PGA The Barclays Golf Betting Info
The first venture into the 2012 FedExCup Play-offs lights up the golf betting markets this week, as the qualified 125 players look for qualification into the Deutsche Bank Championship. Only the top 100 points leaders will progress from The Barclays, and naturally we are looking at a major field here with plenty of strong options to look at backing.
PGA The Barclays Golf Betting Defending Champion
American Dustin Johnson brought home the title here last season, taking a two shot win over Matt Kuchar. The interesting thing about Johnson is that he could just make a strong case for a defence here. He was out of the game for three months this season but has performed pretty solidly on his return. Only his missed cut at the US Open has blotted his copy book, but since his return from injury-enforced lay off, he has won the FedEx St Jude and took a T9 at The Open Championship. That has added up to five top ten finishes for Johnson this season which is a pretty good run considering everything he has gone though. Was in in a great stretch of form through February and he is not looking short of confidence. However, this is a new venue this year, so he won’t have the course-win effect on his side. Other strong markers though for Johnson is that he has won a play off tournament in each of the last two seasons and he has tremendous length off the tee, which could put him in with a shot. Dustin Johnson is trading at 25/1 with online bookmaker Bet365.
PGA The Barclays Golf Betting Favourite
Tiger Woods will tee-ff at Bethpage Black as favourite. He has won here before, taking the US Open title when it was hosted here a couple of years ago. Has three wins under his belt for the new season and just ticking along nicely at the moment. He took a T11 at the PGA Championship, but with two wins and four top tens in his last seven starts, he is the hot ticket at the moment. Pretty strong option to back with his course history and he starts the play-offs as the points leaders. He also tops the PGA in money and scoring average this season. Why not? Woods is trading at a price of 7/1 with online bookmaker Bet365 and goes as joint favourite along with Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy tees off in third place in the FedExCup points standings. He delivered an immaculate performance at Kiawah Island for the PGA Championship. Everything came together and how quickly the talk of his mid-season slump was washed away. McIlroy has to be in with a great chance here, not only is he swinging well with accuracy, but he has the ability to eke out extra distance without compromising that accuracy off the tee. With the distance needed this week for The Barclays, then McIlroy is going to be a big threat. Hitting big and hitting well at the moment. Has played the course before, back at the 2009 US Open where he hit a top ten finish. A question mark may be over his putting but that is really splitting hairs. Should be up there and goes off at the same price of Woods.
Other Contenders
Superbly strong field and therefore you are pretty spoilt for choice. Will be worth looking at Keegan Bradley who is in great form heading into the Play-offs He fired a third place finished at the PGA Championship and that was straight off the back of winning the Bridgestone Invitational. Peaking at the moment and is going to be a danger because of the distance he can pull off the tee as well. Can be streaky but he does lead the PGA in the all-around stat and he goes off at a standing of 8th in the points standings. Well primed for a shot at the FedExCup itself.
Australia’s Adam Scott has the distance with the driver to contend here and his natural game will be a good fit for the course. He does have the short game to have a good crack at this and his caddy (who was with Tiger Woods when he won the 2002 US Open here) has tremendous knowledge of the course. A pretty decent performer in the play-offs and should make good value for money amongst a crop of players hovering around the 25/1 mark to start the tournament off.
Matt Kuchar has to be looked at. He won The Barclays in 2010 and then came close to defending his title last year, finishing a solo second. Kuchar is always pretty dependable and has landed eight top ten finishes this season. Three of those have come in the last five starts. Like Westwood missed the cut at the PGA Championship after a forgettable 82 in the second round. Has one win under his belt at The Players this season. As capable as anyone of pulling off four solid rounds this week. Maybe not the distance off the tee as some of the names above, but not a bad shout at all.
Bubba Watson is the personification of big hitting. Watson if fifth in the FedExCup standings and while he has found a tad more consistency this season, has oddly struggled at Bethpage Black before. However, he is in decent shape as he fired a T11 at the PGA Championship and was looking solid. His distance will help here this week and he leads the PGA in driving distance but also backing that up is him standing in second pace in greens hit.
Best Outside Bet
Lee Westwood may just be something of a big surprise in the field. This will be his first attempt at the FedExCup play-offs and he joined specifically this season with the PGA Tour to have a crack at the high pressure series Westwood ranked 51st in the FedExCup standings heading into the play-offs and that was thanks to a solid season, which as included five top ten finishes. The big man does have the driver for this, but after his missed cut at the PGA Championship, is he going to be in the right frame of mind? Usually a big tournament player and could muscle his way close.
Latest PGA The Barclays Golf Betting Prices at online bookmaker Bet365
Rory McIlroy 7/1, Tiger Woods 7/1, Justin Rose 22/1, Luke Donald 22/1, Dustin Johnson 25/1, Bubba Watson 25/1, Keegan Bradley 25/1, Adam Scott 25/1, Steve Sticker 25/1, Sergio Garcia 25/1, Lee Westwood 25/1, Phil Mickelson 30/1, Webb Simpson 30/1, Louis Oosthuizen 33/1, Graeme McDowell 35/1
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