Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Sports World |
- Can Westwood's chances be written off after plane incident?
- The Grand National – Silver By Nature
- Ogilvy eyes surprise challenge
| Can Westwood's chances be written off after plane incident? Posted: 05 Apr 2011 06:50 AM PDT Lee Westwood always seems to enjoy playing golf, with the Englishman's game possessing an element of genuine joy that Tiger Woods would do well to take notice of if he wishes to bring his game back up to the highest level. However, after an in-flight incident left Westwood shaken up and forced to spend his first press conference prior to the US Masters focusing on everything except the golf, could it be that his chances of winning the imminent event are all but over? With Westwood already forced to deal with the fact that his short game has been nothing short of a mess in recent weeks and with the player last year managing to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, his mood coming into the US Masters probably wasn't the best to begin with, but his mood and his confidence now must surely be almost spent. The US Masters betting certainly suggests he could struggle. Despite this, Westwood attempted to spend his first press conference talking about golf rather than talking about the fact that he could well have not even have had the chance to be playing in the US Masters, meaning that either he is stronger mentally than many professional sports stars or he is desperately trying to hide the fact that he is extremely shaken up and has lost his focus. If Westwood does emerge and appears in the slightest bit distracted during the first day or two of the Masters at Augusta, then he may just find himself embroiled in a situation in which he is in real danger of not only missing out on a great opportunity to win his first major, but also of missing out on the cut and finding himself left regretting a massive lost opportunity to grab hold of victory if things had gone his way.  |
| The Grand National – Silver By Nature Posted: 05 Apr 2011 03:33 AM PDT 1961 saw the last winning grey in the National (Nicolaus Silver) and it has been 32 years since the race trophy travelled over the border and into Scotland via the victory or Rubstic. Well that could all change this year on both counts as Silver By Nature, a grey is trained in Scotland by Lucinda Russell and figures among the more likely contenders in the Grand National racing betting. The Russell yard is one of the in-form yards in the country at the moment, the past few weeks have seen plenty of winners emanating from the Russell yard which is situated amongst the rolling Fife hills in what must be one of the most picturesque training locations in the country. Although the owners or rather one half of the husband and wife partnership who own him are not keen on their boy taking his chance his success in staying handicaps have sent him in the inevitable direction of the 2011 Grand National. With Silver By Nature dominating the Haydock Grand National Trial over the last couple of runnings, winning both versions by 15 lengths each time it became despite his owners (Geoff and Joyce Brown) the obvious place to go with him and he became Aintree bound. The latest win in that race came under the burden of 11st 12lb – a full stone more than he will carry on Saturday, and although he may not get his favoured soft or heavy ground, a faster surface does not rule out a very decent showing from Silver By Nature and anyone looking to bet on Grand National 2011 should remember this. His jockey – Peter Buchanan – who was successful over the National fences in the 2004 Grand Sefton Chase on Forest Gunner actually thinks he will improve on the surface and that his concentration is much better now, that will prove a valuable commodity in the Grand National. Despite the owners reservations there is no doubt that this is the right race for Silver By Nature especially for a yard which has already registered 40 winners this campaign despite the weather blighting much of the Northern racing programme throughout the winter. Silver By Nature travels south this week with the yard in-form and looking to break two notably long losing streaks for Scotland and greys – the way events have been playing out for the Russell yard this year it would take a brave man to rule both streaks being broken.  |
| Ogilvy eyes surprise challenge Posted: 05 Apr 2011 02:40 AM PDT The popular Australian has been a contender for quite some time now, and the general opinion amongst the golfing world is that he could well be pulling on the coveted green jacket at Augusta on Sunday – making history as the first golfer from Down Under to win the prestigious US Masters. This season he has already shown terrific form, and as a consequence is being hotly tipped by fellow professionals to make a real impression when the tournament tees off on Thursday and the golf betting reflects this. His greatest strength is undoubtedly his short game – so important on Augusta's challenging greens and aprons – and his part time career as a golf course designer has certainly in no small part contributed to this. He has an eye for detail, a point highlighted by his strong showing at the event back in 2007 when he set the competition's record that year for number of birdies. His ability to handle pressure putts is arguably second to no one on the tour – a factor he puts down to the amount of golf he played on undulating greens not dissimilar to those of Augusta growing up, complete with big, sweeping putts on bent-grass. Speaking out in support of the Australian's chances this year was compatriot Robert Allenby. "Tiger is always going to be a favourite to win the Masters, but I would put Geoff Ogilvy in front of him. If Geoff controls his nerves and his feelings at that tournament, there's no reason why he shouldn't win," he said. He has experience of winning a major already of course – a factor which can be so important come the final day's play when the eyes of the world are upon you – having won the US Open in 2006, although he has stated this week that he sees himself as only having "some sort of chance on Sunday." Those looking at the US Masters betting should bear this in mind. Perhaps he is being modest, but the bookies' odds of around 50-1 would suggest that they might just agree, but they might simply be reflecting on last year's Augusta outing: a dreadful day's golf in which the Aussie only broke par once in the whole tournament, marking rounds of 75, 71, 76 and 74 and publicly described the course as "too hard".  |
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