The Players Championship gets underway at the iconic TPC Sawgrass on Thursday afternoon with the full field in action looking to get off to a good start and position themselves high up in the early standings.
The players will go out in groups of three in the opening round off two tees so there are plenty of groups to bet on. We’re going to target a couple of markets for the opening day, the first round leader and the 3 balls.
First round leader
I’m not often one for betting on these markets but there is plenty of value around for the opening 18 holes of this event so I’m going to get stuck in here.
The first thing to do when betting on this market is to see if either side of the draw is going to have the better of the weather conditions and it would appear that those out early might get the best of things with the wind expected to kick up a little more later in the day so we can concentrate on the morning starters from here on in.
Some pretty big names are out in the morning not least Jason Day and Jordan Spieth and all eyes will be on them. As luck would have it they play together so they will drag a big crowd around with them.
They go out at 8.43am but even earlier than that are two men I’m interested in backing. The first of them is actually out in the first group so should have perfect conditions both atmospherically and on the course itself with nobody else on the first nine greens before them.
That group is Ricky Barnes, Jason Kokrak and Patton Kizzire and it is the first named man I’m interested in. Barnes has been getting off to some really fast starts this season. He shot 63 out of the blocks in the Sony Open, 65s in the Shriners and the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a 66 in the Career Builder Challenge. He has broke 70 in the opening round on four other occasions so he’s certainly not immune to fast starts.
He kicked off last year’s tournament with a round of 69 so he has previous of starting well here and given the spot on conditions he should enjoy here he is a massive price at 200/1 to begin with a low round here that is good enough to trouble the leaderboard.
The other man out early with a reputation for starting quickly is Charley Hoffman. Hoffman is actually renowned for starting tournaments fast but not finishing them so well and so being out early here he could make a real mark.
Hoffman’s last seven first rounds this season have been 68, 69, 64, 71, 68, 66 and 67 so he is incredibly consistent on Thursday’s. The only round there that looks bad is the 71 but that was at Augusta and no under par round on that course is shabby.
Hoffman is second on the PGA Tour for first round scoring average with only Charles Howell III lower than him. Howell III is out in the final group on Thursday whereas Hoffman is out in the morning so if those trends play true Hoffman has every chance of being in the early mix.
Thursday 3 balls
There are some great groups on the golf course on Thursday. The Day, Spieth and Branden Grace group is the pick of them but then there is also the groups with Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar as well as Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson to enjoy in the afternoon when the TV coverage will be around.
The group I like from a betting point of view though is out early. They tee off at 12.26pm UK time and it contains Kevin Chappell, Jerry Kelly and Johnson Wagner.
I’ve not seen a whole lot from Johnson Wagner that concerns me too much I have to admit so I’m quite quick to drop him from the potential winner list here. Wagner has only broken 70 twice since the Sony Open in January so he isn’t known for a fast start.
Jerry Kelly is 20th in round one scoring this season but he has only broken 70 once in his last seven first rounds so most of his best opening scoring has been earlier in the campaign and around here while he stats well I just wonder if he’ll find the going a little too tough.
Kevin Chappell is fourth in scoring in the opening round on Tour this year. In 14 tournaments this season he has broken 70 on nine occasions which is a decent enough effort and in three of his last five opening rounds he has shot 67 or 68. He has broken 70 in the first round on this course before and if he does it again here he should land the honours in his group.
Tips
Back C.Hoffman First Round Leader (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 61.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back R.Barnes First Round Leader (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 201.00 with Bet365 (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back K.Chappell to beat J.Kelly & J.Wagner for a 4/10 stake at 2.25 with Boylesports
Back him here:
