BMW PGA Championship 2024 First Round Leader Tips: Picks from 55/1 to 90/1

• 70/171.00 Matthieu Pavon has impressed all 2024 and has a West Course 65

• 55/156.00 Matteo Manassero has waited six years for his return to Wentworth

• 90/191.00 Connor Syme will be excited after a fine championship last year

Weather forecast for Thursday

Temperatures have warmed up in this week's sunshine and we can expect more of the same on Thursday. A high of 24 is forecast for the afternoon and there is very little expectation of rain.

There is, however, a possibility of blustery winds and the tree-lined fairways on the West Course are famously capricious when it blows so a low ball flight and a bit of luck will be needed. Detailed forecasts suggest that the wind will peak between two and three, but the gusts are likely to be of similar strength all day.

Matthieu Pavon @ 70/1

Back when Wentworth hosted this championship in May, followed by the World Match Play in October, there was a sense that golfers who were playing the latter having overachieved for the year received something of a boost to morale, self-respect and confidence that was reflected in their performance.

Steve Elkington got to the final the year he won his only major, Mark O'Meara won the year he claimed his two majors, Ian Woosnam won the year he would have felt he should have won the Open but for a caddie error, Ben Curtis got to the semis in the year he lifted the Claret Jug and Michael Campbell won the year of his only major triumph.

I broached this subject with Campbell once and he believed there was something in it (although he added reading a newspaper article that utterly dismissed his chances undoubtedly contributed to his triumph).

Whatever, it makes me wonder if Frenchman Matthieu Pavon might not experience such a fillip this week. True, he's played the Scottish Open, Open and Olympics since his high points, but this could easily be a week when he gets more pats on the back and has the chance to soak in what he has achieved in the last 12 months. It's that type of week.

This time last year he missed the cut, felt low and sacked his long term caddie. Within weeks he was a first-time DP World Tour winner, within months a PGA Tour winner, in the spring he finished T12th in the Masters and in June he contended at the US Open.

I wrote in the each way preview that I was tempted by his chances and the first round leader market looks like the way to go.

His course record suggests he will struggle to maintain a challenge but he carded a closing 65 in 2022 so he can go low. He was also second after round one of the recent St Jude Championship.

He tees off at 09:05.

Matteo Manassero @ 55/1

The Italian Matteo Manassero headed my each way preview and it's within him to make a fast start.

Winner of this event in 2013 he spent all that week in the top six and two years earlier a 66 had him second after 18 holes. Even in his dark days on tour he was able to fire another 66 (in 2018).

This season he has twice tied the first round lead and those were not the only examples of him going low pre-cut. He thrashed a Friday 61 when winning in South Africa, a 63 in the Scottish Open second round and a 66 helped him grab the halfway lead last week.

His reasons for feeling chipper are different to Pavon's - a first return to a course he adores in half a dozen years - but the potential impact is similar. He leaves the first tee 10 minutes after Pavon at 09.15.

Connor Syme @ 90/1

In last year's tournament the Scotsman Connor Syme carded a first round 67 to share fourth and he added a 65 on Saturday to set up a title bid.

He slipped back to tenth but he'll be buoyed by his return off the back of a pair of 67s last week in Ireland when he ranked fourth for Strokes Gained Approach.

I also like that most of his best golf this year has come among the trees.

He was seventh at Muthaiga, eighth at Glendower and fourth at Eichenried (he was also second after 18 holes in Kenya and had fast starts at tree-lined tracks in Japan and Belgium) .

Meanwhile, in past seasons, he's been first at Valderrama and second at Galgorm Castle after 18 holes - more Thursday tree fun. His tee time is 11:30.

Now read Matt's each way preview of the BMW PGA Championship

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