot Ferguson could go one better.
The big danger could be Jose Ballester, mentioned here previously as a player with a big future.
He shot a stunning 12 under par 60 at the LIV Virginia event to rocket into third place. That sort of firepower makes him another attractive 22-1 contender.
Mikael Lindberg did well to make the cut at the USPGA following his win in Turkey. He also comes into the reckoning at 33-1, and Manuel Elvira makes most appeal among the outsiders at 125-1.
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