Betting tips / Steven Rawlings / 30 June 2010 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

The Ryder Cup stars are out in force this week but could the captain show them how it's done? As implausible as it seems, The Punter thinks it's possible...

With Ryder Cup points at stake, this week's Race to Dubai event, the Alstom Open de France, is a mouth-watering affair with a very strong line-up.

Bang in-form world number three, Lee Westwood is a worthy favourite who will take some beating on a course that clearly suits. He was arguably a bit unlucky not to win last year when losing in a play-off to Martin Kaymer and I wouldn't want to put anyone off him this week, but you can only back so many and I've reluctantly left him out.

I was fortunate enough to back Martin Kaymer last year and I've done so again this. The young German did me a favour back in January too, when he won the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship for the second time. His form figures there read 1-2-1, showing that if he likes a venue, he can repeatedly play well there. The list of multiple winners of this title is fairly long and back-to-back winners aren't a rarity either - four players have achieved the feat in the modern era, the last being Jean-Francois Remesy in 2004 and '05. Kaymer has gradually been coming back in to form and I expect a bold showing this week.

In addition to Kaymer, I also backed Ian Poulter last year, and for the second time in four years he finished third. He rashly said afterwards that he wouldn't play here again, blaming a cameraman for his poor approach shot that found water on the 15th hole on day four, but he's had a rethink and rightly so. Personally I think the two visits to the water on 18 on day one had more to do with his defeat.

Poulter went off the [15.0] favourite last year and I'm delighted to see he's twice the price this time around. Granted it's a stronger field and he's not in scintillating form but given he plays Le Golf National so well, with three top-tens in his last four visits, he was the first player I backed, and at a bigger price than I'd expected.

There have been plenty of shock winners of this event lately so I've picked out an outsider that could go well -Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie...

You won't see me back Colin very often but I've a feeling he may go well this week. Corey Pavin's effort at the Travellers Championship last Sunday, when the US captain lost out on the first play-off hole, may just inspire and provoke Monty into a response. He's shown an upturn in form lately too, in fact he's played so well that he's even consented to a couple of post-round interviews, something he refuses to do when he's performed poorly. Champion here in 2000, he was also 3rd in 2007 and 2nd in 2008 and if he's ever to win again it might just be here. A win is unlikely maybe, but a bold showing and a chance to trade out at much lower is certainly possible.

Selections:

Martin Kaymer @ [21.0]
Ian Poulter @ [28.0]
Colin Montgomerie @ [210.0]

Over the pond, it's the fourth staging of the AT&T National - an event hosted by Tiger Woods. For the first three years his association was celebrated but now his extramarital extravagances have been aired to all and sundry, corporate America isn't quite so keen for his endorsement and he's likely to be a somewhat low-key host.

The magnificent Congressional Country Club is the event's usual venue but that's to host next year's US Open, so the Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania is the home course this year and next. It's a Donald Ross designed par 70 which looks a tricky test, suited to accurate play. It hosted the Seniors' PGA Championship back in 2003, when only four players finished under par. With no course form to peruse making selections has been tricky.

Tiger looks plenty short enough, though as defending champion with an image improvement plan in place, he's sure to be busting a gut to improve on his recent form (3rd round at Pebble excepted). I was tempted by Pennsylvanian Jim Furyk, especially given than the expected stern test should be right up his street, but I couldn't quite take the plunge at just [16.0], so in the end I'm punting just one player from the get-go and I'll look to get properly involved as the event progresses.

So, how about this for a tenuous reason for a selection? The inaugural staging of the event was won by Korean KJ Choi and the second staging by Korean born Anthony Kim. I'm not even sure whether last year's victor, Tiger Woods, has even been to Korea but I'm overlooking that anyway and making my sole selection Y E Yang.

In all seriousness, the fact that his countrymen have taken the title is almost completely irrelevant but the fact he's been in fair form all year and is a multiple winner who performs well on tough courses isn't. The last time we saw him he was imploding on the back nine on day two of the US Open, but after 27 holes he'd been bang there and he looked just a shade big at [75.0].

Selection:

YE Yang @ [75.0]

I'll post an update at the halfway stage of both events on Saturday morning.