No Playing Around – Back Golf Boys at the Players

The Players Championship

Did you know that this video [Golf Boys] existed? I’ll have more on that in a second.

The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass is usually the event where you can almost definitely expect the unexpected. The “fifth” major on the PGA Tour will draw the best of the best, especially with that monster purse up for grabs for the world class field. There’s a lucrative pool of $9.5 million available, with $1.71 million going to the winner.

That’s a lot of cheddar for a day on the links.

So when you hit the golf sportsbook to throw some money at The Players Championship Futures, you’re going to see a lot of names. I’m not kidding. Everyone comes to this event for a slice of pie and the pressure usually kills a few of the big names. There has to be some sense in all this madness right?

Well, not really. The winners of the past five Players Championships have included K.J. Choi, Tim Clark, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson. That’s five golfers from five different countries. In fact, players from the same country haven’t won the Players since 2000-2001 when Americans Hal Sutton and Tiger Woods did so.

That means that the best bet on the board is everyone’s favorite little ugly Irishman, Rory McIlroy! And as the favorite posting +900 odds, he isn’t exactly a terrible value bet either. The problem with McIlroy is that – I’m going to put this bluntly – he hasn’t really done much since his amazing U.S. Open victory in 2011. He crumbled at The Open. He hasn’t even placed in the top-25 in the last two majors (the 2012 Masters and 2011 PGA Championship). That 17th hole is just waiting to demolish McIlroy who hasn’t tested it all that much with hundreds of people watching him since he skipped the tournament in 2011.

The odds for the Players Championship are always stretched out because the field is so talented. Last year, 48 of the top-50 golfers in the world entered the tournament. Kind of makes you miss the days of  “Tiger vs. The Field” doesn’t it?

With that being said, there’s no such thing as a smart bet in the Players Championship. Sure you have “better” bets than others, but you really just don’t know how players are going to handle the rigors of such a grueling course with so much pressure and competition.

As I always do, I’m going to pump up Hunter Mahan like usual since I started betting on him inexplicably in 2008. I have lost tons of money on Hunter over the years and he’s my type of “go big or go home” golfer. Either he’s doing pretty well at the majors, or he’s being sent home early. He missed the cut in 3 of last year’s majors before finishing 19th at the PGA Championship. He tied for 12th at this year’s Masters.

Hunter is on a bit of a tear this season, winning two tournaments thus far on tour which include a matchplay win over McIlroy at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championships. He is the highest ranking American on tour right now at 4th on the Official World Golf Ranking and is posting +2500 odds because he’s generally an afterthought at major events like The Players Championship.

Fellow Yankees, Tiger Woods (+2500) and Phil Mickelson (+1800), will be there as well and are worth an emotional flier bet if you’re into that kind of thing. I would use the typical “Tiger’s gotta break through one of these tournaments” argument but that is so overplayed at this point. Tiger hasn’t won this event since 2001.

In a generation filled with Youtube sensations, The Golf Boys should probably be getting some attention. They’re famous on Youtube for all the awesome reasons that you can view in the link at the top of the article. The quartet includes the aforementioned Mahan along with Ben Crane (+5500), Bubba Watson (not posted) and Rickie Fowler (+4500).

Crane is a big pick for most golf bettors in The Players Championship because he always plays so well at TPC Sawgrass, finishing in the top-6 three times though he was tied for 45th last year.

It’s Fowler who is generating the most buzz, however, after defeating Rory McIlroy in the sudden death playoff at the Wells Fargo Championship last weekend. Fowler is just 23-years old, and if he was the movie star, McIlroy is just chewed up enough in the face to be his stunt double. It’s uncanny.

McIlroy-Fowler could be the next, great rivalry in sports but if my money’s going anywhere in that war, it’s with the hot stroke of Fowler who has momentum.

As I said, there’s no use beating around the bush at The Players Championship. It’s a brutal course, with a devastating par-3 that devours so many good players over the course of a weekend. If you’re trying to scope the field for some good bets, I’d go with Mahan, Fowler and Mickelson in that order.

