The Johnnie Walker Championship's clash with the opening week of the FedEx Cup Series has done little to raise its profile on the European Tour and that’s evident by taking a quick look at the betting. Soren Hansen heads most lists but there is a couple of decent wagers to be had and one player in particular stands out.
The mention of Oliver Wilson’s name to the majority of the golf betting public will immediately conjure up images of any number of his 11 runner-up finishes on the European Tour to date but the Ryder Cup star is no bottler in my eyes and perhaps this can be the week when the Englishman finally breaks his duck.
Wilson filled second spot on four occasions last season alone, and again in China at the beginning of this campaign, but he is the other class act along with the Dane in a field full of also-rans and prices in the region of 20.0 don't look too bad against such shoddy opposition. Simon Dyson is third fav on the back of his Dutch Open triumph but back-to-back winners on tour are rare enough while Jamie Donaldson, Richard Green and Graeme Storm (all no bigger than 30.0) hardly set the pulse racing either at the prices.
Wilson covered himself in glory for Europe at Valhalla last September when partnering Henrik Stenson to defeat Mickelson and Kim in the Saturday foursomes and he has proved himself the man for the big occasion once again this term with a string of fine efforts in the very top company. Fifth at Doral, Wilson was 11th at Firestone, 23rd at Torrey Pines, 24th at Turnberry and 19th last time out at Hazeltine.
Nobody in this event comes near to such a fine string of performances against the world’s best and, although he has disappointed on the whole this term when featuring in regular European Tour events, past visits to Gleneagles are encouraging. Three starts have produced a 17th in 2005 in addition to a tenth place finish last year and both would have been better but for poor starts. If Wilson can avoid the opening 76 this time around he posted on both occasions then surely he can contend and I’ll fancy him up against anybody at the death, despite his lack of familiarity with the winner’s enclosure.
You might have guessed by now that I strongly fancy Wilson this week but I must give Gareth Maybin a decent chance on a course that should suit and the European Tour rookie will be hoping to crown his first full season against the big boys with a win before the end of the campaign.
Maybin, so narrowly denied by Richard Sterne in a playoff in South Africa back in December, has now posted five top-10 finishes from just 22 starts and he appears to have put a poor mid-season spell behind him with form figures of 12-7-26 in recent outings. His experience of links golf will stand him in good stead at what is likely to be a blustery Gleneagles, as will his four decent rounds at Kennemer last week, and the man from Belfast can go well at around the 40.0 mark.
Back Oliver Wilson @ 20.0
Back Gareth Maybin @ 40.0