Last week he brought you Hunter Mahan at 40/1, but who does We Get Golf’s tipster Ian, suggest could win the USPGA Championship this week. Lets find out….

Once again the US PGA Champioship returns to Whistling Straits, with it last being played here in 2004 when Vijay Singh won the title. The Straits is a Links style golf course with long fescue, undulating greens and numerous deep pot bunkers. It is situated right next to Lake Michigan and this usually adds a stiff breeze to the course. Also, it is a long walking course, approximately five miles, which might favour younger and fitter players.

After going through my filtering process, six players remained: Mahan, Kuchar, O’ Hair, Overton, Harrington and Goosen. I had difficulty narrowing it down to three players but in the end, I was left with and all American affair.

Matt Kuchar each way @ 55/1
Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to Kuchar. He has already recorded eight top tens this year, which include two third places and one second place. Yet, despite this brilliant play, a win has evaded him so far. Surely a win can only be just around the corner for a golfer as talented and in form as Kuchar. Already this year, he has been tied sixth in the US Open and tied third in a World Golf Championship proving that he can play difficult courses and is not fazed by the big events. Also, in last week’s Bridgestone Invitational he finished in a tie for ninth which gives him another good finish in a big competition. Although only an average length hitter, he is very accurate and hits a lot of greens in regulation with a short game which is equally impressive. His scrambling stats are over eight percent better than the PGA Tour average while his putts per round are nearly half a shot better. When you add to the mix that his scoring average is also impressive on Tour, it can be confirmed that Kuchar is an in form player with a great game. At odds of 55/1, I cannot see how he can be ignored.

Sean O’ Hair each way @ 40/1
Following the Open Championship, I picked two players who I thought might do well in the USPGA and O’Hair was one of them. With his recent form, that remains the case. He has an impressive record in the majors, making all three cuts and finishing tied seventh in the Open Championship and tied twelfth in the US Open. His stats, while not being as impressive as Kuchar’s, are still much better than the PGA Tour average. The only part of his game that lets him down is his putting but if he can keep the flat stick working like he has in the other majors this year, O’Hair will not be without his chances. While he slipped back in the final round of the Bridgestone to finish 5th overall, he was leading going into the final round and this reinforces my belief that he is not far off his best form. At 40/1 O’ Hair looks good value.

Hunter Mahan each way @ 35/1
Yes, I am returning to the winner of last week but with good reason. As I said, I was following two people since the Open Championship and believe it or not but Mahan was my second man. Everybody knows that it is hard to win two competitions back-to-back but I firmly believe that Mahan has the game. His major performances this year have been average though he did record a tied eighth in the Masters which should give him confidence. However if you include into that, 2007, 2008 and 2009’s major performances, he amasses four top tens and eight top twentys in only fourteen tries. If anything this surely shows that Mahan is a man for the majors. Now for recent form and the result that clearly stands out is last week’s win at Firestone. Fatigue of course could be an issue coming off the back of his win last week but Im hoping it drives him on more than anything. In terms of stats, he is a lot like O’Hair in that the only weak part of his game seems to be his putting. Even though his odds have been cut since his win, Mahan still looks promising at 35/1.

So there are Ian’s tips. As always, for the main competitions, I always throw in the players I like and will be backing also. From what I have read about Whistling Straits, it will very much depend on the wind. Pete Dye set this course up on the back of the inspiration he received from multiple Irish links golf courses. Therefore, Im expecting it to play hard and fast, possibly not to dissimilar to that of Pebble Beach at times earlier in the year. I do not think looking at results from this years British Open is of much use because St. Andrews wide fairways and inability to cope with many of the pro’s length, made it a disappointing test of golf in my view. So, should the wind pick up this week, I am especially looking for guys with a good US Open record and those that are comfortable on fast greens. If the greens do indeed dry out, we can expect to see the chipping skills of the pro’s tested. With the Americans dominating this event over the past 10 years (Harrington upset the odds somewhat), my selections are also primarily Americans. Ross Fisher and Padraig Harrington are two Europeans I think could go well but on this occasion, I will let my head rule my heart and go with the following 5 players:

Matt Kuchar @ 55/1
Reteif Goosen @ 30/1
Dustin Johnson @ 50/1
Sean O’Hair @ 40/1
Nick Watney @ 50/1

4 weeks into our new tipsters recommendations, Ian has bagged a cracking 40/1 winner by advising you to get on Hunter Mahan at the Bridgestone World Invitational. With rounds of 66 and 64 over the weekend, Mahan stormed to a two shot victory and in the process, made it a very profitable weekend for Ian. I had a friend of mine joking criticise the golf blog picks last week but the evidence points to the contrary. 4 weeks down and Ian has had a 2 place finishes at 28/1 and 20/1 and now a win at 40/1. Much more of the same in the coming weeks I hope.

