Paul Williams' Tips for the 2011 WGC Cadillac Championship
Off to Doral this week for the second instalment of the World Golf Championship series at the Blue Monster course, home of the infamous 18th which was ranks amongst the hardest finishing holes on tour. Being a WGC there's all of the World's elite in attendance at the time of writing - there's also a smattering of other players who have qualified through various other routes, however the field is only 69 players in total and everyone will play all 4 rounds with no cut.
Don't let the course's nickname mislead you - whilst it's an excellent venue, the course overall ranks in the top 25% easiest courses despite the formidable 18th. It's not massively long either at a little over 7,200 yards, however the longer hitters tend to prosper with wide fairways and generous landing areas usually leading to a winning total in the 15 to 20-under region. The real premium however is putting, and those in form with the flat stick will prosper around here.
Some trends to consider here - despite the change of course over the years, every winner had recorded a top 10 in at least 1 of their previous 3 starts. All previous winners are also Major champions - Mike Weir was the only winner (1999) to record his Major win after his victory in this event; all others were previous Major winners. So we're looking for a long-hitting, in form past/likely future Major winner who is putting well.
There are some interesting specials & offers this week from a few of the bookies:
- Sky Bet. 'Two Chances' special - pick Woods/Kaymer at 4/1, or Donald/Westwood at 11/1. Details
- Victor Chandler. 'Hole In One' - if your player shoots an Ace then he's paid out as tournament winner Details
Finally before my tips, if you live in the UK & Ireland you can't have missed the new Paddy Power TV ads promoting their mobile betting proposition. If you have an iPhone, iPad or use another smartphone/web enabled phone then you must check out their excellent service - click here for more details and a £50 free bet for new customers.
My tips for this event are below; for my spread betting tips click here: WGC Spread Tips
Y.E. Yang 2pts EW
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Yang announced himself on the World stage at the back end of 2006 when he held off Tiger Woods in Shanghai before that event gained WGC status; since then the diminutive South Korean has grabbed further titles in China and America before his greatest triumph at Hazeltine back in 2009 at the PGA Championship. That's the length and Major boxes ticked then! Yang's current form is strong with 3 top 10s in his last 4 starts, including pushing Rory Sabbatini all the way last week on slightly slower Bermuda greens. He averaged 1.688 putts per GIR despite the tough conditions last week - the kind of figure required to win at Doral.
Despite his record here (best finish 30th), this course should suit his aggressive style much more than PGA National and he's been tweeting about how much better his game feels this season following a change of driver. There are plenty of 'bigger names' out there, however Yang is a World-beater on his day as he's proven before, and with I'm positive you'll see a strong performance from him here. RESULT: T39
Nick Watney 1.5pts EW
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If you asked me to name a maiden Major winner of the future, Nick Watney would be the first words to pass my lips. Augusta is Watney's most likely scene of triumph in my view, however he's developing into the type of player who could compete on any stage. Top 7 finishes at both Augusta and St Andrews in 2010 illustrate this point perfectly.
Length isn't an issue for Watney who has top-10'd on all 4 starts this season on the PGA Tour. His putting and scoring has been excellent with -34 his total for 12 rounds of strokeplay this season; allied to this he's 2nd in bogey avoidance on Tour for 2011. 2nd here in 2009 shows that he clearly has an eye for this course and setup, I'd be surprised if Butch Harmon's pupil isn't in the mix come Sunday afternoon. RESULT: Winner
Martin Laird 1pt EW 100/1 with Victor Chandler. £25 Free Bet and 'Hole In Won' Offer, click here.
The 28 year-old Scot's PGA Tour exemption ends this season following his 2009 victory at the JT Shriners (-19 total on a par-72 resort course with Bermuda greens....sound familiar?!), so he'll need to continue the positive form he's shown this season with form of 22/MC/3/25/33 from his 5 starts.
His 3rd place finish at TPC Scottsdale last month was impressive, as were 3 top-3 finishes in his final 6 starts of 2010 - including The Barclays, CIMB Asia Pacific as well as a creditable defence of his JT Shriners title where he finished runner-up. Plenty long enough to compete here, averaging 301 off the tee in 2011, I think my ton-plus tip may just play a prominent part in proceedings this week...RESULT: T10
Thomas Aiken 1pt Top
10 11/1 with
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The South African is yet to win on the European Tour however his quality has never been in doubt from those who follow golf closely. It's testament to his consistency that he's qualified for this event - his 8 starts this season have reaped 7 top-15 finishes and 4 top 10s and I'm looking for him to make that number 5 here.
He's started 2011 in similar fashion to 2009 which reaped a 7th place finish here as well as further top 10s at Wentworth and Turnberry; in my view his game's in the same kind of place at the moment and 11/1 with Bet365 for a top 10 (other firms are as short at 7/1) just has to be taken on. RESULT: T35
Odds and bookmaker offers correct at 17:00GMT 8.3.11 But naturally subject to fluctuation.
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2012 WGC Cadillac Championship Tips
Our tips, picks and predictions for the 2012 WGC Cadillac Championship will be published here on the Tuesday before the event - bookmark this page and come back soon!
