Luke Donald primed for more match play golf success – England’s Luke Donald will fire off as favourite in this week’s Volvo World Match Play Championship golf betting, held out in Spain. This is a fantastic tournament to watch, with the excitement of straight knockout rounds, as players battle it out, Champions League style to reach the final. All three of the World’s top players are there, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald, who head a strong field of 24 (including six of the world top ten) for the tournament which runs from May 19th to 22nd. The format of the tournament sees the players split into eight groups of three for the first two days of the competition. Each group will play in a round robin format, with the top two moving through to the last sixteen. All of the group matches are played over Thursday and Friday. All of the players will be vying for a place in the last 16 to tee off on Saturday. It is Luke Donald who will draw so much attention here, because not only did he win the WGC Accenture World Match Play Championship this year over Martin Kaymer, but he is probably in the richest form of his life, rolling out top ten finish after top ten finish. There does not appear to be any let up in his momentum at the moment, and that will make him a very strong player to back in your Volvo World Match Play Championship golf betting. In our European PGA betting guide, we will look at the all important draw and the players who should be in the mix come the latter stages of the tournament.
The Draw for Volvo World Match Play Championship Golf Betting
Gary Player Group: Francesco Molinari, Ian Poulter, Paul Lawrie
Assar Bagrielsson Group: Charl Schwartzel, Miguel Angel Jimenez, John Edfors
Greg Norman Group: Paul Casey, Alvaro Quiros, Soren Kjeldsen
Gustal Larson Group: Rory McIlroy, Retief Goosen, Nicolas Colsaerts
Ian Woosnam Group: Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, Jhonattan Vegas
Arnold Palmer Group: Martin Kaymer, YE Yang, Seung-yul Noh
Mark McCormack Group: Luke Donald, Ryan Moore, Ross Fisher
Seve Ballasteros Group: Lee Westwood, Anders Hansen, Aaron Baddeley
You can cast your eye of the group stage and pretty much pick out the expected top two from most. The Gary Player Group could be very well contested through between Molinari, Poulter and Lawrie, which could be a close run thing. The Ian Woosnam Group with Graeme McDowell having to face the tough duo of Louis Oosthuizen and Jhonattan Vegas looks as if it could be an almighty tight affair as well. Great variety in the players there. Along with Luke Donald’s group with Ryan Moore and Ross Fisher, which should play out as a close tussle for second behind Donald, looks fascinating as well. Don’t immediately see any major upsets happening from the state of the draw. We have all four current Major Champions in the field for the first time ever in the Volvo World Match Play. US Open champion Graeme McDowell, Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, Open winner Louis Oosthuizen and US PGA Champion Martin Kaymer. Tough field, which should produce some fascinating and exciting action.
Luke Donald: 7/1 at SkyBet
The new World Number two after finishing in fourth at The Players last week. Is in awesome form right now, and well worth a punt for your Volvo World Match Play Championship golf betting. He just looks so composed and not putting a foot wrong right now. What Donald has is craft. He may not back the punch of the big hitters on the PGA but he more than makes up for it with his accuracy and ability to put the ball in the right place, just where he wants it. Should be a big threat, and while he faces off against fellow country man Ross Fishers, and America’s Ryan Moore, both of who should put up solid challenges (as Ross Fisher won this event back in 2009), with the rich vein of form that Donald is in, you would look for him to progress comfortably enough from the group stage. Looking beyond that, Donald has to be considered as outright winner, and is very well priced to do just that. This is a man who has landed 13 top ten finishes in his last 14 appearances in the PGA. He is looking for the Match Play double this year, after landing the Accenture Match Play title earlier in the year. There he simply looked immense, putting in some of the best match play golf rounds you could possibly hope to see, where he never once fell behind in a match. There will be bigger fish to fry on his mind as well, because while he goes off as World Number two for the first time in his career, he is getting ever closer to that coveted World Number One spot which Lee Westwood holds at the moment. Match play golf is just so suited to Luke Donald’s style and that is why he worth backing here, because his records in match play, including the Ryder Cup is pretty impressive. There’s extra ranking points up for grabs this week, and the composed Donald could just continue his rise.
