- Thursday, September 19, 2024
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Many moons ago I bought a season ticket to watch all 4 days at Wentworth. I stayed in a budget hotel in Hounslow and jumped on the train really early Thursday morning to catch the first group out. In that group was Scott Jamieson. I’d backed him first round leader.
Having then spent the rest of the week wandering the fairways around the West Course my one memory was the contrast between that first group out Thursday morning and the rest of the tournament. It felt like a different world.
The course was still playing soft with the morning moisture hanging around for at least a few hours. The ball was stopping on the fairways and greens making it more target golf than what the later starters had to negotiate.
But it was also the atmosphere. This is a big event with large crowds, on the back 9 Thursday morning, there were probably a dozen people following Jamieson’s group. Half of those were his family and friends, it had the feel of a practice round and the distractions were few and far between.
Also being the first group out on a one tee start can really help. If you’ve played golf yourself there’s no better feeling that draining a birdie putt, dashing to the next tee and smashing it down the middle full of beans. Pro golfers rarely get that luxury. More often than not they reach the next tee box and have to wait for the group in front to clear the fairway.
But tomorrow morning the first group out can scoot round the West Course, with no hold ups, very little distractions and with the course playing much softer.
Jamieson landed me an each way payout that day. It was interesting when he reached the 18th tee that the crowd suddenly swelled and he hit is worst tee shot of the day. Luckily he escaped with a par and I think it was a 67, which at the time I didn’t think had a chance. But as the course dried out and the field were forced to play away from the pins, it held up nicely to land me a full EW return at 175/1.
This week Matthew Jordan is part of the first group out. He opened with a 65 here in 2022 to land a place in this market. His recent form has been patchy in truth but he was 10th at the Open. His game is well suited to the West Course ranking 17th in SG Off the Tee and 34th in SG Approach.
Hopefully he can take advantage of the best of the conditions and shoot a strong opening round. 100/1 looks a good shout.
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