The Players 2012 Golf Betting Info
We are at the famous TPC Sawgrass for The Players 2012 and what another fantastic field we have lined up. This is one of golf’s great events, one of golf’s great courses and it is the deepest field of the year with 144 players teeing off on Thursday at the event. The big guns are naturally out in force and it is a tremendously talented field, which should provide an amazing contest again. There is the notorious 17th hole to look for, a par 3 which can destroy a round. Players should be able to find the greens consistently, that’s not the problem. Going wayward off the track is, because Sawgrass is notoriously hard to recover from through scrambling.
The Players 2012 Golf Betting Defending Champion
KJ Choi is the defending Players champion after holding on for the win last season. Choi put in a lot of hard work here last season, and surprisingly didn’t have the course form to really suggest that he was going to pull something special out of the bag. It was a close race at the start of the fourth round, as he was one shot back of Graeme McDowell and he was tied up with David Toms. We haven’t seen the best of Choi this season though for some reason, he seems to just be struggling to reach the peak of his game. He has landed only one top ten finish this season, and that was in his first start of the year. He missed cuts at the Masters and in Texas recently. There will be a bit of an aura around his as defending champion, but not really making any waves in the betting market which will suggest that he is going to defend his title. Choi is out at 90/1 with Bet365.
The Players 2012 Golf Betting Favourite
Rory McIlroy yet again here. McIlroy came so very close to another title last week at the Wells Fargo, when he lost out to Ricky Fowler in a three way play off. But, the result marked yet another high quality tournament of golf from the young Northern Irishman. Interestingly though he hasn’t performed at TPC Sawgrass before where has missed two cuts from two appearances. He didn’t show up last year. However, he is simply prolific and this is one of those cases where you can probably throw course history out of the window. He has four top three finishes out of his five PGA starts this season and that is some record to be carrying around with you. He has found extra distance of the tee as well this season after a little tweak, and his all round game is likely to throw history, and even the record books out of the window. McIlroy goes off as 9/1 favourite with Bet365.
Other Contenders
Lee Westwood probably leads the contenders this time around. He is having a very solid season and has tasted victory as well in 2012. Very consistent and playing all round great golf. He won in Indonesia, racked up a third place finish at The Masters and went well at the Wells Fargo last week, with only some slightly wayward putting letting his game down. The world number three put in a stunning front nine of the final round at Quail Hollow on Sunday. Westwood has three top ten finishes at TPC Sawgrass, and his last appearance at the event in 2010 he fired in a fourth. So he has been in contention before at the event, and Westwood should go well because he admits that it is a course which suits his style and suits his game very well. The big man looks relaxed and with four top five finishes under his belt this season, should firmly be in contention near the top of the leader board again. Looks a very good fit this week. Westwood is a great value price of 14/1 at Bet365.
Luke Donald has two top ten finishes under his belt at TPC Sawgrass, including a T4 in last season’s outing. He was also a runner up back in 2005. Comes in to the event perhaps a little more rested than some of the others, and therefore it is on the back of a third place finish in New Orleans where he was in sparkling form over the final three rounds. What will probably help him here is his ability to get himself out of trouble. Sawgrass is not an easy course at which to do that, but he leads the PGA Tour in that stat. Will need to fight back against Rory McIlroy taking his number one spot again. Should be a comfortable fit for a top ten finish.
Phil Mickelson is probably due a solid four days at Sawgrass. It hasn’t happened for a while, not in terms of really threatening the top ten. He has gone very well this season, has been one of the top performers in consistency and accuracy, and was in great shape with his irons last week at Quail Hollow. That magical touch of his, that ability to pull out a shot which others may not even think of should make him a strong bet to overturn his recent run of finishes outside of the top fifteen. Brilliant at finding the greens and second in scrambling as well on the PGA Tour, behind Donald and that adds up to a lot.
Tiger Woods is in the field, but not looking a strong threat at the moment. He missed the cut in his last outing and he hasn’t been at The Players for the last two year’s either. So it’s not an easy track to try and regather some composure and confidence, because the course can eat you alive. One of the most experienced in the field though, but heading to Thursday, doesn’t look as if he is really going to be a major threat up there alongside Westwood, If you are looking at steady form, then Jason Day is shaping up well and heading into Sawgrass with some good momentum. Day was very solid in his all round game last week at Quail Hollow. At the Players last year, where he finished sixth, he was particularly good at taking his chance with the putter.
There is such a start studded field here, that wherever you look you are going to find value in your golf betting for the week. Hunter Mahan, Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker, Matt Kuchar, Nick Watney, Webb Simpson are all top quality contenders and that is just scratching the surface of things really. However, Sawgrass demands experience of course knowledge and history of having ran it close. Everything points to a strong week for Lee Westwood.
Best Outside Bet
Sergio Garcia has to make a big shout for himself here and will be fancying his chances. The Spaniard is the all time money leader at TPC Sawgrass. Garcia won here back in 2008 and landed a T12 last season as well. He hasn’t been out since the Masters where he hit 12th and currently 14th on the Tour for all round ranking. His game fits Sawgrass and he is in great shape to do so. A strong outside bet here for 45/1 at Bet365.
Latest The Players 2012 Golf Betting Prices at Bet365
Rory McIlroy 9/1, Lee Westwood 14/1, Luke Donald 14/1, Mickelson 22/1, Woods 22/1, Mahan 33/1, Dufner 40/1, Stricker 40/1, Day 40/1, Scott 45/1, Oosthuizen 45/1, Sergio Garcia 45/1, Webb Simpson 45/1, Justin Rose 45/1, Rickie Fowler 50/1
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