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Dunlop Phoenix Betting
By David August
Last updated: 00:00 Monday, January 1, 0001
Dunlop Phoenix
The Dunlop Phoenix tournament has risen to be one of the more sort after end-of-year titles on the golfing circuit and not just on the Japan Tour, of which it is an integral part.
The list of previous winners is like a veritable who’s who of the sport with Tiger Woods leaving Miyazaki City in southern Japan with the first prize in successive years (204 and 2005), while the Europeans have also got their hands on the cash since the turn of the century thanks to Thomas Bjorn, Padraig Harrington and Ian Poulter. The last two being the most recent winners.
In the last decade only two Japanese players have managed to wrest the winner’s trophy from the overseas challengers but that pair, Shingo Katayama and Kaname Yokoo, should be at the forefront of the home defence this time round again.
Katayama, who won the Dunlop Phoenix in 2000, has a significant lead at the moment over Azuma Yano on the Japan Tour Money List following a phenomenal year which has seen him post 13 top-10s, which includes three wins, the latest of which was in last Sunday’s Taiheiyo Masters which he landed after beating Yasuharu Imano in a play-off.
Value option
Not surprisingly, he tops the scoring average charts for the tour and is in the top-10 for greens in regulation (GIR) and All-Round ranking. His price of 10-1 is still available and looks reasonable considering he’s last two starts at the Phoenix Country Club has produced a third and fourth and his odds are only that big due to the presence of Ernie Els.
Yokoo, the last home-based golfer to win this contest back in 2002, has not managed to record a victory this term but he’s hit a purple patch recently with his last eight starts yielding six top-16 finishes
.
The international challenge is an interesting one as always led by the already mentioned Ernie Els, who has found some form of late. The South African has not played in Japan for 10 years but won this tournament in 1993 and he should be in a confident mood as he enters the week on the back of a runner-up finish in the Singapore Open, while a trip to Morocco saw him leave with the King Hassan II Trophy.
However, he’s plenty short enough at around the 9-2 (Coral) mark and so is defending champion Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson.
Brandt best
The one who makes more appeal is American Brandt Snedeker (28-1), one of the rising stars of the US game who made a very satisfactory debut when fifth in this event last year.
It was not surprising that he found life tougher during the 2008 season on the PGA tour as it was always going to be difficult to follow up the stellar rookie year he had in 2007.
Nevertheless, Snedeker produced five top-10s, two of which were in the US Masters and US Open, while he was far from disgraced when 24th in the USPGA Championship.
The Australasian challenge is always worth a second look, so Brendan Jones and David Smail, both regulars on the Japan circuit, should not be overlooked and could offer value against the so called ‘big names’.
The Jones boy
Jones in particular could be the one to cash in on any mistakes by the leading contenders. His record in the Dunlop is respectable rather than spectacular with three top-25s in four starts, but he has been returning some good results of late. In his last six starts he has produced four finishes of eight or better, while his stats for the tour are well up to scratch. The New South Wales-born golfer features in the top-10 on the Japan Tour Money List and is second in the scoring average chart, third for GIR and eighth for putting.
Going back to the ‘homeboys’, the Maruyama brothers, Daisuke and Shigeki, along with S K Ho and Katsumasa Miyamoto are worth bearing in mind.
Looking further down the bookies lists, Hennie Otto could be one for those looking for a three-figure price. He has a fair record in Asia and he has not had a bad 2008 with a victory in the Italian Open to add to his CV. He’s a bit of a speculative option as this will be his first trip to Japan, while he can sometimes find it hard to keep his trap shut, with his mouth speaking before his brain has had to time to consider what to say.
Ryo rising
Finally, keep an eye out for Japan’s teenage idol Ryo Ishikawa. He was the youngest winner ever of a men’s regular event on the Japan tour in May last year at the age of 15 years and eight months. He’s been in pretty good nick recently, finishing second in the Japan Open, winning the ABC Championship and coming home fifth in the Taiheiyo Masters last time out.
Dunlop Dangermen: Shingo Katayama and Brandt Snedeker
Phoenix Flyers: Brendan Jones and Kaname Yokoo