WGC Cadillac Championship & Puerto Rico Open Preview

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We are this week assessing the golf betting opportunities in the field for both the WGC Cadillac Championship at TPC Blue Monster and the Puerto Rico Open at Trump International GC.

All the big names are at the WGC event which means a wide open event in Puerto Rico and some unfamiliar names on our tips list, with 12 points being allocated for each event.

WGC Cadillac Championship Preview & Picks

Starting off with the Cadillac Championship at Blue Monster...although a WGC event this is not one of the more difficult courses, with winning totals as healthy as -16 in each of the last 2 years. Aggressive players prosper here so look for a player with distance off the tee who hits greens but is also useful from a bunker when needed.

Players to watch...

Robert Garrigus (60/1) has made a great start to the 2013 season, with top 25 finishes in each of the 5 events he has played. He ranks 6^th for both driving distance and GIR and is 7^th for sand saves and 1^st all-around, so has the perfect game for this course. However, his lack of course experience is a slight concern so we recommend him each-way.

Jason Dufner (65/1) hasn’t made a great start to the year but surely it is only a matter of time before his game comes good. He has recorded a couple of top 30 finishes at this event in the past and that experience should serve him well this week. If he can recapture his 2012 form that placed him 3^rd in the total driving stats and 7^th for GIR then he will have a chance this week.

Jason Day (50/1) has started the season in fantastic form with 3 top 10 finishes from his 4 events. For 2013 he ranks 17^th for driving distance (7^th in 2012), 2^nd for sand saves and 4^th all-around. Day finished T20 here last year and we think that he can build on that this week.

Webb Simpson (35/1) has recorded 5 top 25 finishes from his 6 events this year, so is showing good early season form. Not the longest of hitters but his 9^th ranking in GIR and 7^th for sand saves combined with his form will make him a threat this week. Simpson will of course be ultra keen to bag a winner this week before the powers that be ban his putter!

Puerto Rico Open Preview & Picks

Moving on to the Puerto Rico Open...another tournament where the winning total has been -16 in each of the last 2 years. This is a long 7,569 yard par 72 and your chances of winning are made a whole lot better if you can make the most of the 2 shorter par 5’s on the front 9. There are plenty of players waiting for their breakthrough in this field and we think the winner will need to go below -16. Therefore, good putting and a low scoring average are also important characteristics to look for this week.

Players to watch...

Erik Compton (66/1) finished T4 at the Honda last week and also recorded a T15 at Farmers in January. He ranks 19^th for eagles (per hole), 24^th for scoring average and 36^th for strokes gained putting so we are happy to put him at the top of our tips at a tasty looking 66/1.

Matt Jones (40/1) finished T5 here last year and has made a solid start to 2013 with 3 top 25’s from his first 5 events. He ranks 19^th for eagles (per hole) and 19^th in scoring average so he has a good game for this course.

James Driscoll (110/1) has had a couple of 2^nd placed finishes in his career but is still waiting for a maiden victory. Driscoll played extremely well for his T9 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach last month and put together 3 good rounds at the Honda last week before dropping back in the final round. In the 2012 rankings he placed 23^rd for strokes gained putting and 14^th for eagles (per hole) so he has a good game for this course.

Kevin Stadler (25/1) had 12 consecutive rounds of 70 and under at Humana, Waste Management and AT&T Pebble Beach events. Stadler ranks 18^th for eagles (per hole) and 18^th for scoring average so we think he will have a great chance of winning this week.

Brian Stuard (80/1) has finished in the top 39 in each of his 5 events this year, peaking at T5 in the Sony Open. Stuard ranks 7^th for strokes gained putting and 8^th for scoring average so we think he is fantastic each-way value at a big price with Coral.

Ryo Ishikawa (90/1) has had a poor start to the year – missing 4 cuts from 5 events. However, if he can find his game then he has each-way potential this week as he was 2^nd here last year.