PGA Betting – Canadian Open Championship Preview & Pick
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Date: Monday July 19 – Sunday July 25, 2010
Event: RBC Canadian Open
Course: St. George’s Golf & Country Club · Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Purse: $5.1 million
Defending Champ: Nathan Green
FedEX Cup Points Up For Grabs: 500
The globetrotting continues in the PGA. Last week, it was St. Andrews in Scotland for the British Open. This week, it’s St. George’s in Canada for the RBC Canadian Open.
You may not have heard of St. George’s Golf and Country Club, as it hasn’t hosted the Canadian Open in 32 years. But it quietly ranks as Canada’s top course virtually every year, so it could provide a decent challenge this week.
Let’s have a look at the best picks.
THE CONTENDERS
Sean O’Hair
Canadian Open odds: +1415
There’s no hotter golfer in the field. Give O’Hair six top-25s in his last seven starts, including seventh at the British Open. He’s posted good peripheral numbers over that span. Sixth in fairways and 13th in greens at the Memorial, third in greens at the AT&T National.
Paul Casey
Canadian Open odds: +1615
The British bomber looks like the class of the field this week. He played great for 54 holes at the British Open last week before slipping in the final grouping on Sunday. He’s the highest-ranked guy in the field and one important stat of his stands out: he’s solid (35th) in birdies or better on par 3s. The Canadian Open has five par-threes, so that could come in handy.
LUKE DONALD
Canadian Open odds: ++1615
Our pick to win last week didn’t deliver but didn’t disappoint either, finishing tied for 11th. Still leads the Tour in sand saves and scrambling. Also 15th in par-3 scoring average. Could he be the choice again?
SOLID PICKS
Tim Clark
Canadian Open odds: +2550
Missed the cut at St. Andrews but we shouldn’t count Clark out just yet. 2010 has been a breakout year for him – he finally won on North American soil – and the course setup is tailored to his game. Clark flourishes on short and tight tracks like St. George’s. He’s also fifth in birdies or better on par-5s this year. Seems like a strong pick to me.
Ricky Barnes
Canadian Open odds: +3250
Barnes is a solid all-around player – a top-50 guy in sand saves, scrambling and greens. That means we can consider him at almost any tournament. He’s cracked the top-10 six times this year; that kind of consistency could warrant a bet this week.
THE SLEEPER
Matt Jones
Canadian Open odds: +6050
Not to be confused with the hard-partying former Jacksonville Jaguar, this Matt Jones is a bit more responsible. His tidy game quietly makes him one of the better players on Tour this year according to peripheral stats. Jones is a good sand saver (22nd) and can make birdies on par-3s (41st). Numbers like those combine to make him seventh on Tour in all-around ranking. Yet he still gives outstanding value at +6050.
THE PICK
If you’re feeling optimistic about going all in on Jones, here’s another reason to get excited: eight of the last 13 winners on Tour this season have been first-timers. But I prefer Tim Clark this week. He’s one of the best, more accomplished players in the field and he’s shown in the past that he can dominate when the course layout favors him. Go with Tim.
Pick: Clark +2550
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