Ryder Cup Spots On the Line in the 2008 USPGA Championship

This year's US PGA Championship will be held at Oakland Hills, a course known as "The Monster" even before architect Rees Jones added 318 yards to make it a 7,395 yard par 70. If that stat has you worried for the chances of your favourite golfer, here's another: no European has won this major for 80 years. Many pundits think that this miserable sequence could come to an end by Sunday night, and after Harrington's victory at the British Open made him the first European to win a major this year, they could be right. I am sticking to the tried and tested method of following the weight of historical fact though, and if you don't like American golfers, look away now.The usual suspects head the betting with 2005 champion Phil Mickelson the clear market leader. Mickelson will be keen to capitalise on Tiger's continued absence and looks in good touch having finished two shots behind Vijay Singh at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational last weekend. Indeed the Fijian also seems to have returned to form, and despite the disappointment of missing the cut at Royal Birkdale, he should be a forerunner come Sunday. The same can also be said for Jim Furyk who has course form in his favour having finished tied fifth here in the 1996 US Open. He also has sixteen top ten finishes in major championships to his name, though has only been victorious once; it would be no surprise if he doubled that tally this weekend. He has played solidly of late without being able to find the late surge required to get himself to the top of the leaderboard but I wouldn't want to oppose him.Talking of surges, Sergio Garcia is also well fancied again, but I would be tempted to take him on in Paddy Power's 'Top Spanish Player' market with Miguel Angel Jimenez. Unless I am sorely mistaken Jimenez is still the same player who inspired the world and his wife to lump on him for British Open glory, a gamble which prompted violently evasive action from Britain's bookmakers who cut his price dramatically. Despite that Jimenez played awfully and suffered in ultra-testing weather conditions that appeared to offend the sensibilities of his game; he should be better suited here.Other players worth a mention are rising star Anthony Kim, and world number seventeen Kenny Perry. The latter has made sixteen out of seventeen cuts in the PGA Championship through his career and has enjoyed seven top ten finishes this year. My final recommendation would be a small each way interest in Zach Johnson. The 2007 Masters Champion has been playing consistently well and desperately needs points to force his way into the Ryder Cup team. Recommendations:Jim Furyk - 28/1 (Betfair)Zach Johnson - 110/1(Stan James)Anthony Kim - 30/1 (Paddy Power) ¼ odds first 6Kenny Perry - 45/1 (William Hill)Miguel Angel Jimenez Top Spanish Player - 9/4 (Paddy Power)Vijay Singh Top Rest of World (w/o Australasia) - 5/1 (Betfair)