Tiger Woods dominates the outright market for this week's USPGA, but elsewhere there are plenty of Tiger-free markets to get our teeth stuck into including Top American, which brings a number of players with very similar prospects into the equation.
Two of my outright ('without Tiger') picks - Steve Stricker and Hunter Mahan - are American so they have to be considered in this market too, especially as the favourite, Phil Mickelson, has a question mark over him. Neither are exactly value, though - Stricker can be backed at 12/1 generally, while Mahan is a point longer with Stan James - so take a chance on Jerry Kelly, who can be backed at a whopping 60/1 with Stan James. The 42-year-old is playing some of the best golf of his life this season - 3-5-11 for his last three starts and a winner for the first time in seven years at New Orleans in April - and he does have 'previous' in Majors having finished fifth in the 2007 Masters and seventh in that year's US Open.
Another favourite to be taken on is Padraig Harrington in the Top European market. The Dubliner jumped to the head of the betting (11/2 best with Sportingbet) after last week's vastly improved showing at Firestone and on that evidence many punters will be prepared to forget his previous six missed cuts in a row. I'm not one of them and have laid him for a place on Betfair in the belief that his last round dual with Tiger Woods in 90-degrees heat and high humidity will have taken plenty out of him. The fact he's been drawn with the great man for the first two rounds at Hazeltine won't help either and I expect him to be wilting come the weekend.
Take him on with Ross Fisher (15/1 Stan James), a proven performer in America and brilliant in the last two Majors. Who can forget his last round horror story at Turnberry when one disastrous hole cost him any chance of victory? Much to his credit, though, he pulled himself together for 13th place and before that he had finished fifth in the US Open at Bethpage. That experience could prove invaluable and his long accurate hitting is tailormade for Hazeltine. He just needs to sink a few more putts.
Geoff Ogilvy is yet another dodgy favourite, this time in the Top Australasian market. Brilliant earlier in the year, he seems to have lost his mojo and 22nd at Firestone was again a disappointing effort. The in-form Robert Allenby should be favourite, but I can't get excited about his price of 5/1 so I'm taking a chance on Michael Sim reproducing his US Open performance of 18th, which might be enough to land us an 18/1 (bet365) payout. Twice a winner this season on the Nationwide Tour - for which he tops the Total Driving and Putting stats - the Scottish-born Aussie looks to have a massive future.
Last but definitely not least, the enigmatic Camilo Villegas is worth a few quid in the Top Rest of the World market at 14/1 (Ladbrokes). The Colombian firebrand used to lack consistency but hasn't missed a cut since March and is becoming an accomplished performer in Majors - fourth in last season's USPGA and 13th in both the Masters and Open this term. Like Fisher and Sim, he has the game to prosper this week.
Recommended Bets:
Jerry Kelly Top American 1pt each-way @ 60/1 Stan James
Ross Fisher Top European 2pts each-way @ 15/1 Stan James
Michael Sim Top Australasian 1pt each-way @ 16/1 bet365
Camilo Villegas 1pt each-way @ 14/1 Ladbrokes