The Volvo World Matchplay Championship is the week's most prestigious event with all four reigning Major champions among the 24-strong field battling for a first prize of €800,000 first prize.
The event has been revived after a year's break and, the increased field, has necessitated a change to the format. It's still matchplay of course but there is a round robin format for the first two days with the field split into eight three-man groups. The winner and runner-up in each group then progresses to Saturday's last 16-stage, when the field will be reduced to four with the semis and final being played on Sunday.
World numbers one and two, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, are disputing favouritism at around the 7/1 mark, closely followed by Martin Kaymer, who lost a playoff for the Accenture Match Play back in February. The only other player in single figures is Rory McIlroy who, like Westwood, will be fresh for the fight having taken last week off, which can't be said of 16 of the 19 leading candidates.
The tournament is being played at the picturesque Finca Cortesin GC, located in between Malaga and Sotogrande in Spain (the posh part of the Costa Del Sol) and the scene of Ross Fisher's victory over Anthony Kim in the 2009 final.
As regards a bet, the event's format makes it extremely tough to call at this stage and the best advice might be to wait until the group stages have been played and we know the last 16, or at least keep stakes small. I will be adopting the latter approach and the first player in the betting portfolio is Rory McIlroy who, as I've already mentioned, arrives here fresh and with a point to prove after his spectacular collapse in the Masters.
Poor putting has been his Achilles Heel and it is hoped some intensive practice in the last couple of weeks will bring about an improvement in that department of his game. If it has, he's a match for anyone and the draw has afforded him what looks an easy path to the semis. First up, he needs to avoid finishing last in the “Gustaf Larson” Group behind an out-of-form Retief Goosen and Nicolas Colsaerts, with either Jhonattan Vegas, Louis Oosthuizen or Graeme McDowell waiting form him in the next round. GMac would normally be a formidable opponent but he's coming off a terrible last round at Sawgrass and might be wishing he'd taken the week off.
His quarter final opponent will come from this quintet of players so it's not hard to imagine Rory marching through to the semis, which makes him a terrific back-to-lay opportunity at 10.00 on Betfair or a solid bet in the outright market at 9/1 with Totesport.
I'm also keen to get with Aaron Baddeley, who has been drawn in the "Seve Ballesteros" Group against Anders Hansen, his opponent on Friday morning, and Lee Westwood, whom he plays in the afternoon. Westwood clearly has to be respected but the Aussie has been a model of consistency on the PGA Tour with four top-14s (including tied-6th at Sawgrass) since winning at Riviera back in February and he has enough birdies in his bag (ranked 5th in Birdie Average on Tour) to beat anyone at matchplay when on his game. The 22/1 on offer at Betfred is big enough to merit an each-way interest at this stage.
Recommended Bets:-
Rory McIlroy 2pts @ 10.00 Betfair
Aaron Baddeley 1pt each-way @ 22/1 Betfred (1/4 odds, 1.2.3.4)
