10th May 2011 | Golf
The Players Championship Top American: Ben Crane
Crane has three consecutive top six finishes at the TPC. Plus the big names in this market create value down the field.
There aren’t many better American players on tour than Ben Crane right now. In eight events this season he has made seven cuts and finished no worse than 24th. That one missed cut came at Augusta, which is forgivable at such an idiosyncratic course.
Woods and Mickleson are at the head of the market, but both are opposable. With two wins in thirty starts between them, the TPC at Sawgrass has not been kind to them. Neither is at the top of their game and at prohibitive odds they are swerved.
With finishes of T4-T5-T6, The Players Championship has been very rewarding for Ben Crane. His odds of 35/1 to win the tournament are about right but the 22/1 to be top American is much more generous. Six of the last ten tournament winners have come from outside the US and by removing that threat we are only losing 13 points off his price.
Bookmakers are offering each way terms of ¼ odds for a top four finish in this market. Given the journeymen pros in the field, Crane looks a certainty to place at the very least.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 11:38 10th May, 2011 but subject to change
