By Eric Cohen
This past Sunday’s golf was both sickening and exhilarating for
me. I was holding a handsome Bubba Watson ticket at 50-1…and
least gave credit for the top-10 when exploring this week’s column
before Bubba hit the par 5 13 th hole.
And then…well, I still can’t explain it. Was it a choke? Was it the
yips? Either way, Bubba’s bogey-bogey-bogey-double-bogey
finish was an inexplicable meltdown that not only cost him the
tournament but nearly a top-20 finish. I mean…how the heck does
that happen to a guy who’s won many big tournaments?
This is also a lesson once again for you novice gamblers or game
pickers: never mark a result as a winner until it’s mathematically
over. I should’ve been smarter than that (though of course I gave
myself the loss on here).
Meanwhile the unheralded Kramer Hickock, who none of us had
ever heard of before Sunday, battled Harris English in one of the
more dramatic playoffs we’ve seen on the PGA Tour in some
time. Both English and Hickock put on a clinic for medium range
putting that made me feel even more shame about my game as
they progressed hole to hole. Those two were draining 5 to 8
footers like it was nothing…yet I convert them at maybe a 35-40%
rate embarrassingly.
I was so discouraged about losing what I felt was a pretty sure bet
(which clearly it wasn’t) that I wanted to skip this week’s picks for
the Rocket Mortgage Classic. But Harry wouldn’t let me and to his
credit, here we are!
In addition to who will win this week, the next question is how low
the scores will go. Both winners of this newish tournament, Nate
Lashley and Bryson DeChambeau have been well into the 20s
under par…might someone get on such a roll that -30 could be in
play?
Once again the rules: each picker will get a simulated $200 to bet;
$100 of which will be on win bets and another $100 on top-5, top-
10, and top-20 bets only. The kicker this time is that the money
can only be spent on a maximum of three golfers in each
category. Picking winners has never been so difficult.
Here are this week’s plays for the Rocket Mortgage Classic:
(Odds courtesy of Draft Kings Sportsbook)
The Parlay Kid
Last Week’s Results: -$200
Total ROI: +$5810
Winners Picked in 2021: 6 (Reed, Berger, Morikawa, Thomas,
McIlroy, Cantlay)
$40 to WIN: Webb Simpson (+1900)
$40 to WIN: Matthew Wolff (+3000)
$20 to WIN: Kevin Kisner (+3500)
$100 on Top-10: Bryson DeChambeau (+105)
Harry
Last Week’s Results: -$200
Total ROI: +$917.75
Winners Picked in 2021: 4 (Spieth, McIlroy, Cantlay, Rahm)
$40 to WIN: Patrick Reed (+1200)
$30 to WIN: Brian Stuard (+14000)
$30 to WIN: Martin Laird (+16000)
$60 on Top-10: Brian Stuard (+1100)
$40 on Top-10: Rickie Fowler (+400)
Eric:
Last Week’s Results: -$200
Total ROI: +$837.50
Winners Picked in 2021: 5 (Berger, Thomas, McIlroy, Cantlay,
Rahm)
$50 to WIN: Bryson DeChambeau (+775)
$25 to WIN: Joaquin Niemann (+2200)
$25 to WIN: Will Zalatoris (+2650)
$100 on Top-10: Jason Kokrak (+300)
Producer Michael
Last Week’s Results: -$200
Total ROI: -$831.25
Winners Picked in 2021: 2 (DeChambeau, Spieth)
$50 to WIN: Patrick Reed (+1200)
$25 to WIN: Webb Simpson (+1900)
$25 to WIN: Matthew Wolff (+3000)
$50 on Top-5: Webb Simpson (+400)
$25 on Top-5: Patrick Reed (+300)
$25 on Top-10: Matthew Wolff (+300)
Brother Bri
Last Week’s Results: -$200
Total ROI: -$1405
Winners Picked in 2021: 0
$50 to WIN: Bryson DeChambeau (+775)
$25 to WIN: Will Zalatoris (+2650)
$25 to WIN: Jason Kokrak (+3000)
$100 on Top-5: Bryson DeChambeau (+200)
Find more of Eric’s sports opinions and predictions on Twitter at
@CohensCornerAZ.