Buick Open round four: Where did that one come from?

“Whoever said this week was one to leave alone … well done!” Not an entirely fair forum reflection on Sunday’s debacle perhaps, but it summed up the mood of many punters about Brian Bateman’s shock(ing) victory.

Actually, I thought the Buick Open provided some excellent betting opportunities. Jim Furyk was a gift lay for the moderately brave all week and, had you had just half your betting wits about you, any pre-tournament punts on the likes of Scott Verplank, Woody Austin, Kenny Perry and Tom Pernice Jr would have reaped rewards over the weekend. Sunday’s shootout was a layer’s paradise.

But I’m with them in one sense. I’m too old for fairy tales, I don’t like crappy winners, and in my book Bateman, nice guy though he sounds, is a crappy winner.

He’s by no means unique. Chris Couch anyone? Todd Hamilton? But look at his record of 9 Q-schools, a world ranking of 408, 150 PGA events without a win, plus his fairly dreadful history in this competition, and ask yourself where that self-assured display came from. Another moment, methinks, to shake your head and move on.

Most pathetic, though, was the way some of the old pros bemoaned the hard and bumpy state of the greens for their woes. Granted they ended up virtually playing two different courses as Thursday’s rain-sodden affair burned into Sunday’s brown holes of horror. But how come Bateman didn’t find it so difficult guys? Only Justin Leonard of the former champions can look back on Sunday with much pride and deserved a playoff for his efforts.

PS: Strikes me four days around Warwick Hills to win nearly $900,000 is a lot less taxing than the way Erick Lindgren recently went for a total bet of $340,000 by playing four rounds back-to-back on a single day at a windy Las Vegas course, carrying his own bag in more than 100 degrees and shooting each round under 100. It was a bet between some Vegas poker gamblers and, from what I’ve read, seems genuine enough, although conspiracy theories abound. There’s even a couple of amusing if slightly over-long videos on YouTube, (don’t watch if you hate strong language!) or a shorter single vid on a site called rawvegastv.