PGA Betting – The 2013 Zurich Classic Predictions
The Pros move to TPC Louisiana this week and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Last year, Jason Dufner and Ernie Els finished minus 19 before their playoff – you can go low here. Greens are fairly easy to hit but course management is critical on this Pete Dye designed course.
2013 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Course: TPC of Louisiana
Date: Apr 25-28, 2013
Total Purse: US $ 6,400,000
Winner’s Share: US $ 1,152,000 (18% of total purse)
Odds From Bovada
Defending Champion: Jason Dufner ($1,152,000)
Distance off the tee is nice but not crucial here – smarts and control will win this tournament.
So, without further adieu, let’s take a look at some of the manes to watch in the latest stop on the PGA TOUR.
The Favorites:
Justin Rose 12/1
Rose is the best of the bunch heading into this week – ninth in the all-around and second in both scrambling and par-5 scoring on TOUR and having finished inside the top 25 in 14 consecutive starts worldwide. He is coming off an OK Masters in which his putter let him down but was T10 here last year. I am not expecting the putting issues this week – expect another good performance.
Jason Dufner 16/1
Is the defending champion here and he has proven to love this track in the past. He has yet to find his 2012 form but it could all start on a course that seems to suit his eye very well.
Bubba Watson 16/1
Won this event in 2011 and finished T18 here last year. He is coming off a rather disappointing T50 in the Masters and still hasn’t shown stellar form so far this year although he has quietly recorded two top 10s and another three top 25s in seven starts this season. OK won’t get it done this week!
Keegan Bradley 16/1
Finished T54 at the Masters – not good but he has finished top 10 five times already this year. He is one of the best on TOUR tee to green – if his putter heats up he could emerge the champion. He has played the Zurich Classic twice with one missed cut and a T26 but his game does suit this track very, very well.
The Contenders:
Rickie Fowler 22/1
We saw the good and the bad from Fowler at the Masters – mistakes aren`t as severely punished at TPC Louisiana. He had four double-bogeys and a triple-bogey to take him out of contention at Augusta but outside of that he played very well. He has three top 10s already this season and was 26th here in 2010 and tied for 10th here last year – the week before he went on to win at Quail Hollow. I love Fowler`s game and his ability to go low this week – now if he could avoid the all-too-familiar blowups!
Thorbjorn Olesen 25/1
Is coming off a very nice T6 at the Masters that earned him Special Temporary Membership and now has four top 10s in eight stroke-play starts worldwide including two top-3 finishes on the European Tour. Do I trust him this week – too early to tell? Is he on my radar – he certainly has to be.
Billy Horschel 28/1
Enters this week having made an incredible 22 straight cuts including a T9 last week at the RBC and three straight top 10s. He missed the cut here last year but there is no denying that Horschel is one of the hottest players on TOUR at the moment. He’s T16 in total driving, 46th in greens hit, 26th in strokes gained-putting, and 12th in the all-around and first in total birdies. TPC Louisiana is a haven for first time winners on TOUR – Horschel could continue that trend!
Freddie Jacobson 40/1
Enters having finished top 25 in seven straight starts including a T25 at the Masters last time out. He is eighth on TOUR in strokes gained-putting, 15th in scrambling and seventh in adjusted scoring and is a threat every time he tees it up.
Brendon De Jonge 40/1
Looked good last week until a final round 75 saw him slip to a T9.He has finished top 10 in two of his last three starts and finished T26 here in 2011 and a T18 last year. He has yet to win on TOUR but is certainly on that short list of golfers that is due. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Ernie Els 40/1
Lost this tournament in a playoff last year in his first start at TPC Louisiana. He enters in some decent form as well – coming off a T13 at the Masters. Els isn`t getting a whole lotta love this week and looks like decent value at 40/1.
Charley Hoffman 45/1
Had the lead after three rounds at the RBC Heritage before a closing round 75 saw him slip to a share of sixth place. He has two straight top 10s however and three top 20s in a row. He has made the cut four straight times at TPC Louisiana with just one top 25 but there is no doubting his present form.
The Sleepers:
Jimmy Walker 50/1
Is another non-winner that enters in good form – 19 consecutive cuts made. He has made the cut here twice in three starts and has a T18 last year. He is tied for the lead in scoring average on TOUR – 3.94, is 23rd in greens hit, 34th in strokes gained-putting and 11th in adjusted scoring and is an intriguing 50/1 this week.
Jeff Overton 66/1
Absolutely loves this track – he was runner-up in 2010 and has logged two more top 20s in 2009 and last year. He last played in the Valero Texas Open where he finished T7 and sneaks in under the radar this week at 66/1.
The Pick:
It would be easy to pick the top ranked golfer in the field Justin Rose but I am going with a golfer further down the list. Ricky Fowler at 22/1 is my pick after three top six finishes in his last seven starts and looking terrific at times at the Masters. He should be a motivated guy and with a title defense at Quail Hollow looming, Fowler will be a star this week.
My sleeper is Jeff Overton at 66/1. He has been terrific in this track and deserves a victory on his favorite course.
2013 Zurich Classic Betting Lines & Future Odds
Field (Any Other Golfers Not Listed Below) 5/2
Justin Rose 12/1
Bubba Watson 15/1
Jason Dufner 15/1
Keegan Bradley 15/1
Rickie Fowler 20/1
Thorbjorn Olesen 25/1
Nick Watney 25/1
Freddie Jacobson 30/1
Charley Hoffman 30/1
Billy Horschel 30/1
Brendon de Jonge 30/1
Jimmy Walker 40/1
Ernie Els 40/1
KJ Choi 40/1
Charles Howell III 40/1
Cameron Tringale 40/1
Robert Garrigus 40/1
Jordan Spieth 40/1
Camilo Villegas 40/1
Jeff Overton 40/1
Ryan Palmer 50/1
Boo Weekley 50/1
John Rollins 50/1
Scott Piercy 50/1
John Senden 50/1
David Toms 50/1
Chris Kirk 50/1
Graham DeLaet 60/1
Ben Crane 60/1
Marcel Siem 60/1
Rory Sabbatini 60/1
Aaron Baddeley 60/1
Greg Chalmers 80/1
Michael Thompson 80/1
Harris English 80/1
Kevin Stadler 80/1
Jerry Kelly 80/1
Ken Duke 80/1
Brian Davis 80/1
Nicolas Colsaerts 80/1
Luke Guthrie 80/1
Retief Goosen 100/1
Gary Woodland 100/1
Chris Stroud 100/1
DA Points 100/1
Andres Romero 100/1
Seung-Yul Noh 100/1
Shane Lowry 125/1
Tianlang Guan 500/1
