*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
We’ve got a cracking week ahead of us for the PGA Tour’s flagship event The Players Championship and it’s time to take a look at the raft of speciality markets that Paddy have priced up for us. Firstly looking at the First Round Leader market and as always the place to start here is with the weather forecast.
First Round Leader: Keegan Bradley
Looking at Thursday’s forecast it would appear that conditions will be relatively favourable all day and therefore I will take one from the morning wave and one from the afternoon. The first of two to catch me eye, who tees off at 7.50am local time, is Keegan Bradley.
The former PGA Champion had an up and down time at Bay Hill last week as he followed his 74 on Friday with a 64 on Saturday before closing out the week with a 78! To me though that shows he is on the verge of some good stuff and having finished 16th and 7th here in his last two visits he is clearly now at ease on this quirky track.
When Bradley does have a good week it tends to be based on getting off to a quick start and his last three Thursday efforts have all been in the 60s including a 66 in Phoenix. Bradley shared the lead here after 18 holes as recently as two years ago in the last completed event after he posted a 65 from the morning wave and in a market in which Paddy are paying to eight each way places he looks worth jumping on at 80/1 to repeat that performance this time out.
First Round Leader: Cameron Tringale
Alongside Bradley I shall play Cameron Tringale who tees off at 12.05pm local time. Still winless on the PGA Tour, Tringale is not someone who I would have great faith in on a Sunday, however currently sitting tenth on tour in round one scoring averages he is clearly comfortable on Thursdays.
Co leader here on Thursday in 2016 after opening up with a 65, Tringale is in the middle of a hugely consistent run of form, which has seen him make every cut on tour since November and post two top twenties in his last four starts and he looks primed to get out of the gates quickly this week.
Top Scottish Player: Russell Knox
Next up I will turn my attention to the ‘Top Scot Market’, which covers a field of just three and the man I am going to side with here is Russell Knox. Knox who lives locally in Ponte Vedre is up against the talented left hander Robert McInytre and Martin Laird in this market.
READ MORE: 5 Best Bets For The Players Championship At Sawgrass
My suspicion is that McIntyre, who prefers a bit of room off the tee might not find Sawgrass to his liking and with this being his debut spin here I am keen to oppose him. Laird, who won on the tour last Autumn in his favoured desert conditions has mostly struggled since and after a good start last week at Bay Hill he faded badly over the weekend.
Knox, on the other hand, has been trending far more positively of late after a period in the wilderness and while he has never produced his best in this home game he has posted four top 35 finishes in six visits and another similar effort this week may well be good enough in this market.
Top 30 Finish: Christian Bezuidenhout
I shall wrap things up by siding with a couple of players in the ‘Top Thirty Finish’ market, Christian Bezuidenhout and Emilianio Grillo. Starting with Bezuidenhout, who is available at 17/10, and while debutants do not have a strong record here from a winning perspective, everything points to TPC Sawgrass being a course that should suit his game perfectly.
He’s superb putter who is also accurate from tee to green. The South African took like a duck to water here last year, shooting an opening day 65, before the event was abandoned. Arriving here on the back of a great week at Bay Hill I expect another solid effort.
Top 30 Finish: Emilianio Grillo
Grillo, meanwhile, has been well supported in the outright market at big odds and with his ball striking game a strong fit for here it is easy to see why. The Argentine who has been working with Bryson Dechambeau’s coach Chris Como for twelve months now has been playing much better of late and with two top 30s in his last three visits here he is primed for another strong effort.
Speciality tips for the Players Championship
First Round Leader: Keegan Bradley
First Round Leader: Cameron Tringale
Top Scottish Player: Russell Knox
Top 30 Finish: Christian Bezuidenhout
Top 30 Finish: Emilianio Grillo
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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