QUAIL HOLLOW hosts the US PGA Championship for the first time this week but for those who have competed her before it is a favourite.
Since the Charlotte, North Carolina, course last hosted a PGA Tour event 15 months ago it has undergone massive renovations.
The 7600 yard course will now play as a par 71 (35-36). When it played as a par 72 it ranked inside the top 10 toughest in both fairways hit (51.01%) and GIR (57.95) so those two stats could be important. Could be a tough time out there this week as storms are moving in which could cause delays.
Rory McIlroy (Coral 7-1)
Rory McIlroy has been in the doldrums for a while now but there has been some resurgence in his form, especially at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at the weekend.
Some people thought it wasn’t advisable changing his long-term caddie so near to a Major but he looked back to his best at Firestone. Rory has an affinity with Quail Hollow and it’s a course where he plays some of his best golf.
He won his first PGA Tour event, the Wells Fargo Championship in 2010, here and has accumulated more than $3million in winnings here alone. Also from 2012 to 2016 he was not out of the top 10 on each occasion, including another win in 2015, by seven shots.
In that same year he broke the course record with a brilliant 11-under 61 on the Saturday. With all that in mind I have every confidence in tipping him this week.
DD: 318.8 yards. DA: 56.30%. GIR: 66.50% . SG:Putting: 0.064.
Rickie Fowler (Ladbrokes 16-1)
Another whose first PGA Tour victory was at Quail Hollow in the Well Fargo is Rickie Fowler. He beat the aforementioned McIlroy in a playoff in 2012. Twice this season he has been in positions to get his first Major under his belt.
In the Masters he was out in the last round with his pal Jordan Spieth and it was expected they would fight it out for the title but it didn’t turn out that way with Fowler shooting a 76.
He has one tournament win this year at the Honda Classic and has played consistently for most of the season. I still believe Fowler has it in him to be a Major winner and this could be where he does it.
DD: 301.4 (32). DA: 64.16% (T53). GIR: 67.56% (36). SG:Putting: 0.847 (1).
Brooks Koepka (Paddy Power 25-1)
World No.10 and US Open winner Brooks Koepka is a serious contender for the US PGA title. He finished T11 at the Masters, won the US Open and T6 at The Open at Birkdale this year and has the lowest aggregate finishes of anyone in the Majors.
I have long been a Koepka fan, since he was on the European Tour, and was mad with myself or not tipping him for the US Open. Although he has never played Quail Hollow he has the game to win here. He could also become only the third person to win the US Open and the US PGA in the same season, the other two being Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Not bad company to be in.
DD: 309.2 (T6) DA: 56.10% (159) GIR: 63.89% (141) DG:Putting: 0.582 (10)
Thomas Pieters (Betfred 60-1)
It’s about time Thomas Pieters showed his Ryder Cup form on the US circuit and he did that in spades last weekend when he finished fourth in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He’s had a so-so season mixing four top-fives from 10 events with the same amount of missed cuts.
The form that really impressed me was his T4 in the Masters. A 75 on the Saturday blew him out of the running but he fought back with a 68 on the Sunday. The 25-year-old Belgian has all the attributes to win a big one.
DD: 294.4. DA: 56.17%. GIR: 65.91. SG:Putting: 0.562.
Charley Hoffman (bet365 50-1)
With four top 10s in his last six outings Charley Hoffman is certainly in top form. A T3 last week at the Bridgestone, second in the Canadian Open and an 8th in the US Open are worth looking at. In his last two outings he has had eight sub-70 rounds and that’s some form. The 40-year-old has come to the fore this year and maybe this is going to be his Major.
DD: 298.3 (50). DA: 58.07% (136). GIR: 67.23% (48). SG Putting: 0.050 (96).
Recommended Bets
- 4pts win Rory McIlroy (Coral 7-1)
- 1.5pts ew Rickie Fowler (Ladbrokes 16-1)
- 1.5pts ew Brooks Koepka (Paddy Power 25-1)
- 1pt ew Thomas Pieters (Betfred 60-1)
- 1.5pts ew Charley Hoffman (bet365 50-1)
Ace Venturer
Resident football tipster at Scotland's most read newspaper, the Daily Record, for over 20 years and proud host of one the best betting communities on the web with daily betting tips.
Look good pics ace
Am already on pieters and mcilroy due to form.
2 other picks for me
Matsuyama 12/1 I back him every time he plays and only matter of time before he wins one
Tony finau ew 80/1 been a decent year for Tony and he is a big hitter which suits thos course (hopefully he don’t mind it raining)
Good luck
Lee dont know what Pieters was up to today but McIlroy looking solid.thought about Finau ( great price) and Casey, both doing well. Good luck with your pics.
Some really good rounds yesterday at Quail Hollow, but also some bad ones.
Kevin Kisner has played some solid golf (67-67) over the first two rounds and Hideki Matsuyama keep his form from last week with a 64. It was also good to see Francesco Molinari up there (T4) after hitting a 64 also glad to see my pick Rickie Fower still in with a chance.
Unfortunately some of the big names have all struggled this week, Rory McIlroy (+2), Dustin Johnston (+2) and Open winner Jordan Spieth (+3).
As there are some interesting three balls todayI thought I hopefully pick some winners.
Three ball of Olesen, Westwood and Lingmerth looks interesting. Thjorburn Olesen started with a super 67 but a horrendous 78 yesterday will have shaken his confidence. Not much to pick between the other two but I’ll go with Westwood.
In next group of Ian Poulter, Jamie Lovemark and Jordan L Smith looks very close but I’m going with Lovemark to pip the two Englishmen.
American Daniel Summerhays came back with a bang yesterday with a 67 but the other American in this three ball, Tony Finau hit a 74, so I’m going for Swede Alex Noren to win this three ball.
I’m also going with one of my picks to win the PGA, Brooks Koepka, to overcome playing partners Sung Kang and Grayson Murray.
Lee Westwood 7-4
Jamie Lovemark 15-8
Alex Noren 17-10
Brooks Koepka 4-5
Cheers ace. Let’s hope it’s either hideki for me or fowler for you tonight. Sunday night looks good. Out of interest do you ever back wire to wire on the majors? Speith did it at the open and kisner has done it so far this week.
I’m also on Hideki – his last four rounds have been 61, 70, 64, 73 so if that sequence continues today he’ll go low.
Yeah fingers crossed Mr f he is too good a player to not win a major hopefully starting tonight