Welcome to Virtual Insanity, where we spend virtual money to try and win virtual money on golf betting. It's that simple!
After a yo-yo year so far, the virtual pot is at €960 from €1000 entering this week's tournament of focus, the Wells Fargo Championship on the PGA Tour in North Carolina.
The Quail Hollow course is where Rory McIlroy made his PGA Tour breakthrough in 2010, a closing round of 62 prompting broadcaster Jim Nantz to exclaim "Welcome to the big time, Rory McIlroy!"
McIlroy is in the field this week, along with Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm.
Thomas won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in 2017. The course is a par 71, which suits players that possess sharp tee-to-green games. It's also the longest par 71 on the circuit, so power is important, especially as the forecast should be relatively benign this week.
The tournament starts at Noon Thursday, Irish time.
Be sure to shop around, with bookmakers such as Paddy Power, Betfair, SKY Bet, Betfred and William Hill offering 1/5 the odds for your pick to get into the top eight places.
Our headline selection is Will Zalatoris for €3 each way at 28/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
A maiden PGA Tour win for Will Zalatoris must be just around the corner, and it would be foolish to wait to tip him at a course where he has demonstrated some previous form. One could be waiting a year for that, and by that time, he'll probably have broken his duck. Anyone that can finish second at the Masters as a rookie has the ability to win at a new venue, so it's a risk worth taking. We know already that Zalatoris is a ball-striking machine and he went to college at nearby Wake Forest. He's posted six top-ten finishes on tour this season and it's a matter of when, not if, he wins. Maybe this week.
Our second selection is Joaquin Niemann for €2 each way at 30/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
Chilean Niemann is an excellent ball striker who has a big future in the game. Still only 22, he started the year with consecutive back-to-back second-place finishes in Hawaii. We tipped him last week and he ended in a tie for eighth at the Valspar Championship. He's a big hitter and former world amateur number one who is only going to improve. Follow natural talent.
Our third selection is Bubba Watson for €2 each way at 60/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
One of the most naturally talented players in golf, Bubba is trending in the right direction, having finished in the top ten in the team event in New Orleans followed by a tie for 13th at the Valspar Championship. He doesn't play every year at Quail Hollow, but the back catalogue does show a tie for second place in this event back in 2009. Winless in three years, it's time for the big hitter and twice Masters champion to return to the winner's enclosure. He certainly has the ability.
Our fourth selection is Harold Varner III for €2 each way at 80/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
It would be a bit of a dream for Harold Varner III to earn his first Tour win at the Wells Fargo, because he's a member at Quail Hollow. His past form in the tournament is nothing to write home about, but I am banking on his familiarity with the course bringing some good tidings. He's certainly in the nick to do so, as he enters this week off the back of a tie for second place in his last strokeplay start at the Heritage.
Our final selection is Doc Redman for €2 each way at 150/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places).
Perhaps I am flogging a dead horse by giving Doc Redman countless chances in this feature, but I am seeing enough glimmers of hope that he can deliver us some profit. Redman posted some tidy rounds to finish inside the top 20 on his last appearance at the Wells Fargo in 2019 and comes into this week fresh from a 68 in the final round of the Valspar Championship. His ball-striking is his asset and he's from North Carolina. He may never catch fire, but this is a better week to chance him doing so than other weeks.
So that's €22 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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