Renovation Plans For Anfield Stadium

By Brad Eveleigh

English Premier League club, Liverpool FC have revealed renovation plans to increase the capacity of their home ground, Anfield.

The majority of the proposed amendments would occur to The Main Stand, expanding to three tiers and the Anfield Road Stand. 

At completion of the proposed redevelopment, the stadium’s capacity would rise from 45,500 to approximately 59,000. 

In October 2012, the club stated in a press release that the priority was redevelopment rather than relocation to the adjacent Stanley Park. 

The main concern raised by local residents during the 2012 proposal discussions was the demolition of some houses in close proximity of the ground.  

Club officials have stated that discussions with property owners effected were “progressing well and all parties are close to agreement, but there are still details to be finalised.”(BBC)

Further modifications to the redevelopment would see the Hillsborough Memorial relocated to The Main Stand, paying tribute to the 96 Liverpool fans who died attending an FA Cup match in 1989. 

The club must continue with current consultation processes before presenting and submitting the final plan application to the Liverpool City Council in the coming weeks. 

Liverpool Managing Director, Ian Ayre has said: “Good progress has been made so far and we are proud to be able to unveil our plans.”

If the application is successful, construction would commence early in 2015 and is predicted to be completed by the start of the 2016-17 Premier League season.

FIFA Delay Barcelona Transfer Ban

By Brad Eveleigh

FC Barcelona have had their transfer ban put on hold by FIFA allowing them to now make player purchases and sales in the upcoming European Summer market.

The club was originally handed a 14-month ban after they had been found to have breached the player transfer rules by signing international players under the age of 18.

FIFA have now decided to delay the suspension pending an appeal.

The defending Spanish Champions received a notice on April 2nd by FIFA’s disciplinary committee in regards to breaking the rules in the signing of 10 juniors (players names are confidential).

They were hit with a 450,000 Swiss franc fine along with the transfer suspension.

As expected, Barca’ fought the suspension and lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for sport.

Due to the complexity of the case and further possible appeals, the case is not a certainty to conclude before the opening of the transfer market on July 1, hence FIFA’s decision to delay the punishment.

Club officials will be breathing a sigh of relief as the team Captain Carles Puyol and veteran goalkeeper Victor Valdes will both be leave at seasons end and will need their big shoes filling as soon as possible.

The FIFA International transfer rule states that International transfers are only permitted for players over the age of 18 unless:

• The Under-18 player can move to a club in a different country if their parents move there for non-footballing reasons,
• If they are from another nation within the European Union or European Economic Area and aged between 16 and 18
• If they live within 100km of the club

MLB Early Season Report Card

By Troy Martin

 

Well, baseball is back for another season – and I for one couldn’t be happier. Now you may think I’m alone on this, but I’ve got 76000 close friends who share in my joy! But more on that later..

The regular season is almost through it’s first month (around 20 games played out of the 162 game schedule), and several key storylines have started to develop.

Here at Grid of Sports we’ll run down the news of the season so far, as well as a snapshot of the happenings in each division.

 

The Stories so far..

 

MLB back in Sydney after 100 years

Prior to the Dodgers & Diamondbacks touching down in Sydney, there were questions raised about whether this year’s opening series would be a flop. Well, those questions were answered in emphatic fashion as 38000 screaming fans packed the SCG on both days.

We cheered, we booed, we caught foul balls, sang “Take me out to the ballgame”, and ate nachos out of a batting helmet. We saw why Clayton Kershaw was worth $300 million, and got to appreciate Australia’s past & present Major Leaguers. It was such a success that Major League Baseball have agreed to come back in 2018, and will be represented by none other than the storied New York Yankees.

 

Dropping like flies

Chris Sale – Chicago White Sox

The list of top flight pitchers on the Disabled List (DL) is just jaw dropping. How’s this list for starters..

Clayton Kershaw (*)

Patrick Corbin (*)

Daniel Hudson (*)

Gavin Floyd

Kris Medlen (*)

Ryan Dempster

Chris Sale (*)

Mat Latos (*)

Brett Anderson (*)

Scott Feldman (*)

Luke Hocheaver

Matt Harvey (*)

Ivan Nova

Cole Hamels (*)

Josh Johnson (*)

Hisashi Iwakuma (*)

James Paxton

Taijuan Walker

Adam Wainwright (*)

Matt Moore (*)

Jeremy Helickson

Matt Harrison (*)

Tanner Scheppers (*)

Derek Holland

Doug Fister (*)

Now this isn’t every pitcher on the DL – not even close. But these are all quality Major League pitchers. Those with an asterisk (*) are their team’s #1 or #2 starter.

