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Tag: Jon Rahm

  • The 88th Masters | Scheffler ticks Augusta box for second Green Jacket

    The 88th Masters | Scheffler ticks Augusta box for second Green Jacket

    Major season kicks off this week with the 88th Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

    In a PGA Tour season that returned to a calendar year format, the sights of Magnolia Lane are a sight for sore eyes.

    As Jon Rahm returns to the Peach State to defend the Green Jacket, it is perennial number 1 rival Scottie Scheffler who looks primed.

    The New Jersey native is the bookies’ overwhelming pick to make a second trip to the Butler Cabin.

    But in a season with no less than five maiden PGA Tour winners already, can we pluck any names to feature that could pocket punters a return?

     

    Scheffler in box seat

    Once again, Scottie Scheffler carries a huge wave of backing into a major and with good reason.

    The 2022 Masters champion, the 27-year-old comes here off a successful defence of the Players Championship at Sawgrass last month.

    Prior to that a weekend before, Scheffler won a second Arnold Palmer Invitational.

    The American won at Bay Hill also in 2022; for omen-seekers, he then claimed his first Green Jacket a month later.

    Not only that, the New Jersey native tops the statistics across the board on the PGA Tour this term.

    Leading the rankings in scoring average, birdie average, green approach as well as greens in regulation, the newly-hirsute Scheffler is a man in form.

    A hotter favourite than for many a year, the front-runner can be fetched to win a second Green Jacket at a best price of 4/1 for 10 places with Betfred.

    However, a focal point of many a final round this term, Scheffler has not converted regularly, so who could challenge?

     

    Schauffele, Clark can feature

    As major season begins at Augusta, once again, the contenders are queuing up.

    For once, the little-to-no form of Rory McIlroy is leaving the Northern Irishman in the dark with pundits; that could finally be McIlroy’s friend as he looks to seal the Grand Slam.

    For the moment, there looks to be two main men in the frame for the 88th Masters, Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark.

    In the case of the former, the Californian is one of the form horses with a scoring average second only to Scheffler.

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    Augusta has been a fond playing ground for Schauffele in the past, so could 2024 finally be his time to break the major drought?

    A tied runner-up behind Tiger Woods’ in 2019, Schauffele has three top 10 finishes in Georgia and could be a smart 16/1 pick for 8 places with 888sport.

    Clark, meanwhile, already has a victory this term in the Pebble Beach Pro Am, and proved his major credentials in Los Angeles last summer.

    The current US Open champion, Clark carries longer odds of 28/1 for 8 places with BoyleSports.

    Two names from the Tour at big prices, both Corey Conners and Denny McCarthy could be big players this week.

    Winners of previous Masters will attest to the significance of finding the greens and Conners is second this term for greens in reg.

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    The Canadian finished T6 two years back, and 70/1 for 8 places looks huge.

    McCarthy, meanwhile, makes his Augusta bow and is second in scrambling this season; a key facet of any major winner.

    The Marylander was last season the best putter around and only last weekend was beaten in a play-off by Akshay Bhatia in the Valero Texas Open.

    If he can follow through his form, McCarthy can be prominent at a 100/1 smash-up.

     

    Rahm leads LIV charge; Niemann form

    Major season sees the best players in the game assemble once more, including a reunion with the LIV Golf League crowd.

    Now a joint venture with the PGA and DP World Tour, members of Greg Norman’s breakaway competition may be given a warmer welcome than last year.

    The warmest of those will be for the defending champ, Jon Rahm, however, his form is anything but gleaming.

    Having joined LIV at the end of last year, Rahm’s lack of form has spilled over from a winless year elsewhere on the Tour, so can he end the drought this week?

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    Of the returning troupe, Joaquin Niemann looks a good punt to do well.

    A winner of half the events played in 2024, the Chilean was victorious in both Mexico and most recently Jeddah last month.

    Niemann makes his fourth visit to Augusta this week, with an ever-improving record.