As for me, my 3 suggestions brought me a small profit. Goosen, Johnson and Els were all in contention going into the final round but Els fell away with a horrible 76 on Sunday, while Johnson played his last 9 holes in +3 to finish outside the places. Retief atoned for his poor Saturday by finishing well on Sunday and and claiming third place overall at 40/1.

 
It was a comprehensive victory for Hunter Mahan at the Bridgestone World Invitational, all the more impressive by the fact he didn’t have a single bogey in the final round. Ryan Palmer, who would have been a surprise winner, stuck to his task admirably to finish in second, two shots back. Despite the excellent golf on view all week at FIrestone, the talking point abd debate unfortunately revolves around Tiger Woods and the atrocious condition of his game. To see Woods slumping to a four round total of +18 is a indication of how far away Woods is from returning to anything like his former self. I think Ewan Murray summed it up quite well recently when he said Woods looks all alone out there. In testing times like these, everyone needs someone to fall back on. My guess now is that if we see another poor showing this week at the PGA Tour, it might signal the end of Woods 2010 season. Im also expecting wholesale changes to his entire setup including a new coach and dare I say it, possibly a change away from long time caddy, Steve Williams. More on this to follow.

Fresh from posting Ian’s tips earlier, I always like to do my own betting on any of golfs majors and world events. So, for those that are interested and for those who want to see me pitted against Ian, here is my take on this week.

Firstly, there are a few points worth noting:
1. Every winner since 2000 has either a win or multiple top 5 finishes on the PGA Tour in the season to date.
2. Players with a link to Florida or Georgia succeed – every single winner since 1997 either has a residence there, schooled there or was brought up from one of those 2 states.
3. Other than Tiger Woods, no-one has won this event at their first attempt.
4. The course is long at 7,400 yards as a par 70, therefore long accurate hitting is required.

Now some of the names I seriously considered were Lee Westwood, Steve Stricker and Matt Kuchar but if we stick rigidly to the criteria above, all are eliminated. So, who was left……well there were a total of 10. These were Els, Allenby, Woods, Goosen, Kim, Poulter, Johnson, Palmer, Mahan and Villegas. To narrow it down, here are my top 3.

1. Reteif Goosen @ 40/1
2. Dustin Johnson @ 45/1
3. Ernie Els @ 33/1

While i like Ian’s selections of Westwood and Mahan, I dont think Molinari stands out as a candidate considering this is his first time playing there. Considering no one other than Tiger Woods has won at his firstt attempt here, I think that stat is pretty conclusive of just how difficult this course can be. We shall wait and see but Im hoping my guys can outperform our top tipster this week.

A little behind schedule but here is our tipster Ian’s verdict for this week.

The Bridgestone Invitational returns once again to the beautiful Firestone country club. It has been described by Phil Mickleson as the best course the pros play on tour. It is a long course that demands accuracy but also requires length. Tiger Woods has won this event seven times which is quite spectacular in itself, which is made even more spectacular by the fact that the Bridgestone Invitational has only been played eleven times. But this week I am going to ignore Woods as a tip as I feel he is not back to his best and that he will find it difficult to compete with some of the other amazing golfers on tour.

Hunter Mahan each way at 40/1

I tipped the man a couple of weeks ago and he ran out of steam going into the weekend but I feel he could well be dangerous this week.  He enjoys Firestone, finishing tied tenth here in 2008 and tied fourth here last year.  His stats also match up with what’s required for the course. He drives the ball at an average of 291 yards. He couples this with driving accuracy of sixty nine percent. Mahan had a slow start to the season and the Ryder Cup will be playing on his mind, which should be an incentive for him to try to play well.

Lee Westwood each way @ 13/1

Slight odds for the Englishman but they could well be justified.  On the European Tour, Westwood knocks the ball off the tee at an average of nearly 290 yards. Despite his accuracy only being just over sixty percent, he can rescue this with his terrific putting. He is clearly a man for the big competitions as he keeps coming close in majors and with over thirty wins worldwide, he is no stranger to victory. Also, he will have his own agenda knowing that Woods and Mickleson aren’t playing great; it could be his time to close in on the world number one spot. Even at 13/1, Westwood looks promising.

