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With Casey Blacks (who I might add seems to be filling Win McMurry’s space admirably……time for another interview?) rundown on the Greenbrier Classic above, it’s straight to Ian’s (who certainly couldn’t replace the beautiful Win McMurry) review of who he fancies to perform this week.

“This week the White Sulphur Springs golf course hosts the Greenbrier Classic, which is a completely new tournament to the PGA Tour. Being a par seventy, seven thousand yard long course White Sulphur Springs offers up only two par fives and four par threes. It is similar to last week’s course where greens in regulation and putting will be key. The course offers generous fairways and undulating greens and when the caddies went out on the course for the first time they felt that the winning score could be in the twenty under range, perhaps even lower depending on conditions. So we are looking for a player who hits a lot of greens in regulation but is also a good putter and these are the players I felt most suited to the task:

Matt Kuchar each way @ 16/1
Kuchar is a solid all round player. Tied seventh in scoring average per round on the PGA Tour, he is also tied eighteenth on average birdies per round. As already stated, low scoring seems to be the order of the week and Kuchar doesn’t seem afraid to go low. He averages over 68 percent in driving accuracy and over 69.5 percent in greens in regulation. Heard enough? Wait, there is more, he is over nine percent better in the area of scrambling than the PGA Tour average and he averages 28.89 putts per round. Consistency is also a feature of Kuchars with seven top tens so far this year and after finishing tied fourth last week in Canada on a similar course to here, my confidence in him doing well this week are high. Although he hasn’t won too many tournaments over the past few years, he has been knocking on the door regularly. If he can continue to do, I think that door can open soon……in fact, very soon!

Charley Hoffman each way @ 40/1
Hoffman has only had two top ten finishes all year but one of them came last year in the RBC Canadian Open. He hits the ball over 296 yards off the tee and even though length is not imperative this week, it certainly helps if you are hitting wedges for your second shot rather than 7 and 8 irons. The man also hits over 65 percent of greens in regulation and has a ‘putts per round’ average of 28.81. All in all, despite his form not being overly exciting, I think that Hoffman could fly under the radar this week and challenge for top honors. At 40/1 he represents good each way value.

Jeff Overton each way @ 20/1
Although Overton’s odds are a little skinny, when I weighed up my option, I found I couldn’t ignore him as a tip this week. Statistically, Overton is a long, inaccurate hitter who hits a lot of greens in regulation but his short game around the greens and his putting are sometimes prone to letting him down. However, he is fourth in par 3 performance this year on the PGA Tour, playing them in a combined total of four under and is eleventh in par 4 performance all year by shooting a combined total of seven under par. Now for some recent form and trust me, Overton’s is impressive. He has had two second place finishes this year and two third place finishes. On top of that, Overton finished tied eleventh in the Open Championship, which shows that he is not afraid to perform on a big stage, which is where he might be come Sunday. Despite short odds Overton looks promising.

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Okay, perhaps I’m being just a wee bit nationalistic here by claiming The Irish Open is the 5th Major but for every Irish golfer, it certainly is one they would like to get their hands on. The Irish golfing public has been fortunate enough to witness 2 Irish winners in recent year with Padraig Harrington doing the business in a play off against Bradley Dredge at Adare Manor and who could forget Shane Lowry’s monumentuous win last year in a play off against Robert Rock at rain drenched Baltray.

Thats was then and this is now though. Fortunately, the cream of Irish golf have turned up for this weeks event. Boasting 4 major wins out of the past 13, McDowell and Harrington will be sure to have their fair share of followers. However, in this golden generation of Irish golf, we also have one of the worlds greatest talent in Rory McIlroy, backed up by such talents as Clarke, Lowry, Lawrie, McGrane, Hoey and Thornton.

The venue is Killarney Golf Club, one of my absolute favorite places to spend a weekend and play golf. The course is not long but the scenery is sublime, especially on a beautiful summers day. throw into the mix that it is a bank holiday over here and we are hoping for fine weather and record breaking crowds. the only thing that may draw from it is the fact the Galway Races are on this week also……and of course the fact that the Recession is alive and kicking on these shores.

