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Matt Kuchar seems likely to turn four-shot advantage into victory

Ancer and Werenski can apply some pressure

Matt Kuchar has been all smiles this week
Matt Kuchar has been all smiles this weekCredit: Getty Images

Sky Sports Golf, 6pm Sunday

Story so far
Matt Kuchar has not won a US Tour event for more than four years and was a 60-1 chance for the Mayakoba Classic at the start of the week, but the 40-year-old has reached 20 under par through 54 holes and is a best-price 4-9 for victory.

Kuchar went into the third round two shots ahead of Cameron Champ, but the wily old fox knew too much for the powerhouse youngster, beating his playing partner by four shots to move clear at the top of the leaderboard.

Kuchar has a four-shot cushion over US Tour maiden Whee Kim, who is alone in second place, with Richy Werenski and Danny Lee sharing third place.

Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau and Jordan Spieth were the ante-post market leaders, but all seem out of contention. Fowler is ten shots behind, Finau is eight, while Spieth missed the cut by two shots.

Leaderboard
-20 Matt Kuchar
-16 Whee Kim
-15 Richy Werenski, Danny Lee
-14 Aaron Wise, JJ Spaun, Cameron Champ
-13 Brice Garnett, Jim Furyk, Emiliano Grillo, Abraham Ancer, Pat Perez, Adam Hadwin, Anirban Lahiri

Best prices
4-9 M Kuchar, 10 W Kim, 14 D Lee, 25 R Werenski, C Champ, 28 A Wise, 40 JJ Spaun, 50 E Grillo, A Ancer, 66 bar

Final-day advice
El Camaleon and Matt Kuchar are a match made in heaven and the laid-back Floridian has shrugged off poor recent form to destroy the Mayakoba Classic venue.

Accuracy is the key to success in this event – finding fairways and greens – and Kuchar has made a lucrative career from his ability to stay on the cut and prepared.

It would be a surprise should Kuchar fail to convert a four-shot Mayakoba advantage into his eighth US Tour triumph and 4-9 seems a fair price. His winning drought is a long one, but his brilliance over the first three days means the man known as Kuch does not need to produce fireworks to get this job done.

Whee Kim is talented, but the Korean has never won outside of his homeland and the three-time US Tour runner-up gets extremely nervous when contending for US Tour titles.

Racing Post Sport followers are on Richy Werenski at 200-1 and the ever-improving 26-year-old, sharing third place, is in position to land some place money. Catching Kuchar is a serious mission, though, and will require a birdie barrage.

Danny Lee, who last month became a father for the first time, has been in decent nick and sits alongside Werenski on the board. Werenski, Lee, Aaron Wise, Cameron Champ, Emiliano Grillo, Abraham Ancer and Pat Perez can all be fancied to go low in the final round, but it is doubtful whether any of them will be able to reel in the leader.

The fast improving Ancer, likely to play with more freedom in the final round with his winning chance so remote, could threaten runner-up honours. The Mexican, only three shots off second place, can be combined with Kuchar in a 20-1 dual forecast with Sky Bet.

Outright recommendation
M Kuchar & A Ancer dual forecast
1pt 20-1 Sky Bet


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Steve PalmerRacing Post Sport

Published on 11 November 2018inGolf tips

Last updated 07:36, 11 November 2018

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