Edoardo Molinari each way @ 70/1

The young Italian has been in fantastic form lately, beating a star studded field in Scotland and then maintaining that form and finishing third in Sweden. His stats are as impressive as his win. He hits the ball nearly 299 yards off the tee and has a driving accuracy percentage of 67.5 percent. But this next stat is one of the most impressive anybody will ever hear. Molinari manages to 77.5 percent of greens in regulation. Unfortunately his putting isn’t exactly impressive but if he can get the flat stick working I don’t see why he can’t win this competition. Also, like Mahan, he is looking for a Ryder Cup place. With his brother in the team at the present he would love make it and trust me, brotherly rivalry will motivate you more than anything in this world.

I also took into consideration this week, Francesco Molinari, Boo Weekly and Padraig Harrington but didn’t choose them for different reasons.

There will be more later including videos and my own personal view of who we should be looking out for this week. For now though, it’s 7:40am and I’m getting ready to head off and play the Jack Nicklaus designed Mount Juliet in an open fourball. More updates on my return.

Ian has been looking through the field and here is what he has come up with for this weeks Canadian Open:

“The RBC Canadan Open is the next stop on the US Tour and is being hosted on the Par 70, St. Georges Golf and Country Club, which measures over seven thousand yards. With three par fives and five par threes, the course is ideally suited to strong iron players. As it is a tree lined course, there is a premium also on accuracy but those that can hit it a long way, might find themselves with some short irons into greens which they can attack. Based on this, I am looking for those whose stats back up the need for strong iron play in addition to above average length combined with above average accuracy.

Paul Casey: Each Way @ 16/1
The first person to jump out is Paul Casey. What a terrific iron player, averaging nearly seventy percent of greens in regulation on the PGA Tour and over seventy three percent on the European Tour. Not only that but he is extremely long, averaging over two hundred and ninety yards in driving distance on the PGA Tour while still managing to keep it pretty accurate. Following on from his tied third place in the Open Championship last week, he is carrying some momentum. Between the European and PGA Tour, he has three further top fives this year and two further top tens. Although a ten time winner on the European Tour, he has only one single PGA Tour title to his name. While fatigue could be a factor from travel and a long week at the British Open, I am confident that Casey can put up a good showing this week.

Hunter Mahan: Each way @ 28/1
The American looks like he has the perfect game for the course. He averages over two hundred and ninety yards in driving distance and also averages nearly seventy percent in both driving accuracy and greens in regulation. These stats make up for his poor putting, but if he can putt well he will surely be there or there abouts at the end of Sunday. His form has not been particularly great this season but with valuable Ryder Cups up for grabs and Mahan fighting hard for his pace, I think we could see a change in fortunes for Hunter over the next month or so, starting this week.

Alex Cejka: Top ten @ 5/1
Cejka is quite a short hitter but he is accurate and hits quite a lot of greens in regulation. He was tied fifth last week in the Reno Tahoe Open and was tied third at the end of July in Germany in the BMW International Open. Unfortunately, like Mahan, putting is an issue which makes winning it, in my opinion, a bridge too far for Alex. We have also seem him slip away from the top of leadersboards when in contention to win more than once over the past few years. However, with odds of 5/1 for him to finish in the top ten, I think this is quite appealing considering there aren’t a lot of big names in the field this week.

Well, far be it for me to wallow in my own success but, give me a hell ya!!!! For the second time this season, I had a first-second combination with my tips. I could not see Tiger Woods getting defeated this week and true to form, he delivered as expected. It was a great performance from Woods and surely now it is simply inevitable that he will win at least one of the remaining majors of the season. While I would not initially have been backing him for the British Open, I may now need to reconsider considering Tiger claims he has a new shot in the bag, a grip down, three quarter swing drive which is made for blustery conditions. Hmmm, that should come in handy in Turnberry shouldn’t it? Tiger usually visits our Irish shores prior to the British Open and I’m hoping to convince him to apply for a visa here so we can claim him as one of our own. Heck, with the way our economy is, I can’t see too much opposition to him being voted in as our President or Taoiseach….fancy owning your own island Mr Woods? Okay I’m rambling now (South African red wine going to my head!).

Tiger didn’t have it all his own way this week however. Anthony Kim was his main challenger for most of the week but a rather ordinary final round from Kim, despite a birdie at the first, meant it never really looked like Kim was going to win with 6 holes to go. Step up Hunter Mahan. 6 birdies in his last 8 holes put him in the clubhouse at -12 and in with a real chance. It wasn’t to be though as he came up a shot short of Woods but that is Mahan’s third straight top-6 finish in an impressive season thus far.

Now, the focus switches from the US to the glorious Europe. You Americans have 3 majors on your shores every year which is plain wrong and this year, we have one South American and one Amercian major win. It’s the turn of the Europeans again in 2 weeks time. Our man Padraig Harrington has owned the claret jug the past two years and I am literally praying he puts up a good display in what has otherwise been a terrible season. Don’t write him off just yet though!