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Tiger Favorite to Win Masters

2012 Golf Masters Breakdown

The first major golf tournament of the year is this week and the online sportsbook is offering numerous wagers for the event.  Gamblers can put money on the winner of the 2012 Masters as well as make wagers on 72 Hole Group Betting, the winner’s nationality, the Top American, Top Asian and Top Rest of the World.

But, besides being a sort of golf betting aficionados paradise, the 2012 Masters is also chock full of drama.  Arguably the greatest golfer to ever live may finally be back having just won in a tune-up event two weekends ago.  He takes on a rival in the Masters who blew it at Augusta last year and will be seeking redemption.  Then, there’s the #1 ranked player in the world that is getting no respect in the sportsbook and a dude whose last name begins with “Mick” who always plays best in major golf tournaments.

Keep reading for odds, analysis and free picks for the 2012 Masters Tournament!

 

2012 Masters Tournament

Biggest Question – - Will El Tigre take home the Masters’ trophy?

Tiger Woods is the favorite in the sportsbook to win this week’s Masters at +400 after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational a couple of weeks ago.  In one respect, Tiger is offering overlaid odds.  The man, when he has been the chalk in majors, has often times never been less than a 5 to 2 favorite.  Therefore, getting +400 on the guy might make some online golf betting handicappers giddy with excitement. 

But Tiger has only 14 major title victories, and although that’s incredibly impressive, it might not be +400 impressive.  In other words, winning a major is very difficult to do and it’s definitely more difficult than beating Graeme McDowell by 5 strokes in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  Rory McIlory, who seemingly had the Masters trophy in his golf bag before blowing it last year, is going off at +550 while the #1 ranked player in the world, Luke Donald, is going off at +1500.  Lefty, that’s Phil Mickelson, is offering +1000 odds.

Tiger is definitely on his way back.  He looked very good winning the Arnold Palmer but his worst two rounds were Rounds 3 and 4.  He shot a 71 R3 and a 70 R4 after a 69 R1 and a 65 R2.  What it tells me is that El Tigre tired some during the weekend at the Arnold Palmer.  The weekend is when McIlroy, Donald, Mickelson, Rose, Mahan, Kaymer and Kuchar might bring out their big clubs.  If they do, will Tiger be able to hold them off?  Will he even have the lead?

The golf odds on Tiger to win aren’t bad, but they’re not good enough for me to bite.  I’m passing on backing El Tigre.

Spread Around Masters To Win Bets

Diversification in the To Win category for this week’s Masters is the way to go.  There are just too many things that can happen to put all of your dollars behind a guy like Woods, McIlroy or Mickelson.  Mick did win in 2010, but Charles Schwartzel won in 2011.  Angel Cabrera won in 2009.  Trevor Immelman won in 2008.

My strategy is going to be to back one of the favorites and then pick four dogs to put some dollars behind.  The favorite that I’m backing is Luke Donald at +1500.  Donald is coming off of a victory in the Transitions Championship where he shot a 67, 68, 70 and 66.  I like how he came back with that 66 in round 4 after shooting a 70 in round 3.  The ability to close out tournaments is the key to winning a major and Donald is an excellent closer.  He finished 6th in the WGC-Cadillac Championship in the event before the Transitions proving that he’s in top form.  At +1500, the #1 dude that swings a golf club in the world deserves serious consideration.  Check out my top long shot bets:

Hunter Mahan +2500 – - Hunter’s been en fuego this year with 2 victories and 3 total Top 10 finishes in only 7 events.  He finished 8th in the 2010 Masters Tournament.

Steve Stricker +4500 – - Stricker wasn’t horrible at the Shell Houston Open, finishing 36th, and a return to form could occur this week at Augusta where he finished 6th in 2009 and 11th last year.

Nick Watney +5000 – - Watney goes to Augusta off of a couple of very sub-par performances, but he’s averaging 284.8 yards off of the tee.  If he can get his putter going, then he’ll definitely repeat the 7th place finish he scored at the 2010 Masters and might have a shot at the title.

