The DP World Tour’s premier event takes place this week at the storied Wentworth Club. With both LIV golf and PGA Tour players in attendance, there have already been some fireworks. Billy Horschel went as far as stating that Talor Gooch and Abraham Ancer should not be in attendance.
With an elite field, the drama will certainly continue onto the course. In an event filled with turmoil and animosity, who will rise above and lay claim to the BMW PGA Championship, as well as the accompanying US$1.36 million prize? Online bookmaker bet365 has the odds.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: September 7th, 10:00 A.M. (EST)
Despite not getting his hands on a major championship this year, FedEx Cup Champion Rory McIlroy is coming off of one of his best seasons to date. According to datagolf (a reputable statistical analysis website), Rory McIlroy is, statistically speaking, the best player in the world right now. This is evidently reflected in his odds.
Rory is the best driver of the golf ball of his generation and has taken his approach game to a new level this year. If you are out-driving the field and hitting it close, you are going to have a chance to win almost every week. Perhaps that is why Rory seems to visit the top of the leaderboard so often, placing inside the top 15 at 11 events this year.
It would come as a surprise if Rory was not in the hunt to win on Sunday. Though not the best value per se, Rory at 3.00 to finish in the top four feels about as safe as a top four bet can get.
Rory is not without challengers at Wentworth. Former world number one Jon Rahm, US Open Champ Matt Fitzpatrick, and four time winner Viktor Hovland are among the those trying to take the win this weekend.
Jon Rahm did not have the PGA Tour season he hoped for with a frankly uninspiring major championship year and a relatively stagnant mid-season. Look for him to improve here.
Despite a poor overall PGA Tour season, the fiery Spaniard appears to be trending in the right direction heading into the 2022-23 season with a T5 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and a T8 at the BMW Championship. Rahm’s woes are seemingly fading into the sunset just in time for the BMW PGA Championship.
When you’re as good of a ball striker as Jon Rahm, if the putter gets hot, you have a good chance. Rahm at 9.00 is certainty something to look at, but if we are talking Rahm vs. Rory then taking the driving machine from Northern Ireland will likely pay off this week.
The defending BMW PGA champion spoke some contentious words this week, but can he put his animosity aside this week and get the job done? If the 2021 champ can keep the ball on the short grass, he certainly has a chance.
At 26.00 Horschel feels slightly undervalued considering he won the event last year and had a solid season this year finishing inside the top 25 in the FedEx Cup. If you don’t like Billy to go back-to-back then look for him at 10.00 to finish in the top three.
Though Horschel may disagree, the best value pick at Wentworth could come from LIV. Before jumping to Greg Norman’s ship, Talor Gooch was on his way to becoming a premier player on the PGA Tour.
Since his move, Gooch has seen some success in the limited field LIV events; but having only competed in two full field events since May, it is hard to gauge how Gooch will stack up against the best players in the world. At 34.00 to win and 8.00 to finish in the top 5, Gooch is nonetheless a great value choice this weekend.
This Week’s Outside Shots:
- Shane Lowry, Lead After Second Round and Win: 51.00
- Lee Westwood, First Round Leader: 67.00
- Haotong Li, Top 3 Finish: 61.00
2019 Open Champion, Shane Lowry, is one of the premier ball strikers in the world, and when he gets hot with the putter, he is a force. Lowry has the tools to get out in front on Friday and the experience to hang on until Sunday.
Lee Westwood shot 62 on Sunday at LIV Golf Boston and will be looking to ride that hot hand into the first round of the BMW PGA championship.
Haotong Li is an outside shot to finish top 3 this weekend, but with a win on the DP World Tour this year and some momentum on his side, it will be interesting to see if Li can get in the mix again this weekend.
With the LIV vs. PGA Tour rivalry in full effect this week, who will rise above? Tune in this weekend to see who comes out on top of the Horschel vs. Gooch battle and if Rory McIlroy can hold off a charging field and get his first victory of the 2022-23 season.
