ON current form there is only one winner of the USPGA this week – Rory McIlroy. He was one of my antepost tips to win the Bridgestone Invitational last week and Mr Fixit tipped him before the final round when he trailed Sergio Garcia by three.
The Irishman has finished outside the top 25 once and that was in the Irish Open where he missed the cut. In fact in 11 tournaments he has finished in the top q0 six times, winning three. In his last two tournaments, The Open and the Bridgestone Invitational, he is 32 under par.
He looks the complete golfer at the moment and every time he tees off you get the feeling he knows the tournament is his for the taking. His GIR stats at Bridgestone were nearly 80 per cent with his average on the Tour at 68 and strokes gained in putting was over 1.3 compared to 0.319. That’s some improvement.
McIlroy targets the Majors an while winning three tournaments in a row is a tough ask he looks the one to beat.
Rickie Fowler has been targeting the Majors this year and he’s been close, with two T2nd and a T5th. Since the end of May when he missed the cut twice in a row he has finished T13, T2, T2 and T8.
His driving accuracy last week seemed to be off a little at 50 per cent but his GIR was nearly 68 per cent. There seems to be a different Fowler out there this year (apart from his hair). He seems to be more focused on the golf and a top six finish again looks likely.
Garcia must hate the sight of Rory having finished second to him in the last two tournaments. But take a look at Sergio’s record this season on the PGA Tour – of 12 starts he’s finished in the top three FIVE times with eight top-10 finishes.
He’s fourth in GIR, 15th in strokes gained on putting. He’s No.1 in scoring average (actual) before the cut and second in final-round scoring average. The man is in the form of his life and I looks hungry for a Major – if it's not Rory it could be Sergio.
Since missing the cut in the US Open Charl Schwartzel has played three tournaments with two top-10 finishes, including a T7 in The Open.
He has had five top-10 finishes, with three of them in his last five outings. He missed the cut in both the Masters and the US Open but has returned to some kind of form and finished T7 in The Open. Another one who knows his way to a Major so I wont be surprised if he’s up there at the end.
Justin Rose can follow up on his US Open win last year. He’s been going along quite steadily recently and has finished in the top 10 five times from his last eight starts. He might not have the flair of Rory but knows how to win a Major so he is well worth an eachway bet.
Feel free to put your own golf and any other sports tips. It's been kinda quiet on the sports front since the Commonwealth Games finished but let's get it going again.
20pt staking plan
McIlroy 5pts (5-1, bet365, Ladbrokes)
Fowler 2pts ew (25-1, Stan James)
Garcia 2.5pts ew (18-1, bet365, Paddy Power)
Rose 2pts ew (18-1, bet365, Paddy Power)
Schwartzel 1pt ew (35-1, Paddy Power)
Ace Venturer
In December 2020 we sadly 
Rory adam scott and sergio for me all eachway getting six places most sites cant go wrong i font think
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE RORY WIN AGAIN BUT AT 5/1 IN A 100 PLUS FIELD OFFERS NO VALUE TO ME WHEN ANYONE OUT OF THE TOP 25 CAN PUT TOGETHER 4 GOOD ROUNDS AND WIN
COME ON RORY I MAY JUST BACK HIM IN INDIVIDUAL 3 OR 2 BALLS ON THE DAY
Sergio Garcia at 16/1, heart over head but I would love to see him win a major, shame hell probably throw it away again!
Well there was no luck with my first three outsider shots at the tennis today, but Bouchard has indeed started as slowly as i thought she might, and is now a double break down against Rogers who i tipped at 16/5. I also suggested following the match to see how things unfold with the potential for covering/cashing out for a healthy profit after she takes the lead, so alls well on that front.
My daily double came up @ 6/5 without a single drop of sweat being shed which im happy about after a speculative and ultimately disappointing start to the week yesterday.
Back tomorrow to build the bank.
5/1 to win a golf tournament is crap odds for Rory maybe catch him in play.Bubba has been quiet of late so will have a wee bet on him e/w @ 35/1.
alva, if he makes a good start the 5-1 will be gone. It is short but he’s earned it and the course should suit him – and Bubba.
Is the course at this weeks pga event a lincs course ?
Don’t play the game myself but enjoy watching it .
Looking at backing bubba Watson but apparently he doesn’t perform well on a lincs golf course .
Harley, it’s not a links course but it’s a long course with wide fairways. Will suit McIlroy and Watson.
Scwartzel 25/1, Watson 22/1,SMALLER PRICES BUT DID THEM WITH SKY IN MARKET WITHOUT MCILROY, SCOTT, ROSE AND GARCIA, STILL PLAYING 1ST 5.
Bruce R, that’s not a bad deal – as I said I’m on Schwartzel and Watson both each way.
5/1 may be short odds , but for me mcilroy is far and away the most likely winner so I’ll be on Rory! With a saver e/w on rickie who’s turn I think is near !
