The 2017 edition of the US PGA Championship shapes to be one of the best in recent memory with many of the worlds top golfers striking form again and a handful of contenders ready to take home their first major.
We are only just a few weeks removed from a fabulous British Open at Royal Birkdale where Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar played out one of the most memorable final rounds in Open history.
We shift back to the United States now following a terrific weekend at Firestone where Hideki Matsuyama blitzed the field with a final round -9 to win by five strokes.
97 of the worlds top 100 golfers will play this weekend at Quail Hollow. Talk about a stacked event!
2017 US PGA Championship – The Course
Quail Hollow is the normal home for the Wells Fargo Championship every year in May on the tour and will this year host it’s first major event.
If you are matching up Wells Fargo data please be aware of the slight course change: the first and second holes were combined into one first hole, and the fifth hole has been split into two.
Ladbrokes: OddsBoost EXTRA on the PGA Championship
The course should test length and accuracy and with rain forecast for all of the days, luck of the draw may also play a small part for the golfers.
Over the past eight years, Rory McIlroy has dominated this course with two victories and a playoff loss to Rickie Fowler to his name and his recent performances at Firestone and Birkdale suggest he is ready to win again.
You can take a course tour of Quail Hollow by clicking here.
Quail Hollow unveils a new look this week.
First Look: https://t.co/qFjKRm05bH pic.twitter.com/qMgu16e1IV
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 8, 2017
2017 US PGA Championship – Stats that matter
You can scroll through previous Wells Fargo Tournaments to see how players fared here just remember that the 2017 edition wasn’t held at Hollow.
Being able to bomb it off the tee always helps (especially with damp fairways) and as is often the case with PGA Championship courses being able to attack the pin and stick iron shots will be the best way to yield birdies (Matsu and Rory = big ticks!).
Punting Stars Golf Betting Results 2017
2017 US PGA Championship – Main contenders
Below we’ve listed the main contenders according to the market and a rough consensus bookie price.
Rory McIlroy: 7/1
Spieth: “Rory is probably the guy to beat next week (Quail Hollow).”
This is his course and he looks finally ready to fire in a major again. He bombed it at Firestone but the thing that really would have got punters excited was his poise with the putter. This is the first time in a very long time I’ve considered backing Rory in a Major but had to let it slide given how many other top tier players are in form and the conditions should favor. He is priced at a premium although I’m terrified to let him go around against me.
Jordan Spieth: 8/1
Mr Consistent is well and truly back: T2, T13, T35, 1st (Travelers), 1st (The Open) and T13 at his last six PGA starts. Shooting to become the youngest player since Tiger Woods to win the Major Grand Slam. His putter alone could win this tournament but like Rory he seems short enough for now. Like at Birkdale, wait and see and happily accept a lesser price in running once the field clears out some.
Dustin Johnson: 12/1
DJ is edging back into form after a rough start to the summer. He can obviously bomb it off the tee but at the price, I don’t think he’s playing good enough to be a betting proposition this weekend.
Hideki Matsuyama: 12/1
Speaking of flying! Hideki’s final round at Firestone was white hot and his game is built for this tournament. Unfortunately, we have to pay a premium price to back him now. Looking wider but no knock at all.
Rickie Fowler: 16/1
If you take out the MC at the St Jude Classic, Rickie’s past five starts read: T2, T5, T3, T22 and 9th. Only eventual winner Matsuyama came home with a lower score over the weekend at Firestone. Fowler is in really solid form and looks set to go very well again. He’s had 10 top 15’s in majors since 2010! Love him in H2H, 3Ball and match bets but not much value in the outright market.
PGA: #Golf No one can rain on RickieFowler’s parade (or practice round) ☔️ pic.twitter.com/Coxi81lp2D
— #Golf -WeAreGolfPro (@WeAreGolfPro) August 8, 2017
Jason Day: 28/1
The former world number one has gone up $25+ in another major event and looks great odds. He won this event in 2015, was runner-up last year and his game just suits nicely.
“My game is heading in the right direction, which is nice. I’m really happy with how I’m putting. It would be nice to finish the season a boom and call it a positive year,” said Day.
Brooks Koepka: 25/1
Bombs it: tick!
Solid form: tick!
Would I rather take the same price for Brooks over a healthy Jason Day in a PGA Champ though? No thanks
Jon Rahm: 28/1
He’s had a bad month and has drifted in betting markets over that period of time. Happy to bet around him this weekend.
Justin Rose: 40/1
JRose’s game sets up nicely for Quail Hollow. He’s ‘almost’ won here before and has had a few podium finishes over the journey. There is no doubt he is battling some swing issues that have been brought about from his troublesome back. 40/1 would have been a gift if he was firing…
Sergio Garcia: 40/1
This year’s Masters winner has been solid without setting the world on fire since his breakthrough major win in April. This course and conditions should suit him but you’d be taking on trust considering how many of his rivals are in great form.
Justin Thomas: 40/1
JT feels like he belongs on the Tour up there with the very best now and in 2017 has played like it. However, he’s not in the best of form having missed three of his last four cuts and didn’t set the world on fire at the weekend. Happy to leave him out this time.
Adam Scott: 40/1
Adam flirted with a back door T10 cover at Firestone and eventually just fell short. He’s going along ok but in a hot field is he going well enough? I’d lean towards no.
“I’ve got some work to do during the next few days, for sure. But the good thing is, I’m scoring well. If I can find the fairways and greens more often I’ll be in good shape,” Scott said.
Henrik Stenson: 50/1
A favorite of mine who’ll be going around a loser this week for me. He has played here six times without breaking 70, T58th the best he’s managed, having made the cut just twice over the journey at the Hollow. Not this time.
2017 US PGA Championship – Punting Stars Bets!
Outright: Branden Grace @ 66/1 EW as many places as you can find!
Gee wiz he is a big price! This guy plays well in the wind and has also played well on fast tracks, I can only presume that’s why he is 66/1 and not 40/1 because he may not get either this weekend. However, he is in sound form after hitting plenty of greens at Firestone and had some putts dropped at Birkdale on that famous Saturday he may well have gone sub-60 and finished even closer to Spieth. He’s missed just two cuts for the entire PGA season and the EW place money here at $13+ is too good to knock back!
Outright: Jason Day @ 30/1 EW top 6
He’s slowly starting to turn the wheel back in his favor after overcoming family health issues, his own health issues and also fighting a bit of burn out. He’s been kept much fresher this time in to steal a horse racing term and yet he keeps drifting in price. He’s also playing in the major that suits him better than the other three (winner in 2015 and runner-up last year). $6+ for a T6 finish looks terrific EW value for the forgotten star of World Golf.
72 Hole Tournament H2H Bets
Grace $1.84 to beat Noren
Day $1.95 to beat Koepka
Leishman $1.92 to beat Watson
Fowler $1.80 to beat Rahm
Scott $1.85 to beat Thomas
Good punting folks, feel free to continue the #PGAChampionship conversation with us on Twitter!