PGA Betting – Could Johnson’s Toe Cause Problem in Tournament of Champions?

PGA betting fans who are getting ready to wager on the Tournament of Champions may already be aware that Zach Johnson, the former Masters champion, has a toe injury that may severely affect his performance in this week’s event, which tees up late Thursday afternoon at the Kapalua Country Club in Hawaii.

Johnson, who is +2800 to win, is going to try to make a go of it, but a withdrawal is still a possibility, which because of the PGA rules, may affect wagering on his head-to-head matchups, where he is a PGA betting underdog to both Tim Clark and three-time winner Stuart Appleby.

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Tournament of Champions

January 6-9, 2011

Plantation Course

Kapalua, Hawaii

TV Schedule:
(All times Eastern)

Thursday, Friday, Saturday — Golf Channel: 5:30-10 PM, 10:30 PM-3 AM

Sunday — Golf Channel: 6-10 PM

PGA Betting matchup

4:40 PM ET — Kapalua, HI

TIM CLARK -150

ZACH JOHNSON +120

Geoff Ogilvy, who injured his right index finger when he cut it in a coral reef, isn’t the only player who has come to the Tournament of Champions with a bothersome injury. Zach Johnson, who is currently listed at 28/1 in the PGA betting odds, had mishap this past weekend in the Cayman Islands. he somehow had stubbed his toe while walking up stairs, and ripped the toenail right off. Later the area became infected. So he has been walking around in sandals.

But the sandals are not going to work when walking up and down the hilly terrain of the Plantation Course, and he knows it. So Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion who qualified for this particular event by capturing last year’s Crowne Plaza Invitational, has put himself into a pair of Footjoy sandal spikes, which have been modified for him.

PGA Betting matchup

4 PM ET — Kapalua, HI

STUART APPLEBY -165

ZACH JOHNSON +135

What Johnson has actually suggested is that he might go ahead and tee it up on Thursday afternoon, then quit the tournament "then go on to the Sony Open." If he takes this route, he would thus picking up last-place money which could count toward the official money list. He would also receive FedEx Cup points. This presents an interesting scenario where he might be doing the same thing Ogilvy may do, so I guess both men would in that case tie for last place. Obviously this would be a disappointment.

PGA bettors can’t be sure what is in either guy’s mind until they actually go to the tee, but Johnson has at least expressed a desire to go through with the tournament. "It’s a tough deal for sure, and I know in another week I’ll probably be OK," he said. "But I definitely want to play here, and I’ll do everything I can up to the last minute to be ready."

if you are doing PGA betting on these matchups, you need to be aware of Johnson’s situation, because if you bet on him, then he takes one shot and "retires," you lose. In the two matchups listed here he is pitted against Tim Clark, a first-time competitor at the T of C, having captured his first PGA title last year, and Stuart Appleby, the Australian who won this tournament for three years in a row (2004-2006) when it was known as the Mercedes Championships. The oddsmakers realize that Johnson is coming into this thing "hurt," and have priced him accordingly as the PGA betting underdog in both of them. But if he takes a dive, so do your funds, so proceed with caution, or take the apparent value with Appleby and/or Clark.

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