Buick Open: Scott Verplank offers value to golf bettors at 15 to 1 odds

Written by Zico Kelly

Wednesday, 27 June 2007

With lots of birdies required the Point-Spreads.com golf betting tip this week for the 2007 Buick Open has to be Scott Verplank. He is a new man since winning for the first time in almost six years when capturing the Byron Nelson Championship in April. He should be closer in the betting to Jim Furyk, that is why I recommend taking Scott Verplank with 15 to 1 odds at Sportsbook.com.

Warwick Hills was the ninth-easiest course on the PGA Tour last year with a stroke average of 70.438, or 1.652 under its generous par of 72. Tiger Woods shot four 66s for 24-under last year and remarked: “If you shoot par here, you get spike marks on your back as the field runs over you.”

Ending such a long drought in a tournament that meant so much to him – he knew the late Byron Nelson well – proved to the 42-year-old Texan that he still had something to offer. That new-found self-belief has manifested itself in his three latest performances, seventh at Colonial, eighth at St Jude and seventh again in that cauldron they called the US Open.

Like Jim Furyk, he wisely took last week off and will be ready to fire on all cylinders on the course where he scored his first victory as a professional in 1988 (he had already won the 1985 Western Open as an amateur). Runner-up to Billy Mayfair ten years later and fourth to Tiger Woods last year, Scotty has everything going for him and rates as Furyk's most dangerous opponent.

Moving the tournament from early August to June for FedEx Cup reasons could conceivably play havoc with the Warwick Hills form book but, if it does not, there is every reason to feel that past champions Kenny Perry has a part to play.

Kenny Perry at least carded a top-15 to add to his Memorial third. As these are his only top-15s of the year, the Kentucky veteran has obviously found something that is turning things around after a lengthy spell in the doldrums following last year's knee operation.

Champion in 2001, he, Verplank and Furyk are three of only four players to have beaten 270 on this course and his 263 was the second-lowest in the tournament's history. Given that he has played well at Warwick Hills every year since his victory (11th, 15th and eighth in his last three visits), Kenny Perry is worth persevering with at 20 to 1 odds. It is worth noting that last year's 11th was Perry's highest finish of a tepid 2006.

Sportsbook.com has posted golf betting odds to win the 2007 Buick Open:

Jim Furyk 5-1

Scott Verplank 15-1

Sean OHair 20-1

Kenny Perry 20-1

Robert Allenby 18-1

Trevor Immelman 25-1

Woody Austin 30-1

Rod Pampling 30-1

Bo Van Pelt 30-1

Ryan Moore 40-1

Heath Slocum 40-1

Tom Pernice Jr 40-1

Charles Howell III 40-1

Chris DiMarco 40-1

Lucas Glover 40-1

JJ Henry 40-1

Fred Funk 40-1

Tom Lehman 50-1

Brandt Snedeker 50-1

Peter Lonard 50-1

Vaughn Taylor off

Fredrik Jacobson 50-1

John Rollins 50-1

John Senden 50-1

Brian Gay 60-1

Ken Duke 60-1

Billy Mayfair 60-1

Kevin Na 60-1

Matt Kuchar 60-1

Joe Ogilvie 60-1

Pablo Martin 75-1

Charles Warren 75-1

Ryuji Imada 75-1

Steve Marino 50-1

Olin Browne 75-1

Dean Wilson 75-1

Chris Riley 100-1

Shigeki Maruyama 100-1

Brett Quigley 100-1

Ted Purdy 100-1

Billy Andrade 100-1

Brian Davis 100-1

Jeff Quinney 100-1

Brett Wetterich off

Charley Hoffman 100-1

Justin Leonard 100-1

Jeff Maggert 100-1

Darren Clarke 150-1

John Daly 150-1

Field (Any Other Golfers) 5-2

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 June 2007 )

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