Graeme McDowell +5500 – - He was terrible in the Shell Houston Open, but he’s got a “bounce form” where he plays horribly and then plays exceptionally well.  He’s got a shot even if he and Augusta don’t seem to mesh because of that odd one bad tournament followed up by one good tournament form.

 

Other Masters Betting Categories

In the 72-hole Group Betting Category, the best bets are:

Group A:  Luke Donald +550

Group B:  Steve Stricker +500

Group C:  Nick Watney +350

Group D:  Graeme McDowell +450
Group E:  Louis “Shrek” Oosthuizen +300

Group F:  Trevor Immelman +350

 

In the Top American category, golf odds betting handicappers should consider placing a wager on either Mahan +1200 or Stricker at +2000.  Donald at +160 in the Top Englishman category constitutes overlaid odds.  When it comes to the tournament matchups, bettors should consider playing Lefty at +125 over Tiger and Donald at +150 over Tiger.  Donald over McIlroy at +125 isn’t a bad wager either.

In the Top European category, playing anybody outside of Rory McIlroy makes sense.  McIlroy is at +150.  Donald is at +500, McDowell and Martin Kaymer, the great, young German golfer, are both at +2000 odds.  I’d bet on of those three before backing Rory just because the Masters, like most major PGA Tournaments, is a difficult event to win.

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

    

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No Real Favorite in 2011 U.S. Open

With Tiger Woods out of the second major tournament of 2011 because of an injury, favoritism to win at Congressional Country Club at Bethesda, Maryland this week has fallen onto two European players:  Lee Westwood and Luke Donald.

Both Westwood and Donald are at +1000 in the sportsbook to take home the U.S. Open trophy this Sunday.  Donald, the number one ranked player in the world, has been exceptional on the PGA Tour this season.  Since missing the cut at the Northern Trust Open in late February, Donald has finished in the Top 10 in eight straight tournaments including winning the WGC-Accenture Match Play Tournament and finishing fourth at the Masters in April.  Westwood, the number two ranked player in the world, has been holding his own on the European Tour, but only has eleventh place finishes at the Masters and the FedEx St. Jude Classic to show for on the PGA Tour in 2011.

The top American with a shot at U.S. Open glory is, according to the odds makers, Phil Mickelson.  America’s most popular player, Mickelson is going to have to turn around his recent form.  A twenty-seventh place finish at the Masters, followed by a thirty-third place finish at The Players Championship, should give pause to anybody looking to score on Lefty this week.

Rory McIlroy is once again receiving love to win a major at +1400 although the best he could do is finish fifteenth at the Masters.  At +4000, not much is expected from McIlroy’s fellow Irishman, and the U.S. Open defending champion, Graeme McDowell.  McDowell has missed the cut in three out of the last five tournaments that he’s played on the PGA Tour.  That includes missing the cut at the Masters.

The north of +2000 golfer that figures to garner the most attention to win the U.S. Open this week has to be Steve Stricker.  Ranked fourth in the world, Stricker finished eleventh at the Masters and goes into the U.S. Open off of a victory at the Memorial Tournament where he shot a -16.  Along with Stricker, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, the 2010 PGA Championship winner, is also listed at +2200. 

Both Dustin Johnson and KJ Choi at +2500 have a chance to make their presence felt on Sunday while Matt Kuchar at +1800 is the only other golfer going off at odds less than +2000.  Kuchar finished sixth at the HP Byron Nelson Championship and second at the Memorial Tournament in his two tune-ups for the U.S. Open.
 
Below are the golfers going off at +5000 or less to win this week’s U.S. Open.

