31st Jan 2012 | Phoenix Open
Phoenix Open Tips: Brian Gay
Excellent course record, strong putter and hardly out of the 60s in 2012.
Continuing the theme of backing players who rarely drop shots, I’m going for three-time tour winner Brian Gay.
He enjoyed a consistent 2011, with nine top-25s from 26 events without ever looking like winning. His strengths are accuracy, putting and scoring, elements that should yield good results on a regular basis. He has ranked inside the top-20 on tour for strokes gained putting in each of the last four seasons; if he makes opportunities at Scottsdale this week he is likely to take them.
Brian Gay’s other strength is he does not give many shots back. Last year he ranked T28 for bogey-average a metric that is important at the Phoenix Open, where dropped shots seem to hurt more than anywhere else.
The 40-year-old American is blessed with a terrific record at TPC Scottsdale. His last missed cut at the course was in 2003, since then he has finished T71-T37-T23-T17-T6-T68-T18. Last year he put himself in contention with a 65, before his prowess with the flat-stick deserted him, unusual for one of the tour’s best putters.
The omens are good for Brian Gay as he has started 2012 at the top of his game. He has shot in the 60s in seven out of eight rounds this year, finishing T6 at the Sony Open. At 70/1 (Coral) he looks an excellent each way bet with ¼ odds for a top five finish.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 17:51 31st Jan, 2012 but subject to change
