PGA Props - 72 Hole Group Betting

WGC-Bridgestone 72 Hole Group Betting

Tee-off: 8/6/2009

The return of Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood to the PGA this week should make for an exceptional WGC-Bridgestone.

Oh, yes, Tiger Woods shows up as well to play in his second straight PGA Tournament.  With the USPGA Championship just two weeks away, the best golfers in the world will try to get their swings going in the WGC-Bridgestone.

One of the best categories for bettors in the sportsbook is the 72 Hole Group Betting category.  The category allows gamblers to pick the winner of a group of golfers.

Let’s take a look at each group in the sportsbook.

Group A:  Jim Furyk +300, Retief Goosen +325, Lee Westwood +325, Hunter Mahan +350, Anthony Kim +350

Analysis:  Furyk, Goosen and Westwood all have a shot in this group.  Mahan and Kim have both cooled down lately and probably aren’t at the level of Westwood, Goosen and Furyk right now anyhow.  Goosen tied for fourth at the Firestone Country Club last year.  Westwood tied for second.  I’m going with Westwood.

Pick:  Lee Westwood

Group B:  Steve Stricker +300, Paul Casey +325, Sergio Garcia +325, Geoff Ogilvy +350, Vijay Singh +375

Analysis:  Stricker is the favorite in this group which sort of makes me wonder.  His odds to win the tournament are higher than Sergio Garcia’s and barely higher than Vijay Singh’s.  Singh won the WGC-Bridgestone last year but any golfer in this group has a chance to win it.  Ogilvy hasn’t been the same since earlier in the year.  Casey’s game seems off.  Garcia and Singh are tough bets.  Okay, maybe Stricker should be the favorite.

Pick:  Steve Stricker

Group C:  Kenny Perry +300, Ross Fisher +325, Henrik Stenson +325, Martin Kaymer +325, Rory McIlroy +350

Analysis:  I’d love to see Kenny Perry do well in this group and Fisher, Stenson and Kaymer all have a good shot to win it, but McIlroy has the most pure talent and for some reason I just believe he will come up big in this.  I’m going with the guy with the best odds who I also think has a shot to win the tournament.

Pick:  Rory McIlroy

Group D:  Ernie Els +325, Camilo Villegas +325, Zach Johnson +325, Sean O’Hair +325, Ian Poulter +325

Analysis:  The fact that all four golfers in this group are at +325 means that it is indeed a very tough group to find a winner.  Els, Villegas, O’Hair and Poulter all would make sense but I’m going with Zach Johnson who has been the most consistent golfer in 2009 out of this group.  Johnson should at least do well enough for a Top 20 finish.  The other golfers in this group could be either very good or very bad.

Pick:  Zach Johnson

Group E:  Justin Leonard +325, Soren Hansen +325, Davis Love +325, Ben Curtis +325, Mike Weir +325

Analysis:  Group E is yet another where every golfer in the group is at +325.  With the odds all the same, gamblers need to count on intuition and stats to attempt at making the correct wager.  My intuition and the stats, for the most part, signal out Mike Weir who is ranked 21st in putting, and 26th on the money list on the PGA Tour.