The continued absence of Tiger Woods again gives golf punters the chance of landing some big priced booty at this week’s WGC Invitational at Firestone.

The Ohio course is an uncomplicated par 70 lay out that generally favours long drivers who find a hot week with the putter.

Last year’s top five – Woods, Justin Rose, Rory Sabbatini, Peter Lonard and Chris Di Marco all averaged over 300 yards off the tee and less that 1.78 putts per GIR that week.

Due to its mid summer location in the calendar the course generally plays bone hard and fast which could well explain the presence of three players in the top five (Rose, Sabbatini and Lonard) who learnt their trade in the southern hemisphere.

An Aussie well used to dry and fast conditions we like this week is Stuart Appleby. Apples’s wife’s family actually hail from Akron and if our man doesn’t cop too much grief from the mother-in-law we fancy him to go close at nice odds of 66/1.

He finished 14th last year (4th after three rounds) and has a handful of top 10s to his name here.

Par 4 performance is often a key stat at Firestone with 12 par 4s. The player who tops that list this year is in-form Kenny Perry who has already won three times this season.

Perry was vilified for shunning the Open Championship but at odds of 18/1 the Kentucky home boy could well have the last laugh.

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