USPGA Championships Fixed Odds Betting Preview

Get free bets on the USPGA ChampionshipsAnother midsummer month, another Major golf Championship. After the recent spate of events containing the most compelling stroke play action the sport has to offer, enthusiasts should tread carefully, as following this week's US PGA Championship there is a considerable come down looming, with the next of the big four not to be staged until next April, the US Masters of course. The PGA is arguably the poor relation of the other three, and it has really failed to claim its own personality in the way that the Masters, the US Open and the Open Championship have. There is no disputing its status as a Major though and quality of field is the best way of reasoning this. Since 1991 it has had more of the world's top 100 players taking part than any of the esteemed already mentioned peers. This time 97 will compete. It also has a reputation for being a fair tournament. The rough will not be ridiculously penal but good strokes will be rewarded, as they should, and bad shots will not be allowed to get lucky, as they shouldn't. Hit the fairways, find the greens in regulation and hole a few putts; the straight forward winning formula this week! Although there is more to Baltusrol Golf Club than this. Par 70's are rare on the Major circuit, but then this course should really be a 72 in normal terms as two of the par 4's are over 500 yards. 7392 yards means it is nearly 200 yards longer than Augusta, but with two less shots allowed. Average yardage per shot is 106 yards at Baltusrol, and 101 at Augusta, a course respected as much for its length as anything else. The greens may not be quite such a focus as often is the case, again because they are setup to be fair. Nudging a 6-foot putt which then runs off the green may be spectacular for the TV cameras (and the scorecard), but professional golfers are only mortal, and the PGA wants to give them a level, and fair playing field on which to display their abilities. So, the best man should win and if this is to be the argument, then two men have to be compared as to who takes our headline and top spot in our betting verdict, Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. Clearly a crucial aspect to consider is their respective prices. Singh has been put at a best of 7/1, whilst Woods will not be found at better than 9/4 prior to the event. Singh took the title 12 months ago, and it began a run of form which took him to the top of the world rankings before the end of the year. Woods has since usurped him, and has been there for 15 weeks, but the Fijian continues to show his brilliance. A fortnight ago at the Buick Open, he began with a 65, but by the time Saturday had come around, it was Woods who had all the headlines with a 61. Clubhouses around the world reverberated with the proclamations that Woods would waltz to victory, but instead it was Singh who did the business, closing 63 and 70 to take the event by four shots. This has to have been good for Vijay's confidence, as he knows he can stand toe to toe with Woods and beat him. Clearly a Major throws up a different level of challenge, but if it were to come down to the two of them on Sunday, this miniature victory would certainly enhance his prospects. These are the only two players to have ended in the top ten in all three Majors this year, and we would be surprised to see them anywhere else once again on Sunday evening. Other than for two bogeys at holes 70 and 71 at the US Open, we would all be talking of the prospect of a Tiger Woods Grand Slam. The Masters ended a ten Major drought for him, and the Open took his tally into double figures, and meant he had won each of the Majors twice. Tigermania is upon us again, and in some respects it is hard to make a case against him. This price though simply does not add up to us. One of the great things about outright golf betting is the possibility to snare a decent priced winner, and we are not about to suggest going each way on Singh at 7/1. However this return is much more appealing than the 9/4 on Woods, and we feel that Singh's chances are closer to Woods's than this mark suggests. Singh has the length, accuracy, iron play, putting stroke and mental strength to win any event, especially one dubbed as being 'fair.' With a victory in his last outing, and returning to a tournament he has, like Woods, won twice before we see his prospects as better than 7/1. The Masters began with talk of a Big Five. Along with the obvious two discussed above, were Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. Els has withdrawn from this through injury meaning he will miss his first Major in 50, but the other two still occupy the next shortest slots on the betting list, both at 18/1. Mickelson has done little this term to inspire confidence however, with efforts in the Majors of 10th, 33rd and 60th this season. Goosen did break his duck for the season last week at The International, but was visibly limping in the latter stages and also spoke of tiredness. The likely slog at Baltusrol is hardly what he would want then. Neither makes it into our betting verdict. It was the US PGA that first showed the world that Sergio Garcia is talented enough to win