Welcome to week five of Virtual Insanity, where we spend virtual money to try and win virtual money on golf betting. It's that simple!
The pot is at €934 entering this week's tournament of focus, the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California on the US PGA Tour.
This week's event starts at 4pm Irish time on Thursday.
The tournament is played at three courses; Spyglass Hill, Monterey Country Club and Pebble Beach itself.
Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington and Seamus Power are among those in the field.
I am picking three players all available at 1/5 the odds to finish in the first 8 places with Paddy Power, Betfair, SKY Bet and Boylesports.
This week's philosophy is to focus on elite names that have been in the wilderness but can bounce back and return to the winner's enclosure.
Our first selection is Jason Day for €4 each way at 18/1.
Jason Day was the world number one and won the 2015 US PGA Championship, but he's been afflicted by ailments in recent times, most notably a bad back. The Australian hasn't won since 2017, but there have been signs that he's coming into form. Day is a proven winner, with 12 victories on the PGA Tour to his name. His record in this tournament is excellent, with three top five finishes in each of the last three years. He posted a top 20 in the Farmers Insurance Open on his latest appearance and I do think he will return to winning ways once fully healthy. That's the risk, but he's too good not to bounce back.
Our second selection is Jordan Spieth for €3 each way at 40/1.
Another player that has been in the doldrums is Jordan Spieth, once the next superstar of golf. At 26, Spieth has three major titles to his name and he's always possessed an X-Factor. Spieth hasn't won since the 2017 Open Championship at Birkdale. Swing adjustments have hurt his long game and placed pressure on his legendary putting. He's been completely out of sorts. However, on a second look, Spieth has said he's happier with his game and one must remember that he finished in the top three at last year's US PGA. I just think he's too much of a competitor not to find an answer. We're taking a chance, but at 40/1, it's worth a punt for a player that won this tournament by four shots in 2017.
Our final selection this week is Max Homa for €3 each way at 50/1.
Unlike Day and Spieth, American Homa carries both course and recent form into this week. He's finished in the top 10 on his last two starts, contending in Phoenix. A win at the Wells Fargo Championship last year has proven he can do it, and last year in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he was tied for 10th when in worse form. He was also inside the top 30 in this event back in 2015 when a lot less forward in his career than he is now. He may be there or thereabouts against more illustrious names on Sunday.
So that's €20 wagered on this week's golf.
Please gamble responsibly, never bet more than you can afford and good luck!
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