So what does this all mean?

Well, a couple of things. Some highly touted rookies will be put to the test earlier than expected. This could mean we see the emergence of the next Matt Harvey or Stephen Strasburg. But an early promotion could also give us the next Ben McDonald.

Who’s Ben McDonald you ask? Exactly.

Some names to keep an eye on this year include Matt Wisler (Padres), Eddie Butler (Rockies), and Archie Bradley (Diamondbacks).

We should also see a busier than usual trade market around the All-Star break.

The old saying holds true – you can never have too much pitching.

 

Play it again Ump

Major League Baseball moved in line with other major sports by introducing instant replay in 2014. The reports so far are mixed, with the main complaint being that simple replays are taking up to 10 minutes to complete. For those already unhappy about the length of games this is more aggravation, but for the fans who just want the call right, it’s worth the wait.

 

Division Report

 

American League East

Masahiro Tanaka

The Good – The Yankees (just..)

After years of being the most talent stacked division in baseball, there is currently a feeling of.. meh.. about the AL East. The Yankees off season acquisitions of McCann, Ellsbury & Tanaka have been enough for the Bronx Bombers to jump out to an early lead, but for how long?

Baltimore’s fairytale appears to be over, and the Jays still can’t seem to live up to their promise. I think when it’s all said & done – the Rays (if they can keep their pitchers healthy) will edge out the Yankees to win the division.

The Bad – Red Sox

Last year’s World Champions look like anything but in the early going, but should start to put things together soon. Jon Lester’s public contract discussions are an unwanted distraction, and the loss of Jacoby Ellsbury has left a hole that top prospect Jackie Bradley Jr hasn’t quite been able to fill.

 

American League Central

Ian Kinsler

The Good – Detroit Tigers

Most teams are presently suffering through injury woes to key pitchers. No such problems for the Tigers, whose “Big Three” of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer & Anibal Sanchez will ensure that the Motor City gets another post season appearance in 2014. Second Baseman Ian Kinsler, who was basically a throw in from the Prince Fielder trade to Texas has thrived in his new environment and has quickly become Detroit’s offensive catalyst.

The Bad – Minnesota Twins

The Twins have been bad. They were bad last year, they will continue to be bad this year. But much like the Pittsburgh Pirates, they figure to get really good – really fast.

With a farm system featuring baseball’s top prospect Byron Buxton, as well as Miguel Sano, Kohl Stewart & Alex Meyer, Minnesota’s faithful only have a couple of years to wait before they return to the glory days. In the mean time though, expect some pain..

 

American League West

Sonny Gray

The Good – Oakland Athletics

What have we learned from the first month of the season? We’ve learned that the A’s are for real. Their production line of stellar young pitching continues to keep them at the top of the heap in the West. When Tommy Millone was sidelined with injury, longman Jessie Chavez emerged from the bullpen to make the rotation spot his own – pitching to a 1.38 ERA and striking out 28 and walking only 5 in 26 innings.

Sonny Gray has emerged as the staff Ace, and has been ably supported by Dan Straily, and comeback phenom Scott Kazmir.

The Angels are old, and shallow in pitching. Even the presence of baseball’s undisputed best player Mike Trout is not enough for them to contend. Texas also have too many question marks behind Yu Darvish, and after a promising start Seattle’s offense has once again become anemic.

The Bad – Houston Astros.

What did you expect, they’re the Astros..

Houston have scored an astonishing 60% of their runs via the long ball this year – a perfect reflection of a young team that is truly hit or miss (and unfortunately they are still mostly miss)

They have had the number one pick in the draft for the last couple of years, as well as having it this year (and probably next) so the rot won’t continue forever. But don’t expect a turnaround anytime soon.

 

National League East

Bryce Harper

The Good – Atlanta Braves & Washington Nationals

As hard as I try, I just can’t split these two. Both teams have been decimated by early season injuries, but there is still daylight between them & the rest of the division. Atlanta have already had pitchers Kris Medlen, Brandon Beachy & Mike Minor go down with injuries but have managed to open the season 13-7, mainly due to some stellar play on the road (8-4).

Washington have also had key players land on the DL including Ryan Zimmerman, Doug Fister, Wilson Ramos & Denard Span.

These injuries would usually open the door for another team to leapfrog into 1^st place, but unfortunately for the Mets & Phillies the talent gap is presently too much.