Lee Westwood                        +1000

Luke Donald                           +1000

Phil Mickelson                        +1200

Rory McIlroy                          +1400

Matt Kuchar                            +1800

Martin Kaymer                        +2200

Steve Stricker                          +2200

Dustin Johnson                       +2500

KJ Choi                                   +2500

Nick Watney                           +3000

Bubba Watson                          +3500

Graeme McDowell                  +4000

Jason Day                                +4000

David Toms                            +4500

Adam Scott                             +5000

Padraig Harrington                 +5000

Robert Karlsson                      +5000

Golf Betting – Zurich Classic Preview

Golf betting heads to the Big Easy this week. The Zurich Classic hits the TPC of Louisiana, bringing a few of the top players in the world to New Orleans. Here’s a look at the favorites to top the leaderboard:

Luke Donald +800

Donald is playing the best golf of any player on tour right now, coming off a runner-up finish at the Heritage Classic this past weekend. Donald was edged in a playoff by Brandt Snedeker, but still earned his fifth straight Top-10 finish of the season. He has never been to TPC of Louisiana, but his exceptional putting skills – ranked tops in putts per round (1.690) – should help with the course’s challenging greens.

Nick Watney +1,200

Watney has taken some time off since the Masters, leaving golf bettors to wonder if the American can get back on his torrid pace. Watney opened the 2011 season with five straight Top-10 performances, including a win at the WGC-Cadillac Championship back in March. He finished tied for 46th at Augusta, his worst finish of the year, and has been inactive since. He is a former Zurich Classic winner, taking the tournament title in 2007. Last year, Watney skipped the event after missing the cut in 2009 and finishing 42nd in 2008.

Justin Rose +1,500

The young Englishman is quietly making his way up the money standings, currently sitting 23rd in earnings after posting three Top 10s and three other finishes in the Top 15 in his nine outings this season. Rose is coming off a solid performance at the Masters, placing 11th with a 5-under par. He’s been terrific in his approach game, sitting first in greens hit in regulation, which shouldn’t be too tough with the big targets at TPC of Louisiana this week. However, his putting hasn’t been as spot on, ranking 82nd in putts per hole and 51st in birdies per round.

Steve Stricker +1,500

Stricker seems to always be among the notables. He’s coming off an 11th-place showing at Augusta and a fourth-place outing at the Houston Open at the beginning of April. His putting is what sets him apart from the rest of the field – ranked fifth in putts per hole and third in birdies per round – and is the reason why golf bettors should consider his PGA odds this week. Stricker skipped last year’s Zurich Classic but finished seventh at the event in 2009.

Golf Betting – Top 10 for this Week’s Wells Fargo Championship

The Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow is this week’s PGA Tour Event. Defending champion Rory McIlroy is one of the golf betting favorites, but the presence of Phil Mickelson makes McIlroy the second choice in the sportsbook.

Keep reading for the rest of my Top 10 for this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Wells Fargo Championship:  Top 10

When:  May 5 – May 8, 2011

Where:  Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina

Course:  par 72, 7,442 yards 

TV:  Golf, CBS

Top 10

Martin Kaymer +1300 – - Last year’s Race to Dubai winner on the European Tour is third in the Dubai standings in 2011.  Kaymer didn’t tee-off at Quail Hollow in 2010, but there’s no doubt that he’ll have a shot this week.  I’m backing him.

Nick Watney +1500 – - N-dub has been disappointing since the victory at the WGC-Cadillac with his best finish being a thirteenth at the Transitions.  He’s a decent guy at Quail Hollow, though, and the form should turn around eventually.

Rory McIlroy +1200 – - The defending champ shot a 273 in this tournament last year.  The 273 includes a 66 third round and a 62 fourth round.  That’s nasty good.  The odds in the golf sportsbook are sweet on Rory Mac this week.

Phil Mickelson +1000 – - Mickelson would have hoisted the Quail Hollow trophy if not for McIlroy’s 62 final round last year.  Lefty lost by 4 strokes to Rory in 2010.  The chalk could turn it around against his rival this week.

Dustin Johnson +1800 – - DJ’s fourth round 77 in 2010 put in him twenty-ninth place.  Johnson hasn’t teed off on the PGA Tour since the Masters, however, meaning that he should be ready this week.