    T40 on debut in 2021, he moved up to T35 a year later and last year recorded a best of T16.

    With experience under his belt, Niemann looks a smart bet at 25/1 for 8 places with William Hill.

    Then of course, there is the weighty presence of Brooks Koepka.

    The current PGA Champion, Koepka came so close last year, surrendering a four-stroke final round lead.

    A five-time major winner, the Floridian is likely to feature again at a still decent 18/1 for 8 places.

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    One other LIV name to watch this week, Dustin Johnson could be a surprise package.

    Yet to add to his major collection since the pandemic Masters, DJ was a winner in Las Vegas back in February.

    Johnson won the Green Jacket four years ago as an 8/1 shot; this week he holds a far stronger 40/1 for 7 places with BetUK.

    The DJ could yet Master Augusta again.

     

    Can Tiger make cut?

    If punters are looking at different take for the 88th Masters, it could come from a returning icon.

    Tiger Woods is set to play just his second tournament this year, after pulling out of the Genesis in February.

    The five-time Masters champion competes in his 26th Masters, looking to make the cut for a record-breaking 24th time.

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    Currently holding that stat alongside Gary Player and Fred Couples, his chances look reasonable to make the weekend.

    Making the cut last year but forced to withdraw due to the Georgia deluge on the Saturday, the conditions 12 months on look favourable with warm weather.

    Woods always rises to the occasion at Augusta and a 5/6 shot to make the cut with a decent wager is tempting.

     

    The 88th Masters begins on Thursday at the Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia.

  • 105th PGA Championship BestBets: 20/1 Koepka poised at Oak Hill

    105th PGA Championship BestBets: 20/1 Koepka poised at Oak Hill

    As the season rolls on, Thursday sees the second major of the campaign and the 105th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York.

    After Jon Rahm claimed the Green Jacket at The Masters last month, the Spaniard is again another strong favourite to win his third major in eight starts.

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    With the East Course hosting its seventh major and fourth PGA Championship, the venue described by Golf Digest as the 22nd best course in America is poised to deliver another week of drama.

    Who are we looking at to seal the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday?

     

    Front-runners

    Rahm will, obviously, be the backing of many punters this week, as will Scottie Scheffler, but how is the defending Justin Thomas shaping up?

    T37 in the US Open and T53 at St. Andrews, JT missed the cut at Augusta National last time out and has just two top-ten finishes this year at the Hero Open and WM Phoenix.

    The Kentuckian is not in the best of shape then, but as a two-time Wanamaker winner, Thomas knows hows to get the job done at around 25/1.

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    For Rory McIlroy, after seeing his major-less stretch extended now towards nine years, failing to even make the weekend at Augusta during his latest Grand Slam shot was a big blow.

    But like Thomas, the Northern Irishman has won the tournament twice before in 2012 and 2014 – his last major victory.

    Burning to prove a point, Mcillroy is still worth a look at 14/1 for 7 places with BetUK.

     

    Brooks could be prominent

    At one stage amongst the famed Georgia Pines last month, Brooks Koepka seemed to be cruising to a first Green Jacket and a fifth major.

    However, after running out of gas in the face of the charging Rahm, the Floridian was forced to settle for T2 with an equally roused and fellow LIV Golfer, Phil Mickelson.

    Though he remains absent from the PGA Tour, as a two-time winner of the tournament, Brooks Koepka will again compete in a major this season and could be a front-runner at a decent price.

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    Having suffered with a lack of four-round competition last time round, could a healthy Koepka this time have more fuel for a weekend tilt in New York?

    After all, his 2018 and 2019 dominance proved his staying power in this very tournament – the latter of which also took place in The Empire State at Bethpage.

    With a strong Masters showing in his back pocket, only a fool would not consider Koepka a contender at Oak Hill, at 20/1 for 8 places with William Hill.

     

    Day’s week?

    What of the chances of the season’s comeback king, Jason Day?

