It’s The Players Championship at Sawgrass this weekend on the PGA Tour and a strong field is guaranteed for a tournament that many view as a fifth major.
Fresh from a stunning 33/1 shout on Russell Henley in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, our fairway flutterer Ben Smith has four fancies on his mind…
The Players Championship Golf Tips
Tommy Fleetwood to win (each-way)
Shane Lowry to win (each-way)
Michael Kim to win (each-way)
First round leader: Ludvig Aberg (each-way)
*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.
Tommy Fleetwood to win (each-way)
Many felt that Bay Hill represented a great chance for Tommy Fleetwood to finally break his stateside duck. The Englishman gave himself too much to do over the weekend, but even though he didn’t contend for victory it can still be looked at as another positive display from the world number 10.
Fleetwood’s performances have been volatile at Sawgrass but a lot of that has been down to putting woes. That is often the risk when backing him, but he was excellent with the flat stick on Saturday and Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational after he also putted well at Torrey Pines last month.
He managed back-to-back Players Championship top 10 berths to close out the 2010s and his game is in as good a shape now, if not better, than it was when he shared the 36-hole lead in Ponte Vedra Beach six years ago.
Shane Lowry to win (each-way)
A disastrous Saturday at Bay Hill saw Shane Lowry go from tournament favourite to being out of contention. It was one error after another for the Irishman, who made two double bogeys on the back nine.
It is not the first time that Lowry has fumbled a winning opportunity in Florida, but he has become so reliable at contending in the Sunshine State that it feels wrong to ignore him at a venue where he has been exquisite from tee to green on each of his last four visits.
With Sawgrass form of 19-35-13-8, Lowry has a great chance to at least place this week and hopefully he has learned from his mistakes when holding a lead.
Michael Kim to win (each-way)
Nobody on the PGA Tour has been playing more consistently eye-catching golf since the start of February than Michael Kim, whose fourth-place finish at Bay Hill was his fifth consecutive T13 or better.
He has gained strokes in all key departments in each of those tournaments, most notably around the green, which is pivotal for success at Sawgrass.
Kim ranks first in the field for bogey avoidance over the last 36 rounds and looks to have the patience and steadiness to navigate his way around what is usually a very challenging setup.
First round leader: Ludvig Aberg (each-way)
Genesis Open winner Ludvig Aberg is among the top five favourites for the Players Championship, and will be for most competitions for the foreseeable future. Elite golfers tend to win at Sawgrass and the Swede certainly is that, but if he has a weakness, it’s his short game, and he won’t get away with substandard play around the greens here.
Until he irons that out, prevailing in this event over 72 holes is a relatively tall order, but an 18-hole lead at a much bigger price is a far more appealing proposition.
Aberg opened with a 67 at Sawgrass on debut last year before losing ground on the Friday. He shot two more 67s over the weekend and something along those lines, perhaps with one or two more birdies, would be enough to secure each-way returns on Thursday.
This week’s golf tips
Tommy Fleetwood to win (each-way)
Shane Lowry to win (each-way)
Michael Kim to win (each-way)
First round leader: Ludvig Aberg (each-way)
*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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