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I have to say I am enduring my coldest snap as a tipster in possibly 15 years. Headline tip Jon Rahm was placed at the Masters, but it's been a frustrating run.
The pot is at €554 entering this week's tournament of focus, the RSM Classic on the US PGA Tour in Georgia.
Played on Sea Island, using two courses, the Seaside course and the Plantation course, the tournament was won last year with a score of 19-under-par by Tyler Duncan.
One needs to be accurate and possess a good touch around Sea Island, where local knowledge is helpful. It's also important to make birdies, as no gales are forecast and scoring should be low.
This week's event starts at midday Irish time on Thursday and Open champion Shane Lowry is in the field.
Be sure to shop around, with bookmakers such as Paddy Power, Betfair, William Hill, SKY Bet and Boylesports offering 1/5 the odds for your pick to get into the top 8.
Our headline selection is Louis Oosthuizen for €8 each way at 33/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
I find it quite staggering that South African Louis Oosthuizen has never won in America. The former Open champion at St Andrews is the model of consistency; finishing second in all four majors, and he posted a top 25 finish at the Masters last week. He has made 11 cuts in a row and his swing is one of the best on tour. On his only appearance in this tournament, in 2011, he was in contention to win and finished fourth. It's about time this class act broke his duck. Perhaps this is the week.
Our second selection is Doc Redman for €7 each way at 55/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
I keep on tipping Redman, waiting for the breakthrough, which is inevitable. There's a touch of the copy and paste regarding his bio, which reads: Redman is a former US Amateur champion and represented his country at the 2017 Walker Cup. On his team back then was current PGA Champion Collin Morikawa. Only 22, Redman is brilliant off the tee and possesses a calm temperament. He has posted three top five finishes since August. He led going into the final round at the Bermuda Championship recently and a final round of 73 took the gloss off a promising debut in the RSM Classic last year, in which he ended in a tie for 23rd. He's a much more comfortable player on tour now and that debut win is imminent.
Our third selection is Danny Willett for €6 each way at 100/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
It's a touch of a risk to select a debutant, but England's Danny Willett is a former Masters champion who is a proven winner in the big tournaments. Victories in the PGA Championship at Wentworth and at the DP World Tour Championship show that the Englishman knows how to close the deal. He fired a 66 at Augusta last week and his irons were crisp. In an event of a lesser quality, it's worth chancing 100 to 1 for him to finish in the top eight, and who knows what could happen if he is thereabouts.
Our fourth selection is DJ Trahan for €2 each way at 200/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
For the small bets on outsiders, I am going for experience in this tournament. It's DJ Trahan's home state, and he's battled through a career slump to continue to play in what they call the 'Big Show' - the PGA Tour. In four appearances at the RSM Classic, Trahan has finished 4th, 8th and 11th. He was flying last year before fading. He's made four cuts in a row and is worth a small investment to see if he challenges for a second tour win.
Our fifth selection is Brian Stuard for €2 each way at 200/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
A fine iron player and straight hitter, Brian Stuard has a good record on Sea Island, with four top 25s to his name. He finished in a tie for third at the Safeway Open in September and in a tie for 10th place in this event last year. A past winner on the PGA Tour, he may show up well.
Our final selection this week is Scott Brown for €2 each way at 300/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
Another accurate player off the tee with course form is Scott Brown. He has four top 20s in seven starts at Sea Island and was inside the top 25 in Houston on his last appearance. He tends to appear out of the blue and has won before on Tour, in Puerto Rico. He could certainly make a mockery of odds of 300 to 1.
So that's €54 wagered virtually on this week's golf. Make sure you bet less at home! A euro each way will do!
Please gamble responsibly, never bet more than you can afford, and good luck!
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