So, with the introductions over, its time to turn to out tipster Ian who’s form over the past few weeks reminds has been far from impressive. Having reminded him of such this week, he has been grinding through the history and statistic books more than ever to provide you with his first winner since his appearance here (in fairness, its only been a couple of weeks but there are standards to be met here). Without further procrastination, here are Ian’s selections:

“Our National Professional Golf Open returns once again to Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. The last two times it was played at this course, in 1991 and 1992, Sir Nick Faldo walked away with the title both times. A lot has changed since then however, both on the course and in terms of players. The greens have been remodelled to USGA specifications and some work has been done with the tees as well. The course should offer low scoring, with the risk of it turning into a ‘birdie fest’ if the conditions are right. Heavy rain has plagued the Killarney area over the last couple of weeks, but the weatherman tells us that conditions will be pretty good for the Irish Open. With some big names in golf arriving in Ireland, it should make for some exciting viewing. Marcel Siem, Graeme McDowell and Damien McGrane were all vying hard to make my final 3 but each just came up short for various reasons. Now for the final 3:”

Rory Mcilroy each way @ 8/1
The odds aren’t great for the young Northern Irishman and it takes a pretty special player to get me to back them at such short odds but Mcilroy is that special player. Two words spring to mind when people mention Mcilroy’s name to me and that’s ‘Quail Hollow’. The quality of his final two rounds there showed just how good a player he is and showed why there is no doubt that he will be world number one someday. But back to stats; Mcilroy booms the ball off the tee at nearly a 294 yard average. Granted that his accuracy isn’t fantastic but he is driving the ball better presently than he did at the start of the season so his stats don’t tell the full story of his present game. The good thing about his accuracy is that he doesn’t seem to have one of these Phil or Tiger shots that will go a country mile off line. He hits nearly 78 percent of green and that with improved putting make him almost the ultimate player. In fact, he has managed to improve his putting by an average of nearly one putt per round. Irish fans will be cheering him on this week and he will want to do well for all his fans. Even at these short odds, Mcilroy seems well worth a bet.

Bradley Dredge each way @ 45/1
The Welshman has been in great form this year and had it not been for his inability to close off tournaments, he would have one or two in the bag already. He hasn’t won in four years which of course is a worry but his play suggests another might be just around the corner. Long off the tee, albeit not always the most accurate, he hits over 67 percent of greens in regulation and a lot of players would kill for his putting. Also he should have good memories from Ireland after coming second in 2007, losing to our own Padraig Harrington, and from finishing tied eighth in 2008. Another thing was that he commented that he wanted to make Monty’s Ryder Cup team. With valuable Ryder Cup points on offer, Dredge is eager to put on a good show. Hopefully that added pressure will prove a boost for Dredge as opposed to a burden, but I am confident he has the mentality to cope. Clearly the bookies are coy on Dredge’s chances but that gives us the opportunity to snap up what appears to be a great value bet, with Dredge priced at 45/1

Alejandro Canizares each way @ 50/1
Canizares is another man who is in the form of his life. He has done all but win this year and coming out the wrong end of two playoffs has only spurred the twenty seven year old Spaniard on. On paper, his game seems suited to all golf courses and there are no glaringly apparent weakness. He averages nearly 287 yards in driving distance and couples that with both driving accuracy and greens in regulation percentages of nearly 69 percent. Moving on to the flat stick and he aint half bad either with an average of 28.21 putts per round and 1.7 putts for greens in regulation. The more I look at these stats, the more appealing this bet becomes. His odds of 50/1 are ridiculously high and should be taken advantage of. His past results in the Irish Open are quite poor but don’t let this put you off as the old Canizares wasn’t a patch on the one that showed up this year.

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After a superb 60 which put him right in contention after Saturday’s round,Carl Petterson followed it up with an impressive 67 to win the 2010 Canadian Open by a single stroke from overnight leader Dean Wilson. Luke Donald shot 66 to claim third and extend his recent run of good form. The Englishman now jumps to a career high 7th in the World Ranking.

As for Pettersson, he is yet another man pushing for the extremely competitive European Ryder Cup team. One would feel that he needs to either show his face in Europe for a few tournaments or else win another PGA Tour event in the next month for Monty to consider him though. I wonder if he was even pre-fitted for the uniforms like all the rest who are in contention??

