The first round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth is always one of the big occasions on the European Tour. I always feel that it is the day that launches the summer of golf and it takes place on the West Course on Thursday.
As ever with big tournaments we have plenty of markets to go at for the first day of the tournament and with some big names on show there is plenty of value around. We’ll go through them all now.
First Round Leader
Unlike most European Tour events the field all go off the first tee in this tournament with tee times beginning at 7am local time and going throughout the day with the last group off at 3.40pm so the first thing we need to do is find out if there is going to be a change in the weather and there is. The wind is supposed to blow stronger in the morning and rain could arrive around lunchtime when the wind eases off so those out just after noon and into the latter tee times could get a course which a score is easier to come by on which to play.
With that in mind I’m going to look at those out after 1pm. You could make a case for Rory McIlroy at 12.30 and indeed Alex Noren but I prefer to steer clear of the high profile groups who will be taking huge galleries around with them. Having scoured the list of those out beyond 1pm I’ve found one to back at a decent price.
Alexander Bjork heads on his way at 1.35pm which could be a perfect time. If the wind is still around in the early part of his round then being from Sweden he can handle that but the longer he is out there the better it should get for him. Bjork has opened with rounds of 67 and 66 in two of his last three outings and earlier in the season he began the Dubai Desert Classic with a 65 so he is used to firing out of the blocks. He shot 70 in his first round on this course on debut last year and ended with a 66 so he has found his way around now and given the form he’s in and the time he tees off 70/1 looks a huge price.
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Thursday 3 balls
In keeping with the tradition of major markets being on offer this week all of the groups onto the golf course on Thursday have been priced up. There are some marquee groups on the first day with Lee Westwood, Alex Noren and Rory McIlroy out at 12.30pm probably the pick of them. Ian Poulter, Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Wallace at 8am look to be the pick of the morning groups. There are some others which will take decent crowds around with them and three of the groups will carry my money.
Bradley Neil/Daniel Im/Chris Hanson
Match tees off at 10.45 BST
The group of Bradley Neil, Daniel Im and Chris Hanson is unlikely to get too much of the spotlight but there is certainly potential in it from a betting point of view in the form of the latter Englishman who I think is a good thing here.
Bradley Neil is playing this course for the first time and I never like that especially with iconic tracks like this one so I will pass him by easily enough while Daniel Im has missed five of his last six cuts and in truth hasn’t really offered anything in 2018 so I can see both of those struggling.
I’m sure Hanson will have expected better from his season when he left Dubai with a sixth placed finish but there hasn’t been a huge amount wrong with his long game which should serve him well here. That long game can see him win this group and if his putter works he’ll win it with plenty to spare.
Martin Kaymer/Paul Casey/Tyrrell Hatton
Match tees off at 12.40 BST
One of the more appealing groups in the second half of the day sees the former major champion Martin Kaymer going out with the English trio of Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton in a group which could well contain two, if not three, Ryder Cup players later in the year.
I still think Kaymer is suffering with his game and in truth his record around here isn’t the best anyway. He has teed it up 11 times in the past and only once has he broken 70 in the first round. I’m not convinced Tyrrell Hatton’s game is in perfect shape either which makes me think Casey is the good thing here.
Casey is definitely hitting the ball well and usually when the attention is on him he delivers the goods. He will want to go well back in England and his record on this golf course is A1. I think he takes a fair bit of beating in this group on Thursday.
Scott Hend/Marcus Fraser/Wade Ormsby
Match tees off at 14.15 BST
One of the later groups out onto the golf course is an all-Australian grouping of Scott Hend, Marcus Fraser and Wade Ormsby and it will be interesting to see how the three approach this tournament with their different styles.
I’ve a feeling Hend might struggle. There is little in his form to suggest that he is going to go well here. He has missed four of his last five cuts and hasn’t broken the top 25 since Abu Dhabi towards the beginning of the year. The game of Ormsby has had a serious dip since he won in Hong Kong at the back end of 2017 which is understandable given the magnitude of a first win. His record here is average too.
Fraser hasn’t pulled up trees with his form this year but he has been going along nicely without that big week or two. He has stacks of experience around here though and looks to be hitting the ball better than his countrymen. His experience should stand him in good stead and he looks value to win this group.
Tips
Back A.Bjork First Round Leader (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 71.00 with Betfred (1/4 1-5)
Back C.Hanson to beat B.Neil & D.Im for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with 888sport
Back him here:
Back P.Casey to beat M.Kaymer & T.Hatton for a 3/10 stake at 2.30 with Bet365
Back M.Fraser to beat S.Hend & W.Ormsby for a 3/10 stake at 2.80 with LeoVegas
Back him here:
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