Video: The Players Championship 2016 Betting Preview And Tips

An in depth betting preview with tips and predictions for the 2016 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on the PGA Tour. We discuss favourites, give the Top 5 Picks and long odds glory shots.

2016 The Players Championship Betting Preview And Tips

The Players Championship 2016 Betting Preview and Tips

May 12th – 15th, 2016
TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Par: 72 / Yardage:7,215
Purse: $10.5 million with $1,890,000 to the winner
Defending Champion: Rickie Fowler

Favourites Discussion

Rory 8/1. Needs to avoid bogeys.

Rory McIlroy heads the betting at 8/1 this week after a T4 finish at the Wells Fargo.  Missed his first three cuts at Sawgrass but figured it out of late with a T8, T6, T8 in the last three years.  A word of warning though; while Rors is making a tonne of birdies , by his admission his rounds of late have been error strewn.  Last week in Charlotte he carded 13 bogeys and 2 worse; that will not cut it in Sawgrass where bogey avoidance is key.  Paired with Bubba and DJ it will be important not to get involved in a slug fest.
Another note is that Jordan Spieth is back after a good rest; he has a best here of T4 in 2014 and it will be interesting to see if he has put that Masters loss behind him.

Doc’s Top Five Betting Tips For The 2016 Players Championship

Justin Rose 25/1

Rosey 25/1. Not a shades man.

What Rosey is doing out at 25/1 in the betting baffles me.  Yes he has a tarnished record on the Stadium Course but a T4 in 2014 proves he can compete.  Having watched his solo third place at the Wells Fargo where he went T7 in driving accuracy and led the Greens in Regulation, I thought it was the best of his five top-10’s to date this season.  Primed to win, but at those odds, cover him each way.

Rickie Fowler 18/1

Rickie 18/1. Handsy.

It’s important to stress at the outset here that I remember well that Rickie Fowler’s win here in 2015 was of the most improbable sort; a back nine Sunday run of birdies, that incredible eagle on 16 and more birdies to come from “the depths of hell”; I know it wasn’t a wire to wire job.   I’m also basing this tip on the fact that he also finished T2 in 2012 and on that T4 last week at the Wells Fargo.  That was Rickie’s fifth top 10 on the PGA Tour this season with a win in Abu Dhabi not included.  Hopefully will have the media glare diluted by the presence of Rory, Spieth and Day.  Nobody defends at The Players but 18/1 are good each way odds.

Hideki Matsuyama 25/1

Hideki 25/1. Maturing. Like a good cheese.

Third appearance at The Players for Hideki and I love the way he is learning and growing and maturing as a PGA Tour player.  T23 in 2014, T17 in 2015 and I think can get into a place this year IF he reduces the bogey count.  Finished T11 last week in Charlotte after notching his fifth top-10 clip in the Greens In Regulation stats this season.  That along with a T7 at The Masters, T6 in Bay Hill and win in Phoenix secures Hideki an each way line on my betslip.

Sergio Garcia 28/1

Sergio 28/1. Horse for the course. 

Sergio is the horse for the course at Sawgrass which (despite Rickie Fowler winning with the putter last year) retains the tag as a ball strikers paradise.  Contested the playoff with Fowler and Kevin Kisner last year, was solo third in 2014 and T8 in 2013.  Solo third last time out in Valderrama at the Open de Espana after a surging Sunday 67 and charted a clip of 9th in driving accuracy and 2nd in GIR on his trip home.  Lightly raced so far this year, Sergio had a poor Masters (81 on Saturday) but a T11 in Doral and solo second at the Honda shows he’s the right man for a tough track.

Chris Kirk 70/1

Chris Kirk 70/1. Often mistaken for Captain Kirk.

On a run of four made cuts at Sawgrass which is no mean feat in itself and finished T13 on his last two trips to Ponte Vedra.  Coming in off improving performances in his last three from a T23 at Harbour Town, T13 in San Antonio and T5 last time out at TPC Louisiana.  To break into the top-five was big for Chris; lets hope he likes it up there.

Long Odds Glory Shots

Marc Leishman 100/1

Last week he had Lucas Glover convert in this section from 125/1 so why not Marc Leishman.  Three top-25’s at Sawgrass with a best of T8 in 2014 and coming in with five top-30 finishes in his last six starts.  Has shown up in the Majors over the past couple of years, a cameo in the “fifth Major” is not beyond the realms of possibility.

Harris English 125/1

Dismal record at The Players but making a tonne of pars of late.  If scoring is tough, that’s when you may see Harris.  T17 in Charlotte last week.

Brian Stuard 300/1

If bogey avoidance is one of the keys at The Players try Brian Stuard who won the rain shortened Zurich Classic lately without one blemish on his card.  T17 here in 2014.

GAME GOLF Stats Centre Tournament Preview

Join the GolfCentralDaily community on Facebook Here and on Twitter Here. Follow @golfcentraldoc