The Bad – Miami Marlins

Fans in Florida are in a state of limbo at present with the constant cycle of “spend up big, then have a fire sale” still the norm in Miami. They refuse to trade their best player Giancarlo Stanton, yet they refuse to build around him. Stanton and 21 year old pitching phenom Jose Fernandez are bright spots in an otherwise dull Florida landscape.

 

National League Central

Carlos Gomez

The Good – Milwaukee Brewers

Could they really do it? Could the Brew Crew come out of nowhere to unseat Pittsburgh? I think the answer is probably not, but they have been nothing if not fun to watch.

The offense has been electric behind emerging superstar Carlos Gomez and perennial All Star Ryan Braun, but the pitching has been absolutely stellar.

The Pirates, however should keep pace with them most of the way and then overtake them down the stretch.

The Cardinals have had pitching setbacks of their own, but can never be counted out, and the Reds are capable of keeping up with all three of the teams just mentioned.

This figures to be baseball’s most competitive division.

The Bad – Chicago Cubs

The new regime of Jed Hoyer & Theo Epstein have been quietly amassing some talent in the Windy City, but they’re not quite where they want to be. But with young players such as Mike Olt, Anthony Rizzo & Starlin Castro, the Cubbies could soon become relevant again. For now though, its another last place finish.

 

National League West

Clayton Kershaw

The Good – Los Angeles Dodgers

The NL West has a history of really close division races. Usually because the competing teams are all really good, or all really bad. Lately though, the gap between the boys from Chavez Ravine and everyone else is as large as it’s been in some time. Under new ownership, headed by LA’s own Magic Johnson, the Dodgers have opened up their chequebook and declared that money is no object in their quest to bring a championship to LALA land. And who knows? This could just be the year..

The Giants are scrappy and will provide some resistance, but ultimately neither they nor the improving Padres will have what it takes to unseat the defending champions.

The (oh so) Bad – Arizona Diamondbacks

If the D-Backs 5-18 record doesn’t indicate how their season is going, then here’s a couple of quotes for you.

“Bad teams typically have some positivity and rays of hope. This is different.” – Pitcher Brandon McCarthy.

“I’ve been on teams that weren’t very good, but at least we were competitive” – Infielder Eric Chavez.

These aren’t young guys opening their mouths when they shouldn’t, these are two veterans who know precisely what they are saying.

Australian pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith was recently dropped from the Major League roster and chose the uncertainty of free agency rather than staying with an obviously dysfunctional team. Come season’s end some D-Backs players may wish they were in the same boat.

 

Fearless Predictions

It’s never too early for some clairvoyance, so here goes..

AL East: Tampa Bay

AL Central: Detroit

AL West: Oakland

AL Wildcard: New York Yankees

 

NL East: Washington

NL Central: Pittsburgh

NL West: Los Angeles

NL Wild Card: Atlanta

 

AL Champion: Detroit

NL Champion: Washington

 

World Series Winner: Washington Nationals

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aussie Heavyweights Attempt To Make History

By Hayden Hooper

Lucas Browne v Eric Martel Bahoeli

Just before Alex Leapai does battle with Wladimir Klitschko, Australian Heavyweight Lucas ‘Big Daddy’ Browne will be involved in his own bout with the possibility of breaking history.

Browne (19-0, 17KOs), faces Canadian Eric Martel Bahoeli (10-3, 7KOs) for the lucrative Commonwealth title at Sheffield’s Ponds Fordge Arena in the United Kingdom.

Not since the great Peter Jackson in 1892 has an Australian held the Commonwealth Heavyweight title.

Along with breaking the 122 year old drought, a victory could propel Browne, currently ranked #11 by the WBC, onto the world stage or possibly set up a mouth watering all Australian showdown with Leapai.

Promoted by former British world champion Ricky Hatton and having fought in the United Kingdom four times previous, ‘Big Daddy’ enters with a strong following.

The bout will be shown Live on Foxtel’s EuroSport channel at 6am Sunday morning.

Bribie Island Light Welterweight Ty Gilchrist will feature on the undercard.

Leapai v Klitschko

Australia’s Alex Leapai has been described as a real life Rocky ahead of his World Heavyweight title fight with Wladimir Klitschko.

The press conference also could have been mistaken for a scene straight out of a Rocky film, when former champion Shannon Briggs interrupted, Clubber Lang like, and begun to call out and taunt Klitschko.

The Ukrainian champion brushed off the brash America’s comments, but Leapai took offense when Briggs called him a ‘Bum’, and the Australian had to be restrained from approaching Briggs.

