PGA Championship Preview

Kiawah Island, South Carolina, is the venue for the PGA Championship that gets underway Thursday (August 9th) and Tiger Woods is 10/1 (general) favourite, Can the Tiger claim his first major since 2008?

At some point you must think that a golfer with the skill of Tiger will another major, but he does not appeal as a betting option here. Though a four time PGA winner the event rotates venues and the course this year does not seem suited to his game. Kiawah Island requires long accurate driving and good putting, both of which look weaknesses of Tiger at the moment. In addition, the wind off the Atlantic makes the course play more like a links course in Britain than a resort course in the US. Woods at 10/1 makes little sense.

If not Woods then whom? Course form is a little sketchy here with no regular tour event and this being the first time the course has held the championship. A couple of World Cups and a Senior PGA Championship is all that has been held here in last 15 years. Luckily some punting clues can be gleaned by look at similar courses also designed by Pete Dye. TPC Sawgrass (home of the Players Championship) is one such venue as is Harbour Town (host of the Heritage), but some people feel that the course plays most like the 2010 PGA venue Whistling Straits. The winner of that event was Martin Kaymer who is an 80/1 (general) chance for success here. Kaymer has had a solid but unspectacular year and has not won any event in 2012. Ten of the last 11 PGA champions were previous winners of an event that year and that would discount the German.

Bubba Watson, who lost in a playoff in that 2010 event, looks one to side with. He knows how to win majors, he has a good record at similar Pete Dye courses and he tops the driving distance stats on the PGA Tour. The American seems in a good place emotionally and he looks worth adding to the portfolio at 35/1 (boylesports).

Dustin Johnson is another player who we will be siding with. The South Carolina native was tied for fifth here in 2010 and fits all the critieria, he has won on the tour this year (St Jude Classic winner), has good record in the wind and has played well at similar courses. A major win must be around the corner for such a talented player and 25/1 (general) looks a good price.

Bookmakers are once again being somewhat disrespectful of Ernie Els. The Open Champion is 70/1 (Coral/william hill) despite a great record at links courses and this is a man who knows how to win Major titles. The South African was tied for 18th in the 2010 event and simply must be backed at this price.

Jason Duffner looks a solid each-way chance, the American is priced at 28/1 (general) and with five top seven finishes from his last seven events (including two wins) he promises to be in the mix again here.

One final one for each-way players is Kyle Stanley who sits eighth in driving distance and second on par five stats on the tour this year. Stanley will relish the four par fives at the course and looks worth a small each-way interest. The American had a great start to the year, but then slipped off a little. Recent top twenty finishes though point to a player starting to get his game back together and 100/1 (general) seems a generous price.

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08/08/2012     © Frixo 2024