The Bookies point of view…
32Red’s Sponsorship manager Jack Milner delivers a weekly verdict on each tournament.
The USPGA Championship has a history of throwing up the odd surprise result, with YE Yang a huge shock when besting Tiger in 2008, and Americans Keegan Bradley, Jimmy Walker and Jason Dufner all very healthy prices when successful thereafter. With that in mind, it is difficult to fancy the trio of Tiger, World Number One Dustin Johnson and defending champion Brooks Koepka, who would be my favoured of the three.
Instead, I fancy a few of his compatriots with Xander Schaufele top of my shortlist after an excellent performance at last month’s US Masters. Schaufele scores well in both necessary department around Bethpage Black (T33 in Driving Distance and T28 in GIR respectively) and will have learned a lot last year at Carnoustie when contending in a major for the first time. A winner of the Tour Championship and a multiple winner on tour already, he looks poised to claim a first major success.
Bryson Dechambeau is another of a similar ilk, who is almost double the price he was for the first major of the year, has been ‘The Scientist’ fluffed his lines after leading The Masters on Thursday but is surely a major winning in waiting and is too big at around the 40/1 mark.
Of the European challengers, there was a lot to like about the performances of the Swedish pair of Henrik Stenson and Alex Noren last week and both remain very good tee-to-green, whilst they don’t come much better in that field than Louis Oosthuizen.
The South African squandered his chance from a promising position in the Zurich Classic with compatriot Charl Schwartzel. The pair made a ‘9’ at the opening hole during the second-round foursomes, ultimately missing the cut, but the break could have done Louis the world of good with the Saffer plagued with back injuries. He is one of the best players tee-to-green in the world and is chanced to add a second major to his collection.
At massive odds, I’d be willing to take a punt on the likes of recent winners Kurt Kitayama, Miko Korhonen and Adam Long all doing better than their current odds of 400/1 suggest.
Jack’s selections:
Xander Schaufele @28/1 with 32Red
Bryson Dechambeau @40/1 with 32Red
Patrick Cantlay @45/1 with 32Red
Henrik Stenson @66/1 with 32Red
Louis Oosthuizen @66/1 with 32Red
Alex Noren @125/1 with 32Red