The Brisbane based slugger who holds a record of 30-4-3, 24KOs, is attempting to become the first ever Australian to capture a Heavyweight World title when he takes on the Ukrainian superstar at the Koenig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen Germany, on Sunday morning Australian time.

Much like Rocky, he enters as huge underdog against WBA, WBO, IBO and IBF title holder Klitschko, whose record stands impressively at 61-3, 51Kos, and has not tasted defeat in a decade.

The fight will be broadcast Live on MainEvent PPV with proceedings to begin at 6 am and the title fight to begin at around 7 am Sunday morning.

Undercard will feature highly touted New Zealand heavyweight prospect Joseph Parker (7-0, 6KOs).

FIFA Secretary-General Inspects World Cup Stadiums

By Brad Eveleigh

The Secretary-General of FIFA, Jerome Valcke has attended the Itaquerao Stadium in Brazil to inspect the delays of construction for the 2014 Football World Cup.

The Itaquerao Stadium will host the opening fixture between Brazil and Croatia on June 12, less than two months away.

Valcke said there is “not a minute to lose” as there is still a lot of work to do before completion can be declared.

He was confident that it would be ready in time saying, “we are running against time, but yes, the stadium will host the opening game”.

Construction at the Itaquerao Stadium came to a drastic halt last November when two workers were killed by a collapsing crane. Sadly an additional death also occurred earlier in the year to a construction worker who was helping install 20,000 temporary seats that will be needed for the opening. Both these tragic losses caused obvious delays.

Vlacke’s agenda now leads him South to Porto Alegre and Curitiba, where he will receive updates from local organisers about the delays and potential issues there.

Curitiba will house World Champions Spain against Australia on June 23 and the Football Federation Australia boss David Gallop has publicly expressed is concern over the conditions of the stadium. Let’s hope the report comes back positive for all parties involved.

 

 

 

RBC Heritage Tips and Preview 2014

By Michael McGill

While Bubba Watson  heads home with his second Green Jacket to celebrate his amazing Masters Tournament victory the rest of the players on tour head 200 kilometres south to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.

This week’s tournament is the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links where the players will fight it out for a different colour jacket. This one is Plaid and is presented to the winner of the tournament. Harbour Town Golf Links is a Par 71, 6,973 yard course with 145 bunkers and water coming into play on nine of the holes. There are also three Par 5’s.

The course was designed by renowned golf course architect Peter Dye with the help of Jack Nicklaus in 1969. Peter has designed other famous courses like Whistling Straits and Sawgrass which is famous for its island green 17th hole. The RBC Heritage is one of only 5 tournaments on the PGA Tour that is given invitational status. The field will consist of 132 players unlike other events, which has the standard 156.

The tournament has been played one week after the Masters since 1983 and the record of -20 was set in 2009 by Brian Gay. Many great players have had success here such as Arnold Palmer who won the inaugural event back in 1969. Hale Irwin won his first ever PGA Tour event here in 1971 then in 1994 he had his third victory in this tournament which was also his twentieth over all and also his last ever PGA Tour win. Another player to record his first ever tour victory here was Nick Faldo in 1984.

The bookies Top 5 in betting this week are:- 16/1 Jordan Spieth, 18/1 Luke Donald, 18/1 Matt Kuchar, 20/1 Jim Furyk and 22/1 Zach Johnson. Spieth is coming off a 2nd at The Masters last week while Kuchar was 5th.

Last years Champion Graeme McDowell (25/1) is back to defend his title along with other past winners such as Brian Gay 100/1, Boo Weekley 80/1, Aaron Baddeley 100/1, Stewart Cink 80/1 and Justin Leonard 150/1. Other notable players teeing it up include Harris English, Hunter Mahan, Charl Schwartzel, Brandt Snedeker and Bill Haas.

The course has tight fairways and some of the smallest greens on the tour. Ball placement is one of the crucial elements required for victory here. It is not a course for hitting it far and hard. Precision players always fair better than those that go for length. Shot shaping will take you a long way at Harbour Town. Putting and hitting greens is also paramount along with scrambling. All past winners have rated highly in scrambling for the week.

Looking at the field this week there are two players who rate well in the above mentioned stats and should be in contention over the weekend.

Billy Horschel 50/1 

Last year was Billy’s break through season the PGA Tour where he won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans as well as recording seven Top 10 finishes. This year Horschel is flying under the radar with seven made cuts from ten starts which have produced four Top 25 finishes.

This week he is back to a course that saw him finish 9th last year when on debut. Harbour Town is a course that should see Billy back to his best as it suits his game down to the ground and this could be the week he shows the form we know he has.

