Welcome to Virtual Insanity, where we spend virtual money to try and win virtual money on golf betting. It's that simple!
I would advise anyone to stay away from having a flutter on the WGC Matchplay in Texas. The format by design is unpredictable - a player can be in great form, but still get knocked out by someone who just plays a better 18 holes on the day. Any of the top players can have the edge on each other in a match on a given day and predicting an outsider to win is difficult, due to the random nature of what Matchplay can conjure.
So I am sticking to stroke play recommendations this week.
The virtual pot is at €1193 from €1000, a profit of 19.3% for 2022 entering this week's tournament of focus, the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship on the PGA Tour in the Dominican Republic.
The Puntacana course is a par 72 which has wind as its main defence. The fairways are forgiving. Low scores are commonplace, so good putting on paspalum greens and making birdies are important factors in contending. It's forecast to be windy on Thursday and Friday, with breezes settling down for the weekend.
The tournament starts at 11am Thursday Irish time.
Be sure to shop around, with most bookmakers offering 1/5 the odds for your pick to get into the top six places. I highlight the best terms I can see beside each recommendation.
Our headline selection is Danny Willett for €4 each way at 50/1. (1/5 the odds the first 6 places, Coral, Betfred).
There aren't many major champions in this field of 120, but one of them is England's Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters champion, who returns to the Dominican Republic after finishing 8th on his debut last year. Willett's recent form in America has been nothing to write home about, but he did win the Dunhill Links at St Andrews back in October and is proven in windy conditions. Willett has the ability to find his game on a given week and close out tournaments - he doesn't display fear while in the hunt. He has won the BMW PGA Championship and the DP World Tour Championship, so he carries a strong pedigree in this weaker field. At 50/1, I believe his price is attractive to make the frame.
Our second selection is Doc Redman for €2 each way at 35/1. (1/5 the odds the first 6 places, William Hill, Betfred, Coral).
Former US Amateur champion Doc Redman is only 24 and I have seen glimpses of his quality in recent weeks at Pebble Beach, at the Players Championship and at the Valspar Championship where he opened with his 66. This is his first look at the Corales Puntacana Resort, but new surroundings didn't stop Redman from holding a 54 hole lead in Bermuda last season or finishing second at the Palmetto Championship. This is a 'natural talent' pick.
Our third selection is Patrick Rodgers for €2 each way at 40/1. (1/5 the odds the first 6 places, William Hill, Boyle Sports, Coral).
Another former top amateur is American Patrick Rodgers, who has yet to break his duck on the PGA Tour, despite all his natural talent. He had a chance to win in Bermuda back in October, but his form has dipped since then. The Dominican Republic should generate decent memories, as Rodgers has never missed a cut in this event and tied for 11th back in 2020. A big hitter and smooth putter, he will hope to take advantage of the par five holes as he bids for a first title. He certainly has the ability.
Our fourth selection is Greyson Sigg for €2 each way at 50/1. (1/5 the odds the first 6 places, Betfred).
American Greyson Sigg is another rookie destined to be a part of the PGA Tour family. He has made the cut in 10 of his 14 starts this season and a more low key event could free him up to flourish. Sigg ended in a tie for ninth place in this tournament last year and played well at Pebble Beach earlier this season before carding a poor final round. He knows how to win - he landed two tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour last season - and this decent shot maker is capable of making a splash by the ocean this week.
Our final selection is Jared Wolfe for €1.50 each way at 125/1. (1/5 the odds the first 6 places, Paddy Power, Betfair, Betfred, Boyle Sports, SKY Bet).
Wolfe won on paspalum greens in the Bahamas on the Korn Ferry Tour last season and it was windy again when he won in Kansas. So he knows how to win tournaments, even at a lower level. Wolfe tuned up for this week by finishing in a tie for 28th in Puerto Rico in what will be similar conditions to this week. He ranks as one of the better outsiders in my view to make the frame.
So that's €23 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!
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