    Having ended a five-year drought for a PGA Tour victory, the 35-year-old Australian claimed a second AT&T Byron Nelson this past weekend in Dallas.

    Fifth in the FedEx Cup standings and with seven T10 finishes this term, Day is a man on form.

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    Having faded after a strong start at Augusta last month, the Queenslander’s only major to date was in this very tournament eight years back.

    Winner over Jordan Spieth by three strokes at Whistling Straits back in 2015, Day ticks a lot of boxes this week at 28/1 for 8 places with Betfred.

     

    Others to consider

    Of the current winning form book – aside from Day – Matt Fitzpatrick could further drive another strong British challenge after winning his first PGA Tour title away from the major arena.

    Taking the RBC Heritage in a playoff over Jordan Spieth, the Yorkshireman will hope for a better showing from The Masters, despite a decent T10 finish.

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    Fitzpatrick must get off to a better start in New York, but having been T5 at Southern Hills last season remains a 30/1 consideration for 8 places with BoyleSports.

    Having won his first Tour title at the Wells Fargo meanwhile, Wyndham Clark shouldn’t be overlooked at around 66/1, nor should Tony Finau after notching a sixth win in the Mexico Open three weeks ago.

    The big American is 20/1 with 888Sport.

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    Finally, for a big outsider but an equally capable performer as he showed in glimpses at the Players Championship, Denny McCarthy looks a massive price.

    One of the finest putters on the Tour last season, McCarthy was ineligible for the Masters last time out and remains, statistically, the best scrambler around.

    Oak Hill looks the perfect place for the Marylander to shine and with a T8 in his last appearance, McCarthy, at a hefty 150/1 for 8 places with William Hill, could return a nice profit with a good week.

  • The 87th Masters: Latest betting with Koepka in charge

    The 87th Masters: Latest betting with Koepka in charge

    As the opening major of the season heads into the weekend, the 87th Masters look likely to add another name to the Champions Locker Room.

    With Brooks Koepka holding a commanding lead into the third round, the American leads by three strokes after carding a 65-67 across his opening 36 holes.

    As weather forced an early suspension of play on Friday evening, second rounds were yet to be concluded and play on Saturday is in serious doubt.

    So will Koepka complete his journey to the Butler Cabin? Here’s the market latest.

     

    Imperious Koepka

    After picking up back-to-back US Open and PGA Championships, many expected Koepka to add a Green Jacket in no time.

    Indeed, after coming runner-up to Tiger Woods in his own sensational fifth Masters victory in 2019, Koepka’s entrance into the Butler Cabin seemed inevitable.

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    However, after injury, the Floridian struggled with his game and after then leaving the PGA Tour for LIV last year, many wondered if Koepka would ever get the chance again.

    Again healthy and motivated to prove a point, Koepka has been dominant up to this point this week and is 11/8 with BetVictor to win his fifth major.

     

    Can ‘Rahmbo’ charge?

    Weather was forecast to play a major role in this year’s tournament and sure enough, conditions turned decidedly cooler, windier and wetter late on Friday when play was suspended.

    With Saturday looking sketchy to say the least, it is possible that a fifth day may be needed.

    After play was suspended early, much could swing on the resumption of the second round and for now, the closest to Koepka is defending US Open champion, Jon Rahm.

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    A Masters best of fourth in 2018, the Spaniard would love to follow in the footsteps of Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia and the great, Seve Ballesteros.

    Rahm will need to keep his often fiery temper cool in what will be difficult conditions, but to win the Green Jacket from here is 2/1 with BoyleSports.

     

    Jason’s Day?

    One of our big picks of the week, had it not been for a forgettable final four holes on Friday, Jason Day would be in a considerably stronger position.

    Sitting at -9 on the 15th tee, the Australian marked a double-bogey 7 on his card and dropped two further shots to end on -5.

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    Seven off the lead, Day quietly moved up the leaderboard through Friday though and is back to his best form on both fairway and green.

    But is his chance for a second major now gone? A 28/1 shot, again with BoyleSports says otherwise.

