Golf - US PGA Championship

[Chris 2005]

Preview provided by www.progolfform.com The Tournament The US PGA Championship is the fourth and final major of the year. The tournament is played on a different course each year and so previous tournament form is of limited value. Arguably, the US PGA Championship is the least prestigious of the four major championships. The Course - Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, New Jersey, USA Located within 30 miles of New York City, the Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey is a course with plenty of pedigree. It has been host to the US Open Championship seven times, the most recent being in 1993. Although essentially a parkland course, Baltusrol has stretches of flat open, rugged land that make it a little reminiscent of traditional links courses. Baltusrol has been improved and modernised since the US Open in 1993, with 248 yards added to its yardage to bring the par 70 course to 7,400 yards in length. The fairways are relatively tight and the rough will be long, so powerful and accurate driving will be a key requirement for victory on this course. The course will also require plenty of long iron shots into the greens. As the course has not been used on the US Tour for over a decade, previous course form is limited. The course was used for the US Amateur Championship in 2000 and some of the younger American players who competed in this event may have a small advantage. Assessment After some quality performances in the first three majors of the year, everyone will be looking towards Tiger Woods in the US PGA Championship and there’s every reason to expect him to perform well again. The Baltusrol course will provide a thorough test of players’ long games and that will certainly suit Tiger. However, there are a number of golfers well capable of getting close to Tiger, even at his best, and it should pay to concentrate on identifying these players. Back players with top class long games and good recent form, and you shouldn’t go too far wrong. Players to Watch Tiger Woods (rated - 67.50) Having shown good form all season, Tiger is almost certain to figure in the US PGA Championship, especially at Baltusrol where there will be a premium on length off the tee. Tiger's form in the Majors has been particularly good this year, winning twice and finishing second, and he's sure to be firing on all cylinders once more. Tiger’s an obvious choice and there’s unlikely to be much value in his odds. Nonetheless, you ignore him at your peril. Vijay Singh (rated – 68.00) Vijay is often overlooked by some golf punters. At 42 years of age, it’s perhaps no surprise that he fails to attract excitement and expectation. However, he remains a golfer of the very highest class. Pro Golf Form currently rate Vijay as the world’s number two, above Mickelson and Els. We also think that Vijay will be suited by the Baltusrol course, as Vijay’s key strength is his long game. Few players can equal his play from tee to green. Vijay has already played the course in 2005, having attended a press event at Baltusrol earlier in the season. It’s clear that he liked what he saw of the course and so we can expect another good performance. Darren Clarke (rated – 68.50) Darren’s form so far in 2005 has been of the highest quality. Although there will be plenty who knock him for not winning in 2005 and squandering a number of chances, this is probably not fair. Darren is a proven winner and you really shouldn’t ignore someone whose form is so good. Pro Golf Form currently rank Darren as number five in the world, and you’ll find him available at pretty good odds. Darren is a good driver of the ball and should find the Baltusrol course to his liking. He’s definitely worth an interest each-way. Adam Scott (rated – 69.00) Adam is one of the few players who, at his best, can match Tiger and there is plenty of reason to suggest that Adam is close to his best at present. He has already recorded several sub 67.00 ratings this season, in the Nissan Open in February (66.50), in the Players Championship in March (66.75) and most recently in the Booz Allen Classic (66.75). With plenty of length off the tee, Adam should like the Baltusrol course. He also has a remarkable winning record for such a young man and he has clearly developed a real mental toughness. To date, his form in the majors has been respectable, although not brilliant, but there’s every reason to expect better from him this time around. Angel Cabrera (rated - 69.75) After a slow start to the year on the US Tour, Angel really found his form when returning to the European Tour in the spring. With his victory in the PGA Championship at Wentworth earlier in the year, he finally managed to notch up the sort of big tournament win he has always been capable of. He has followed this up with a second place in the competitive Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe, to confirm that he remains in good form. With his length off the tee, Angel should be well suited to the Baltusrol course and he should be available at reasonably good odds.

[Plow-King]

Re: Golf - US PGA Championship The last major of the year is upon us. The Baltusrol G.C hosts the 2005 US PGA Championship. Im more modern times this course has previously been used for the 1993 US Open, and more recently the 2000 US Amateur championship. Obviously with it being used for a US Open previously the course would have been set up with thick rough and narrow fairways. The all important question is how will it be set up this week? Well it looks like it will be set up similar with 25-30-yard wide fairways lined by rough consisting of Kentucky Blue Grass and Perennial Rye, a rather sticky agronomical combination that tends to slow down not only the modern golf ball but also the modern golf swing. This hopefully should provide us with a decent entertaining golf tournament if nothing else. Not quite the Tiger made event St Andrews was. Again he is way too short, especially on this course. The course lay out will surely lead to an examination of ball striking. So you would want to have players high up on those stats. Along with good total driving stats. This course should be ideal for Kenny Perry, but his price is a little skinny for me in this field. Im going to give Lucas Glover one last chance. He is 11th in driving distance and 23rd in total driving. Again his problem is his poor accuracy. But if he can somehow find the fairway this week he has a chance. I wasn’t really that keen on backing this guy again until he was playing a course more suited to his game, but the price is just too big to pass up. 500-1 ew. 28-1 top ten Next up, Jose-Maria Olazabal. Not had a great record in this event in recent years. But we all know the problems he has faced with his game over those years. These now seem to be behind him and aren’t affecting his game at all, which has led to some good results this season. He has seemed to play well in a tournament, then have a bad one , then come back with a good one. So hopefully after his poor showing last week, he is ready for a good showing here. And of course when he has been on top of his game and bang in form he has contended for this title in the post with 2 top 5 finishes. 150-1 ew 14-1 top ten Next, I give you a player, although with not a lot of top tournament experience, in 10 PGA Tour events this season has finished in the top 35, 7 times. Is ranked 13th in Total Driving, 4th in ball striking, 2nd in GIR and 14th on putting average. In the stats the only weak point I can see is driving distance. With all these stats on this course, I would expect maybe a price of 250-1 tops. But 500-1 ew is amazing value. He is none other than R.S Johnson. Not the likeliest of winners, but then Rich Beem and Shaun Micheel have won this in recent years.. Get on!! Finally I’m going for Fred Couples. A player who always seems do well in the PGA regardless of any problems he has with his game. He has only finished outside the top 42 once since 1990. And he now seems to be back towards his best since he started playing with a back brace, which took him to second in the memorial earlier this season, an event which he really should have won. This is a similar course to the memorial course at muirfield and when you add the fact Couples finished in the top 20 when the US Open was held here in 1993, he could go close. 100-1 ew. And 10-1 top ten In addition. Just a small bet on Billy Mayfair to finish in the top 10 at 8-1. Again this course should suit and he has done well on these type of courses this season. He ranks well in all the important stats. But he worries me slightly as he struggles when he gets to the top of the leaderboard. But he is well capable of sticking it in the top 10.