Bubba Watson +2000 – - Watson scored three rounds of 70 or higher in last year’s tournament. That’s not good.  Bubba goes into this off of a victory in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last week, though, making him a contender.

Justin Rose +4000 – - The online golf odds on Rose is why I put him ahead of some others on this list.  40 to 1 makes him an overlay even though he missed the cut in the Zurich.  Why?  He finished fifth at the Transitions and third at the Arnold Palmer earlier this year.

Hunter Mahan +2500 – - The seventeenth place finish at the 2010 Wells Fargo Championship wasn’t bad.  Before the missed cut at the Masters, Hunter finished eighth at the Shell Houston Open.

Paul Casey +2800 – - In 5 tournaments this year on the PGA Tour, Paul Casey hasn’t finished better than twelfth.  But the man’s name is Paul Casey.  The name Paul Casey is synonymous with good golf.

Jim Furyk +2000 – - I might be undervaluing Fury in this spot.  He finished seventh at last year’s Wells Fargo Championship, but the online betting odds are too low for me to like him that much this week.

The Open from Royal St. Georges

BREAKING NEWS: Twenty-year-old Tom Lewis posted the lowest round ever by an amateur in golf’s oldest major, pulling even with Thomas Bjorn at 5-under 65 to share the first-round lead at the British Open.

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The Tiger Woods factor or lack thereof presents some lucrative opportunities wagering on The British Open Odds To Win 2011.

Rory McIlroy roars into Royal St. Georges to continue his major dominance this year. This kid has led 7 of the 8 PGA Golf Major rounds thus far, and people don’t seem to have the confidence in him continuing this dominance. That’s right I said DOMINANCE!

Ben Curtis was the only golfer finishing under par the last time the Open Championship was played at here in 2003, and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if no person finishes in red figures this year. Look for the patient veterans (Graeme McDowell), not the veteran patients (Lee Westwood) to close this windy mess fest out for victory.

The USA players have taken a hit losing the top spots in PGA World ranking and 0-fer in the last 5 Major Golf Championships. I would take Matt Kuchar or Nick Watney on the British Open Odds To Win if you MUST bet an American.

Luke Donald has 8 top 10s this year and is the number 1 golfer in the WORLD (echo: WORLD World world).

Rory Mcilroy +500 (+1400 last year) – The next Tiger Woods he is not and doesn’t have to be. Frustration will strike earlier than last round for this young Irish laddy here unfortunately.

Phil Mickelson +4000 (+1200 last year) – Usually, British Open Odds To Win are not the place to fire on Phil. With big winds ready to take out most inexperienced players, I think +4000 is fairly hard to turn down.

Justin Rose +4500 (+1200 last year) – Wind Player – ‘nuff said

Lee Westwood +1000 (+1800 last year) – Tied for 3rd in the US Open this year and the number 2 player in the world will probably finish top 5 in this one. He was 2nd last year and 3rd place in 2009, but I would DEFINITELY bet against him in the Final Round if he is within 3 strokes.

Padraig Harrington +3500 (+1800) – Has been sliding since his 2008 British Open successful title defense followed by a PGA Championship win. Feeling good after last week’s Barclays Scottish Open finish in a tie for 14th.

Louis Oosthuizen +9000 – “Feeling bad Billy Ray”, “Looking BAD Louis”. PASS on ANY wagers especially British Open Odds To Win 2011.

Matt Kuchar +3500 – Consistent, Consistent, Consistent or Location, Location, Location!

Graeme McDowell +3000 (+2500 last year) – Solid play in every round matchups after first day, especially 3rd and 4th rounds when others are folding like circus tents! I like this Mc over McIlroy this week big time.

Dustin Johnson +5500 – He will get a Major Golf Championship soon. Is this the one?

Steve Stricker +3300 – Scrambling is key, so take him on all matchups but not on British Open Odds to Win 2011.

Justin Leonard +20000 – WINDY! Past OPEN CHAMPION! Same first name as TIMBERLAKE! You WIN $200 for every $1

This year at Royal St. George’s, the Open Championship will present a multitude of frustrating problems with the fast surfaces, hard greens and the menacing winds.

