After picking 3 of the top 5 at Augusta, including Tiger Woods, our golf betting expert is back with the best bets for the 2019 US PGA Championship
RECENT WINNERS: We had 3 of the top 5, including Tiger, at the 2019 Masters
The USPGA Championship has a new date and a new location, with the tournament bumped up in the calendar, and this year’s renewal deriving from Bethpage in Farmingdale New York.
Bethpage Back became the first public course to host the US Open when Tiger Woods was the only player to break par in 2002, and The Big Cat will likely be atop of most people’s shortlist 17 years later on. A lot has changed since that time however, not least the distance of the course, with Bethpage playing 7,432 yards – she’s a big girl for a Par 70 course.
Last Ten USPGA Championship Winners
- 2018 – Brooks Koepka
- 2017 – Justin Thomas
- 2016 – Jimmy Walker
- 2015 – Jason Day
- 2014 – Rory McIlroy
- 2013 – Jason Dufner
- 2012 – Rory McIlroy
- 2011 – Keegan Bradley
- 2010 – Martin Kaymer
- 2009 – Y.E. Yang
- 2008 – Padraig Harrington
There has been a growing trend towards the tournament being something of a bomber’s paradise, and that has been franked with Rory McIlroy leading the driving stats en-route to success in 2014, and the pattern continues in a similar fashion thereafter. Tiger was third in distance off the tee in 2002 but ranked first in Greens in Regulation, and accuracy with a player’s second shot will prove just as vital.
Tiger ranks number one on tour for GIR but he is very short in the betting for a man that seldom brings out the big stick. Big Cat relied on his iron play to nudge and nurdle his way around Augusta last month, but he won’t have such a luxury at the PGA.
He shares favouritism with compatriots Dustin Johnson and defending champion Books Koepka. The latter warmed-up by finishing fourth in last week’s Byron Nelson Championship and looks the most likely winner of the three, albeit at a very short price indeed.
The tournament 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. The latter played well two weeks ago at Quail Hollow, in a tournament that historically has form tied into this week’s location.
Dufner may struggle to match the length offered by his peers at Bethpage Black however, the likes of Bryson Dechambeau, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schaufele all boast the distance to prove dangerous and maintain the stranglehold the stars and stripes have on the championship.
Schaufele scores well in both departments (T33 and T28 respectively) and came close to winning a first major championship in both the Open Championship last year at Carnoustie, and The Masters last month at Augusta.
American Brandon Dechambeau, who is 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 40/1.
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.
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 odds of 400/1 suggest.
US PGA 2019 Picks
Register for an account with PointsBet using promo code BESTBONUS for 2 x $500 Risk Free Bets on the US PGA Championship Xander Schaufele @ +2800 Odds
Bryson Dechambeau @ +4000 Odds
Patrick Cantlay @ +4500 Odds
Henrik Stenson @ +6600 Odds
Alex Noren @ +12500 Odds
Louis Oosthuizen @ +6600 Odds
