Outrights:
Deutsche Bank:
I'll confess to being conflicted and confused about where to go with my selections for this week.
Initially, taking my "normal" approach (which relies heavily on stuff lodged in my brain about something I've seen or heard recently that has been registering on my radar, and/or something from the past about a venue or a performance that "was" on my radar and has now come back in focus, and only rarely involves venturing off the reservation with "wild hair" notions that can't be supported under my more dependable rubrics), my short list was lining up to be something close to Els, Dustin Johnson (more on that later), Watney and Molder. But then I got into some research, and I seemed to keep butting into the fact that my recollections of this course really suiting big hitters had far too many exceptions on both sides of the coin. So then I got to liking Sal Johnson's notion (I know, big mistake) that the course really favored exceptional/streaky iron play, and that did seem to explain the trending data patterns a little better. And then I was reminded of the results from last week, and on a venue few loved, the cream on the final leaderboard was as impressive as you are likely to ever see, so it seemed fair to say that these guys are professionals, and with real millions at stake, and real volatility in the system, maybe the Fed Ex Cup had their attention, and it would be much that way down the stretch.
So now I'm jettisoning much of my initial take, and going this way instead:
Ernie Els(20/1) e.w.
- - Back in the day, you could count on Ernie keeping his top form for extended stretches.
Hunter Mahan(33/1) e.w.
- - In an odd place regarding the President's Cup, but in my book has supplanted Toms (who was always ahead of Furyk) as the non-winner that has played the winningest golf this season.
Dustin Johnson(66/1) e.w.
- - Definitely not a game or a swing that I have ever been fond of when it comes to carrying my cash on a Sunday, but something about last week combined with this week's venue has me sticking with my initial instincts to buck my usual disdain. But far too popular this week to bode well, that for should.
Y.E. Yang(66/1) e.w.
- - Time enough to stake his claim for underappreciated achiever of the year.
Padraig Harrington(16/1) e.w.
- - I looked at Moore and Howell (and Molder) as long shots (a strategy with merit given Tiger's recent bridesmaid finishes), and looked at Z. Johnson and Toms and Snedeker, and arrived at this being the better direction.
Pebble Beach:
Mark O'Meara(16/1) e.w.
- "Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, CockSucker, MotherFucker, and Tits . . . and Tits doesn't even belong on the list," to quote George Carlin. I don't usually get too wound up when a potential winner gets away, but that exact quote was on my mind this time while I watched "Bombs Away" Loren Roberts match what should have been O'meara's decisive birdie binge around the turn last Sunday, and then pip him at the end . . . On to this week, and even if I've got a blind spot, I'm still discerning enough to have easily recognized that O'Meara's skinny price this week was at least thrice the value of anything being offered for Michelle Wie to continue on with a non-stop ascension.
GL