The Punter 
/ Steven Rawlings / 14 February 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Points and Murray after yesterday’s win
“Even after this weekend’s dreadful flop from the front Sky TV’s pundits were describing Rory McIlroy in glowing terms. He simply hasn’t developed the mettle needed to see out tournaments properly though and his putting really does need to improve.”
Quiros pulls of the most unlikely of wins in Dubai and Bill Murray points D A to victory at the AT & T.....
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again must be Alvaro Quiros' mantra. Having traded odds on in the 2010 Dubai Desert Classic, and having looked likely to catch Thomas Bjorn last week in Qatar, before a late wobble put pay to his charge, the flamboyant Spaniard finally got his just deserts in the desert when he came from a mile back over the weekend to win at the Emirates.
Whilst in the States, Darren Andrew Points, otherwise known as D.A Points , playing with the hugely irritating Bill Murray, chipped in for eagle on the hardest hole on the course (the 14th) and then kept his nerve to take his first US PGA Tour title, to become the sixth winner of the 2011 season and the 6th straight winner at a triple-figure price. Murray's inane buffoonery made this Pro-Am unwatchable for the first three days but it helped Points stay calm yesterday.
My Bets
Quiros was my main pick in Dubai so it's been a great week and after a couple of poor weeks it was great to get back on track for the year. As always, my in-running plays up until the start of play last night are detailed in the Live Golf Blog.
I wasn't going to get involved last night but as round four progressed I couldn't help myself, but I'm glad I did. I started off by backing Phil Mickelson, who I already had onside from the off but when he closed to within three of the lead with six to play I thought he was too big at [20.0] so I topped up. I layed my bet back at [14.0] five minutes later so all I'd effectively done was boost any potential winnings. Winnings that didn't materialise! He made bogey at the treacherous par five 14th and that was that.
The event looked to involve just three players after that, Steve Marino, whose substantial halfway lead was eroding fast, Hunter Mahan, who had started very fast - playing the front nine in five under par and eventual winner D.A Points - with the latter trading far bigger than the two former. I couldn't see why at all, I didn't fancy the already wobbling Marino, with whom Points was tied with at the time, and I'm far from a huge Mahan fan either. [5.7] looked more than fair to me so I backed him, albeit very modestly. I layed the stake back at [2.02] and it was far from a big win but it was enough to cover all my stakes on the event so it finished the weekend off nicely.
Player to follow
As stated, I'm no Hunter Mahan fan but I spent most of last night cursing the fact I'd not backed him. Strangely Hunter has never led after three rounds but he's been within two of the lead nine times. He managed to muscle past the previously flaky Justin Rose at the 2007 Travelers Championship but the rest of the time he's been poor. On the last four occasions he's been bang there on a Sunday he's gone backwards and rapidly. From one back to six back (at the Farmers Insurance last month), one back to four back, two back to nine back! And two back to four back.
Contrast that with his other two PGA Tour wins, when he came from three back to win by two at last year's Bridgestone Invitational and from four back to win in Phoenix a few months earlier. And he also came close at last year's AT & T National in July, when he came from six back to lose by just one.
Taking on Hunter when he's right on the pace with a round to go but backing him when he's a bit further back seems to be the way to go and given how weak the round three leaderboard was here, that was very nearly a good chance missed last night and I was relieved he didn't win.
Player to swerve
Change the record Steve!
It has to be young Rory McIlroy again though. He's so well supported in the market and it's not really surprising. Even after this weekend's dreadful flop from the front Sky TV's pundits were describing him in glowing terms. He simply hasn't developed the mettle needed to see out tournaments properly though and his putting really does need to improve.
I know he's won twice but the first time he nearly threw away a six shot lead and the second victory came courtesy of a miraculous weekend finish at the Wachovia. In contention he's still woeful and remains one to treat with caution.
This week's Race to Dubai event is the Avantha Masters in India and on the US PGA Tour a stellar field will assemble for the Northern Trust Open. I'll preview both, either tomorrow night or on Wednesday morning.
Quiros pulls of the most unlikely of wins in Dubai and Bill Murray points D A to victory at the AT & T........
Alvaro puts the Punter through the mill but it was all worth it in the end........
Steve snubs "too short" Kaymer in favour of three amigos, as the race for the world number one slot grabs all the attention in Dubai.......
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