9th August 2012
USPGA Championship Betting: Nicolas Colsaerts has the pedigree and length to be the best continental European
Another of the outright markets which interests me going into this week’s USPGA Championship at Kiawah Island, South Carolina is the ‘Top Continental European player’ market. This basically includes every European player who isn’t from Great Britain or Ireland. Often it is a small market but on this occasion there are 22 men in the field from continental Europe. Sergio Garcia is the favourite to win the market at 8/1 with Stan James.
I can understand why that is the case. Sergio’s major record is very good even though he’s never won a major yet and he is very straight off the tee but his putting rarely holds up under intense pressure of a major with the tricky greens so even at 8/1 which is big for him in a market like this, I can’t get involved with him.
With this market we have to decide whether to go with one of the straighter hitters, of which there are many such as Francesco Molinari, Anders Hansen, Peter Hanson and Thorbjorn Olesen or go with one of the bombers who will be able to tame the course a bit more with their length off the tee. One thing which sways me towards the bombers is the record of the shorter hitters in the bigger tournaments where Hanson aside they have generally struggled.
So with the big hitters in mind there’s only one man for the job in my eyes. Admittedly Alvaro Quiros biffs it a long way but I can’t ignore the all round talents of Nicolas Colsaerts. Colsaerts has already featured strongly in the US Open and The Open this year and his length has to be a factor on this golf course. We know he can play into the wind and when the courses are long he often comes into his own as not only is he long off the tee but he’s accurate to go with it. Colsaerts has shown his major credentials this year and I think he’s a good bet to bring home the continental European cavalry this week.
Back N.Colsaerts Top Continental European player (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 9.50 with Blue Square (1/4 1-4)
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Author: 'Arry Allsports