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Ian has been looking through the field and here is what he has come up with for this weeks Canadian Open:

“The RBC Canadan Open is the next stop on the US Tour and is being hosted on the Par 70, St. Georges Golf and Country Club, which measures over seven thousand yards. With three par fives and five par threes, the course is ideally suited to strong iron players. As it is a tree lined course, there is a premium also on accuracy but those that can hit it a long way, might find themselves with some short irons into greens which they can attack. Based on this, I am looking for those whose stats back up the need for strong iron play in addition to above average length combined with above average accuracy.

Paul Casey: Each Way @ 16/1
The first person to jump out is Paul Casey. What a terrific iron player, averaging nearly seventy percent of greens in regulation on the PGA Tour and over seventy three percent on the European Tour. Not only that but he is extremely long, averaging over two hundred and ninety yards in driving distance on the PGA Tour while still managing to keep it pretty accurate. Following on from his tied third place in the Open Championship last week, he is carrying some momentum. Between the European and PGA Tour, he has three further top fives this year and two further top tens. Although a ten time winner on the European Tour, he has only one single PGA Tour title to his name. While fatigue could be a factor from travel and a long week at the British Open, I am confident that Casey can put up a good showing this week.

Hunter Mahan: Each way @ 28/1
The American looks like he has the perfect game for the course. He averages over two hundred and ninety yards in driving distance and also averages nearly seventy percent in both driving accuracy and greens in regulation. These stats make up for his poor putting, but if he can putt well he will surely be there or there abouts at the end of Sunday. His form has not been particularly great this season but with valuable Ryder Cups up for grabs and Mahan fighting hard for his pace, I think we could see a change in fortunes for Hunter over the next month or so, starting this week.

Alex Cejka: Top ten @ 5/1
Cejka is quite a short hitter but he is accurate and hits quite a lot of greens in regulation. He was tied fifth last week in the Reno Tahoe Open and was tied third at the end of July in Germany in the BMW International Open. Unfortunately, like Mahan, putting is an issue which makes winning it, in my opinion, a bridge too far for Alex. We have also seem him slip away from the top of leadersboards when in contention to win more than once over the past few years. However, with odds of 5/1 for him to finish in the top ten, I think this is quite appealing considering there aren’t a lot of big names in the field this week.

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This weeks event on the US Tour is the Canadian Open. I will post a full preview on tomorrows site but for now enjoy some of the fantastic highlights over the years from this special tournament. Who will ever forget Tigers six iron to the 18th or the heartache in seeing Mike Weir come so close to winning his national championship only to see his dream shattered by a visit to the water on the 18th. Lets hope this week has more drama in store for us.

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This week the Bro Hof Slott golf course hosts the Nordea Scandinavian Masters for the first time and from looking on the website, it looks absolutely stunning. It was in fact recently voted the ninth best course in Europe and is sure to provide some excellent viewing over the four days I believe.

Since it is the first time a European tour event has been played at the golf club, there are no past results for us to judge our potential winners on. However, we will persevere and see if we can unearth some gems for you this week. Last week’s tips unfortunately didn’t provide us with the desired result at the British Open, although my man McIlroy did earn himself a place so congrats to anyone who backed him each way. Although pleased with a top 5 finish I really though McIlroy could do the business last week, especially after that blistering opening 63.

Ian has been analyzing the field for this weeks Scandinavian Masters and hoping to put last week behind him, here is what he has to say:

“My first pick is Englishman Robert Rock. Although perhaps not a household name, he has been in terrific form this year and from what I’ve seen, it’s difficult to understand why he has yet to win on tour. It is surely a matter of “when” and not “if”. With five top top four finishes and a further two top tens, most notably finishing tied seventh at the Open Championship last week, perhaps that day of reckoning is upon us. His putting stroke is sublime and if the rest of the game can match it this week, I think he has a great each way chance. At 28/1, his odds aren’t bad either.

My second tip is the Swede Peter Hanson. He has already won on tour this year, and recent form could be pointing him towards yet another. Tied sixth in France three weeks ago and a strong showing in the Open Championship only for two poor closing rounds of 74, Hanson is not far off the top of his game. The big Swede has such a calm demeanor that if he gets into contention, he generally doesn’t let much phase him. His odds are relatively low at 16/1 but buoyed on by the local support, I think he has a big chance. Furthermore, he is also paired with Rock over the opening two days so I’m hoping that they can get off to good starts and ensure that they bring out the best in one another.

