Mercedes Championship

FINAL RESULT: 1-6-0; -8.15pts

Ames/Campbell LOST by 1
Byrd/Palmer WON by 7
Toms/Cink LOST by 2
Toms/Scott LOST by 2
Franco/Hamilton LOST by 5
Franco/Parry LOST by 14
Goosen/Garcia LOST by 2

Not a good start to the year, but could have been quite different. Apart from the poor backing of Franco who finished last, none of the other losses were by more than two shots.

Matchup plays (1.5pts):

Stephen Ames to beat Chad Campbell -103 @ Pinnacle
No course experience for Ames, but he does have a very good record in Hawaii with top-15 finishes in his last three Sony Open starts and Campbell has been poor for quite some time. Ames had a 16-7-0 h2h lead over him in 2004 so these odds do appear a little generous.
(also available at Carib)

Jonathan Byrd to beat Ryan Palmer -120 @ SkyBet and BetFred
Siding with the outright selection against a player who has only ever had two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. With course experience also in his favour, Byrd should be a stronger favourite.

David Toms to beat Stewart Cink -110 @ SkyBet
Toms finished the 2004 in much better form with three top-10 finishes and finishing ahead of Cink in each of their last three common events. So with a 2nd place finish on this course in the Kapalua International in 1997 to add to finishes of 19ht, 8th and 2nd in this event, Toms should be set for at least another top-10 finish and another victory over Cink.
(also available at BetFred and Olympic)

David Toms to beat Adam Scott +100 @ Paddy Power
This is a course that should suit Scott, but he has a game to rediscover after some indifferent displays at the end of last season and particularly in Australia where he courted controversy by skipping his home Open. Just too much in Toms favour at this stage of the season and that makes evens very attractive odds.

Carlos Franco to beat Todd Hamilton +102 @ Pinnacle
Franco has course experience, whereas Hamilton does not and Franco has finished ahead of the American in nine of their last eleven common events. Can't see why Franco should be odds-against!
(also available at BetFred)

Carlos Franco to beat Craig Parry -105 @ Carib
Not as clear cut, but Parry showed in Japan and Australia at the end of 2004 that he is not as competitive as 12 or 24 months ago. He finished 25th in his previous appearance on this course in 2003 and another lowly finish is expected of him.
(also available at Olympic and Expekt)

Retief Goosen to beat Sergio Garcia -125 @ Paddy Power and BetFred
He's won his last two events, ignoring the made-for-TV Grand Slam of Golf, finished 4th in the last two years here and has finished ahead of Garcia in five of their last six common events. Both potential winners, but Goosen is still in a different class to the young Spaniard.
(available generally)