The fourth and final Golf Major of the year tees off on Thursday with the best in the world all scrambling for the last big honour of 2011. It is off to John’s Creek, Georgia for the 2011 USPGA Championship golf tournament. This will be a huge challenge for the players again, and something different from the soft conditions at the US Open, and the wind and rainy links of Royal St George’s for the British Open. What can we expect? We have had a some thrilling golf over the past three majors, with young Rory McIlroy setting the bar high for most of the year, while fellow Northern Ireland golfer Darren Clarke weighing in with a win at the British Open recently. The winner of the PGA gets a free pass to play in all Majors for the next five years, so there is a lot more up for grabs as well as the immediate glory of winning. The big news is that Tiger Woods will be back, and he has fired the tournament record score of -18 under twice in the tournament, in 2000 and in 2006. After missing the British Open and struggling to reproduce the best he has to offer, this will be the last chance this year for Woods to prove that he still has what it takes in there. The defending Champion is Germany’s Martin Kaymer, former world number one, and the running of this year’s event is being held at the Atlanta Athletic Club on their Highlands Course. The discussion over the standard of US golf at the moment will continue, as they are without a Major winner since Phil Mickelson landed the 2010 Masters. In fact, the USA grip on this PGA Championships (it is known as the USPGA Championships outside of the US) has slipped after winning it ten times out of twelve winnings from 1996 to 2007. Since Tiger Woods won it for the fourth time that year, the title has gone to Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, South Korea’s Yang Young-eun and Germany’s Martin Kaymer being the most recent winner. So can the USA grab back a little more glory? Will the old Tiger Woods resurface, or are we realistically looking at Phil Mickelson, who won the event back in 2005, as being the main front runner from the USA? Here we take a look at the main challengers in 2011 USPGA Championship golf betting.
The History
David Toms won the event back in 2001, and still holds the record for the lowest Major score from that success. This is the third time in history that the course has hosted the PGA Championships, and did also host the US Open back in 1976. Tiger Woods has enjoyed immense success here, winning the PGA four times, while Europeans have historically struggled at the event. With Padraig Harrington winning in 2008, he became the first European to win in the modern stroke play era of the event, which stretches way back to 1958. Broken down, a golfer from the US has won the event 76 times, with the next most successful nation being Australia with 4 wins. South Africa, England, Zimbabwe and Fiji have had two wins, with Germany, Ireland and South Korea all one each (all coming in the last three runnings of the event). So history is largely on the side of the US, so this could really be their comeback Major. That is why it could be worth sticking your neck out in 2011 USPGA Championship golf betting and going for someone from across the pond. Indeed, as we present out 2011 PGA Championship golf betting preview, it is a couple of Americans who are really peaking our interests, and neither is Tiger Woods.
The 201 USPGA ChampionshiFrontrunners:
Rory McIlroy: 10/1 at Stan James
Well, the young Northern Ireland star has lit up the world stage this year. Looked in position to win the Masters before blowing it, and then got his game together for four spectacular rounds to land the US Open. Naturally bristling with confidence and he should be up there. Winning two Majors in one year would be something phenomenal. The Europeans have not had great success at the USPGA Championships before and if you are looking for someone to stride in Georgia and blow the field apart, then it would be McIlroy. Decent price for backing outright, and definitely one of the stronger European contenders.
Phil Mickelson: 12/1 at Totesport
Have to pencil the big leftie down as best positioned American to take the title. He has winning experience at the PGA Championship and that will count for a lot. Mickelson put in some of his old magic at The Open to show that he is still going to be a Major contender. When he gets going he is hard to stop from momentum. Definitely one of the most experienced, best Major players on the PGA and therefore does make a sound bet. The USA need to grab some glory back and with pride on the line, you would expect Mickelson to stand out from the crowd and make some kind of impact.
Lee Westwood: 14/1 at BetFred
All of his peers say that he deserves a Major, but he has still yet to land one. Will it be at the 2011 USPGA Championship? Well the more time goes on, the more frustrated Westwood must get with himself for keep missing out. Is that mental toughness there to break through the barrier. It would be a major Major surprise if he did it here, but yet he remains as one of the strongest Europeans to head the field. Does not have a great record at the PGA Championship, and after not competing last year needs to find the form that lead him to his best ever finish of T3 in the event in 2009. Still think that this is the least likeliest Major that Westwood would break through on.
Tiger Woods: 16/1 at Bet365
Yes, he is back, but does anyone really care all that much? He is a long way from his best, and it is not immediately clear as to how he is going to get back on top. Really hard to see how he is going to get back to winning ways, certainly not in a Major. All eyes will be on him at the WGC Bridgestone, his first time back in competitive golf for three months. There is still a lot for Woods to work out of his game, his driving has let him down at times, his putting at times has been even worse. After sitting things out through injury, is he really going to be able to make any kind of impact in such a strong field. He has to beat himself first and then worry about the rest of the field.
Luke Donald: 16/1 at Unibet
The world number one would also be deserving of a Major, just like his compatriot Lee Westwood. However, Donald’s high standards have been slipping lately, not finishing the consistency in his finishing power. He has really not come to the party at the Majors this year, and he has admitted himself that he has been lacking a little bit of confidence of late. He is the world number one and he can turn on the style at any given moment. Not sure if he is quite strong enough at the moment to take the USPGA Championship to a successful conclusion.
Martin Kaymer: 24/1 at Unibet
Here comes the defending Champion. This is the tournament which really elevated Kaymer and made people really sit up and notice him. Did alright at the British Open, but has not been as dominant of a force as he was primed to be back towards the start of the year. Really expected him to fire on and really challenge for a lot. It hasn’t really happened though, but while he carries huge potential and will enjoy being back here, defending the title seems like a bit of a stretch for your 2011 USPGA Championship golf betting.
Dustin Johnson: 25/1 at Totesport
Well, if America is looking for a new champion, then Dustin Johnson is likely to be the man to do it. He is on fire at the moment and keeps getting himself into such strong positions in the Majors but has been unable to land that glory. If you think it can’t be done, and that he has blown big chances, think Rory McIlroy, he pushed through his failures, and that is why DJ is our top tip in 2011 USPGA Championship golf betting. Has the greens in regulation accuracy to go well here, and no worries about length and accuracy off the tee. Definite contender.
Steve Stricker: 30/1 at Blue Square
Well, American golf fans will also be looking towards Steve Stricker to pull out some magic. He is the red hot form man of the moment, with two wins out of his last three starts. Leading the PGA in many stats categories, including birdie average and he is just on song with his putter at the moment. If we see Sticker and Johnson battling it out for supremacy at the top of the leader board at some stage it will not be any kind of surprise.
Nick Watney: 34/1 at Unibet
The FedExCup points leader, won the AT&T National, but missed the cut at the British Open. Would expect him to bounce back from that, and we have been backing him at the Majors all year but he has yet to deliver. Is this the time?
Other Notable Prices
Jason Day: 35/1 at Blue Square
Matt Kuchar: 39/1 at Unibet
Charl Schwartzel: 40/1 at SkyBet
