It is a big week of golf with three tournaments taking place in three different continents and the first of those is the Australian PGA Championship which takes place on the Gold Coast in Queensland. This is a tournament co-sanctioned with the European Tour and carries all the normal benefits a Tour event brings.
Recent Winners
2015 – Nathan Holman
2014 – Greg Chalmers
2013 – Adam Scott
2012 – Daniel Popovic
2011 – Greg Chalmers
2010 – Peter Senior
2009 – Robert Allenby
2008 – Geoff Ogilvy
2007 – Peter Lonard
2006 – Nick O’Hern
The Course
For the fourth successive year the RACV Royal Pines Resort in the Gold Coast is the venue for the tournament. The track is a par 72 which measures 7,364 yards and requires plenty of accuracy from tee to green.
The wind played a massive part in this tournament 12 months ago and the forecast is pretty windy this week so players who feel comfortable in the wind should certainly be moved up any shortlist.
The Field
Adam Scott, the headline attraction aside, this can only be described as a weak field for any level let alone one of the bigger Australian events. The defending champion Nathan Holman is in the field as is one of the men he beat in a playoff 12 months ago in Harold Varner III.
Renowned Australian stars such as Rod Pampling, Mark Leishman, Scott Hend and John Senden tee it up as do Ian Poulter, Stephen Gallacher and the former major champion YE Yang.
Market Leaders
As you would expect in a field of this weakness Adam Scott is a very warm favourite but he was well touted to do well in the Australian Open a couple of weeks ago and never landed a blow. He wasn’t in the best touch in the World Cup last week either so he’s plenty short enough at 7/2 even though he should be a penalty kick in this.
Highly touted Australian Cameron Smith is the second favourite at 14/1. He is ready to make a big breakthrough but he could also be described as being very short as could Marc Leishman who is 16/1 but didn’t look particularly good last week. It is 22/1 bar those three this week.
Main Bets
Rod Pampling arrives at this tournament in excellent touch. He won on the PGA Tour a few weeks ago in Las Vegas and since then he finished in a tie for fourth at the Australian Open a couple of weeks back so he is clearly hitting the ball well. This field is nothing like the quality of the one he saw off in Vegas so if he gets off to a good start he shouldn’t be far away at the end of the week.
Jason Scrivener would have been in the playoff if he had just gone around in level par in the third round here last year and he is another who comes into the tournament off the back of a solid showing in the Australian Open where he finished in a tie for fourth. His tee to green stats that week for very encouraging which makes me think he could be a contender here too.
Greg Chalmers is another man who has won on the PGA Tour in 2016 having won the Barracuda Championship and if he has that form with him here he should be a leading contender. We know he can go well on this course as he won here in 2014 when he touched Adam Scott off in a playoff.
He finished in the top 20 in the Australian Open a couple of weeks ago which is a further boost to his chances this week. He tends to handle himself in the wind and should be right in the mix again this week.
Outsider
Richard Green was in a tie for sixth here last year and he has always been a player who has played well in the wind. He is generally accurate off the tee with distance never really being what he has been after so if he can control his iron play and get the putter working he could go well again at a three figure price.
Tips
Back R.Pampling to win Australian PGA Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 23.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back J.Scrivener to win Australian PGA Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 51.00 with Boylesports (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back G.Chalmers to win Australian PGA Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 51.00 with Coral (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back R.Green to win Australian PGA Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 101.00 with Betfred (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
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