PGA betting odds - Mickelson favored at Firestone
Golf odds: Phil Mickelson (+1000), Sergio Garcia (+1500), Padraig Harrington (+1500), Jim Furyk (+1800), Stewart Cink (+1800), Anthony Kim (+1800), Kenny Perry (+2000)
- Can Mickelson run away with it?
- Does Harrington have a British Open hang over?
- Who is the leading dark horse candidate?
This week's stop on the PGA Tour is the final of the three World Golf Championship events, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.
Tiger Woods has won the event three years running but, with the world's No. 1 player out for the rest of the year, the PGA betting odds are more spread out than ever. Here's a look at the storied tournament's hopefuls for you fans of betting sports:
Phil Mickelson is the favorite at +1000 online sportsbook odds. The world's No. 2 player has been playing well, but not well enough to make him a massive favorite here. Mickelson's last two events on the Tour were the U.S. and British Opens, in which he placed 18th and 19th, respectively.
Though solid finishes for most players, Mickelson's skill and pedigree dictates he should be running away from the rest of the field. “Lefty” won this tournament back in 1996, before it was a World Golf Championship event.
Sergio Garcia and two-time British Open champion Padraig Harrington are next at +1500. Garcia suffered more putting problems at the British Open, where he stumbled to a 51st-place finish after entering as the tournament favorite.
Harrington, meanwhile, showed great resolve by taming the rest of the field amidst some awful weather conditions. However, he'll be hard-pressed to follow that up with another win after the figurative (and probably literal) hangover of a major championship win.
A trio of Americans, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink and Anthony Kim, form the next group. The steady Furyk arguably heads this group after three straight top-15s, including a fifth-place finish in the British Open.
Kim is a birdie machine, but sometimes struggles on the greens, which is typical of a young player. Cink is trying to recover from a missed cut at Royal Birkdale, but he has good memories of Firestone after winning in 2004. He is the last player not named “Tiger Woods” to do so. However, Furyk's consistency makes him the best pick at PGA betting odds of +1800.
With PGA betting odds of +2800, Geoff Ogilvy may qualify for dark horse status. A missed cut at the British Open ended a run of three consecutive top-10s. Ogilvy won the last WGC event, the WGC-CA Championship at Doral. The 2006 U.S. Open champion is one of the best at keeping his head when the going gets tough.
Kenny Perry took a lot of slack for skipping the British Open in order to secure his place on the Ryder Cup team, but the 47-year-old is probably the hottest golfer on the Tour right now. Perry has finished in the top six in six of his last eight starts, including a trio of wins. For those reasons, as well as PGA betting odds of +2000, Perry is my pick for this week's winner.
Marco Sussman isn't too bad on the links, reportedly a five handicap. But, he's great in the sports betting game. He'll watch just about anything you put in front of him, but golf is what really gets his juices flowing. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
