PGA Tips: Deutsche Bank Championship
The PGA Tour heads up to Boston for this week’s event and field know they will have to score heavily if they are to get the win this weekend.
The TPC Boston has been home to the Deutsche for the last nine years and is ranked as one of the top five easiest par 71 layouts on the PGA Tour over the last five years. Of the four tournaments on the FedExCup schedule, the Deutsche Bank Championship is the one event where golfers can go wide open and take some risks.
At 7,214 yards, the course is slightly above average in length and offers five par-4s over 460 yards and a par-5 that plays an even 600 yards. But just having a few lengthy holes isn’t enough these days; you have to find other ways to combat par, and based on TPC Boston’s history, the course hasn’t found a solution to the birdie binges that occur on a yearly basis.
It makes sense to back the big hitters this weekend and after an impressive T3 at the Barclays, Dustin Johnson will be looking to secure a place in the US Ryder Cup team. Johnson knows how to move the ball and on this forgiving course he should be troubling the leaders on Sunday. His price of +1800 looks decent value.
Brandt Snedeker to win at +3000 with Jazzsports, would be my recommended bet on the Deutsche Bank Championship. The American has had an excellent 2012 and he has previous on the TPC Boston course, finishing T5 in 2011 and in 2010. A win this weekend would send Snedeker to the top of the Fedex Cup standings and assuming he can carry his form over he is a great value bet.
Mr Sportsbook likes the look of Steve Stricker this weekend and the American knows a good showing could cement a place in Davis Love’s Ryder Cup team. Last week’s Barclays aside, Stricker has been in excellent form and is returning to a tournament that he won in 2009and followed up with a top 10 finish the following year. At +2800 he’ll be challenging the leaders and he knows how to score round here.
Rory McIlroy will have been disappointed with his finish at the Barclays (T24) but a look at the stats revealed that he finished way back in 75th in terms of Strokes Gained-Putting. With a bit more luck McIlroy has the potential to score very heavily and could dominate the field. Back him at +1000.
Finally we would suggest putting a small wager on young Bud Cauley at +6600 to win outright. In only his second full season on tour the 22-year-old has scored four top-10 finishes, three of which were top four placing’s, and he is bound to get a breakthrough win at some stage. Back him at +6600 with sportsbook.com or use Betfair, they offer a Cauley win at 109/1.
Our PGA Championship guide: 2012 PGA Championship betting
