Tiger Woods’ Foundation hosts the Quicken Loans National on the PGA Tour this week with the great man himself in the field to give the tournament a much needed boost. I would imagine the golf legend will be disappointed with the lack of stars on show here but it could offer his career the kick start it is looking for.
Kyle Stanley was a worthy champion last year, not least because my hard earned was on him, and he returns to defend the title in as I’ve eluded to is a pretty weak field by usual standards at this time of the year.
Recent Winners
2017 – Kyle Stanley
2016 – Billy Hurley III
2015 – Troy Merritt
2014 – Justin Rose
2013 – Bill Haas
2012 – Tiger Woods
2011 – Nick Watney
2010 – Justin Rose
2009 – Tiger Woods
2008 – Anthony Kim
The Course
This tournament which was once played at Congressional Country Club is back at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm which is staging the event for the second time. The first time the PGA Tour was here last year the course was saturated and windswept and -7 won in a playoff so it is a tough test.
Rain is not expected this week so the par 70 which measures 7,107 yards will be a much firmer test. That will make hitting the fairways all the more important this week as these tiny greens are likely to be firm and fiery and will not hold shots with no spin on it. I wouldn’t expect a particularly low winning score here so those who keep bogeys off their card might well jump up a few places on the shortlists.
There is sand in a number of places on this course and water is in play a fair bit too so having complete control of the golf ball at all times is going to be paramount to getting the job done.
The Field
Aside from Woods himself, it is only Rickie Fowler of the global superstars who is teeing it up this week. There are seasoned PGA Tour players such as Marc Leishman, Jimmy Walker and Kevin Na on show while Francesco Molinari will look to steal this for Europe.
The defending champion Kyle Stanley is also in the field as is the man he beat in sudden death last year in Charles Howell III. David Lingmerth won here when the course staged a Web.com Tour event and he is teeing it up once again but this is one of the weaker fields you’ll find.
Market Leaders
Rickie Fowler is the favourite to win the tournament this week. He went well around here last year so his 7/1 quotes are fairly justified and in this field you could argue that it is a big price but there is something I can’t put my finger on about Fowler at the minute but whatever it is it puts me off taking him.
Such is the weakness of the field this week that Tiger Woods is no bigger than a 14/1 second favourite to win an event his foundation hosts. He has knocked on the door a little bit this year and this would rank as his best chance to get back in the winning circle. Whether he realises that and that adds to the pressure remains to be seen but the price is probably right.
Marc Leishman is next in the betting at 20/1 alongside Francesco Molinari. Leishman was in contention here 12 months ago but couldn’t get the job done while Molinari looks perfectly primed for a test of this kind so he should be very popular this week.
Kyle Stanley arrives here in better form than when he won last year so quotes of 22/1 as opposed to the 40/1 he won at 12 months ago are fair. He lost in a playoff at Muirfield Village a few weeks ago and is a tee to green machine but defending titles is never easy and it is only that which makes me swerve him here. It is 28/1 bar.
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Main Bets
I wonder if Francesco Molinari playing this tournament ahead of the Open de France, which is being played on the Ryder Cup course and is one of his favourites courses in the world, is a tip in itself. I’m certainly hoping that it is because he is my first main bet. To be honest even if it isn’t a tip I still like the Italian who is a ball striking machine for whom this track should be right in his ballpark. We’ve seen him hose up at Wentworth recently and he probably should have landed the Italian Open the following week too so he’s in decent form and primed for a huge run at this title.
It might take a day or two longer than the organisers would wish but I fancy Kevin Na can have a run at this title too. Not many players on the PGA Tour are hitting the ball as well as he is this year. Usually I would have concerns over his putting and his tendency to go missing mentally late on in a tournament but with the lack of depth and quality in the field this week I’m not sure that will be an issue. There shouldn’t be the pressure to close out that a normal PGA Tour event has so Na is worth a go in the hope his slow playing which will inevitably send us into a state of boredom at least fills up the wallet.
Outsiders
I guess at 50/1 Stewart Cink is not an outside but such is the weakness of this field that I think he qualifies as one. Really and truly you can make a case for anyone this week and with Cink finishing the way he did last week he certainly ticks the current form box. Cink has been quietly playing good golf for a while and at his best he could lead many of these a merry dance. Another week like last week could deliver the goods for us.
Martin Laird is another player who hits the ball terrifically and coming from Arizona these days the firm and fast conditions shouldn’t count him out. He is probably running out of genuinely good chances to bank cash and FedEx Cup points ahead of the playoffs but there is no doubt that this is one of them. With that in mind I think he can be backed at 80/1 this week in the hope of more than just a good run for our money.
Tips
WON – Back F.Molinari to win Quicken Loans National (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 21.00 with BetVictor (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
Back K.Na to win Quicken Loans National (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 36.00 with Boylesports (1/5 1-7)
Back him here:
Back S.Cink to win Quicken Loans National (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 51.00 with Unibet (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
Back M.Laird to win Quicken Loans National (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back him here:
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Great call Kev. Won by a street in the end
Cheers mate. Had an inkling him missing Le Golf National was a tip in itself and so it proved!