Damien Kayat previews the 2021 Bermuda Championship set to take place at the Port Royal Golf Course.
2021/2022 US PGA Tour
Bermuda Championship
Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton, Bermuda
28th-31st October
Hideki Matsuyama was long considered something of a flake in pressure situations. But the Japanese superstar is fast developing a reputation for being ice-cool under pressure. The way he closed out the Masters was one thing. But to emphatically romp home to victory last week in front of his adoring fans was something else. The 29-year-old could be at the forefront of world golf for some years to come. The tour moves to Bermuda this week for just the 3rd edition of the Bermuda Championship. This event started life as an opposite event, with top billing going to the WGC-HSBC Champions event. But the event was elevated to full FedEx Cup points status last season due to the covid-induced cancellation of the WGC-HSBC Championsip. This will once again be the case, with this week’s winner securing a spot at Augusta next year. This may not be a stellar field, but there is certainly plenty to play for this week.
This Robert Trent Jones Sr. design is certainly not your typical PGA Tour test. It measures just a smidge over 6,800 yards. One look at the previous two winners will tell you everything you need to know about Port Royal Golf Course. Brendon Todd and Brian Gay are two of the shorter hitters you will encounter on tour. This is a course that seems to favour accuracy over the more bombastic types. The thick Bermuda rough can be a challenge to get out of. This wind-exposed track is set to enjoy some significant gusts if the current weather predictions track. This should give guys with a slightly lower ball flight a bit of an edge. Always look for scrambling and putting stats on courses this short. Port Royal Golf Course is famed for its iconic par 3 16th. Measuring 235 yards and providing a daunting view of the Atlantic Ocean, this hole is perhaps the only real beast that this course has to offer.
Ryder Cupper and recent Valderrama champion Matthew Fitzpatrick is currently heading the markets. It says something about the depth of the field that Christiaan Bezuidenhout is 2nd on the betting boards. Patrick Reed continues his comeback from illness and will no doubt enjoy enthusiastic support this week. Honestly, this week’s line-up looks more like a European tour outing than anything else. Schwab, Willett and Detry are amongst a strong European contingent this week. Defending champion Brian Gay returns at odds of 100/1. Those are interesting when you consider he was trading at around 200/1 last year. This is honestly anybody’s event and it should make for some wonderfully nonchalant viewing.
Past Winners
2020: Brian Gay (-15)
2019: Brendon Todd (-24)
To Win Outright:
Matthew Fitzpatrick 12/1 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout 16/1 | Patrick Reed 22/1 | Mito Pereira 25/1 | Hayden Buckley 28/1
Value Bets
Danny Willett- To Win 40/1 | To Place 17/2
Sure, he doesn’t exactly have resounding form in this event. Willett could only manage a battling T-55 here last year. But at least that gives him a modicum of experience on this idiosyncratic layout. Furthermore, Willett seems to be in the upsurge of some really good form. He actually tasted victory just a few weeks back at the Dunhill Links. This clearly showcases his ability to handle windy conditions. He followed that up with a highly creditable T-21 at the Shriners (which enjoyed a far more competitive field than this event).
Nick Taylor- To Win 75/1 | To Place 16/1
This is a ‘bolt for the blue’ selection which is perfectly in keeping with the profile of players that have won this event previously. Nick Taylor shares many characteristics with Brian Gay and Brendon Todd. He is not particularly long off the tee but finds his fair share of fairways. He isn’t laser-focused with his irons but scrambles exceptionally well. I think you should ignore his recent form and embrace him as a player who often overperforms on shorter tracks.
The Man to Beat- Christiaan Bezuidenhout- To Win 16/| To Place 7/2
I wasn’t exactly comfortable going below 30/1 given the quality of this field. But South African Bezuidenhout is a rising talent who could claim his maiden PGA Tour title this week. He is an artist around the greens and his length should give him plenty of opportunities to dazzle in that regard. One negative point is that this will be his first start in seven weeks. But he did finish in the top five in his last two starts. He was also ranked inside the top five in putting for those two events. He is certainly one to watch this week.
