As ever the high class summer of golf concludes with the final major of the year which comes in the form of the USPGA Championship. Unlike The Masters this tournament is taken around America and it returns to its 2010 venue of Whistling Straits for this renewal of the event.
In the lead up to the tournament all eyes have been on Rory McIlroy. Will be play? Won’t he play? Well the answer is he will play and he defends the title he won 12 months ago at Valhalla. Whether he can win the Wanamaker Trophy again remains to be seen but it will be good to see the world number one back in action and he’s 12/1 with Bet365 to retain the title.
McIlroy won his two USPGA titles around Kiawah Island and Valhalla but we’re back to Whistling Straits for the third time in 11 years this week. Whistling Straits is a Pete Dye design and along with TPC Sawgrass it is probably his best creation. Unlike Sawgrass this is a bit of a monster being a par 72 measuring 7,501 yards although that yardage is six less than the 2010 renewal which is remarkable in a time where lengthening courses is a weekly occurrence.
Five years ago this course was playable even though the average score was over par. Over 60% of fairways and greens were hit that week which is big for a major. I’m reading that the course is drying out day by day so by the time the tournament starts it should be fast and firm so while I prefer the bigger hitters around here that firmness will keep the shorter hitters interested.
One of the features of this golf course is the amazing amount of bunkers on it. There are literally hundreds of them and there are waste areas where sand is around which count as bunkers this week even though they aren’t designated bunkers. That caught Dustin Johnson out five years ago and is something a player needs to be aware of.
In terms of betting we’re looking for a longer hitter but someone who hits a lot of greens. Hitting greens in regulation is a big thing because the areas around the greens aren’t the easiest to make par from. This is a major so anyone who goes well will need to putt well too but that isn’t as big a thing as it could be given the greens this week.
Jordan Spieth is chasing a third major title of the year and he is 7/1 to land a first USPGA title. McIlroy is the second favourite this week with Jason Day a solid third favourite at 14/1. The Canadian Open champion has a good record in majors and can’t be ruled out. Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson are both 16/1 with Justin Rose 20/1 to put last week’s final round disappointment behind him.
I actually like one at the head of the market this week and I like him strongly and that man is Bubba Watson. I love watching Bubba play golf. It is refreshingly different and enjoyable to watch and enjoyment is possibly the thing this week. Bubba enjoys golf courses where he can see the landing areas and where you have to shape shots to find the right spots. That is this course in a nutshell so with that it was no surprise he made the playoff here five years ago.
Watson was relatively unknown when he came here in 2010 but two Masters wins since then and a stack of PGA Tour successes and wins worldwide have certainly ensured we know all about him this week. Bubba warmed up for the week with a solid second placed finish at Firestone last week and nobody is better in strokes gained from tee to green on the PGA Tour this year. He also leads the par 5 scoring and there’s four of them this week. I really think Bubba is going to enjoy himself here and he could lead this field a merry dance and extend his wonderful record on Pete Dye tracks.
Another big hitting American who showed good form last week is Brooks Koepka and I think he is worth taking this week. Koepka is one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour and sits inside the top 20 in greens in regulation. He’s also the third best on the all-round scoring average on Tour too and has a win to his name this year. Koepka hit four under par rounds at Firestone last week which took some doing so he’s got good control of his golf ball at the minute and that sets him up nicely for a big week in Wisconsin.
Back B.Watson to win USPGA Championship (e/w) for a 2/10 stake at 17.00 with Betway (1/4 1-6)
Back B.Koepka to win USPGA Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 46.00 with Bet365 (1/4 1-6)
2 great shouts mate, I’m on them too along with Brandon Grace and Patrick Reed.