For those crossing the pond, why not pay a flying visit to Ireland where I can show you what real winds are. You guys have it easy out there with your beautiful sunshine (well, most of the time), your gentle breezes and soft greens. Now it’s time for the way golf was meant to be played. Rock hard fairway and greens, huge bunkers, no grass and the putter being used from 50 yards off the greens…..roll on the British Open!

Anthony Kim is back this week to defend the title he won in 2008, when he shot 65 in the final round to defeat Freddy Jacobson and notch up his second win of the year. Kim has yet to win in 2009 but he is coming off a T11th at last weeks Travelers Championship. It is also worth noting that 6 of Kim’s 8 rounds at Congressional have been in the 60′s.

It is the third year of the Tiger Woods hosted event at the Congressional Blue Course and the course this year is playing firm and fast, with deep rough. When asked, Woods smiled, acknowledging that he played a part in how the course is set up and how he dislikes the idea of having to shoot 66 every day to win a golf tournament (Can’t agree more!). On the face of it, it does not look like last years -12 winning score will be attainable this year.

Jim Furyk has finished 3rd at the AT&T National in 2007 and 2008 and was also T5 when the US Open was held at Congressional so he clearly likes the course. Add to the fact that his caddy, Fluff, is a member of Congressional and they are an interesting proposition this week. One must remember though that it is 2007 since Furyk has won on the US Tour.

Paul Goydos is also on a fine run of form with three top 5′s in his last 4 events. He did miss the cut at Colonial but I guess that’s what you get if you back Goydos…a complete gamble but he should entice a few people this week to part with their cash. Robert Allenby is another outsider but he has finished T6 and T3 in his past 2 years at the AT&T National so he obviously likes the course. Allenby though has not won since 2001 on Tour so perhaps he might be worth backing for a top 10 as opposed to an outright win. Mike Weir seems to do well on tough courses also and is in a good run of form recently so he could also go close this week.

Conclusion

There is only one winner for me this week, Tiger Woods. I have not backed him yet this year but I fancy him to go well this week. Nearing full fitness now, he appears to be getting better and better. His driving is still a concern as he is liable to spray a few. However, with the course firm and fast, I think everyone will miss their fair share of fairways so a sharp short game will be needed and Woods fits the bill here. He has been complaining of not holing enough putts but I think that will change this week. At 2/1, his odds are awful as usual but if you want my honest opinion, he will be crowning himself as champion this week, especially when you consider he has the course set up to suit his game!

Hunter Mahan at 18/1 and in fantastic form would be my choice if I look beyond Woods. Another win certainly looks on the horizon for Mahan and is a good each way bet this week. Finally, looking at the outsiders, Paul Goydos is at 60/1 and could be an interesting gamble this week.

See below some memorable moments from the AT&T over the years:

Wow, I didn’t think any of the pro’s were using the old Ping Wedges. I am a bit amazed to be honest. I always thought they looked a bit chunky and cumbersome. If it’s good enough for Hunter Mahan though, it’s good enough for me.

Yesterday I spoke of how I felt this years US Open had been somewhat undermined by the elements but there was no doubting the calibre of Lucas Glover’s performance throughout the entire week and in particular, his final 3 holes yesterday. When Geoff Ogilvy won the US Open a few years ago, many of the games top players in the world, including Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Jim Furyk and Colin Montgomerie, failed to hold their nerve coming down the final few holes so it would have been completely understandable if Glover had frittered away a few shots over the last 3 holes yesterday. However, the 29 year old American did nothing of the sort and instead played them in one under which is fantastic achievement.

I debated yesterday what would be a good score for the final round leaders. It was inevitable that Barnes and Glover would come back towards the rest of the field and you would have thought someone else would come through the pack to challenge. The Mickelson charge got him to 4 under at one stage with four holes to go but bogeys on 15 and 17 dropping him to -2. Glover on the other hand held his nerve to shoot the magic 73 I spoke of yesterday and relegated Mickelson to another 2nd place finish.

Ricky Barnes unfortunately shot 76 to drop back to tie for second alongside David Duval who had a great back nine. Englishman, Ross Fisher was top European at -1 in a very credible display while Tiger Woods tied 6th with Soren Hansen and Hunter Mahan. It was also a noteworthy performance from Rory McIlroy in only his second major. At Augusta, he finished in the Top 20 and this week he secured a Top 10 finish……surely it is only a matter of time before he actually starts challenging those at the top of the World Rankings.