Reno-Tahoe Open

[Stanley]

Outright plays (total stake per play: 1pt)

Anthony Kim to win 25/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes
I've avoided Kim for a couple of months after backing him several times earlier in the season, but this represents a very good opportunity for him to earn his maiden victory. It is not that he is playing as well as he did in April/May, but that he looks a very good prospect in this company. He is making his debut in this event, but when there have been 62s on this course in each of the last two years and the winning scores have been -20 and -21, it really should set up well for his attacking style of golf. Against this field, he should be no more than 16/1 by the start of the event.

Pat Perez to win 28/1 e.w. @ Boyle Sports
With July finishes of 3rd in the AT&T National, 20th in the British Open and 10th in the Canadian Open, there are few in this field who can match Perez for form. And in terms of all-round play, while Kim is the only player in this field who is ranked in top-10 in the PGA Tour's All-Around Ranking category (4th), Perez is next at 11th. On that basis, there appears little reason to expect his current form to end this week, particularly as he finished 15th on this course last year. I'm always very wary about backing players such as Perez at such short odds, but he and Kim stand out in this field and at least one of them should be pushing for at least a place return on Sunday night.

Tom Pernice to win 40/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes
Pernice is another player who comes into this event in encouraging form, having finished alongside Perez in 10th place last week and held the lead with one round to play in the Buick Open earlier this month. He didn't manage to finish in the top-5 that week and hasn't managed to do that since the Tour Championship at the end of last season, but relative to this field, he is still one of the best players on view. Add in his sole previous appearance in this event in 2002 when he led after 36 holes (but finished 6th) and there should be value in these odds and hope that he will feature in the top-5 again this week.

[Stanley]

Matchup bets:

Stake 3pts Dickie Pride to beat Andrew Buckle -122 @ Pinnacle
Buckle started off the season well with three very decent finishes, But since then his form has went downhill dramatically. In his subsequent thirteen starts he has missed the cut in eleven of them. Not a good sign and he has no previous course form to speak of. Pride is hardly a player that you want to rely on but his recent form is quite impressive with finishes of 43-22-28-22, an encouraging sign to win this matchup. He also has some previous course experience, making the cut on four out of seven occasions and a tenth place finish back
in 2003.