Wyndham betting preview

By Dave Tindall Last updated: 18th August 2010

After the tricked-up fakery and ridiculous bunker rulings of Whistling Straits, the PGA Tour returns to the good old-fashioned surroundings of Sedgefield Country Club.

The Donald Ross design, which opened in 1926, isn't that familiar to most of the field however. This event (which has undergone several name changes, always with Greensboro somewhere in the title until the new sponsors came in) only returned to Sedgefield in 2008 so we have just two years of form to go on.

Carl Pettersson took the title in 2008 while Ryan Moore, with his first win on the US Tour, was the champion last time. Both return for another crack and, unsurprisingly given plenty of good current form too, are the first two names in the betting at around the 20/1 mark.

One interesting angle to take this week is how certain players seem to play well on Donald Ross tracks.

A DR design, Aronimink Golf Club, was also used at the AT&T for the first time two months ago.

Justin Rose, fifth here last year, won that title while current Sedgefield champ Moore was runner-up. Pettersson, meanwhile, finished sixth.

Rose isn't playing but it certainly strengthens the credentials of Moore and Pettersson.

Both Aronimink and Sedgefield are par 70s with shaved run-off areas around the green and strategic bunkering. It means greens and fairways types with good course management usually do well.

I've been asked if golfers actually bother to find out who has designed a golf course and whether you can translate form from one to another.

Bubba Watson had no idea that Pete Dye had designed Whistling Straits and that didn't stop him playing well but then again, that's Bubba.

Others are aware and one of those is a former winner of this event, Brandt Snedeker.

His victory came at Forest Oaks in 2007 and when he came to defend the title at Sedgefield last year he was asked if this one would suit him as well.

He replied: "The golf course is fantastic. It's a course that sets up great for me. I love Donald Ross golf courses. I love old traditional golf courses. Could not have asked for a better venue."

The proof is in the pudding of course and after a good opening 66 he faded.

However, last year Snedeker returned here again and without the distractions of being the defending champ he fired 64-69-65-68 to finish fifth.

The return to another Donald Ross course, Aronimink, again benefited Snedeker when he finished tied 16th in the AT&T and since then he's matched that finish at the Greenbrier Classic and also finished a decent tied 39th at Whistling Straits on a course far too long for him.

Snedeker is ranked the No.1 putter on Tour this season, topping both the Putting Average and Putts Per Round categories.

With scoring likely to be low, his hot flatstick could prove the difference and even though odds of 33/1 don't exactly get the pulse racing this is one of the best places to back him.

Staying on the same theme, Marc Leishman showed a liking for Donald Ross designs when finishing seventh at Aronimink five starts ago.

The Aussie has since made the cut in The Open and the USPGA while he carded 68-68-65-66 to finish 16th at The Greenbrier Classic inbetween.

Leishman was voted Rookie of the Year in 2009 after recording eight top 25s and banking $1.7m in earnings so he has the pedigree to post a first win soon.

He's come close with a tied second at Torry Pines earlier in the season so let's take the 50s that he can cross the line first this week.

A player who seems to tick a lot of boxes this week is Garrett Willis.

Those who followed golf at the start of the the 2000s may just recall him winning the 2001 Touchstone Energy Tucson Open on his PGA Tour debut before appearing to fall off the face of the earth.

Dropping down a division he did manage a win on the Nationwide Tour's Envirocare Utah Classic in 2005 and another win at the 2009 WNB Golf Classic helped him secure promotion back to the full Tour. By pure coincidence two of the previous three winners of the WNB were our first two picks, Leishman (2008) and Snedeker (2006).

So how's he got on since?

Well, he started 2010 slowly but in his last 10 events he's racked up six top 25s, including four in the last six and a fourth at St Jude.

The case for him grows further....

He's ranked 12th in Driving Accuracy and 16th in Par 4 Birdie or Better Leaders (pretty handy given that there are two extra on this course due to it being a par 70).

Donald Ross course form? Yes, he was 16th at Aronimink recently and, as for this course, he finished 15th last year after opening with a pair of 64s!

"I'm looking forward to the rest of the summer because I like the courses coming up," said Willis at St Jude.

He was definitely referring to Sedgefield as he said 12 months ago: "I've actually played well here in the past when it was the Buy.com. I've got some good feelings about this golf course."

Have some 55/1.

On form, there a few in the field with better credentials than Richard S Johnson.

The little Swede returned home last month to win the European Tour's Scandinavian Masters and back in America, his home Tour, he's finished tied 21st at the The Greenbrier Classic and tied eighth at Turning Stone on his last two starts.

His accuracy off the tee will be an asset here and he was ranked fifth in Putting Average on his last US start (Turning Stone).

He's also got two years of experience at Sedgefield banked. In 2008 he shot bookend 67s while last year he threw in a third round 64 after making the cut again.

It's also worth remembering that he's already a winner on the US Tour having captured the 2008 US Bank Championship in Milwaukee.

In short, despite lacking in height, he's a player of some stature and 50/1 in this field looks worth a bet.

Finally, let's go for a real long-shot.

Todd Jones, the head instructor at the Tour Academy at TPC Sawgrass, said on pgatourcom: "Looking at the statistics, Ryan (Moore, last year's winner) got the job done from tee to green hitting 79 percent of the fairways and 81 percent of the greens in regulation. There are four players in the field this week that are in the top 25 in both statistical categories for the 2010 season. They are Kris Blanks, Joe Durant, Billy Mayfair, and Garrett Willis. It would not be surprising to see one or more of these names near the top of the leaderboard come Sunday afternoon.

Well, Willis is already on the list but the most interesting of the others is Blanks.

After coming through Q-School last year and making a slow start to the campaign he's feature prominently a few times.

He was runner-up in the Puerto Rico Open, fifth at Hilton Head and ninth at the Travelers Championship. The latter both came the week after a major so maybe he's good at cashing in against players who are drained by the exertions of big championships.

Blanks is fourth in Greens In Regulation and sixth in Ball Striking so is excellent from tee to green and we just have to hope he has a good putting week.

The clincher is that he played the Wyndham Championship last year and posted a second round 62 - his career low 18!

Have a whirl at totesport's 200/1.

Tips:

1.5pts e.w. Brandt Snedeker at 33/1 (General 1/4 1,2,3,4,5). Former winner of this event, loves Donald Ross tracks and is Tour's No.1 putter.

1pt e.w. Marc Leishman at 50/1 (General 1/4 1,2,3,4,5). Last year's Rookie of the year is coming into form and could post first win soon.

1pt e.w. Garrett Willis at 55/1 (bet365, totesport, Boylesports 1/4 1,2,3,4,5). Coming right back into form, loves this course and stats stack up well.

1pt e.w. Richard S Johnson at 50/1 (General 1/4 1,2,3,4,5). In great spirits after big win in Sweden and playing well on US Tour too.

1pt e.w. Kris Blanks at 200/1 (totesport 1/4 1,2,3,4,5). Some good performances this year, especially after majors. Shot 62 here last year.