     

    Elsewhere, defending champion Scottie Scheffler was out of sorts in hitting a 75 on Friday and starts the weekend a full 11 shots off the pace.

    Can Scheffler stage a comeback? A 13/2 shot with Betfred for a top 5 finish is still manageable.

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    Sam Bennett, meanwhile, has enjoyed a stunning Masters debut.

    Set to be crowned Leading Amateur by some distance, the Texan has dropped just one shot so far this week.

    It would be no surprise to see the 23-year-old fall off somewhat over the weekend, but remains spurred on by the motivation of his father’s passing.

    A 18/5 punt with PariMatch for the same top 5 finish, looks inviting.

  • Players Championship 2023 betting

    Players Championship 2023 betting

    As spring approaches, major season nears ever closer with The Masters beginning April 9 at the Augusta National.

    Before that however, the Players Championship rolls into view on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass.

    Fresh from the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, the Florida swing continues apace.

    With the Stadium Course set, the biggest purse of the year is up for grabs at a cool $25 million.

    The PGA’s flagship event, the Players’ is now regarded the unofficial fifth major but who will take the crown this year?

     

    The big three

    Despite the loss of a number of heavyweights to LIVGolf – including last year’s winner Cam Smith – both PGA and DP World Tours look healthier than ever.

    Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy continue to see-saw at the top of the standings.

    Rahm continues as top dog having won three Tour titles since the turn of the year.

    Wins at Sentry, the American Express and at Genesis have kept the Spaniard on song.

    Rahm is on this week at a 10/1 price for 9 places with William Hill.

    It is McIlroy, however, who is tipped to win in Florida.

    Finishing just one stroke off the pace last weekend, the Northern Irishman’s game has returned.

    Victory in the CJ Cup was then topped by claiming a third Dubai Desert Classic in January.

    McIlroy might take some stopping and is 17/2 to win for a second time at Sawgrass for 8 places with Betway.

    It is worth reminding ourselves however, that whilst the Briton won here in 2019, on five occasions he has missed the cut.

    Further to that, in 12 attempts, McIlroy has finished T10 or better only four times.

    Finishing T33 last year though, bet365’s boosted offer of evens to finish in the top 20 is surely worth a stake.

    In the case of Scheffler, in his two appearances, the defending Masters champion has not enjoyed Sawgrass.

    Missing the cut on debut, Scheffler finished outside the top 50 last time out but is fancied to feature this year.

    Available at 9/1 with Ladbrokes for 10 places, given his struggles is also 4s to miss the cut with 10Bet.

     

    The chasing pack

    Of the chasing field, Max Homa could carry a strong threat.

    Indeed, everything points to this year being the San Diego native’s turn to shine in major season.

    With two more Tour wins in the Fortinet and Farmers Insurance, Homa was also runner-up to Rahm in the Genesis.

    Add to that a further T3 finish at the Sentry – also claimed by Rahm – and the American is in excellent form.

    Homa is 18/1 for 10 places with PaddyPower.

    If we had to plump for one player however, Cameron Young might be the man.

    Yet to win on the Tour, Young was a feature on Sunday at Bay Hill this past weekend.

    A runner-up at the Open and a T3 at Southern Hills last year, the Californian is poised.

    Set to tee off at a price of 40/1 for 10 places with PaddyPower, Young is value that should not be sniffed at.

    Corey Conners, meanwhile, remains a consistent performer having missed the cut just once in eight this term.

    With a T12 at the Sony Open, the Canadian came T7 at Sawgrass in 2021 and is 60/1 for 8 places with bet365.

    Finally, what of the newest PGA Tour winner, Kurt Kitayama?

    Holding his nerve to two-putt to win the Red Cardigan, the 30-year-old had previous on the European tour.

    Victorious in 2018 and 2019, Kitayama emerged from the wilderness last weekend.

    His price however, should not be scorned and a 100/1 shot for 7 places with UniBet could be smart.