Players Championship Golf Betting – Rory no value at 7/1 in unofficial Major

It’s long been argued that the Players Championship, staged at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, should become the fifth Major.

Very few tournaments worldwide feature a similar depth of talent among the strong 144-player field.

Sawgrass is a venue almost as iconic as Augusta and switching the tournament from May back to March last year gave it a shot in the arm.

Rory McIlroy clearly enjoyed the course playing much longer and is bidding to become the first player in history to successfully defend the title. The change in date also put the event back as part of the ‘Florida Swing’, launching a string of key tournaments in the schedule with one Major taking place each month following The Players.

Among the 39 previous winners, 27 were Major winners – this is a big tournament on the US PGA Tour without any doubt.

Player Championship Winners and Runner’s Up Since 2000

The Players Championship has been held annually in May as part of the PGA Tour schedule.

First staged in 1974 at the Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia. A year later, the tournament moved to the Colonial Country club in Texas before switching to the Inverrary Country Club in Fort Lauderdale in 1976. Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida hosted the event in 1977 until it arrived at the Sawgrass Country Club’s Oceanside Course.

In 1982, it finally found its way to TPC Sawgrass, the Stadium Course, where it’s been staged ever since.

The Players Championship – TPC Sawgrass

The TPC Stadium Course is currently ranked the number one golf course in the State of Florida. It’s always standing-room only at the famous Island Hole, the 17th hole making or breaking many a round down the years. The Championship tees stretch the Stadium Course to 7,215 yards but it’s fairly compact nature means that it generates an atmosphere not found at any other Championship course. In 2007, a record fifty balls found the water at the 17th, a record in tournament play. Ocean breezes can also make life difficult over the 18 holes, which is why this event is so popular with spectators.

Players Championship 2019 Current Best Odds

Rory McIlroy 7/1
Jon Rahm 12/1
Justin Thomas 16/1
Bryson DeChambeau 22/1
Tommy Fleetwood and Dustin Johnson 25/1
Patrick Cantlay and SungJae Im 28/1
Hideki Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele and Webb Simpson 30/1
Adam Scott 33/1
Rickie Fowler and Patrick Reed 35/1
Brooks Koepka 40/1
Tyrrell Hatton 45/1
Gary Woodland, Marc Leishman and Collin Marikawa 50/1
Matt Kuchar 55/1
Paul Casey, Tony Finau, Justin Rose and Matthew Fitzpatrick 60/1
Jason Day, Daniel Berger and Shane Lowry 70/1
Sergio Garcia 75/1
Henrik Stenson, Louis Oosthuizen and Abraham Ancer 80/1
Billy Horschel, Jordan Spieth and Byeong Hun An 90/1
Brandt Snedeker, Joel Dahmen and Scottie Scheffler 100/1
125/1 and Upwards Others
(Odd correct at 09.15 GMT March 11)

Golf Betting at Ladbrokes

No justification in Rory’s short odds

Rory McIlroy is in superb form, of that there is no argument. But he’s not been able to get across the finishing line in recent tournament. At a best 7/1, does the world number one really have a 10-times better chance of winning the Players Championship than a Sergio Garcia or a Shane Lowry?

Open champion arrives in good nick

I like Open champion SHANE LOWRY at Sawgrass at around 70/1.
He won a World Golf Championship at Firestone before he won at Portrush last summer and is overpriced for a player in the world top 20 as he has put together some fine rounds in top events in recent weeks.

Veteran is no back number

SERGIO GARCIA won this tournament in 2008 and has been runner-up twice since.
Of course, he’s in the veteran stage now but seems in good physical shape and there have been signs this year that he is far from a spent force. He needs to bring all of his game together at the same time but that is not beyond the realms of possibility on a course he knows well and the 75/1 with Ladbrokes could be some value.

Fitzpatrick hoping to end England’s drought this year

MATTHEW FITZPATRICK got going too late at Bay Hill last week but he’ll be itching to get back on the course having finished so strongly.
No English player has ever won the Players Championship but there is a first time for everything and he should backers a run for their money at a best 60/1 in the outright betting.

Johnson clicking into gear

DUSTIN JOHNSON completes our shortlist, even though he has fallen from grace a little since starting favourite for this tournament 12 months ago.
The 35-year-old has finished in the top 10 in two of his four events this year, despite still recovering from knee surgery. I suspect we’ll see the former world’s best back to his best in the next few weeks and Johnson is 25/1 in general for this week’s big tournament.