Jason Day - rising star.

By Dave Tindall

Sky Bet's Odds Compare All Prices

BETTING BOX
FIXED ODDS
	1pt e.w. Nicholas Thompson at 66/1 (General 1/4 1,2,3,4,5).	Georgia Tech grad, in fine form and excellent player in the wind.
	1pt e.w. Jason Day at 125/1 (Ladbrokes 1/4 1,2,3,4,5).	The next 20-something to step forward? Some promising signs this year.
	2pts e.w. Ryuji Imada at 40/1 (Boylesports, Paddy Power, Hills 1/4 1,2,3,4,5).	Twice a runner-up this year and second here in 2007. Loves the course.
	1pt e.w. Matt Kuchar at 100/1 (Ladbrokes 1/4 1,2,3,4,5).	Knows the course well from his college days and third last year.

After the glut of 20-something winners on the US Tour this season, it's a decent bet that the trend will continue in this week's AT&T Classic at TPC Sugarloaf in Georgia.

The 7,293-yard par 72 is one of the longest courses to walk in pro golf so perhaps it was no surprise that three of the last five home last year were in their 20s while the other two were aged 30 and 31.

So let's stick with the young guns and start off with a couple of exciting talents at decent prices.

Nicholas Thompson had a failed crack at the US Tour in 2006 but after gaining promotion again after a win, a second and a third on the Nationwide Tour, the 25-year-old seems to have found his feet this time.

January brought a tied 12th in the Bob Hope, February a seventh at Pebble Beach and March a fourth place at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

He added another fourth at the EDS Byron Nelson last month, closing with an excellent 67 on a windy final day.

Last week he showed his growing maturity with a tied 21st at the Players Championship and in a weak field like this it could be a decent chance for Thompson to put a win on the board.

Thompson went to college at Georgia Tech so will have plenty of local support and his chances are also improved by the windy weather which is usally prevalent here and is again forecast for the weekend.

Interviewed after defying the elements at the Byron Nelson, Thompson revealed: "Where I play at home, where I live, we get high winds all the time. So it wasn't so much different.

"But I'm kind of used to the wind; I'm a wind player. I mean, when you hit the ball really solid, the wind doesn't affect it as much."

Although he failed to make the weekend on his one appearance here in 2006, that came during a run of eight missed cuts in nine starts so can be pretty much discounted.

He's a vastly improved player since and the 66/1 is a decent each-way price - especially if the wind really blows.

If we're looking for a youngster with bags of potential and overflowing with confidence then look no further than Aussie Jason Day.

The 20-year-old came in for criticism last year after claiming that he was going to take down Tiger. Brash certainly, but then again he was still a teenager.

And although that remains a far-fetched fantasy, he's already proved that he can walk-the-walk by becoming the youngest ever player to win on the Nationwide Tour.

Day was just 19 when he landed the Legend Financial Group Classic in 2007 and that helped book him a place on the full US Tour.

He'd already had experience of life amongst the elite through a series of sponsor's invites in 2006 and certainly covered himself in credit by making five out of six cuts.

His first full season on the US Tour has produced plenty of promise also.

Day was 20th in the FBR Open, sixth at Pebble Beach and, just two starts ago, eighth at the Shell Houston Open.

This is a course which should suit his game and Ladbrokes' 125/1 looks tasty - especially as he's 66s elsewhere.

Third pick is a player who has improved his finish over the last three years here from 15th to 10th to 2nd.

That man is Japan's Ryuji Imada and he'll welcome the return to one of his favourite tracks after finding Sawgrass too tight.

Imada, like Thompson, played his college golf in Georgia and this course was the place where he made his very first cut on the US Tour.

Not surprisingly, therefore, Imada says: "I love the golf course. It's got wide landing areas off the tee, really nice, fast greens.

"The people are always nice here all the time, so that makes me feel good. I just love this place."

Imada is already twice a runner-up on the US Tour this year after second places at the Buick Invitational and the PODS Championship and a pair of 70s on the weekend helped him to a tied 17th place finish at Wachovia earlier this month.

He's been ranked in the top four for putting in each of the last two years here so excels on the greens and hopefully he can finally get that first win on the board.

Take the 40/1.

The final pick goes to another player in his 20s and also with Georgia connections.

As a sophomore at Georgia Tech, Matt Kuchar finished 21st at the US Masters and 14th at US Open in 1998.

Although he hasn't quite lived up to that promise, he has won on Tour - the 2002 Honda Classic - and is ticking over quite nicely in 2008 with a third at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in March and also a seventh at Hilton Head last month.

In this tournament last year, he finished tied third after a stunning third round 64 - perhaps a result of his familiarity with the course as Kuchar used to play it around half a dozen times a year when at college.

The firm, fast conditions and forecast wind should suit him too and the 100/1 looks generous.