Tuesday 7 January 2020

South African Open 2020

Welcome back to the blog....it's been quite awhile since I last wrote a proper preview, despite putting up selections throughout 2019. Having missed the weekly challenge of doing the research,pricing the field, looking for some value and then writing the preview, I feel compelled to tackle it again this year in earnest as the year ahead on both the Europeantour & PGA Tour look to be exciting prospects from both spectator & betting point of views.

It hasn't been easy the past 2-3 seasons,and the P&L certainly reflects that, but I note other reputable golf tipsters have found it tough going of late also. Others though are doing well which is heartening and it motivates me to turn it around this year. It's evident that the quality of the competition is much higher than it was 5 to 7 years ago, the elite normally get the job done most weeks these days. Its getting harder to identify where the golfer will outplay his odds nevermind when he will! Something has to change if we are to re turn to profitable ways, so, as I tried to over the past 3 years, before returning to each way betting last year, I believe by concentrating on the TOP10/20 and other side markets may be the better option for some tournaments over others.The young guns are also taken to deliver more often than the "35yr old plus veterans". He say this as the South African Open looks likely to be contended by the experienced players like Louis Oosthuizen, Charles Schwartzel and perhaps Richard Sterne and George Coetzee, all in their 30s! With a field of 240 in Johannesburg this week, we should expect to find some value. However, I do think Oosty will be hard to beat here...there's no doubting how much this National Title means to him and his fellow compatriots. He will be up for this!

Min Woo Lee @ 50/1 is very tempting for me with 7 places or  45/1 with 8 places on offer. The Hojgaard twins, Rasmus & Nicolai @ 60/1 & 250/1 respectively are also appealing this week with the former having won in Mauritius.

Its the opening event of the year, there is a bit of rust about, a 240 man field with tournament host, Louis Oosthuizen in fine form of late.He had a decent performance at The Presidents Cup too. Its small stakes to start this week with a couple of better chances to punt in Hawaii.
Min Woo Lee is taken @50/1 e/w. The Aussie is in great form. TOP-3 at The Australian PGA Championship followed up TOP-3 at the NSW Open. two weeks prior. He's not as rusty as others here following competitive golf right up to Christmas Week.

Former readers of the blog will be aware of my respect for Irishman, Gavin Moynihan. The Dubliner lost his card and missed out at Q-School in November but will have limited starts available on the Europeantour along with the Challenge Tour. He will be confident following a good end of last season despite the disappointment, the highlight of his season having finished T5 at Le Golf National at the end of October. Gavin was 9/16 events on tour last year with the solo T5 in Paris and a further 3 TOP-20s to boot. He's seen his good mate, Paul Dunne start his professional career in flying fashion whilst he struggled to settle. Now the Greystones man is in the same boat, looking to kick start his career once more and we can be assured that both of them will work hard in 2020 to fulfil their dreams. For me, the Portrane double Irish Amateur Champion is the better golfer of the two,and this could be his breakthrough year. With a superb short game, a tight short track as presented over both Firethorn & Bushwillow GCs may give him the opportunity to kick start his season very quickly. I'm backing him to put in a solid effort here and grab at least a TOP-30 @ 5/1.

Selections:

1 pt e/w Min Woo Lee @ 50/1 (7 places)
4 pts TOP-30 Gavin Moynihan @ 5/1


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