US PGA betting guide

Check out Dave Tindall's preview and best bets for the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill in New York.

Check out Dave Tindall's preview and best bets for the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill in New York

The final three majors of the year seem to flash by and, all of a sudden, it's the last of them - the US PGA at Oak Hill. Referred to as anything from "Glory's Last Shot" to the more disparaging "Ringo of the four majors", the bottom line is that this is still one of the four biggest prizes in the men's game and everyone is desperate to get their hands on the comically oversized Wanamaker trophy. Oak Hill - situated in Rochester, New York - has staged plenty of huge events in the past, including the 1995 Ryder Cup which saw Europe score only their second victory on U.S. soil. Of the five majors played there have, two have been won by greats - Lee Trevino (1968 US Open) and Jack Nicklaus (1980 USPGA) - while two others were won by players who were already major winners. Curtis Strange landed the second of his back-to-back US Opens at Oak Hill while Cary Middlecoff was already a Masters and US Open champion before winning the latter again in 1956. The odd man out, in lots of ways, is Shaun Micheel. Micheel, ranked 169th in the world at the time, did it in style when he won the US PGA here in 2003, closing out victory with a tap-in birdie after putting his 175-yard approach to inches of the hole. It remains his only ever victory on the PGA Tour. Micheel's victory is also the only one to buck a very strong trend. Thirteen of the last 14 US PGA winners had already posted a victory on the European or PGA tour earlier that season so this tournament is dominated by players boosted by a recent success. Given its 93% strike-rate, that system will be the bedrock of our staking plan - more of which later. Here's the leading contenders and also whether they have a win to their name this season and Sky Bet's odds. Tiger Woods (9/2 - Price Boost): Tiger's odds crashed when, thanks to a stunning second round 61, he ran away with the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational by seven shots on Sunday. Many now see nothing else than a Tiger win here but it's dangerous to make that presumption. Tiger, as he proved at Firestone, is now an absolute master at winning at venues where he's won numerous times before but, outside of that comfort zone, his powers are much reduced. Indeed only twice in the last five years has he won at a course where he hadn't previously tasted success at least three times. Add in the extra pressure of trying to win a major for the first time since 2008 - which seems to manifest itself in flat performances on major Sundays - and there are doubts over Tiger at a venue where he only managed 39th in 2003.
Won this season? YES (five times!) Phil Mickelson (17/1 - Price Boost): Mickelson was absolutely fantastic when storming through to win the Open Championship at Muirfield and that made it two wins on the trot after his victory in the previous Sunday's Scottish Open. But after that incredible high and its hectic aftermath, it's fair to expect a bit of a comedown for the now five-time major winner. We saw that at Firestone when he plodded along to finish tied 21st and here at Oak Hill, where he'll need to rely on his driver a lot more (he didn't even use one at Muirfield), the weakness of his game is likely to be exposed. Mickelson was tied 23rd here 10 years ago despite taking the first round lead with a 66.
Won this season? YES (three times) Adam Scott (18/1): After a wretched record at this level for one so talented, the Australian is now a master at peaking for the majors. In the last three seasons he can boast a win (this year at Augusta), two seconds, a third and a couple more top 15s. When he came tied 23rd here in 2003 it was actually his joint second best finish in a major at the time so there could be a hint of the course suiting him. Two majors in a season is a big ask but Scott has become so reliable at this level that it's hard to see him not contending.
Won this season? YES Henrik Stenson (25/1): If you've not followed golf for a couple of months, it may come as a surprise to see the Swede as fourth favourite and shorter than the likes of McIlroy, Westwood and Donald. However, Stenson is one of the hottest players in the game with his last three starts producing a third place in the Scottish, a runners-up finish in The Open at Muirfield and another second place in last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He's also made the top six (fourth 2008, sixth 2009) in two of his last three starts in this event so it's obvious why the bookies are taking such evasive action.
Won this season? NO Justin Rose (28/1): Rose admitted he was somewhat under-prepared for The Open at Muirfield following all the hullabaloo that followed his superb US Open victory at Merion. However, last year he missed the Open cut and finished third in the US PGA at Kiawah Island so there's good reason to think he can flourish again this week - especially with the added confidence that comes with being a major winner. His long, straight hitting should be a good, fit for the course and he played some nice golf (three 69s in his four rounds) when tied 17th at Firestone last week.
Won this season? YES Brandt Snedeker (28/1): After capturing the 2012 FedEx Cup, Snedeker has kicked on again this year and two more wins (Pebble Beach in February and the recent RBC Canadian Open) have elevated him to the very upper echelons of the game. That progress has also shown itself in the majors. Snedeker was the halfway leader in last year's Open at Lytham before finishing third while he had a great chance to win this year's Masters but dropped to sixth after a lacklustre final round. Overall, he's made the top 20 in seven of his last 11 starts in majors (6-17-11 this year) and he very much fits the profile of 'major winning waiting to happen'.
Won this season? YES