Welcome to Virtual Insanity, where we spend virtual money to try and win virtual money on golf betting. It's that simple!
What a week it was in Arizona!
Our headline tip Scottie Scheffler won the Waste Management Phoenix Open at a price of 25/1, defeating Patrick Cantlay in a play off.
It was our second winner in three weeks for this feature, after Luke List obliged at a tasty price of 80/1 in the Farmers Insurance Open.
So profit is at 25% for 2022 as the virtual pot is at €1252 from €1000 entering this week's PGA Tour tournament of focus, the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles.
The tournament is played at the par 71 Riviera Country Club and bets should be placed by 2.30pm Irish time on Thursday.
This is going to be some event. All of the world's top 10 ranked players are in it. There's a field of 120.
Riviera is nicknamed 'Hogan's Alley', in tribute to legend Ben Hogan, who probably had the best ever swing in golf.
It used to be known as the Los Angeles Open, and it's where Tiger Woods played on the PGA Tour for the first time as a 16-year-old back in 1992. Woods is hosting the tournament this week.
Riviera is a classic tree lined golf course, which requires solid ball striking and the ability to consistently hit the small greens or scramble successfully around them.
Be sure to shop around, with bookmakers such as Paddy Power, Betfair, Ladbrokes, Coral, Betfred, William Hill and SKY Bet offering 1/5 the odds for your pick to get into the top 8 places.
Our first selection is Rory McIlroy for €5 each way at 22/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places, William Hill).
When I weighed up my selections this week, I thought a) that one of the top ten ranked players will probably win it and b) who are the players which are best value at the prices? Ireland's Rory McIlroy is on his day the best golfer in the world in my opinion, but the issue with Rory is that he hasn't been able to string four good days together as consistently as he did earlier in his career. Mcllroy has not won a major since 2014, but he's hungry to change that in 2022 and he's always a threat wherever he tees it up. At a price of 22/1 he's a value each way bet to contend at Riviera, where he was tied for fourth in 2019 and tied for fifth in 2020. This is a ball striker's venue and that's what Rory is good at. He's not exactly out of form - he won his 20th PGA Tour title at the CJ Cup in October, was unlucky not to claim the DP World Tour Championship in November and on his most recent start, he was third in the Dubai Desert Classic. There were well documented mishaps in those final rounds in the Middle East, but whatever people may say about him, McIlroy does have the ability to bounce back. Rory McIlroy is the headline selection this week.
Our second selection is Xander Schauffele for €4 each way at 25/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places, William Hill).
Last week, Olympic champion Xander Schauffele finished one shot out of the play off in Phoenix, but is double the price of Patrick Cantlay this week. Ridiculously talented, the world number seven probably doesn't win enough, but he's got the game to face down anyone and he just needs to execute in the Sunday arena. Schauffele has never finished worse than 23rd in four visits to Riviera and he hasn't missed a cut on the PGA Tour since last May. If he improves his putting on the poa annua surfaces in California, 25/1 may look very decent odds come Sunday night.
Our third selection is Matthew Fitzpatrick for €3 each way at 33/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places, Paddy Power, Betfair, Betfred, William Hill, SKY Bet, Ladbrokes, Coral).
Yes, you guessed it, England's Matthew Fitzpatrick leads the strokes gained statistics on the PGA Tour this season. The 27 year old was tied sixth at the Pebble Beach Pro Am before posting a tie for 10th in Phoenix last weekend. He likes Riviera, having opened his account with a tie for 30th in 2020 before finishing in a tie for fifth place last year. Always a brilliant putter, Fitzpatrick has a habit of playing well at tough courses and is twice a DP World Tour Champion. I would have had question marks over his iron play last year, but he ranks second in approach so far this season. Fitzpatrick became the first Englishman to win the US Amateur since 1911 back in 2013 and he strikes me as somebody who has a ferocious work ethic. His maiden win on the PGA Tour may not be far away.
Our fourth selection is Robert MacIntyre for €1 each way at 125/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places, Paddy Power, Betfair, William Hill, SKY Bet).
Scotland's Robert MacIntyre is a bit of a flier of a selection, having never played the Genesis Invitational before, but inexperience didn't stop the 25 year old from finishing in a tie for 12th on his Masters debut in 2021. A left hander, he will draw the ball at Riviera, so the course should suit his eye. Shinty player MacIntyre is an excellent putter and he's got something about him, as his two top ten finishes in the last two renewals of the Open Championship would attest. He finished in the top 15 in both of the Ras Al Khaimah tournaments in the UAE ahead of this week.
Our fifth selection is Doug Ghim for €1 each way at 150/1. (1/5 the odds the first 10 places, BoyleSports).
In keeping faith with Doug Ghim, I am almost going to copy and paste what I wrote last week. American Ghim is a favourite of mine in this feature, and I cannot resist one euro each way on the former world amateur number one and top college golfer in the USA, who is still trying to make a breakthrough. Ghim has made eight cuts in a row and I do think his ability to stay out of trouble may suit him here. Ghim's major issue is putting, but he did finish in the top 30 in strokes gained in this event last year, despite missing the cut. His approach play is far sharper 12 months on, so if he can get the ball to roll, it could be a transformative week. Ghim also knows Riviera, having reached the US Amateur final there back in 2017. It's 30/1 that he finishes in the top ten with BoyleSports and I think that's worth taking.
Our final selection is Doc Redman for €1 each way at 300/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places, Paddy Power, Betfair, Betfred, William Hill, SKY Bet).
In that US Amateur of 2017, American Doc Redman upset Doug Ghim down the stretch to win at Riviera, so the course will always generate fond memories for him. Redman had Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler for company on the 2017 Walker Cup team, but his professional progress has not been as glittering so far. That all said, he played well at Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines and I think he's a decent outsider at 300/1. Redman has a habit of turning up out of the blue - he had three top fives last season and I believe his natural talent will deliver a victory on the PGA Tour in 2022.
So that's €30 wagered virtually on this week's golf.
Please gamble responsibly, never bet more than you can afford, and good luck!
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