US PGA Championship 2025: Dave Tindall's five to watch in Betfair's Birdie Bonus market

• Dave picks out five players who could rack up early birdies

• Free bets for birdies in our Birdie Bonus offer. T&Cs apply. Click here for more

• For more US PGA content read Matt Cooper's profiles of the leading 50 players

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First round birdies = free bets with Betfair's US PGA Championship offer

Betfair has a stunning free bet offer for the 2025 US PGA Championship.

It's simple - back your selection with £5 or more in our Birdie Bonus market and every time your man goes under par on any hole in his first round you will pocket a £1 free bet. 

Birdie Bonus is a tournament winner, win-only market and you can only back one player.

A full list of the rules here explains how this offer works.

Dave Tindall's five players to watch 

Xander Schauffele 

As Quail Hollow stages a regular Tour event, it's worth checking out R1 performances in the Wells Fargo as well as looking at how well players start in this event and other Majors.

Schauffele, the defending US PGA champion, pops up in all searches.

He fired a stunning first-round 62 in last year's US PGA, recording nine birdies on Thursday, while he also set the pace after 18 holes of the 2024 Wells Fargo with six birdies and an eagle securing a 64.

Schauffele also set off with a record-equalling 62 on day one of the 2023 US Open.

Sepp Straka 

Alongside Rory, Sepp Straka is the only man with two PGA Tour wins to his name this season and he's paved the way for both victories with fast starts.

The Austrian opened with a 65 on the way to victory in The American Express while last week he posted a Thurday 63 to fuel his Truist Championship win. He posted seven birdies on day one in both events.

Looking at the season as a whole and Straka ranks 1st for Birdie Average and 2nd for Par Breakers. 

Straka was eighth at Quail Hollow in last year's Wells Fargo.

Rickie Fowler 

Like Schauffele, Fowler also shot a 62 in round one of the 2023 US Open. His 8-under lap contained 10 birdies to Schauffele's eight.

Although his current form looks nothing special he's been starting fast. The Californian was third after 18 holes of last week's Truist Championship while in Florida he was fifth (Cognizant) and eighth (Players) after day one.

Fowler is a course horse too with a win and four other top sixes at Quail Hollow. 

Byeong Hun An 

Winner Rory McIlroy (-17) and runner-up Xander Schauffele (-12) were clear of the field in last year's Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow but they didn't top the birdie count for the week.

The man who recorded most red numbers was Byeong Hun An. He had 23 birdies over the four days, with seven of those coming in a rollercoaster first round.

Going on the attack worked for him then as the Korean eventually finished in solo third. Expect him to go birdie-seeking again.

Keith Mitchell 

Imagine if the current king of fast starts, Keith Mitchell, had a good R1 record at Quail Hollow. 

Newsflash: he has!

Mitchell has been roaring out of the gates in recent weeks, his FRL positions making incredible reading: 1-28-2-2-1-1. His round scores in those opening laps were 61, 64, 64, 64, 65, 67.

At Quail Hollow in the Wells Fargo he's opened with a round in the 60s in all four of his visits, finishing the opening day in second, fourth, eighth and 25th.

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Now read US PGA Championship 2025: Dave Tindall's each-way picks from 16/1 to 150/1