Tour Championship Preview
Best Bets
1.5 Pts EW (1-4) Jordan Spieth (10/1 Betfair)
0.5 Pts EW (1-5) Kevin Kisner (100/1 Sky Bet)
We’ve made it to the season finale of the PGA Tour in what has been a successful year for Boston Gambler. We hope we can have another strong week and bring you a winner to close out a strong season. This event is one that you shouldn’t miss from a betting perspective as the place terms are favourable despite the reduced field.
The Tour Championship starts Thursday for the top 30 players in the Fed Ex Cup standings, which is once again hosted by East Lake Golf Club. The Par 70 venue measures out at nearly 7,400 yards and is a tough test for the players. Current form often is a massive predictor of who will go well at East Lake. The greens have also been toughened up in recent years so greens in regulation and putting statistics are important.
As usual the top five in the Fed Ex standings control their own destiny. Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Adam Scott, Jason Day & Paul Casey all go into this week knowing a win will mean they are the Fed Ex Cup champion. Aside from Jason Day all of these golfers are playing some of their best stuff currently. On that note Day is one that you probably should avoid this week as he has been suffering with back issues in the last couple of weeks.
Jordan Spieth defends this tournament on a course he loves and will be hoping for a strong finish to a disappointing season. Rory McIlroy sits just outside the top five in the Fed Ex standings and like Spieth will hope for a strong finish to a disappointing year. As a final point there is one Ryder Cup pick available for the US team at the conclusion of this event. Players such as Bubba Watson will be keen to impress and avoid the heartache of missing out on the prestigious event.
As usual we have considered all the relevant statistical and form factors and have come up with some picks that we think represent value for the week.
1.5 Pts EW (1-4) Jordan Spieth (10/1 Betfair)
Our headline tip this week goes to Jordan Spieth who has been coming into form nicely towards the end of the season. He sits 7th on the Fed Ex Cup standings and knows that winning this week would give him a legitimate shot of winning the overall prize. Spieth has been progressing nicely in the last month and looks like he is about to peak right in time for this one and the Ryder Cup.
Spieth already has a win and a second place at East Lake so he clearly loves the venue. He has the right tools to go well and if he can combine a strong putting week, with above average ball striking he will definitely go close. Considering we are talking about a heavily reduced field here picking up 10/1 on Spieth seems like a steal and we are happy to make a play on him as our headline tip.
0.5 Pts EW (1-5) Kevin Kisner (100/1 Sky Bet)
Kisner goes off this week as one of the least fancied golfers in the pack. This is somewhat surprising given his final round performance at the BMW where he was able to find some form and shoot a 67. Kisner finds himself at number 33 in the world, but perhaps doesn’t get the respect he deserves and often can fly under the radar. We feel he has a good chance of closing his season out in style this week and can benefit from largely having the pressure off. He knows he is unlikely to be the final pick for the Ryder Cup, and he likely won’t factor in the Fed Ex Cup race coming from all the way back in 19th in the standings. All this adds up to Kisner going out and playing aggressive, free golf which could benefit him immensely. He is very straight off the tee and is a fantastic putter who currently stands third in the strokes gained putting statistics. He looks great value at Sky Bet who are offering 100/1 with an extra place on offer.