Written by Matt Cee for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
The Wyndham Championship | Thursday 20 August – Sunday 23 August | Sedgefield Country Club
Last week we weren’t let down and the PGA Championship of the year provided an exciting few days of golf. The end result was that Jason Day finally got his first Major win, a victory that everyone agrees was due. Now that the final Major of the year is out of the way the FedEx Cup playoffs are just around the corner and it is this fact that will be spurring more than a few players in this field on this week. The Wyndham is their last chance to get those precious FedEx Cup points that will grant them entry to the playoffs and no-one is more aware of this than Tiger Woods, who needs to finish up the leaderboard this week if he wants to participate. In the past he’d qualified by now and chose to sit this one out so it will be his first appearance at Wyndham and he may just be one to keep an eye on.
Sedgefield Country Club will be hosting the event and the par 70 layout always offers entertaining golf. The course plays easy and scores are generally low so when looking for a winner start by assessing those who rank highly in birdie making stats. History has shown that the key to winning here is accurate iron play so players who rank highly in GIR% should also be looked at, as should those who are consistent with their putters. Overall this promises to be an entertaining four days of golf and the perfect way to end the regular PGA season. Let’s see if we can find one more winner before moving onto the next chapter.
To Win Outright
Brooks Koepka 16/1
Adam Scott 20/1
Brandt Snedeker 20/1
Hideki Matsuyama 20/1
Branden Grace 22/1
VALUE BETS
Brooks Koepka (16/1 a win, 7/2 a place)
Brooks Koepka is the favourite this week for a reason and I can’t ignore him against this field. He arrives at Sedgefield on the back of a solid performance in the PGA Championship and after backing him last week it’s time to re-invest some of the return he provided and get stuck in again. His fifth place there was no flash in the pan and he’s looked to be in great form for the past two months or so, with a Top 10 in the Bridgestone Invitational and a host of other Top 25s prior to that. I’m backing Koepka each way, let’s hope he runs away with this one in what should be a low scoring event.
George Coetzee (75/1 a win, 16/1 a place)
George Coetzee played some ultra consistent golf last week and managed to finish 14-under and in seventh place against far stiffer competition than he faces here. Over the years he’s proven to be a bit of a confidence player and one to be avoided but there are no concerns surrounding his game this week and his head will definitely be in a good place. Coetzee hits the ball a mile and that should help him make a lot of birdies this week. The 75/1 looks to be a huge price.
Justin Thomas (25/1 a win, 11/2 a place)
Justin Thomas’ name is not one that you will see being bandied about too often around these parts but this week he looks like he may have a serious chance on a course that will suit his game to a tee. Thomas hits the ball long and this can only be an asset on this short layout but he’s also deadly accurate with his irons and those stats combined make him a force to be reckoned with on the par 5s. Making birdies on those will be key this week and there aren’t many players in this field who have the ability to dominate the longer holes like Thomas. The price seems short but if he wins you won’t be complaining. I’m going each way.
TOP BET
Paul Casey (35/1 a win, 77/10 a place)
Paul Casey has played here a few times over the years and has never really impressed, which is surprising considering that his game suits the course perfectly. Like all of my other tips, he hits the ball long and the only thing that separates him from them is the price. He’s got as good a chance as Kopeka and Thomas and yet is available at 35/1. This seems a bit long for someone with a lot of course experience and who’s playing good golf at the moment. I’m backing Casey each way.