Entering this week he is coming off a 37th place finish at The Masters where he was -10 on the Par 5’s. This week he has three of them to enjoy. He also hit 72% of greens in regulation last week.

In this tournament last year he played the Par 5’s at 7 under par. His stats this year have him ranked 16th in driving accuracy, 16th in greens in regulation, 8th in total driving and 3rd in ball striking,

At 50/1 this could be the week we strike a winner at great each way value.

Kevin Na 33/1 

Kevin last won on tour in 2011 at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. A back injury saw him out of the game for 20 weeks last year and he only managed to contest 13 tournaments.

This year he is back big and better than ever with 7 made cuts from 8 starts which has produced 6 top 20 finishes!

His last three tournaments read as 2nd, 14th and 11th. this will be his tenth start at the RBC Heritage where he has already had five Top 20’s. His two most recent results were 9th and 8th.

Stats wise he is ranked 15th in strokes gained putting, 20th in birdie average, 7th in scoring average, 2nd in scrambling and 7th in Par 4 birdie or better average.

Now that his back is well and truly fixed we can expect to see the real Kevin Na stand up this week and continue his impressive recent results here.

Good luck and good punting.

 

 

 

 

 

CLOTTEY CRUSHES MUNDINE

By Hayden Hooper

It may have been a lopsided defeat against Anthony Mundine, but ‘The Man’ proved he’s not short on intestinal fortitude by getting off the canvas 5 times in Newcastle on Wednesday night.

Joshua Clottey entered the bout with a definitive size disadvantage, but from the opening bell it was the former Welterweight champion who looked the much stronger physically. At 38, Mundine, a former title holder at Super Middleweight (76.2kg) and Middleweight (72.5kg), looked physically drawn out at the Light Middleweight (69.9kg) division.

The Ghanian imposed his will on Mundine from the get go, establishing his left to the body early and walking forward with relentless pressure. Despite being inactive, having only fought twice since 2010, Clottey was able maintain the pressure throughout the entire 12 rounds.

Round 3 would see the first of the 5 knockdowns. While Mundine answered the count, he didn’t have an answer to Clottey’s attack. He went down again in round 6 from a crisp right uppercut, then again towards the end of the round and was lucky to be saved by the bell.

Mundine found himself on the deck again in round 8 and once more in round 10 from a left hook.

Whilst Mundine sit in his corner after round 10, his trainers threatened to stop the fight.  Mundine pleaded for them to allow him to continue. Courageously Mundine was able to survive the final 2 rounds and make it to the closing bell.

The three ringside judges scored the contest 116-108, 115-109 and 117-108. Clottey becomes the new WBA International Light Middleweight champion, his record improves to 38-4, 22KOs.

Mundine’s record falls to 46-6, 27KOs and a question mark now lay over his career.

Pitt Dealt First Defeat

David Aloua has handed Brad Pitt his first career defeat with a 4th round TKO in their much anticipated Cruiserweight matchup.

Pitt came out looking confident with fast hands, but Aloua used a very smart and defensive game plan against the dangerous puncher.

While Pitt pressured for the opening 3 rounds, bloodying Aloua’s nose, the New Zealand born Aloua seemed content on sitting back and waiting for Pitt to make a mistake.

Round 4 would see Aloua capitalise and land a right hand that sent Pitt crashing to the floor. It looked as though Pitt was in no shape to continue, but referee allowed the contest to carry on after a mandatory count. Aloua rushed straight back in and finished the unsteady Pitt to claim the OPBF, WBO Asia Pacific and WBA Pan African belts.

Aloua improves to 11-1, 8KOs and a matchup between the winner of Daniel Ammann and Mark Flanagan could be a high possibility. Pitt’s record now stands at 15-1 12KOs.

Also on the undercard

2012 Olympian Cameron Hammond cruised to a 6 round decision victory over late replacement Promool Boonpok with all scorecards reading 60-54.

Renold Quinlan scored a 4th round KO against his replacement opponent Dechapon Suwunnalird.

Ahmed Dib faced showman Dennapa Bigshotcamp, scoring a 2nd round TKO in what commentator Barry Michael described as a flop.

George Kambosos Jr proved much to tough for Thongthai Rajanondh, stopping him in the 1st round with a body shot.

 

You can read more of Hayden’s work at: ChatterBoxing

The Masters Tournament. Tips and Preview 2014.

By Michael McGill

Every golf fan around the World loves April as it is the time when we all get to sit back and enjoy the first Major of the year.

The Masters!

