This week's BMW International Open at Golf-club Munchen Eichenreid will do well to live up to the excitement of the US Open - but we should at least see a few more birdies!
While par was a very good score at Pebble Beach, this week's par-72 track, which measures a shade over 7,000 yards and is relatively straight forward, will allow players to go low and the winning score should be around the 20 under mark - Nick Dougherty won with 22-under last year.
Hoping to shoot that score or better will be local hero and bet365's 11/1 favourite Martin Kaymer, who tied for eighth on Sunday, and Pebble Beach third Ernie Els (10/1 Skybet). Paul Casey, who would have finished closer than tied-40th last week but for running run up some big numbers on individual holes, is next in the betting at 16/1 (Blue Square).
Ross' Three Off The Tee:-
Martin Kaymer @ 11/1 bet365
First-time winners are rare in this event - you have to go back to Russell Claydon in 1998 for the last one - and the cream tends to rise to the top with the likes of Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer all winning here in recent years. The latter won as recently as 2008 and while his 2010 campaign has been largely inconsistent, he has still managed to win once - the prestigious Abu Dhabi Golf Championship back in January - and has twice rewarded each-way backers. Granted, you have to ignore his missed cuts here last year and in 2007 but recent efforts at Pebble Beach and Celtic Manor (tied-12th) suggest he's far more likely to bring his A game to this event than bomb out, especially with the home galleries cheering him on.
Robert Karlsson @ 22/1 Coral
Like Kaymer, the Swede was noted playing some nice golf last week (tied-27th) without being in the heat of contention, and is also a past winner here in in 1997 when he shot 24-under. He's won many times on the European Tour since then - including the Deutsche Bank Championship on German soil in 2006 - and almost won in the States two weeks ago, losing out to Lee Westwood in a playoff. Clearly over the eye problems which plagued him last season, it won't be long before he's winning again and he'll be going all out for a victory in the next few weeks to get himself into the Ryder Cup Team without having to rely on a wild card.
Stephen Gallacher @ 50/1 Ladbrokes
Joining him in the staking plan is Scotland's Stephen Gallacher, who is arguably in even better form. After finishing fourth in the Tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, he's managed a tie for sixth place at the Madrid Masters and a tie for fourth last time out in the Wales Open. His Tour stats now make for impressive reading: fifth in GIR (very important this week) and 14th in Driving Distance (less so). If he can get his putter working too, he's got to go close this week.
Bubbling Under: Niclas Fasth (45/1 Boylesports)
Another past winner here - this time in 2005 - and ninth on his last outing at Celtic Manor. He could well reward each-way support and I like him in a tournament match bet at evens (Sportingbet) against Sergio Garcia (4/5), whose game is all over the place.
Punters Beware: Sergio Garcia
I was hoping to lay the Spaniard to make the cut on Betfair but there was no liquidity the last time I looked. If it doesn't materialise, I shall have to be content with taking him on with the above match bet.
Recommended Bets:
Martin Kaymer 4pts @ 11/1 bet365
Robert Karlsson 2pts each-way @ 22/1 Coral
Stephen Gallacher 1pt each-way @ 50/1 Ladbrokes