PGA Championship- Odds, Preview, & Predictions
The fourth and final Major of the 2010 professional golf season gets underway this week as the 92nd PGA Championship will be played at Whistling Straights Golf Club in Kohler, Wisconsin. The first round is scheduled for Thursday, August 12 with the final round on Sunday, August 15.
This is the second PGA Championship to be played at this course, with Vijay Singh winning the first tournament here back in 2004. Last year it was Y.E. Yang that took the field by storm as he battled Tiger Woods all the way through the final round to win his first Major by shooting eight under par at Hazeltine National Golf Club.
The following is a look at the top five favorites to win this week according to odds posted by Bovada.com
Phil Mickelson 10/1
Mickelson has had a decent run in the three Majors this year; winning at Augusta, finishing tied for fourth in the U.S. Open, and tied for 48th in the Open Championship. You have to question where Mickelson’s head is at coming into this week after shooting a dreadful 78 in the final round of last week’s Bridgestone Invitational.
Tiger Woods 12/1
Woods is another player that has done fairly well in this year’s Majors after tying for fourth in the Masters and U.S. Open and tying for 23rd in the Open Championship. You really have to wonder where his head is at after coming off one of the worst four round performances in his professional career last week at Firestone. He finished the tournament near the bottom at 18 over par.
Rory McIlroy 16/1
As one of the most hyped younger players in the game, you have to believe that he is due to have a breakout tournament in a Major. He came close last month after tying for third in the Open Championship, but he still was never really in contention as Louis Oosthuizen ran away with that one. He comes into this tournament playing well after tying for ninth last week in the Bridgestone Invitational.
Padraig Harrington 20/1
When any of the Majors roll around, Harrington’s name is always listed among the favorites. That might be especially telling this week as Harrington won the PGA Championship in 2008 at Oakland Hills C.C. He actually missed the cut at St. Andrews, but he too comes into this week playing well after finishing tied for ninth at Firestone.
Steve Stricker 22/1
Stricker is one of those guys that is always hanging around the top of the leaderboard in a Major, but never seems to make a serious run at winning one. This year he has struggled, finishing tied for 30th in the Masters, tied for 58th in the U.S. Open, and tied for 55th in the Open Championship. None the less he is always a threat to win anytime he tees it up.
In looking at the odds that are posted for all the players in this week’s tournament, I will once again defer to taking the field at 10/1 especially since that was the proper play in two out of the last three Majors.
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