The who’s who in Golf will descend upon Augusta National this week to take part in the 78th edition of this time honoured event.

Many great legends of the game have played their part in the history of this great tournament. Names like Horton Smith who was the first Masters Champion back in 1934. He also won in 1936. Ben Hogan has 2 victories along with Tom Watson, Byron Nelson, Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ben Crenshaw and Bernhard Langer.

The Great Sam Snead has won three times. So to have Gary Player, Jimmy Demaret, Nick Faldo and Phil Mickelson. Arnold Palmer has won four Masters (1958,60,62.64) as well as Tiger Woods (1997,2001,02,05). Then there is the ‘The Golden Bear’ Jack Nicklaus who has won a remarkable six Masters Tournaments! (1963,65,66,72,75,86).

Many believe this year is especially difficult to pick the winner. Look at the season so far and you will see the number of first time PGA Tour winners like Kevin Stadler, John Senden, Matt Every, Steven Bowditch and Matt Jones. Then you can add the young guns that have been tearing it apart like Harris English, Jimmy Walker, Russell Henley and Patrick Reed. You then have to worry about a few of the big names who have been dealing with niggling injuries like Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.

That is before you get to look at players like Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel, Brandt Snedeker and Keegan Bradley who all have the talent to win and then you realize just how hard it is going to be to win the Green Jacket in 2014. With this much talent on display we can expect to see plenty of fantastic nail biting golf over the four days.

The Bookies Top 5 in betting are- 9/1 Adam Scott, 10/1 Rory McIlroy, 14/1 Jason Day, 14/1 Phil Mickelson and 22/1 Sergio Garcia.

Augusta National is considered a national treasure and is always listed in the Top 5 of everyone’s list of top courses in the world. They are always making changes to the course to keep up with technology. In 2001 the course was 6,925 yards and then lengthened to 7,270 yards. In 2006 it was lengthened again to 7,445 yards. The greens were originally Bermuda however they were also changed to Bentgrass in 1981, which resulted in a faster putting surface.

So what does it take to win at Augusta National?

Precise ball striking is a must. Greens in Regulation are what it is all about too. With the steeply contoured greens it is imperative that you hit the ball to the right area of the green to allow for an easier putt. If you fail to do this you can expect to have difficulty in getting it up and down. In fact 3 putts will not be out of the question. Being able to avoid the 3 putts is very important, as poor putters do not win Green Jackets.

Length off the tee is important. The last six winners were all ranked inside the Top 60 in driving distance on the PGA Tour when they won. It is also worth noting that the fairways are mown away from the hole, resulting in less roll from the drive.

Putting, putting and more putting. To play well at Augusta you need to tame the greens. They are some of the fastest in the world. The greens are undulating and are sure to cause issues for many players.

Experience and Wisdom will also take you a long way at Augusta National. Not only experience on the course, but experience on the big stage, under pressure when it is all on the line. Winning a Major is not for the faint hearted. Just look at all the melt downs in Major history!

I have selected three players who will give you a good run for your money, some at longer odds than others.

Jason Dufner 40/1 win, 4/1 Top 10.

Dufner is the perfect selection for those wanting to follow the Masters trends. You need a player who has plenty of Top 20 finishes in his lead up to the tournament. They usually have no missed cuts and have been solid and consistent. Plenty of analysts also point to the WGC Cadillac Championship as a good form guide as past Masters Champions have playing well at Doral. Jason falls into all these trends which are why he is our first man selected.

His form this year reads as 5^th, 29^th, 65^th, 9^th, 9^th and 14^th so plenty of Top 20 finishes in there and no missed cuts. The WGC Cadillac Championship has given him results of 18th, 29^th, 12^th and 9^th at his four starts. This will be his fourth start at The Masters where he has improved at each appearance being 30^th in 2010, 24^th in 2012 and 20^th last year. That is some pretty impressive trending.

Stats wise Dufner is ranked 17^th in birdie average, 24^th in all round rankings, 12^th in Par 4 birdie or better average and 13^th in Par 5 birdie or better average. In 20 starts in Majors he has won the 2013 PGA Championship and been placed in the Top 5 at four starts and in the Top 30 on another five occasions.

Could it be time for Major number two? Come Sunday afternoon I expect to see him challenging for the title heading down the back nine.

Patrick Reed 55/1 win, 5/1 Top 10, 13/2 Top Debutant.

Patrick started the 2013 PGA Tour ranked No.584 in the World and missed eight cuts in his first 13 events. Then in August of that year he won the Wyndham Championship and finished the year with three Top 10’s. The 2014 season started with a bang as he finished the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in a tie for 16th and followed that up with a win at the Humana Challenge. Patrick Reed the All-American from Augusta State University was on the map and making a name for himself. He was now ranked No.41 in the World.

