PGA Tour Betting: Five to follow during the Fedex Cup

Golf Events / Paul Krishnamurty / 24 August 2010 / Leave a Comment

Will in-form McIlroy get the prize his talent deserves?

"Given that the Fedex Cup has so far gone to the deserving, most in-form candidate, this could be the moment Rory truly 'arrives'."

The cream of the PGA Tour - including many of Europe's Ryder Cup hopefuls - are amassing stateside for the four tournament finale to the season starting with The Barclays. Paul Krishnamurty has a shortlist of players to watch, here they are

A thrilling climax to the main section of the American golfing calendar, or the ultimate illustration of the excessive hype and money around the PGA Tour? Whichever perspective one prefers, the Fedex Cup and it's race to win an eyewatering $10M bonus will dominate golf over the next month. As Steven Rawlings discussed yesterday, this cash bonanza has already interfered with Colin Montgomerie's Ryder Cup plans, by keeping some of his best players on the wrong side of the Atlantic during this crucial final qualifying week.

To be fair to the organisers, after a lacklustre beginning, the changes to last year's format were a big improvement. Whereas previously, the main battle had already been sewn up ahead of the final event, last year's race went right down to the closing holes. Now, all of the 30 players who progress to the decisive Tour Championship are guaranteed to hold a mathematical chance of winning the first prize.

For the lesser names, this genuinely represents a career changing opportunity, though to date, the formbook has stood up very well. Last year's exciting finale was fought out by Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and the only Fedex Cup winner other than Tiger is Vijay Singh. Nevertheless, with all of those players under something of a cloud, this year's race looks the most wide-open yet. Here are four players worth supporting over the next month.

Rory McIlroy

By the time the Barclays Classic kicks off on Thursday, we may have witnessed a significant turning point in golf betting history, with McIlroy overtaking Phil and Tiger as tournament favourite, perhaps for good. Currently Rory is trading at [15.0], one point higher than the 'Big Two', but the tide of market sentiment points towards a change at the top. He's certainly shown the best recent form of the trio, finishing third in the last two majors and arguably putting up the best performance of anyone at the USPGA. Given that the Fedex Cup has so far gone to the deserving, most in-form candidate, this could be the moment Rory truly 'arrives'.

Steve Stricker

As the fourth highest all-time Fedex Cup earner behind that aforementioned struggling trio, Stricker could be the man to beat this time. While he hasn't managed to repeat the sensational form shown to win July's John Deere Classic with a score of -26, Stricker's long game has looked in very good nick since. A more typically prosperous week with the putter would have produced better than consecutive top-20s at the WGC-Bridgestone and USPGA, and he has every reason to feel confident about the venues over the next fortnight. Stricker was only beaten by four shots when Ridgewood last hosted the Barclays Classic, and will be defending champion next week at TPC Boston.

Camilo Villegas

A few months ago, after cruising to victory at the Honda Classic, Villegas was widely tipped to gatecrash the game's elite. It hasn't worked out that way at all, but there were distinct signs of a return to form last time out when finishing eighth at Whistling Straits. Camilo has plenty of pedigree for the challenges ahead, as he ranks fifth in the all-time Fedex Cup standings. Most promisingly, he is a former champion at East Lake, which hosts the decisive Tour Championship.

Jason Day

If you're looking for an outsider to follow over the weeks to come, this emerging Aussie superstar could be the one. Still only 22, Day has carried a big reputation since his college days, and recent evidence suggests he's on the verge of justifying it. Since winning his maiden title at the Byron Nelson Championship, Day has made every cut and registered top-25s on four of his last five starts. His long-hitting style could prove particularly advantageous at TPC Boston next week and then East Lake, assuming he qualifies by retaining a top-30 position on the Fedex points list.

Sean O'Hair

Despite a surprising missed cut at the USPGA, O'Hair remains worth following on his previous form, which yielded five top-15 finishes from six starts, including the Open and WGC-Bridgestone. Sean tends to reserve his best for tough layouts, which will be the case at all the Fedex Cup venues. [70.0] for the Barclays this week looks cracking value, and his best chance of all could come in the critical Tour Championship finale. Last year in that event at East Lake, Sean finished third, only bettered by Woods and Mickelson.