The British Open Odds To Win are a crap shoot in many ways, but not in all of them. Bank on the experienced players especially on Days 3 and 4 when frustration and mental fatigue set in. Don’t play the non-experienced or younger guys in the later rounds.

British Open Odds To Win and BIG plays for the weekend matchups are Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald, Matt Kuchar and Padraig Harrington.

Golf Betting – Top 10 for this Week’s Zurich Classic Open of New Orleans

This week PGA Tour players head to N’Awlins for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.  WGC-Accenture winner Luke Donald is the golf odds favorite to take home the ZC of New Orleans trophy this Sunday.  Donald shows up in my Top 10.

Keep reading for the rest of my Top 10 for this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Zurich Classic:  Top 10

When:  April 28 – May 1, 2011

Where:  TPC Louisiana, Avondale, La

Course:  par 72, 7,341 yards 

TV:  Golf, CBS

Top 10

Nick Watney +1200 – - Watney hasn’t teed off on the PGA Tour since finishing forty-sixth at the Masters.  Since winning the WGC-Cadillac, Nick hasn’t hit the Top 10 at both the Masters and the Transitions Championship, which occurred a week before the first major of the year.  Watney won at TPC Louisiana in 2007 and before the Transitions was having a dynamite year.  The two weeks off after the Masters should help.

Luke Donald +800 – - Donald has been absolutely brilliant on the PGA Tour since missing the cut at the Northern Trust Open on February 20.  It’s obvious why he’s the online golf betting favorite.  4 straight Top 10 finishes including a victory in the WGC-Accenture, a second place finish at The Heritage and a fourth place finish at the Masters Tournament makes Donald a real contender this week.

Steve Stricker +1500 – - Although Steve Stricker hasn’t won a tournament yet in 2011, he has played well enough to finish thirty-third or better in 7 tournaments this year.  He finished eleventh at the Masters after finishing fourth at the Shell Huston Open.  The two-week break should help Stricker this week.

Justin Rose +1500 – - The eleventh place finish at the Masters broke a string of 2 straight finishes of fifth or better including a third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  The golf online betting odds on Rose to win the Zurich of New Orleans are more than fair.

Brandt Snedeker +2000 – - Snedeker’s been pretty good in his last 3 tournaments played.  He finished fifteenth at the Masters Tournament, then fourth at the Valero Texas Open and then he scored a victory at The Heritage last week.  His swing is obviously in good order right now.

Charley Hoffman +2500 – - CH could come up big this week.  After finishing twenty-fifth or better in only 3 out of his first 11 starts for 2011, Hoffman scored a second at the Valero Texas Open in his last tournament played. 

Bubba Watson +2000 – - Watson’s done very well at TPC Louisiana in the past.  Not only that, but Bubba is ranked third on the PGA Tour in total driving and second in greens hit.  Watson should be there in the end and deserves a long look at what are better than decent odds in the golf sportsbook.

Ben Crane +2500 – - Ben Crane is going to have to do something that he’s never done before at the Zurich of New Orleans this week if he wishes to play on Saturday or Sunday, much less hoist the trophy.  Crane has missed the cut three times at this tournament.  The fact that Ben goes into this off of a sixth place finish at The Heritage, and is ranked eleventh on the PGA Tour in greens in regulation, gives me hope that he’ll make a run this weekend.

Rickie Fowler +3000 – - Fowler hasn’t had a lot of success so far in 2011.  His best finish was an eighth at the WGC-Cadillac.  He didn’t even play at last year’s Zurich of New Orleans.  I still believe that his immense talent could carry him to a Top 10 finish this week at TPC Louisiana.  He’s obviously going to have to play much better this week than he did last week at The Heritage.

David Toms +3000 – - After two straight missed cuts in February, Toms’ swing appears to be coming around.  A Top 25 finish at the Masters and a third place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational makes him a golfer to consider at the +3000 PGA Tour betting odds.