Reed continued on his upward trajectory with more great displays of golf. 19^th Phoenix Open, 13^th AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am, 17^th WGC Accenture Match Play, 24^th The Honda Classic and then it was a Win at the WGC Cadillac Championship. (A great Augusta trend). He was now No.20 in the World and telling everyone who would listen just how good he was. This kid is brash, outspoken, confident, self assured and has a huge opinion of himself. Tiger Woods is his idol and he loves to wear a red shirt on a Sunday just like him.

According to reports on the internet he is coming off a 10 day minicamp with is coach, Kevin Kirk, where he has been shaping the ball from right-to-left off the tee and controlling the trajectory and spin on his approach shots. When asked about his chances this week at the press conference he replied, ‘I’m very confident’.

It is easy to see why he has a huge ego and believes he is a Top 5 player in the World. In his short career to date he has already claimed a few firsts. He is the youngest winner of a WGC event and made PGA Tour history as the first player to start a tournament with three rounds with a score a 63 or better which he did when winning the Humana Challenge. Reed also became only the fifth golfer to win three PGA Tour events before they turned 24. The other four were Tiger Woods, Phil Mickleson, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia.

This will be Patrick’s first Masters Tournament. No one has won it at their first attempt since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. I am sure Patrick Reed knows this and will be out to prove he is the man to do it again. After all history was meant to be broken.

Looking at his stats this week his game is ready for Augusta. 38^th in driving distance, 40^th in greens in regulation, 22^nd in strokes gained putting, 7^th in sand saves, 8^th in all round ranking, 15^th in Par 4 birdie or better average, 22^nd in Par 5 birdie or better average and 2^nd in FedEx Cup ranking.

One thing is for certain when it comes to Patrick, he has the belief that he can win and sometimes that is what is required to get you over the line.

Francesco Molinari 125/1 win, 8/1 Top 10.

Francesco finds himself trending in the right Masters characteristics just like Jason Dufner. Five starts this year have resulted in 13^th, 40^th, 33^rd, 25^th and 5^th. No missed cuts, plenty of Top 20’s and good consistence. He has had five starts at the WGC Cadillac Championship for 14^th, 3^rd, 13^th, 28^th and 25^th. Again this is very positive.

This will be his fifth start at the Masters. His past results have been 30^th in 2010, Cut in 2011, 19^th in 2012 and Cut last year. Two Top 30 finishes from four starts is nothing to be ashamed of at all.

Molinari’s stats also put him in a good position this week. Just look at his last two starts to get the idea. Two starts ago he was 25^th at the WGC Cadillac Championship where he was ranked 4^th in greens in regulation, 37^th in strokes gained putting and 13^th in driving accuracy. Last start saw him finish 5^th in the Arnold Palmer Invitational where he was 3^rd in driving accuracy, 19^th in greens in regulation, 36^th in strokes gained putting and 23^rd in putts per GIR.

Good Luck and Good Punting.

 

 

 

 

 

MUNDINE V CLOTTEY

By Hayden Hooper

Anthony Mundine (46-5, 27KOs) continues his march towards a WBA title shot, as he takes on New York based Ghanaian Joshua Clottey (37-4, 22KOs) at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre tomorrow night on MainEvent PPV.

Mundine, 38, has expressed interest in facing Cuba’s interim WBA champion Erislandy Lara, or a big money fight with WBA champion and pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.

With Mundine currently ranked #3 by the WBA, these matchups could begin to become a possibility, should he get past Clottey on Wednesday night.

However, Clottey, 36, comes to Australia as a former IBF Welterweight champion, looking to put himself back into the mix of a world title fight after being inactive over the past 3 years.

Although having fought just twice since 2010, once in 2011, then after a two year absence, in September of 2013, Clottey says he has never stopped training and insists he is ready.

Clottey’s only 4 losses have come at the hands of world champions Carlos Baldomir, Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao and also holds notable wins over Diego Corrales and Zab Judah.

The undercard features a stack of domestic talent and a mouthwatering semi main event between top Australian Cruiserweights Brad Pitt (15-0, 12Kos) and David Aloua (10-1, 7KOS), which many enthusiasts believe could steal the show.

Pitt, a 2008 Olympic representative and former Australian title holder has been inactive of late, fighting just once since 2012. However, Pitt impressed in his February return with a stunning 1stround knockout on the Daniel Geale v Garth Wood undercard.

