Pargie’s sporting weekend

Once again Jeremy Chapman in the Racing and Football Outlook came up trumps by predicting Dustin Johnson as winner and tipping young Jon Rahm who ran him close finishing third. He did not quite fare so well in South Africa where none of his picks featured, the Tshwane Open was won by Dean Burmeister.

A year or so ago I read an article by Steve Palmer in the Racing Post extolling Dustin Johnson and predicting he would dominate the golfing year. It never happened and he ended up not donning green jackets nor lifting claret jugs but confronting his own demons. His elevation to the top of the tree as he is now officially world number one owes a good deal to coach Butch Harmon who has improved his short game and putting, giving him an all round game and not just being a massive hitter. Occasionally in Mexico his short putting touch deserted him but to be fair the greens were testing in borrow.

Jon Rahm, a young Spaniard who enrolled in college in the US, chased him down and in the back 9 the two were level pegging. Rahm successively missed short putts causing bogeys which saw off his challenge. Southport’s Tommy Fleetwood who is having such a successful season took the second spot. DJ has won two tourneys on the bounce and finished in the top six in his last seven events. Surprisingly Jordan Spieth and not DJ is the bookies favourite for the upcoming Masters.

With the golf going my way I was chary of any sporting wagers on the football. The only surprise amongst the supported team of the Rusters was Brighton’s big defeat at Forest (3-0). I quite forgot that I had backed Fulham each way in the Championship so come on you whites as they mount a play off challenge with a crucial home game v Leeds tonight.