Majors, and considering that astonishing display to finish 2nd at Medinah was six years ago in 1999, it is surprising that El Nino is still waiting to join the list of Major champions. The more surprising statistic however is that the young man who appears to have been around as long as Tiger Woods, is only 25 years of age. The Spaniard is one of just three men to have claimed six US PGA victories in America, and seeing that it is Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson with whom he shares this record, we can expect many more trophies to go his way. Number six came this season at the Booz Allen Classic, an event where he led the field in putting, despite struggling overall in this department during 2005. This is the key for Garcia, always so creative with an iron in his hand, but it is when the ball is finding the cup the scoring potential is frighteningly good. He is fourth in terms of finding Greens in Regulation (1st when not on the fairway) and distance is not a problem with a driver that regularly propels the ball over 300 yards. Seven of fifteen events in the States have seen top tens recorded, and we are especially excited by his Major efforts. At the US Open he came 3rd, and at The Open last month 5th. The cut may have been missed at The International last week, but the adapted stableford format is not ideal preparation anyway, and a relaxing weekend is probably more beneficial. Garcia is worthy of an each way selection as his talents are simply not in doubt. Of all the Europeans, he has found winning in America easier than any before him. If the putter is working we have high hopes, and 25/1 is long enough to make this a gamble worth taking. Certain players develop a reputation for being bridesmaids, that is to say, getting close to stealing the show but just coming up short, but few can have lost successive Major playoffs as Chris DiMarco has in the last 12 months. The first was in this Championship last year, and the second was at the US Masters. On both occasions he came up against the hottest player on the planet at that particular time and would have been expected to lose, but this must be scant consolation. Being a good loser is an art form perfected by Jack Nicklaus, and DiMarco has not let any disheartening affect his scoring. The American is one of the toughest competitors out there, something shown by his vigour at the Ryder Cup last year. If his teammates had shown even half as much passion who knows what the final outcome may have been. This was well illustrated at the Accenture World Matchplay where another runners up cheque was claimed. What this man also has in his favour is a brilliant putting atroke. His claw grip is as ugly as it sounds, but demonstratively effective. Putting is always vital in Major Championships, and can make up what he lacks in distance from the tee. DiMarco has had four top five's this season, and in his three starts previous to the International last week twice had two commendable 12th place results. As with Garcia, we see a missed cut at the diversionary International last week as no bad thing, especially as those playing over the weekend were made to complete 36 tiring holes on Sunday.His record at the PGA is good also, with no missed cuts in six entries, and three top 16's, including 2nd last year as alluded to above. A top twenty man on the money list for the last five seasons (he is 10th so far for 2005), DiMarco is of high enough pedigree to lay claim to this title. The suggestion over a lack of winning instinct though clearly makes an each way bet advisable, especially at the 66/1 on offer. Perhaps the bookies are not concerned due to his lack of power, but this price looks like an over reaction to us for a man who is a contender for the "best player not to have won a Major" award. He would love to lose that contention this week, and we would love him to also! Following the trend of missing the cut at The International is Robert Allenby but the Australian has extra motivation this week as he tries to force his way into the Presidents' Cup team. The Rest of the World side could certainly do with a player of his quality and experience amongst their ranks, and it will be a disappointment for him that his place remains in doubt. He is in 21st in the race to be a part of the action at the Robert Trent Jones Club next month and so needs a profitable event. He has not had his best season to date, with just under $1 Million in his earnings column, but he is another player, with Garcia and DiMarco who has long been ready to take the step up to becoming a Major winner.Five times in the last seven years he has come inside the top 20 at the PGA, including last year when coming ninth. The tenth best ball striker on the PGA Tour is an all round solid player and always has been, and so his good results at this 'fair' Championship are not at all surprising. On a course where long approach shots are going to be faced by all players, his 1st position on accuracy from 200 yards and over is also a significant plus factor.100/1 is a good price for the 34 year old and he completes our betting verdict, which consists of four men, all of whom would be far from surprising victors.Get free bets on the USPGA Championships