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| Psychological duel or match fixing? You make the call. |
The biennial contest is upon us. Commonly regarded as the weak sister of the Ryder Cup, this Presidents Cup, held at venerable Royal Melburne, (pronounced Mel-buhn) promises to be a spirited competition, with a little more emphasis on competition as opposed to the exhibition it's been in the past. That's perhaps because International captain Greg Norman is known for his fiery spirit. The fact that this is the venue the Internationals last prevailed on, as well as being Norman's home course, as well as his being the losing captain two years ago, makes this personal. Norman and US captain Fred Couples have sparred in the media during the run up on subjects including the saneness of each other captain's picks for their respective squads. Throw in the verbal gaffe by ex-Woods caddy Steve Williams and we should at least have a little passion displayed over the week.
Ladbrokes' betting house lists the odds for both teams at even money for a win, with a 10/1 pay for a tie. Here's the odds of some top players on landing the top scorer spot.....
US TEAM
Tiger Woods - 6/1
Nick Watney 8/1
Webb Simpson - 8/1
Phil Mickelson - 8/1
Dustin Johnson - 8/1
Matt Kuchar - 9/1
Steve Stricker - 9/1
INTERNATIONAL TEAM
Jason Day - 5/1
Adam Scott - 6/1
Geoff Ogilvy - 7/1
Charl Schwartzel - 7/1
KJ Choi - 8/1
This Average Golfer expects a close match to be decided by Sunday singles matches. The pairings will tell all, but unfortunately in hindsight that the best captain's choices are revealed. Expect a Woods/Stricker, Mickelson/Watney show for the US. Players for Captain Couples to hide might include Simpson, due to lack of experience, or David Toms and Jim Furyk since neither are having career years.
On the International side look for Aussie pairings. Some combination of Day, Scott, Ogilvy, Baddeley, or Allenby. Allenby will need the boost coming off poor play at last weeks Australian Open. Captain Norman may try to hide Retief Goosen or Ernie Els based on recent play. Korean KT Kim will be an unknown. Expect him paired with countryman KJ Choi. If Choi's hot, like he can be, this could be a crucial duo.
As close as I think this event will be, I predict an International victory, largely due to the large Aussie contingent making for a strong home course advantage. I see a 17 1/2 - 16 1/2 winning margin.
THE PRESIDENTS CUP BROADCAST TIMES
DOMESTIC US NETWORKS (all times ET)
Wednesday, November 16 9 p.m.-2 a.m. (GOLF / live coverage)
Thursday, November 17 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (GOLF / tape-delayed)
7:30 p.m.-2 a.m. (GOLF / live coverage)
Friday, November 18 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (GOLF / tape-delayed)
3 p.m.-2 a.m. (GOLF / live coverage)
Saturday, November 19 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (NBC / tape-delayed)
6:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (GOLF / live coverage)
Sunday, November 20 12-6 p.m. (NBC / tape-delayed)
*Remember, bet early and often.
Charl and Adam will keep the Int'l team relevant, otherwise, US should do well.
ReplyDeleteI watch this tournament and i feel very happy to see US win the presidents cup and remain undefeated.
ReplyDeleteOne of the contestants was actually one of my roofing contractors in Ottawa.
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