Golf Central

Today is all about celebebrating the city of Chicago's contrbution to golf. If there was ever a candidate for Chicago National Golf Day, June 4^th would win hands down. Anyway, on this day in 1943, the Chicago District Golf Association initiated a cunning plan to help the USA’s effort in the Second World War. The Dime-A-Round-Program urged golfers to pop a dime in a milk bottle at the first tee of all golf courses, with all proceeds going towards helping Uncle Sam and his troops. Not sure how well that idea would go down nowadays, however.

Markus Brier @ 20/1
As far as value goes, you won't find many bets better than this. Not only is Fontana GC- venue for this week's stop on the European Tour- Brier's home club, he's got the results to back up his status as one of the favourites, winning here in 2006, 2004 and 2002. Get involved...

Ben Barham @ 66/1
It's fair to say that Ben's had a mixed year so far, but he showed the form we know he's capable of at last week's Celtic Manor Wales Open with an impressive 4th place finish. We're hoping that he'll put a string of good performances as a result, starting this week preferably.

Santiago Luna @ 125/1
Great name, average golf judging on recent form. Like so many golfers from Spain, Luna's capable of some seriously low scoring on his day, but at 125/1, we won't be too upset if he doesn't bring his game to Vienna.

Firstly, an apology: sorry for the brief hiatus last week, I was on holiday in the Carribean with the missus and kids (which was lovely, thanks for asking). I'm now completely refreshed and raring to go, and in the Stanford St Jude Classic, I've come back home to a real belter. With the small matter of the US Open next week, this little tester in Memphis should give us an indication as to who's hit form at the right time. Should being the key word, because quite frankly, anything could happen...

David Toms @ 15/1
Justified favourite, Toms has got great previous in this tournament, finishing 3rd last year, 2nd in 2005 and, get this, he only won the bleeding thing in 2004.... and 2003. He's coasted along pretty comfortably so far in 2008, but if he's going to jump onto the winner's circle, this will be the week. And at 15/1, he ain't half good value.

Camilo Villegas @ 33/1
The IGWT perennial favourite, we're going to go with him again this week, if not for his obvious golfing ability, then his enviable good looks and fashion sense. Finished 3rd at the recent AT&T Classic and we're hoping, as was the case with Anthony Kim, the Colombian youngster will reward our loyalty with at least an each way finish.

Ryan Palmer @ 66/1
Not a name you'll see pop up often around these parts, but has finished 15th and 10th in his last two events, which is solid enough in my eyes to justify a few quid.

1.) It's more important than the US Open
If you're Darren Clarke that is. Clarkey decided to skip qualification for next week's US Open at Torrey Pines in favour of Ausria's mountains and milkmaids. But seriously, the Northern Irishman had committed to the event at the Fontana club and didn't feel he would have enough time to prepare for the san Diego major. Since when has a professional golfer been too busy for a major?

2.) Keep an eye on Brier
If you're going to keep your eye on one player this week, you'd do well not to venture too far from local favourite Markus Brier. Born in, you've guessed it, Vienna, Brier knows this course like the back of his Knödel. Fontana GC is Brier's home course, he's already won the event twice when it was on the Challenge Tour, and won it as a European Tour event in 2006. And he's mates with the Austrian Prime Minister, so make of that what you will. It doesn't take a genius to work out that he'll be there or there abouts on Sunday... well that's what our Bet Detective is hoping, anyway.

3.) Aussie, Aussie, Aussie
There'll be a particularly strong Australian feel to this week's tournament, with Richard Green looking not only to defend last year's title, but become the only left-hander to win the same tournament back-to-back on the tour's history (strange but true). Speaking of Strange, fellow Aussie Scott Strange will arrive full of confidence in Vienna after his win at the Celtic Manor Wales Open last week. Rumours that the European Tour will serve kangaroo burgers and Victoria Bitter in the hospitality tent, however, are not at all true.

4.) Bring some extra balls
Players would be well advised to take their Speedos along with them this week; there's water pretty much everywhere at Fontana GC. We're particularly looking forward to seeing the Europeans Tour's finest take on the par 3 17th. Think along the lines of the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, but without an island green.. and in Vienna, not Jacksonville.

5.) Vienna: Home to the world's greatest snacks
There's much more to Vienna than the Austrian Open, however. If you're in town, you'll most likely find us sipping on coffee in one of the city's many Viennese cafés or tucking into a Wiener schnitzel, Knödel or Käsekrainer. Failing that, we'll be at Zentralfriedhof, burial place of Beethoven, Brahms and Schubert. We won't, at any point during our trip, be singing anything by Ultravox.

The PGA Tour's finest will be 'Walking in Memphis' (sorry, we couldn't resist), as everyone will be looking to get one last big performance under their belts before chasing the American dream in Torrey Pines at next week's US Open. Woody Austin stormed to victory at last year's event and will be looking to do the same this week, leaving the rest of the field in 'Heartbreak Hotel' (one more of those and there'll be serious trouble - Ed). Here's five snippetts of info to whet your appetite and impress your family, friends, teachers or colleagues with..

1.) Change a winning formula
This tournament has done its fair share of chopping and changing over the years. A bunch of businessmen originally hatched the plan for the Memphis Open in 1958 in a country club grill, but someone, somewhere along the line decided to change it to the Memphis Invitational Open. Entertainer Danny thomas agreed to lend his name and influence to the event in 1970, thus,  the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic was born. We're not going to bore you with the rest, but eight name changes  later and we've got the FedEx Stanford St.... oh just forget it.

2.) Geiberger's smoking hot 59
On a sticky, stiffingly-hot June's day at the second round of 1977 Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, you could have been forgiven for thinking that a 59 was well and truly off the cards. Step up Al Geiberger, who, after an incredible eleven birdies and an eagle (that's a nifty 13 under par), became the first man to break 60 in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. Although the record has since been tied, it has never been bettered... not even by (shock horror!) Tiger Woods or Byron Nelson.

3.) Bolt avoids the Memphis blues
Golf was probably the last thing on Tommy Bolt's mind going into the final round of the 1960 Memphis Invitational Open, after taking his wife into hospital on that morning. Having learned during the round that she was going to have surgery that night, the 42-year-old US Open champ birdied 16 and 18 that resulted in an 18-hole playoff with Ben Hogan on the Monday, which Bolt won. The most incredible part of this tournament victory lies in the fact that Bolt was in 31st after 36 holes, a daunting nine strokes off the pace. The comeback remains a tournament record.

4.) It's all for charity
Thanks to an auction that will benefit St.Jude Children's Research Hospital, golf fans have been given the chance to caddie for either Vijay Singh or Camillo Villegas at the Pro-Am for this year's event. Being on the bag for Vijay Singh (especially having learned this week about his past-life as a bouncer) is probably similar to watching paint dry, so we decided to put the money from our tea kitty on a day with 'Hombre Araña.' Alas, you won't be seeing us on the fairways of TPC Southwind this week.

5.) Memphis: Home of Kings
There's far more to Memphis than the St. Jude Classic, however. Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and B.B King all started their careers in Memphis in the 1950s, as did Elvis Presley, who enjoyed the bodyguarding services of the aptly named Memphis Mafia. Sadly, Memphis's Lorraine Motel played host to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Expect to see us next year at The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, where we won't be singing anything by March Cohn, honest.