SDC Open & Panama Championship 2024 - Challenge Tour/Korn Ferry Tour

 Selections

SDC Open, Challenge Tour

0.5 pt e/w D. Mostert @ 70/1 - 6 places

0.5 pt e/w B. Akesson @66/1 - 6 places 

Panama Championship

1 pt e/w M. McGreevy @ 50/1 - 6 places

.75 pts e/w R. Streb @ 66/1 - 6 places

Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2024 - Pebble Beach & Spyglass GC, California, USA

 Selections

1 pt e/w M. Fitzpatrick @ 30/1 - 8 places

1 pt e/w T. Fleetwood @ 30/1 - 8 places

.75 pts e/w R. Fowler  @ 90/1 - 8 places

Bahrain Championship 2024 - Royal GC, Kingdom of Bahrain, Bahrain

 Selections

1 pt e/w C. Syme @ 50/1 - 8 places
1 pt e/w M. Siem @ 60/1 - 8 places
1 pt e/w R. Paratore @ 75/1 - 8 places

Ras Al Khaimah Championship 2024 - Al Hamra GC, UAE

 Selections

1.5 pts e/w T. Lawrence @ 25/1 - 6 places

1 pt e/w J. Guerrier @ 45/1 - 6 places

1 pt e/w P. Larrazabal @ 45/1 - 7 places

1 pt e/w P. Waring @ 75/1 - 8 places

Farmers Insurance Open 2024 - Torrey Pines GC (North & South), California

 Selections

1.5 pts e/w T. Finau @ 25/1 - 8 places

1.25 pts e/w S.Theegala @ 28/1 - 8 places

1 pt e/w S.Ryder @ 125/1 - 8 places

0.5 pt e/w L.Griffin @ 250/1 - 8 places

0.5 pt e/w N.Xiong @ 500/1 - 8 places 

Dubai Desert Classic 2024 - Emirates GC, Dubai, UAE

 

It's 5 years since I walked the course during the Dubai Desert Classic when I mostly followed Matt Fitzpatrick with his then new caddy, Billy Foster so it's an event thats always been one of my favourites.

Thomas Pieters was a bit erratic that day trying to cut the dog-legs but if a player is driving well off the tee and finding fairways he will thrive here and that leads to me my first selection this week when I once again turn my attention to Thorbjorn Olesen who kick started 2024 with yet another top-10 last week to backup his form of 2023! With Rory looking to put last week's "flop" behind him very quickly at a course he knows a lot better than last week's , it gives us a little value @ 28/1 with the 8 places abegging. The Dane put in a top-20 SG:APR performance last week but it was his putter that shone particularly well and I'm happy to side with him again here.

I'll also stick with one of last week's picks, Ewen Ferguson @ 60/1 - 8 places. Hes continuing good recent form where he demonstrated a strong T2G up the road and he can vastly improves on his 28th finish twelve months ago

My Shortlist	BET365 Odds	Best Odds	Best Exchange	My Odds
Rory McIlroy	4.33	4.33	4.43	5
Tyrrell Hatton	11	11	12.3	9
Tommy Fleetwood	12	11	12.3	9
Adrian Meronk	26	26	28	23
Joaquin Niemann	19	21	25	26
Thorbjorn Olesen	29	29	31	26
Ryan Fox	34	34	43	29
Ewen Ferguson	67	67	69	56
Romain Langasque	71	71	83	71
Jayden Schaper	126	101	127	111
Paul Waring	126	151	147	111
Bernd Wiesberger	126	126	167	111
Kalle Samooja	151	126	176	111
Daniel Hillier	126	151	167	111
Pablo Larrazabal	176	151	186	151

My 15-man shortlist

Also adding kiwi, Daniel Hillier & Austrian Bernd Weisberger to the staking plan with the latter chances to put his "LIV episode" behind him and and re-establish himself as a fully fledged DPT player. He may or may not be rusty, there appeared to be some merit in the LIV golfers performing a lot fresher than others last year, so @ 80/1 - 8 places thought it was too good a price to pass on. Hillier is chanced @ 110/1 - 8 places

Selections

1.75 pts e/w T. Olesen      @ 28/1 - 8 places
1 pt e/w E.Ferguson          @ 60/1 - 8 places
.75 pts e/w B. Weisberger @ 80/1 - 8 places
.75 pts e/w . D. Hillier      @ 110/1 - 8 places 

Dubai International 2024 - Dubai Creek Resort, Dubai, UAE

 Just 7 players made my shortlist for this inaugural event in Dubai as I look get Rory beat.

My Shortlist	BET365 Odds	Best Odds	Best Exchange	My Odds
Adrian Meronk	15	16	21	13
Ryan Fox	17	19	19	17
Thriston Lawrence	34	34	34	29
Marcel Siem	51	51	78	46
Ewen Ferguson	46	41	54	41
Connor Syme	61	67	51	61
Jeff Winther	91	67	71	61

I settled on 3 to play as per selections below

Selections

2.5 pts e/w A. Meronk @ 16/1 - 6 places

1.5 pts e/w M. Siem    @  50/1 - 6 places

2.5 pts e/w E. Ferguson @ 40/1 - 6 places

Sony Open 2024 - WAIALAE COUNTRY CLUB, HONOLULU, HAWAII

 The blog's last outright winner came here twelve months ago when Si Woo Kim took the title @ 40/1.

My Shortlist	Bet365 odds (less places)	Best Odds	Best Exchange	My Odds
Brian Harman	21	23	23	21
Corey Conners	26	26	26	23
Chris Kirk	29	29	29	26
Hideki Matsuyama	46	46	46	41
Keith Mitchell	81	91	91	81
Gary Woodland	126	126	126	111
Ryan Palmer	126	151	151	111
Hayden Buckley	151	151	151	111
Zach Johnson	301	351	351	301
Kevin Kisner	226	351	351	251
Norman Xiong	2501	351	351	201

From my 11-man shortlist (Norman Xiong finally added to bookies website this morning), just 4 of them played last week at The Sentry. 36 players in total played last week that tee it up here at Waialae CC.

It looks a fairly open contest this week where a putting performance looks to be the main win criteria but I'm going with the following;

Selections

2.5 pts e/w B. Harman @ 20/1   - 8 places

2.5 pts e/w C. Conners @ 20/1   - 8 places

.50 pts e/w H. Buckley @ 150/1 - 8 places

.50 pts e/w N. Xiong    @ 300/1 - 8 places

Sentry Tournament of Champions 2024 - Kapalua Hawaii

Apparently this tournament has a new name.

 Formerly the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the field of 59 players, the largest in history, consists of winners from 2023 and any players who advanced to the BMW Championship last August. 

It's now known as The Sentry ! ?? 

Last year was one of the worst for this blog for P&L and the tale off 2023 started here this time last year when Collin Morikawa blew a 6 shot lead to lose it to Scottie Scheffler. But I'm happy to side with Morikawa this week at 14/1 as well as an early play on Tony Finau, who I think could be in for a memorable 2024, @ 28/1 - 6 places.

Selections

 2.5 pts E/W C. Morikawa @ 14/1 - 6 places

1.5 pts E/W T. Finau @ 28/1 - 6 places