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I have to say I am enduring my coldest snap as a tipster in possibly 15 years. There have been near misses and hard luck stories when it comes to this feature, so it's best to just channel the auld Winston Churchill and continue to fight on the beaches. Never lose faith.
The pot is at €657 entering this week's tournament of focus, the Bermuda Championship on the US PGA Tour in Bermuda.
Played at the par 71 Port Royal golf club, this is the second consecutive year of the tournament which was won by Brendon Todd 12 months ago, with a score of 24 under par.
It's a short course, but it's set to be very windy from Friday onwards.
This week's event starts at 10.30am Irish time on Thursday.
Be sure to shop around, with bookmakers such as Paddy Power, Betfair, William Hill and Boylesports offering 1/5 the odds for your pick to get into the top 8.
Our first selection is Camilo Villegas for €5 each way at 150/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
If there is any golfer you would love to see win a tournament now, it's Colombian Camilo Villegas. His daughter very sadly lost her life to cancer earlier this year, aged just 22 months. Villegas has launched a charitable foundation in honour of his child, named 'Mia's Miracles'. He's bravely returned to the golf course and perhaps the relaxed environment in Bermuda can spur him into a good performance. Villegas has recovered from a long standing shoulder problem and played well in the Sanderson Farms Championship, especially from tee to green. He's not won in six years and he's light years away from the form that brought him to Tour Championship success and a ranking inside the world's top ten. However, Stewart Cink rolled back the years to win out of nowhere recently and perhaps Villegas, who is hitting the ball crisply, can find something. All one can do is wish him the best of luck.
Our second selection is Doc Redman for €4 each way at 28/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
I keep on tipping Redman, waiting for the breakthrough, which is inevitable. There's a touch of the copy and paste regarding his bio, which reads: Redman is a former US Amateur champion and represented his country at the 2017 Walker Cup. On his team back then was current PGA Champion Collin Morikawa. Only 22, Redman is brilliant off the tee and possesses a calm temperament. He looks to have a big future ahead of him and nearly won the Wyndham Championship in August. He followed that up with a 62 in the final round of the Safeway Open in September for another top three placing. One piece of criteria that may trend in his direction is that he putts much better on Bermuda greens, which he will face this week. In Bermuda.
Our third selection is Harold Varner III for €4 each way at 25/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
I have been tracking American Varner lately and it's pretty evident to me that his maiden win on the PGA Tour is just around the corner. He leads this week's field in strokes gained / tee to green and when I have been obsessively following Shot Tracker in recent weeks, Varner keeps trending forward. He finished in the top 15 in Las Vegas on his last appearance. One caveat is his putting, but it's very hard to leave him out, so we won't.
Our fourth selection is Denny McCarthy for €4 each way at 33/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
At the other end of the spectrum, Denny McCarthy is the best putter on tour and he was tied 15th in this event last year. His long game has improved of late, highlighted by top tens at the Wyndham Championship and Sanderson Farms Championship. The former Walker Cup player makes a lot of birdies, which will be required at Port Royal, regardless of how strongly the wind blows.
Our final selection this week is Russell Knox for €3 each way at 50/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
There was once upon a time when Russell Knox was a World Golf Championship event winner and an Irish Open champion. He then entered a slump which he is only beginning to emerge from now. The Scot finished in a tie for 11th in this tournament last year (his best result of the season) and posted a top 10 in the Safeway Open last month. He's accurate, windy conditions won't put him off and he might just break out and win again.
So that's €40 wagered virtually on this week's golf. Make sure you bet less at home! A euro each way will do!
Please gamble responsibly, never bet more than you can afford, and good luck!
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