Fowler Closing in on major success

Rickie Fowler returns to the scene of a nightmare this weekend as he plays in the Memorial Tournament, a year on from his final-round meltdown in which he carded a staggering 84.

The American was all set to vie for the title heading into that Sunday 12 months ago but crumpled under the pressure, finishing the round 12 over and tied 52nd overall. It was a bad day in the office and Fowler knows it, but he is unlikely to suffer the same fate this year.

In fact, golf betting fans have Fowler down as a strong outside favourite for the Memorial Tournament as well as the US Open and Open Championship later this summer. He’s slumped in form of late – missing the cut at the Players Championship and finishing tied 38th in the Masters – yet has the class to turn it around.

That was proven in his first three rounds at the Memorial Tournament last year where he’d bogeyed just seven holes, birdying 10 with an Eagle to sit comfortably on five under. He even made a birdie on the first the following Sunday, yet a shocking six on the par-three third ruined all momentum.

It was a freak occurrence and betting fans can be assured it won’t happen again, so this weekend should he be in contention he’ll stay in contention.

The same can be said for Fowler’s future exploits at the US Open. Many Open Golf Betting Odds markets have him down at a good price to claim either major this summer and Fowler shouldn’t disappoint.

He’s 24 now and ready to start challenging at the top, despite a single PGA Tour victory, and he is worth a small bet this summer as he comes out of a spring slump in form.

Rickie Fowler is currently an each-way selection for the Memorial Tournament with Betfair.

The Delayed C-Bet and Flop Check-Raises

The continuation c-bet (c-bet) used to be as popular as The Beatles, but these days everyone is playing the same old tune.

Today, when you make a c-bet in a Betfair 5 Card Draw event, everyone makes the call irrespective of what trash they have, and this is especially true when they have position on you.

In order to adapt, players are now taking a line known as the delayed c-bet. They have faced one too many floats and flop check-raises and it’s time the tables were turned.

The delayed c-bet is actually getting the same sort of sincere response as the c-bet first did when it was introduced. Another great advantage of the delayed c-bet is it does allow you to retain tighter control of the size of the pot and therefore reducing your variance.

Your opponent’s who were ready and waiting with the flop check-raise are left without a game plan by the time you have c-bet the turn. They aren’t prepared for it and generally just give up. The check-raise on the turn is far less common that it’s cousin called flop.

Another way of dealing with the flop check-raise is to call when you hit a big pair and just dangle the rope. It is very unusual for a player to check-raise the flop and then check back the turn.

They almost always go for the second barrel, and a lot of them also get caught in the bluffing vortex meaning they may also fire the river with air. Once again, just stand strong and go with your hand. Make the call and watch them squirm.

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Cleveland’s Hoyer signing a waste of time

Cleveland Browns fans are unlikely to be pleased with the news the team have signed reject quarterback Brian Hoyer on a two-year deal from free agency.

The 27-year-old has swilled around the bottom of the NFL’s quarterback ratings for years now and Cleveland is his third team since leaving the Patriots in 2011.

Both Pittsburgh and Arizona dropped him from their roster after unsuccessful stints and many fans betting on NHL  expect the Browns to do the same. Hoyer will be third choice at best and is unlikely to rival projected Week 1 starter Brandon Weeden for a place at shotgun.

Last season he made just two games for the Cardinals, which both ended in defeat, and although he threw a touchdown against San Francisco (only the second of his career) he didn’t do enough to warrant a new deal.

He’s only thrown 616 yards in his entire career and with a 0.8 rushing average has very few tricks up his sleeve.

So why has general manager Michael Lombardi bothered to waste his time bringing Hoyer to the team? Well, Lombardi has been a long-time admirer of Hoyer for some reason and called him a starting QB when at the Patriots.

Maybe the Browns GM sees something no one else does in this 6ft 2in quarterback but Hoyer is not going to get much chance to prove himself with two men in front of him in the roster.

What most Browns fans crave is a better QB than their current starter, not a backup to make Weeden look good. Weeden himself was one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL last year with just 14 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, which is one of the reasons Cleveland finished 5-11 in 2012.

The NHL betting odds suggests they won’t be securing a winning record in 2013 either, for if Hoyer is the best man they can get to challenge Weeden then no opponent will fear this disappointingly weak offense.