Welcome to Virtual Insanity for OTB, where we spend virtual money to try and win virtual money on golf betting. It's that simple!
The virtual pot is at €873 from €1000 for 2021 entering this week's tournament of focus, the Sanderson Farms Championship on the PGA Tour in Mississippi.
Played at the par 72 Jackson Country Club, scores are often low in this tournament, so the drives will need to be smashed, the irons sharp and the putting as good as radar. It's acceleration all the way.
This week's event starts at 1pm Irish time on Thursday.
Be sure to shop around, with bookmakers such as Paddy Power, Betfair, William Hill and Betway offering 1/5 the odds for your pick to get into the top 8.
Our headline selection is Patrick Rodgers for €5 each way at 55/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places, William Hill).
Six of the last eight winners of the Sanderson Farms Championship were first time winners and it's high time Patrick Rodgers broke his duck. With his day job on the line, he had the chops to earn his PGA Tour card via the Korn Ferry Tour play offs, when he delivered under serious pressure in the final round. He followed that up with a tie for sixth at the Fortinent Championship, the first tournament of the new season. Rodgers was meant to be the next big thing; an outstanding college golf player and former world amateur number one - but it's been more difficult for him than he probably would have expected. Second on the PGA Tour three times, he's collected a couple of top 20's in this tournament. He hits the ball far and is a good putter. Above all that though, it's about belief, and he may now have that to prise the door open for that maiden win. He's the headline tip this week.
Our second selection is Doc Redman for €4 each way at 125/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places, Paddy Power, William Hill, Betfair).
It's important to remember Doc Redman is only 23, so his indifferent form can be forgiven. When he's on song, he's a fine golfer. He had chances to win the Bermuda Championship and Palmetto Championship last year. He missed the cut at the Fortinet Championship, but he was strong off the tee and it was weak putting which led to a weekend off. The key with Redman is that he putts much better on fast Bermuda greens, which he will encounter this week. He has the temperament to contend and I wonder how he will feel having watched former Walker Cup team-mates Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler star for the US Ryder Cup team last week. It should be ample motivation.
Our third selection is Will Zalatoris for €4 each way at 20/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places, William Hill).
Another college golf contemporary of Morikawa and Scheffler is Will Zalatoris. The PGA Tour Rookie of the Year is overdue a breakthrough win, and it's hard to leave him out of calculations, even if he missed the cut at the Sanderson Farms Championship last year. The thing is, for such an elite ball striker and iron player, it's all about the putter. And he seems to have figured something out.
Our fourth selection is Doug Ghim for €3 each way at 70/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places, Paddy Power, Betfair).
Once the top college golf player in America, ahead of Collin Morikawa, Ghim was on the same Walker Cup team as Redman and Zalatoris in 2017, a side which trounced Great Britain and Ireland 19-7. The 25-year-old has yet to really break through in what they call 'The Big Show', but I have seen progress. Ghim finished in the top 25 nine times last season and was 21st in strokes gained approach. He finished inside the top 25 in this event last season and to my mind he putts better on Bermuda greens.
Our fifth selection is Denny McCarthy for €3 each way at 125/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places, Paddy Power, William Hill, Betway, Betfair).
There's no issue with the putting stroke of Denny McCarthy, who may be the best performer on fast Bermuda greens on the PGA Tour. In the last three years at the Sanderson Farms Championship, he's channeled that ability into a tie for sixth last year and a tie for seventh three years ago. McCarthy needs to find the fairway, but if he can, he's got a chance of winning this. Look at his performances at the Honda Classic, Wyndham Championship, Houston Open, RSM Classic and Bermuda Championship for evidence. The common denominator? Bermuda greens.
Our final selection is Lee Hodges for €2 each way at 250/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places, William Hill).
One of the features of a new season is a bunch of graduates from the feeder Korn Ferry Tour, some of whom will become stars in of golf. Lee Hodges was one of only two players last season who finished in the top 30 in strokes gained off the tee and in putting. He putted poorly at the Fortinet Championship, but his game is in decent health if a tie for fourth at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship earlier this month is anything to go by. In an extended Korn Ferry campaign, he posted nine top tens in 37 starts. He also has two top 15's on the PGA Tour. If he can get comfortable, he may out-perform his odds.
So that's €42 wagered virtually on this week's golf. Make sure you bet less at home!
Please gamble responsibly, never bet more than you can afford, and good luck!
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