Aloua, a New Zealand born Commonwealth Games representative has been impressive himself recently, scoring two stoppage victories since suffering his first career defeat to Australian Champion Daniel Ammann.

2012 Olympian Cameron ‘The Hammer’ Hammond (8-0 4KOs) and Renold Quinlan (7-0, 3KOs) were both set to feature, unfortunately their opponents have pulled out, reasons still to be confirmed. Replacement opponents are being worked on.

Also on the card is New South Wales Light Middleweight champion Ahmed Dib (12-0, 7KOs) and Lightweight George Kambosos Jr (4-0, 2KOs) facing Thai opponents, and Super Middleweight Bilal Akkaway (9-0, 8KOs) against Brian Olman.

 

You can read more of Hayden’s work at: ChatterBOXing

 

 

 

 

Shell Houston Golf Open Tips & Preview

By Michael McGill

The Shell Houston Open is the last stop saloon for players wanting to make The Masters field for next week. The tournament is played at the Redstone Golf Club in Humble.

This event was established in 1946 and has been played in and around the Houston area at several venues. It made its home at Redstone in 2003 where it was played on the Members course until it moved across the road to the Tournament course in 2006, where it has been played ever since.

The inaugural event was won by Byron Nelson who defeated Ben Hogan by 2 shots. The winner received US$2,000. Other famous names to win have been Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Bob Charles, Raymond Floyd and Payne Stewart. And more recently by Vijay Singh, Fred Couples, Adam Scott and Paul Casey.

This week the event has a Purse of US$6.4 million with the winner taking home US$1,116,000.

The Course is a Par 72, measuring 7,457 yards with 60 sand bunkers and 13 water hazards. Over the last 7 years the course has played at an average of -16 so expect much the same this week.

Much like early events on the Tour this year look out for the Par 4, 488 yard 18th hole to cause a few problems for anyone that tries to go for glory. The whole left hand side of the hole runs along the side of a lake and players will try to carry that as much as possible. There is a lot of risk involved however the reward can be good. The second shot to the green is also a tricky one with water on the left side of the green and a bunker on the right.

With the Masters being played next week several big name players have stayed at home to practise, however many others like to use Redstone as a good lead in to the event to fine tune their game. This week we will get to watch players of the calibre of Louis Oosthuizen, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Hunter Mahan, Charl Schwartzel, Jimmy Walker and Luke Donald.

The bookies Top 5 in betting are: 9/1 Rory McIlroy, 14/1 Dustin Johnson, 16/1 Henrik Stenson, 25/1 Keegan Bradley and 25/1 Sergio Garcia.

Looking at past winners of this event we need to pay close attention to guys who hit a lot of greens. This stat stands out above the rest as one of the most important. We also need to look at good scramblers as they have always done well here. With four Par 5’s on the course look at players with good Par 5 records as well. Accuracy off the tee is not as important as Distance off the tee this week as a good scrambler can negate the rough.

Taking these stats into consideration we have two players who should fair very well this week at Redstone. 

Matt Kuchar 25/1

‘Kuch’ has been one of our favourite golfers for some time now. We tipped him twice last year and he won both events. The WGC Accenture at 35/1 and Memorial Tournament at 20/1. It is great to see him this week at 25/1 as his game is in the right place to excel  this week.

Matt has had a great start to 2014 with four Top 10’s from seven starts. T6th Hyundai Tournament of Champions, T8th Sony Open, T9th WGC Accenture Match Play and T4th Valero Texas Open last week.

This will be his fifth start at the Houston Open. In 2005 and 2007 he missed the Cut however he came back in 2010 and 2011 and finished 8th on both occasions. With excellent course form and current form it is brilliant to see Matt at 25/1 this week. That represents a confident each way selection.

His stats also hold up well being ranked 17th in scoring average, 47th in driving accuracy and 15th in scrambling. Lets sit back and watch Matt win his third tournament for us!

Charley Hoffman 66/1

The man with the worlds worst haircut is luckily a very good golfer! While he may need help finding a decent hairdresser he certainly knows his way around the golf course.

This year he has been putting together some great results. Seven starts has brought four Top 12 finishes. He is coming off a T11th at the Valero Texas Open and his stats of 16 in Driving Distance, 20th in Greens in Regulation, 18th in Birdie average, 27th in Scoring average and 18th in Ball Striking put him in a good position heading into the tournament.

This will be Charley’s eighth start here and he has not missed a cut yet. Four of those were Top 25 finishes.

Good luck and good punting.