Golf Betting – Wells Fargo Championship

Golf betting heads to one of the biggest non-major events on the PGA Tour – the Wells Fargo Championship.

The tournament is viewed as a tuneup for The Players Championship, which is on tap for next week.

Here’s a look at the oddsmakers’ favorites to top the leaderboard in Charlotte:

Phil Mickelson +1,000

Mickelson finished second at last year’s event at Quail Hollow, shooting 11-under par for the tournament and placing just four strokes behind Rory McIlroy. Lefty has been taking some time off since a disappointing showing at Augusta last month. Mickelson went into the Masters as the favorite, having won the Houston Open the week before. However, he couldn’t find a rhythm on the course, progressively falling farther back in each round. The downtime and familiarity with Quail Hollow, where he’s finished inside the Top 5 the last two years and 12th in 2008, should help Mickelson get his groove back before The Players.

Rory McIlroy +1,200

McIlroy is the defending winner at the Wells Fargo Championship, topping last year’s leaderboard with a 15-under par, including a final-round score of 62 – which is contrary to the final-round collapse at this year’s Masters that has haunted the Irishman since April 10. But despite such a crushing outcome, McIlroy finished third at the Maybank Malaysian Open in mid-April. He has re-focused on the next big tournament at hand, The Players, and is aiming for another solid tuneup in Charlotte this week. He jumped over Tiger Woods in the World Golf Rankings this week and is sitting at No. 6 heading into North Carolina.

Martin Kaymer +1,300

Kaymer didn’t fare all too well at the Masters either, missing the cut after posting a score of 150 through the first two rounds. He appears to be back on track after a ninth-place showing at the Maybank Malaysian Open in the middle of April. Kaymer skipped last year’s Wells Fargo Championship but was at Quail Hollow in 2009, finishing 7-under par for an 11th-place showing.

Nick Watney +1,500

Watney is one of the rare Americans among the favorites at the Wells Fargo Championship. He was also one of the few Americans who took to the course following the Masters and is coming off a 20th-place showing at the Zurich Classic last week. Watney has slowed down a bit after a thunderous start to the golf season. He’s finished 13th, 46th and 20th after opening the year with five straight Top-10 finishes, including a win at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. The California native placed 22nd in his last two trips to Quail Hollow in 2010 and 2009.

WGC Bridgestone Invitational – Welcome Back Tiger Woods

BREAKING NEWS: Adam Scott leads after 18 holes at -8, Tiger is tied for 18th at -2.

No Knocked up knees, no knocked up bimbos as far as we know and a knocked off caddy all spell COMEBACK for Eldrick. The fact is that a slimmed down less agro-Tiger can return to form before next week’s PGA Championship.

“It feels solid, it feels stable, no pain” sounds like he is ready to get his piece out on the local Waffle House circuit, and I believe he will pass the syrup around to all takers.

This also means another more important point that Tiger Woods, the man, is strong and ready to pummel opponents (and strippers) as he has in the past.

Tiger hasn’t won a PGA golf tournament in nearly 2 years, and he is ranked at his lowest since joining the PGA Tour at number 28. That puts him 4 behind Martin Laird and 7 behind Kyung-tae Kim (who?) in the PGA Golf World Rankings.

This fact along with the top 2 golfers in the ranking being from England piss him off but not nearly as bad as his Fed Ex ranking of 135. He needs to be 125th or better to qualify for the PGA Tour Playoffs, and you can bet your brother’s inheritance (it’s more than yours) he qualifies.

WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Tiger and Tamers:

Rickie Fowler (+3000) – Tied for 9th and 8th in the first two WGC events and finished in a tie for 5th at the British Open less than a month ago. On verge of Championship but probably not this one.

Dustin Johnson (+2000) – First PGA event since imploding at yet another Major he had won – the British Open.  2nd in the WGC-Cadillac and Nice play at +2000 here.

Rory McIlroy (+1000) – Favorite to win at Firestone for a reason – this course sets up sweet-ass for the U.S. Open annihilator. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I can’t help but think of Scooby Doo EVERY time I say Rory. SEE! I told you!