William, as you know I’m on McIlroy and Fowler each way as my main bets. Also taking Ace’s tip Schwartzel each way and finally Bubba Watson each way. I’m reluctant to rule out Garcia but the fact he’s never won a Major concerns me. After his success in Majors this season I’m also on Fowler at 9-4 with Coral for a top-10 finish and Scwartzel at 15-2 with Betfred for best RoW where of course Adam Scott is the favourite.
Tennis today:
Sloane Stephens to win first set v Janjovic @ 11/10
Jankovic hasn’t played since a really disappointing 6-2, 6-2 first round defeat to Kanepi at Wimbledon. Her match before that was another blowout and she is likely to be pretty rusty having not played for a while. Stephens isn’t exactly miss reliable, but has the game to hit past Jankovic and should be the sharper of the two, with two hard court matches under her belt already including a good 6-3, 6-0 first round win here over Aleksandra Wozniak.
Nick Kyrgios to win 1st set v Andy Murray @ 21/10
We all saw what Kyrgios can do at Wimbledon, and on a hard court against a rusty Murray he has a good chance of starting the faster here. Murray hasn’t played since his confidence denting straight sets defeat to Dimitrov on centre court and Kyrgios has the benefit of having played already this week, beating Giraldo 7-6, 7-5 yesterday. 11/4 is probably a bit short for the Kyrgios win, but i like these odds of him nicking the first set before Murray’s sharpened up.
Young to win first set v Dimitrov @ 3/1
Young has hit a good vein of form on US hard courts since Wimbledon, making a run to the semis in Washington, which included wins over Benneteau, Istomin and Anderson. As impressive as Dimitrov was on the greass, he hasn’t played since. He could well be a little rusty, and though the most recent of these matches was in 2012, in the 8 sets him and Young have contested on US hard courts, Young has won 5 of them, and two of those three matches (winning the first set both times)
Daily Double:
Makarova d Vesnina
Kerber d Garcia pays 1/1
Any bookmakers taking bets on gents national finals at northfield at Ayr?
Since 1958 0nly 13 times has this tournament been won by a non american. Only 3 europeans have won in that time, all in the last 6 years. Make of that what you will, i’d like to see Rory or Sergio win it personally, i just feel Sergio will just fall short again and Rorys run has to end at some point unfortunately, so im siding with the numbers that say an american will win. I’m going for Bubba and Rickie, hopefully Bubba because it pays more haha.
its not a links course Harley, its at Valhalla.
Fingers crossed one of these makes it to the final round .
Watson 33/1
J.b.holmes 80/1
Both ew bet365
Cheers mr fix gone for bubba and a long shot j.b.holmes .
Good shouts Mr F. Difficult to look past McIlroy but Fowler could be his nearest challenger. Moore is perhaps best value at 66/1. Playing well of late but has not put four good rounds together. Could this be his week?
I’ve decided Kyrgios to win 2-0 v Murray @ 7/1 with betfair is worthy of a couple of my English pounds too.
And a very low stakes double on Kyrgios and Young first set win which pays £25 to a £2 stake :D
Well that was absolutely superb from Andy Murray. That was a razor sharp performance for his first match back. Not only did he get pretty much everything Kyrgios hit back into play, but he put in what is possibly the best service performance of his career! It looked like being a potential banana skin, but in the end it was easy. An inexperienced Kyrgios is perhaps not the best test to judge him by, but on the back of this performance I am backing Andy Murray at 10/1 to win the tournament. I can’t overstate how impressive that was from Murray. Real value at that price.
in play Heather watson to beat cibulkova @ 9/4
Took McIlroy outright because if he hits any sort of form no one can stop him. He’s hitting Tiger-esque levels of domination if he keeps it together
Also took Fowler ew, showing great form, in and outside majors. Will nibble and Dubuisson too at 80s seeing he’s a big hitter. Also managed to nab Marc Leishman last week at 150/1, he’s now 50s after Firestone. Was trying to look at the value bets and even at 50s Leishman is the only person at decent odds offering real form and value. Whether he can keep the ew placings up 3 weeks in a row may be tough. But his form throughout the season definitely seems to suggest he can
Top 10 finish Thongchai Jaidee @ 20/1 small stake.
think fowler and mickleson will be my main bets but like angel cabrerra for a top 10 finish and 100/1 each way has a good shout.
The last 8 winners of the USPGA have finished in the top 25 of the previous week’s WGC Bridgestone. So going with that stat.
I’ve gone
Stenson, Bradley, Mahan, Woodland, Reed, Matsuyama and Schwartzel
@ Ad thanks for the daily double the last 2 days. Keep up the good work.
NO problem nudger. I was about to reply saying i should just stick to the daily doubles as the outside shots are letting me down, Kyrgios getting routed earlier being a disappointment, but as i was typing Sloane Stephens and Donald Young both took the first sets in their respective matches! so it’s proven to be a very good day indeed with Watson winning as well. I’ll be back with another double tomorrow.