Lastly, after much head scratching and pencil gnawing, my final tip is Raphael Jacquelin. He, like the other two, is beginning to show some solid form. The last competition he played in was the Barclay’s Scottish Open where he finished tied 3rd but he also came runner up in the Saint-Omer Open. True he was poor at the beginning of the season but he has proven before he has the credentials to win, and when playing well, there are not too many more fluid and classic swings. I’m giving him the nod at 28/1

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Okay, Im just readjusting to our new host at the PGA Tour, Casey Black (I think thats her name anyway…please advise?) as she replaced our former shining light, Win McMurry (who never mentioned any of this to us in our interview last year by the way). Who knows, maybe Ms.Black will shoot me an email looking for an interview on the blog to really rubber stamp her place in the golf interview world (oh ya, Im using the We Get Golf blog to measure how far these presenters have come….seems about right).

Anyway, enough of my rambling, or at least my off-golf-topic rambling. You would think that after shooting 59 on the opening day, Paul Goydos would be forgiven for thinking the title was all but his this week at the John Deere but as we pointed out before, when someone like Steve Stricker is only a shot behind you after you have just played the best golf of your career, the warning signs are ominous. Credit to both who played superb golf over the four days, the brief highlight of which you can watch above.

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Oh how I wish we hadn’t stated which Molinari would win at Loch Lomond and instead just simply claimed, “Mr Molinari” was our tip here at We Get Golf. Ian will be quietly content to have had an early placed finish at 28/1 with Francesco Molinari, which more than makes up for the other calls of Kaymer and Ferrie (who both missed the cut) and McDowell (who I suggested might tire as the weak wore on).

However it was his brother, Edoardo Molinari who claimed the spoils at Loch Lomond this week. The first 3 days were majestic from Edoardo and the final day was a lesson in conservative, do-enough-to-win, style golf. When his nearest challenger Darren Clarke dropped 3 shots in the first 3 holes, Edoardo never looked back. One poor tee shot on the 15th cost him a double bogey but his tee shot into the par 3, 17th and his drive down the 18th took a lot of nerve and for me, it really epitomized the fact that Edoardo is one serious golfer who we should expect to see a lot more of.

Darren Clarke was impressive too and will be comforted by the fact his second place finish gets him into the British Open this week. At odds of 80/1 and sure to feel right at home on the links of St.Andrews, many people will be having a flutter on Darren next week. You will have to wait and see if we are one of those people by checking in with us on Wednesday/Thursday in our preview to the Open.

Although our man Francesco only finished tied 3rd in the end, his long game was probably the best of anyone throughout the week. Time after time, he split the middle of fairways and gave himself birdie putts within 20 feet. However, that old saying “drive for show, putt for dough” certainly must have rang through in his ears. Francesco changed from the long putter back to the short putter a few weeks ago and as such can be forgiven for missing a few. Hopefully though, he can begin holing more putts because if he does, he will challenge for top honors. His form is scintillating right now so he remains on our radar and for as long as the bookies keep offering him at 28/1 in regular tour events, we will have to keep taking that each way value.

Finally, I was personally delighted to see our man, Shane Lowry claiming a top 10 finish. After a poor first nine holes, Shane rallied in the back nine and will be quietly content as he heads to his first ever major as a professional this week. I heard recently that Shane was down playing in my local club, Carton House. Should he return, I will have to dust off the microphone and bring you that interview……now where exactly did I leave that damn thing?….8 months is a long time!

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An incredible round of 59 from Paul Goydos sees him lead the John Deere Classic. Turning in -4, Goydos birdied 8 of his next 9 holes in an exhibition of golf. I remember watching the last time 59 was done in a counting event by David Duval, way back in 1999 I think, so to see it happen again 11 years on is pretty cool. One question I have though is does it actually go down in the record books? The reason I ask is that “lift, clean and place” was in use so I’m not sure if it goes down as a course record even!!!

Regardless, it was a cracking round of golf and you would think having shot 59, you could afford the luxury of a 4 or 5 shot lead but defending champ Steve Stricker had other ideas. His round of 60 has him hot on the heels of Goydos and undoubtedly the favorite going into the final 3 days.

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