Phil Mickelson (+1800) – Lo siento Gringos but WGC events are not Phil’s bag baby! I would rather take him at +1000 for the PGA Championship 2011 next week.

Tiger Woods (+1500) – C’mon people, he has won at Firestone 7 times, and he is +1500 at Bet US to win the WGC Bridgestone Invitational. I’ve said this before about Tiger’s ridiculous payout for a win, and I’ll say it again – BET TIGER WOODS! A Buck on the Tiger gets you 15 Benjamins back baby.
You should also jump into the Woods in the A-T-L for the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. Tiger is +1400 to win next week at the year’s last PGA Major, and he has 14 major wins under that pelt of his so far. COINCIDENCE? I think not! This price will go down, down, down after he shows his strength this week in Akron, Ohio.

PGA Championship Odds To Win – BIG Odds to WIN 93rd PGA

The final PGA Major Championship is wide open, so I recommend taking a chance on some long shots for this tournament. I’m not talking about Jim Furyk (+10000) kind of craziness but more like Anthony Kim(+7000).

93rd PGA Championship 2011
August 11-14, Atlanta-Athletic Club, Highlands Course
7,467 yards, Par 70

Martin Kaymer is the defending PGA Champion, but we don’t hear much from him. We hear much more about Dustin Johnson getting ruled out of the Championship. Can you say BAD CADDY?!

Speaking of Jackass golf caddies, I’m going to rethink my New Zealand vacation based on the actions of local Steve Williams, currently Adam Scott’s right hand man.  Williams’ statements can be described as hateful, lameful and shameful.

The props here belong to the classy Adam Scott who even had had to answer his first question this week about his bitter caddy instead of his WGC win last week.

Tiger has been getting worked by Sean Foley for over a year, and Woods seems to be confident that he is back. I’m not so sure he can get it done here, but at +2000 I’m buying.

David Toms won here 10 years ago when it was 270 yards shorter than this year.  This is described as Glory’s last shot, but can a Gringo get a Bingo? Americans have been goose-egged for the last 6 PGA Major Championships.

Luke Donald ranks 1st in scoring average and also in World Ranking. He tied for 2nd last week at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, but when does his Major celebration start?

PGA Championship 2011 Online Betting Odds:

Adam Scott (+2000) – 2nd Best Australian this week to Day and #1 for having the biggest Homer on his bag.

Rory Mcilroy (+1000) – Four rounds in 60s last week at WGC-Bridgestone

Tiger Woods (+2000) – Bet it…a little. I wouldn’t fire, but at +2000 I would take it all day. He finished tied for 29th place in 2001 the last time the PGA Championship was played at the Atlanta Athletic Club.

Phil Mickelson (+2500) – Finished 2nd in 2001 behind David Toms here but looked old, worn and tired last week.

Lee Westwood (+1400) – Bet Lee in Tournament matchups but not to WIN the tournament.

Dustin Johnson (+2500) – I bet his caddy is studying the rule book this year. Dustin is always a solid bet for PGA Majors. Hell, he could’ve easily had 3 already in the Win column.

Nick Watney (+3000) – GREAT play here! He leads Fed Ex Cup standings and currently 2nd on the money list this year. Nick had PGA Championship lead by 3 strokes going into final round last year also.

Jason Day (+2500) – This is Jason’s Day and YEAR! He was knocking on the winner’s door in both the Masters and U.S. Open this year finishing 2nd in both of them. SOLID Matchup and WIN play here.

Anthony Kim (+7000) – Kim is really on a sweet upswing. If he can stay out of the clubs, he can fire low 60s on any round.

Martin Kaymer (+3000) – Defending Champ Kaymer is getting lamer and lamer all year.

Luke Donald (+1400) – Everything he has says he has to win one of these except his track record.
This PGA Championship could be a surprise longshot based on the last 12 Majors having 12 different golfers. Take advantage of it with a couple of the big money golfers I have mentioned above.

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