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Nashua Masters
Course: Wild Coast Sun Country Club, Port Edward, Eastern Cape
Yardage: 6351
Par: 70 (four par-fives)
Weather
Forecast
Past Winners:
2001 - Mark McNulty
2000 - cancelled
1999 - Desvonde Botes
1998 - cancelled
1997 - Mark McNulty
1996 - Wayne Westner
1995 - Scott Dunlap
1994 - Chris Davison
1993 - Tony Johnstone
1992 - Ernie Els
Outright plays:
Justin Hobday to win 40/1 e.w. @ Bet365
No value in single-figure odds for Justin Rose, local player Tim Clark or course
specialist Mark McNulty, so looking for value in three at bigger odds. Hobday
has gained two top-25 finishes against much stronger fields this year and has
two top-3 finishes in his last four visits to the Wild Coast Sun Country Club.
With the same average finishing position as Mark McNulty on this Tour in the
last three years, he looks decent value at 40/1.
André Cruse to win 40/1 e.w. @ Bet365
Cruse's three-year average finishing position on the Sunshine Tour is only
slightly higher than that of McNulty and Hobday and he has played considerably
better than usual on this course. He has finished 5th and 11th in the last two
seasons, so hopefully he can build on his decent start to the season so far.
James Kingston to win 40/1 e.w. @ Centrebet
Kingston missed the cut last year,
but having finished 3rd, 12th and 9th in his three visits beforehand, it can be
easily discounted. So can his missed cut last week. Having finished 3rd and 22nd
in the events co-sanctioned with the European Tour, he followed that Tour to
Perth and finished 70th. To return straightaway to South Africa and miss the cut
is, perhaps, to be expected. The weekend's rest should hopefully have done him
some good.
Mid-point update:
Hobday 22nd
Cruse 18th
Kingston 1st
No complaints about the
situation at the halfway stage! Two players in contention and a third having
shot 61 to secure a one-shot lead. Players shooting such low scores tend to find
the next round difficult, but it is still a situation I would have taken before
the event.
Final update:
Outrights: 1-2; +2.50 units
Hobday 14th
Cruse 3rd
Kingston 12th
Thought it would be hard for
Kingston to follow his 61 and it was. He closed with a final round 75 to finish
four shots out of a place finish. At least Cruse's best-of-the-day 63 was enough
to make amends ... partially, at least.
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