JASON GORE rates a decent bet at 100-1 with Coral to successfully defend his title in the 84 Lumber Classic, this week’s USPGA Tour offering, starting Thursday.
The tournament has been held at Mystic Rock (a 7,516-yard course that favours the sluggers) in Pennsylvania for three years, and in that time 11 of the 21 players to reach the frame have started at odds of 125-1 or longer.
Gore was 150-1 when triumphing 12 months ago, but the shorter odds this time still represent value about a player that first came to prominence in the US Open last year, when he held a share of the lead going into the final round. A long-hitter, pushing 300 yards for driving distance (23rd on tour stats), he shot 14-under-par on the 16 par fives 12 months ago, the same as the overall winning score.
Vijay Singh, the favourite at 7-1 with Ladbrokes, is no slouch off the tee, averaging 295.1 yards to stand 56th on the driving distance stats, but he makes no appeal at the odds after failing to get competitive in the Canadian Open last week, finishing 12 shots behind Jim Furyk.