Lee Westwood: 7/1 at Bet365
The current world number one will seriously be looking over his shoulder at Luke Donald, with all the ranking points on offer this week. Westwood has experience winning a match play tournament, but that was a while ago when he won the World Match Play title at Wentworth in 2000. Didn’t deliver at all at the Accenture in Arizona this year, which was a bit disappointing, but somehow not too surprising after an indifferent start to the new year. Westwood recently got back to winning ways though, as he landed the Ballantine’s Championship out in Korea. That was enough to keep him at the top of the world rankings. You would expect Westwood to negotiate his way through the group easily enough, probably along with Aussie Aaron Baddeley (and those two going head to head should be very interesting). As far as backing Westwood as an outright winner, well, he is trading along the same mark as Luke Donald at the moment, but out of the two Englishmen, would pick Donald. Good value on Westwood though, but not sure if he is set up right for this.
Rory McIlroy: 9/1 at Totesport
If someone deserves a break this year, it will be Rory McIlroy. He had The Masters in his hand until half way through the final round. It all fell apart for him then, and it has been a mental challenge to stay on top of his game. He has done pretty well though, and this chance of pace could just suit him well. Fancied him at the Accenture earlier in the year, where he did OK, put can really see him putting The Masters behind him with a strong run here. The youngster should have enough to handle the experience of Retief Goosen as well as Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts in the group stage. Great value and if he goes brave here and doesn’t hold back, can see him hitting the semi’s at least in Volvo World Match Play Championship golf betting.
Martin Kaymer: 10/1 at BetFair
The German former World Number one will be hungry for some points to get him back to the top of the rankings. He went close at the Accenture Match Play this year, but could not live with the inspired Luke Donald in the final. Kaymer has parted with his caddie Craig Connelly, and so Kaymer’s brother Philip carries the bag this week for the star. Admittedly, Match Play is not really his cup of tea, but he can pose a threat. He did not look as if he had all the tools to get to the finals in Arizona to face Donald, but he put in some solid match play golf, being just aggressive enough when needed to. That will have done his confidence in this form of golf some good. Has been tweaking his game just a little bit of late as he hasn’t been happy. Has not quite delivered since his impressive victory in the HSBC Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. Still, we should see him in the last sixteen, as he groups up with Koreans YE Yang and Seung-yul Noh for the first round. Decent shot as an outside bet, simply because of his Accenture performance. Landed a good top twenty at The Players last week, which is something to build on.
Charl Schwartzel: 14/1 at Victor Chandler
Looked so very good at The Masters and truthfully should not be overlooked here. It is easy to get swept up in the Luke Donald match play betting hype, but Schwartzel is a canny player who can deliver. Can see him winning his group over Jimenez and pushing on deep into the competition. Solid outside bet.
Graeme McDowell: 16/1 at BetFred
Always like Graeme McDowell in these situation, because as shown in the Ryder Cup, he can deliver under high pressure. Didn’t quite hit the spot at the Accenture, but still has the tools to win this. Started off the season pretty strongly, but has not managed to nail a win yet during 2011. The defence of his US Open is on the line next month and he will want to be building some confidence and momentum ahead of that. Has been placed in a tough group with Louis Oosthuizen and Jhonattan Vegas, both of who have won on tour this year. McDowell has a lot of good close control, but you wonder if he is quite on top of his game or not. Quality player when he is on song, needs a solid start.
Volvo World Match Play Championship Golf Betting Outright Winner
Luke Donald: 7/1 at SkyBet
Lee Westwood: 7/1 at Bet365
Rory McIlroy: 9/1 at Totesport
Martin Kaymer: 9/1 at Totesport
Charl Schwartzel: 14/1 at SkyBet
Graeme McDowell: 16/1 at SportingBet
Ian Poulter: 18/1 at Totesport
Paul Casey: 18/1 at Extrabet
Volvo World Match Play Championship Golf Betting Tip: Hard to look past the form Luke Donald is in for your Volvo World Match Play Championship golf betting, but fancy McIlroy and Schwartzel to have a very good attempt here.
