Destchue Bank Championship 2012

The Ryder Cup team for Europe has been announced and we now move back into the big action of the Fed Ex Cup, with the top 100 from last week’s Barclays making it straight through to the Destchue Bank Championship this week in one of the biggest non major weeks of the year for US golfers at the least. Davis Love III will announce his four captain's picks on Tuesday, after the Deutsche Bank's Monday finish, while the top 70 on FedEx points advance to the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick in Indiana. Seven days ago we saw Nick Watney take the Barclays with one of our fancies – most of whom performed well before faltering late – clawing back some place money in the shape of Dustin Johnson (left), who looks to be a good bet to go two places better this time around and cement a solid claim for a place in  the team.

Johnson at the moment is not in line for an automatic cup place but would have sealed one already based on his form if he hadn’t suffered some nasty injuries this year to his knee and back. Despite that, he’s still kept up the streak of winning once every season on the US Tour – winning the St Jude’s classic in June – and after an understandable drop in form after that, he’s since roared back to form with a third place in the Barclays tournament last week, making steady ground late and giving the impression he was just getting a hot streak a little late in the day. The TPC Boston – a course which Dustin Johnson has finished fourth on in 2009 – plays easier than Bethpage on the face of things with a ranking of 37^th out of 51 on difficulty this year (Over the last five years, the average winning score is 18.4 under par) and giving plenty of fair greens, despite the toughing of the so often crucial last hole and it should suit the man who has claimed a title in each of the last two years down to the ground, so the 20/1 on offer makes a lot of appeal.

Jason Dufner didn’t even turn up at the Barclays tournament but was a runner up here in 2009 and has been steadily moving into some form this season. In his last 5 starts he’s tied fourth in the US Open, seventh in the PGA Championship, and seventh at Wyndham, which suggests that he could have gone under the radar this week despite the fact that he currently ranks 3^rd in Birdie Average and 4th in Scoring Average on the US Tour – a similarity that the last three winners of this tournament all had in common, as they all lay in the top 10 of birdie average going into the tournament.

Give another chance to Bubba Watson (left) who has been on amazing form all year in the Tour and did himself no discredit with a tenth in the Barclays Championship last week. Last year he led with a day to go last year but dropped back to 16th following a round of 74, and if keeping his concentration for the full 72 holes this time around then another win is surely within his reach. As said beforehand, he’s shown up at every big tournament this season and has performed without fail, and on a class edge it’s hard to see why he should be sixth in the betting.

The Fed Ex Cup often rewards course specialists who peak at the right time and few come to mind quicker than Steve Stricker for this task. His last six starts in Boston have produced a win and three other top-10s, which more than override his poor showing in the Barclays last week. Beofre that his US form read fifth at the John Deere, a tied second in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and a tied seventh in the USPGA, and his play-off record is nothing short of startling, so the 2009 winner deserved to be supported at a generous looking 28/1.

With the majority of the Americans done, it’s time to add three course specialists who have good tournament and season records. Every week without fail we support Bo Van Pelt (left) and once again an excellent case can be made for the big hitting American. TPC Boston has always suited those who are good from tee to green and make their own scoring opportunities, of which Van Pelt excels, and on a slightly easier course than Bethpage – the 18^th not permitting – he might be able to make hay, and at the least better his 25^th place finish last week. His seasonal form has been strong all year, he shared top spot for birdies holed last year when seventh (and an arguably better player now).

Last but not least it’s time to get behind two classy Australians with good course records. Geoff Ogilvy has been in steady form of late with 10 top 30 finishes in his last 13 events (three top-20 finishes in his last four starts but his exceptional course record – fifth in 2003, sixth in 2007, seventh in 2009, and runner up in 2010) means he must be added to the portfolio, if not for the outrights with tight bookies who won’t go 6 places, then in the rest of the world category where 9/1 is freely available.

Fellow Australian Adam Scott may only ever be known for his meltdown in the Open on the last day but that would be slight on an incredibly talented golfer – who one day should break his major duck – who has had an excellent campaign at the very highest level, coming 15^th in the US Open, runner up and Lytham, and 11^th in the USPGA when his confidence was surely to have been at his lowest ebb after that Sunday. Winner here in 2003, runner up next year, and a top eight finisher in the last two years, he looks well worth supporting in a bid for his bumper pot and in the Rest Of The World Category. Of the others, Woods and McIlroy are too short once again despite their class, Westwood and Rose are the two Englishmen I’ve looked at most, and a return to form for Keegan Bradley would be a danger to all, but our team will do and contains course specialists a plenty at more attractive prices.

Advice

1 pt Dustin Johnson (18/1 Paddy Power)

1 pt each/way Jason Dufner (20/1 Paddy Power)

1 pt each/way Bubba Watson (25/1 general)

1 pt each/way Steve Stricker (28/1 Boylesports, 22/1 Paddy Power)

1 pt each/way Bo Van Pelt (45/1 Paddy Power)

1 pt each/way Geoff Ogilvy (40/1 Paddy Power)

1 pt each/way Adam Scott (22/1 Paddy Power)

Advice - Rest Of The World

1 pt each/way Adam Scott (11/2 Bet365)

1 pt each/way Geoff Ogilvy (9/1 general)