Golf’s final major of the season is coming, and the race to the top cannot be any tighter. The young hot-shot Rory McIlroy leads a pack of talented golfers (including Tiger Woods) in contesting this prestigious golf event. Will the 25-year old Irishman go on a historic run for golf glory? Or will talented individuals in the pack rise up to the occasion?
Read on as we examine five golfers who have a chance at taking home the 2014 PGA Championship.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]
2014 PGA Championship Predictions and Betting Preview
With his win in the 2014 Open Championship, Rory McIlroy became the third-youngest player to hold the Claret Jug. McIlroy played a great game all tournament long, and led by six points at the start of the final round. Despite a few hiccups in the final holes, McIlroy played too well in the previous days to fall and eventually won by a margin of two strokes.
[sc:Golf240banner ]McIlroy’s excellent driving (307.5 yards per drive, third in the PGA), coupled with his aggressive approach, have powered his results. His scoring average of 69 per round is second on tour. But on the flip side, he can have problems both getting to the green and sinking putts once he gets there. He is only 66th in the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting.
Fresh off the high of winning his third career major, the Irish golfer is the red-hot favorite at +750 to win the year’s final major.
Tiger Woods has dominated the golf news with his return to competition, but his performance left much to be desired. Woods was cut in his return to competition at the Quicken Loans National, and only finished 69th at the Open Championship with a six-over par 294, his worst finish as a pro at a major where he made the cut.
Woods is currently struggling with important putts and short shots that he used to nail perfectly back in his prime. He had 22 one-putts (tied for 61st) at the Open Championship. Still, Woods is a 14-time major champion. As along as he’s in the field, Woods will always be one of the favorites, as he is here. He’s +1,000 to claim a 15th major title.
High-Value Picks – Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk
Sergio Garcia was six shots behind eventual champion McIlroy, but made a couple of important shots to ensure the last round remained a contest. However, the Spaniard’s efforts were not enough eventually finishing with a 15-under par 273, two shy off the champion’s 271.
Garcia was one of the better players in the fourth round, finishing with a 66. If Garcia can keep playing as well as he did in the fourth round of the Open Championship, he may just get that elusive first ever major. Garcia, a two-time runner-up in the PGA Championship, offers great value at +2,500 to win.
Jim Furyk (+2,800) looked good in the first and fourth rounds of the Open Championship, but he struggled during the second and third rounds, keeping him from finishing higher on the leaderboard. Furyk will need more a consistent overall performance, similar to the one he had in last year’s PGA Championship where he finished runner-up, if he’s to win his second career major.
Long Shot – Mark Leishman
Mark Leishman (+8,000) finished fifth in the recently concluded Open Championship. He was five strokes back of eventual champion McIlroy. The 30-year old Aussie also finished tied for fourth in last year’s Masters. He also has five top 10 finishes at PGA Tour events this year, and could spring another major surprise at the PGA Championship.
Writer’s Prediction
Sergio Garcia wins his first ever major championship.
