Wyndham Championship: golf betting guide

Wyndham Championship: golf betting guide

The PGA Tour stops in North Carolina this week for the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club.

Despite the tournament's positioning in the PGA Tour schedule - sandwiched between the PGA Championship and the Fedex Cup play-offs - a number of big names are in the Wyndham field.

The likes of Zach Johnson, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Martin Kaymer, Ernie Els and Paul Casey are all taking part this week.

Last year, Sergio Garcia won the title by two shots from Tim Clark, sparking a fine run of form.

He played some good golf at last week's USPGA Championship, but the Wyndham will be a tough tournament to defend, for a number of reasons.

Not only will players be desperate to accrue FedEx Cup points to put them in a stronger position for the upcoming play-offs, but those languishing outside the top 125 on the Money List will need a strong week to keep their cards for the 2013-2014 season.

Sedgefield Country Club also promises to be an interesting host. It consistently ranks as one of the easiest courses on tour, as -18, -18 and -20 winning scores from the last three years would demonstrate.

Birdies will be the order of the day, so anyone not finding from on the greens will be unlikely to contend.

Zach Johnson is the 12/1 favourite this week, but despite his recent good from, I'm not prepared to back him at such short odds.

Martin Kaymer, at 25/1 with Ladbrokes, looks well priced this week. The German played some good golf at the USPGA Championship and should fancy his chances in an event with a slightly weaker-than-average field. He finished ninth two weeks ago at the WGC-Bridgestone and compiled three rounds in the 60s last week, so he's clearly in good form. He's also 112th in the FedEx Cup standings, so he needs a strong performance to ensure he qualifies for some of the later play-off events.

Tim Clark, at 33/1 with Ladbrokes, is always worth backing at the Wyndham. The diminutive South African finished sixth in 2008 and runner-up to Garcia last year. Clark showed some encouraging signs last week at the USPGA, despite a 75-75 weekend finish. He also ranks first in Driving Accuracy on the PGA Tour and his short hitting won't be an issue on a short golf course, so I'm expecting him to feature at the Wyndham.

Paul Casey, at 50/1 with Ladbrokes, seems to have overcome his poor form and subsequent spell in the golfing wilderness. He won the Irish Open at Carton House - his first victory for two and a half years - this June and that form carried over to the USPGA, where he was in the hunt at the half-way stage. He's currently 191st in the FedEx Cup standings and 189th on the Money List, so he's in need of a big week to keep his PGA Tour card.

Robert Garrigus, at 66/1 with Ladbrokes, is worth backing this week for his performance at the USPGA alone. The American has been poor so far this season, but he played some fine golf at Oak Hill en route to a tie for 25th. He also spoke about his vastly improved putting last week, and that, coupled with his enormous length off the tee, could be the secret to unlocking Sedgefield. Garrigus is a streaky player, and when he gets on a roll, birdie blitzes are common.

J.J. Henry, at 150/1 with Ladbrokes, is a good outside bet this week. The American closed with an encouraging 69 last week, and whilst he's not been setting the world on fire of late, two top-seven finishes in his last seven finishes suggest to me his best form isn't too far away. Henry also ranks 33rd in Total Driving and 13th in Greens in Regulation, so if he can find some form on the greens, he shouldn't be too far away. Wyndham Championship advised bets:

3pts each way on Martin Kaymer at 25/1 with Ladbrokes 2pts each way on Tim Clark at 33/1 with Ladbrokes 2pts each way on Paul Casey at 50/1 with Ladbrokes 2pts each way on Robert Garrigus at 66/1 with Ladbrokes 1pts each way on J.J. Henry at 150/1 with Ladbrokes