2013 - Week 43 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the WGC - HSBC Champions (European/US PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. Just the one tournament this week and even though some of the bigger stars aren't playing (e.g. Tiger Woods, who couldn't hang around after his Chinese junket with Rory McIlroy!), there is still a strong field for the last WGC of the season in China. While Phil Mickelson has the best overall statistics, it should be noted that he himself has been very candid this past week about the current poor shape of his long game.

2013 - Week 42 Winners

Gonzalo Fdez-Castono (ranked 19th by Golf Predictor) won the BMW Masters pres. by SRE Group on the European PGA Tour. The 33 year old Spaniard won his seventh tour event and the biggest of his career in Shanghai. Despite a nervy final hole which he double bogeyed, Fdez-Castano secured victory courtesy of the three shot cushion he brought to the final hole. That lead in turn was thanks to what turned out to be a vital chip-in for birdie on the penultimate hole. Our top ranked player, Henrik Stenson, was battling an injury and finished in tied 34th. Overall, we had nine of the top seventeen plus ties (9/23) in total. 

Ryan Moore (ranked 11th by Golf Predictor) won the CIMB Classic on the US PGA Tour. The 30 year old American won at the first extra hole of a Monday play-off with Gary Woodland after the pair had finished tied on -14 in the rain delayed Malaysia event. Our top ranked player, Phil Mickelson, battled with his swing all week, but still managed to finish in tied 19th. Overall, we had eight of the top sixteen plus ties (8/18). 

2013 - Week 42 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the BMW Masters pres. by SRE Group (European PGA Tour) and the CIMB Classic (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. Both major tours are in Asia this week, but that isn't where the similarities stop. The CIMB Classic is moving to Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, the home of the Maybank Malaysian Open on the European Tour for the past few years. I'm not sure if this is the first time a course has hosted different events on both tours in the same year, but I don't recall it happening before. This doesn't help predictions however, as most of the field is from the US Tour. There are a handful of lesser lights in the field with course form from the European event, but they are very unlikely to feature at the top end of the leaderboard!

2013 - Week 41 Winners

Jin Jeong (ranked 87th by Golf Predictor) won the ISPS HANDA Perth International on the European PGA Tour. The 23 year old Korean overcame a nightmare opening four putt double bogey in the final round to secure his maiden tour title in a play-off with Ross Fisher. Our top ranked player, Dustin Johnson, finished in tied 12th and we had ten of the top eighteen plus ties (10/27) overall. 

Web Simpson (ranked 3rd by Golf Predictor) won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on the US PGA Tour. The 28 year old American won his first tour title since his US Open triumph sixteen months ago. Starting with a four shot cushion on the final day, Simpson got off to a fast start and eased to a six shot victory. Our top ranked player, Zach Johnson, finished in 40th and we had only six of the top fifteen plus ties (6/22) overall.

2013 - Week 41 Predictions/Statistics Updated (US Tour)

The predictions for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (US PGA Tour) have had to be updated on Golf Predictor. This was due to yet another name change for the event, which pre-2008 awkwardly enough used to be called the Frys.com Open, the same name as a different event currently on the US PGA Tour (last week's tournament)! This special case (and pain in the neck!) has to be handled by the system and I forgot it earlier in light of the new name for the event. Since Justin Timberlake's name was removed from the title this year, it wasn't picked up as this special case when I generated the predictions earlier. However, I noticed the mistake with the tournament history statistics immediately while looking at prediction pages for several golfers.

I have now fixed the problem and the tournament history has been recalculated correctly. You may have to reload any pages you might have viewed before the update and I apologise for any inconvenience caused.

2013 - Week 41 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the ISPS HANDA Perth International (European PGA Tour) and the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. Quite a few players are making the long trek from Portugal to Perth to join the other (mostly local) competitors. Along with the journeymen desperate to retain their playing rights for next year, two Americans are also competing in Perth en route to the upcoming events in Asia. Meanwhile, Justin Timberlake's name has been removed from the Las Vegas event, which like the tournament last week, doesn't have a very strong field.

2013 - Week 40 Winners

David Lynn (ranked 13th by Golf Predictor) won the Portugal Masters on the European PGA Tour. The 39 year old Englishman gave himself a fortieth birthday present a week early by securing his first tour title since 2004. Lynn stormed home in 63 (-8) to win his second title by one shot and make me very happy! I had tipped and backed him at 66/1 each way, but wasn't too optimistic after his poor third round! Our top ranked player, Matteo Manassero, missed the cut in disappointing fashion, but we had eleven of the top seventeen plus ties (11/21) in total. 

Jimmy Walker (ranked 9th by Golf Predictor) won the Frys.com Open on the US PGA Tour. The 34 year old American won his first tour title at the 188th attempt as overnight leader Brooks Koepka faded down the stretch. Our top ranked player, Hideki Matsuyana, finished in tied 3th and in a tournament traditionally hard to predict (due to the relatively poor field), we had only three of the top twelve plus ties (3/15).

2013 - Week 40 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Frys.com Open (US PGA Tour) and the Portugal Masters (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. It may be the first event of the new trans-year US PGA Tour season, but none of the big guns will be getting their 2013/14 campaigns off to a flying start. Japan's Hideki Matsuyama (30) is the highest ranked player in the field in California. The field in Portugal is similarly unimpressive, where Ireland's Shane Lowry will try to win again, this time without my on-course support!!

2013 - Week 39 Winner

David Howell (ranked 23rd by Golf Predictor) won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the European PGA Tour. The 38 year old Englishman won his first tour title in seven years with a play-off victory over Peter Uihlein in Scotland. Our top ranked player, Charl Schwartzel, finished in tied 7th and we had five of the top seventeen plus ties (5/19).

There was no event on the US PGA Tour this week as it is the new short close season between the old 2013 calendar season and the new 2013/14 season.