Welcome to week two of Virtual Insanity, where we spend virtual money to try and win virtual money on golf betting!
Last week Sungjae Im and Rory Sabbatini contended at the Sony Open in Hawaii, but we ended up empty-handed. So the pot is at €970 entering this week's tournament of focus, the American Express in California.
The Amercian Express starts at 4.30pm on Thursday.
It is desert golf, played at three courses, La Quinta, the Nicklaus course at PGA West and the Stadium course at PGA West.
With calm weather forecast, one needs players on side that make a lot of birdies and who can go low.
Our first selection is Jason Kokrak for €5 each way at 35/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places with Paddy Power, Betfair).
American Kokrak is due a maiden win on the PGA Tour. It's more likely now after a breakout 2019, when he finished in the top 25 in 14 of his starts. His five top 10 finishes earned him a place at the Tour Championship and at the back end of last year, he posted a top 10 result at the prestigious HSBC Champions in China. Kokrak is a big hitter who enjoys this golf tournament. He was tied 18th last year and tied eighth in 2018. If there's no rust in his bones following a break, he can be there or thereabouts.
Our second selection is Sungjae Im for €3 each way at 16/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places with Paddy Power, Betfair).
I am prepared to give Sungjae Im another chance after his decent performance in Hawaii last week. In contention at the start of the final round, he was booked for a top 10 finish until carding a late triple bogey. Sungjae Im is in great form, having played nicely at the President's Cup. He drives the ball well and his par four performance is good. Last year he was tied 12th in this tournament, so he likes the track. A win is surely imminent for this talented 21-year-old from South Korea, who lit up the Korn Ferry tour.
Our final selection this week is Doc Redman for €2 each way at 250/1. (1/5 the odds the first 7 places with Sky Bet).
These are mad odds on Doc Redman, but don't worry about that. All odds are based on the opinion of industry compilers. They can be wrong! I think Redman is overpriced on the basis of his natural ability. He won the 2017 US Amateur and earned his PGA Tour card by qualifying on the Monday for the Rocket Mortgage Classic last year and then finishing second. That week, one needed to go low, and if the putter co-operates, Redman could outperform his market value. He's been solid if unspectacular on the PGA Tour this season.
So that's €20 wagered this week.
Please gamble responsibly, never bet more than you can afford and good luck!
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