Zurich Classic 2014 Golf Betting Tips & Predictions

Zurich Classic 2014 Golf Betting Tips & Predictions

Stunning finish in the RBC Heritage last week, with Kuchar holing from the bunker on the 72^nd hole to edge out the unfortunate Luke Donald; Donald has to be sick of just missing out at Harbour town but it is still nice to see him hitting some form.  This week we move on to The Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana and an event which throws up some surprise/breakthrough winners.

The Event

The TPC Louisiana measures 7,399 yards and is a par 72 layout, despite over a 100 bunkers and being a relatively long course, this Pete Dye layout plays as one of the easiest course on tour.  Billy Horschel triumphed here last year with a finishing score of 268 (20 under par) one ahead of DA points, despite the fact this may appear a bit of a boring birdie fest there are plenty of reasons for the players to perform and punters to get involved this week.

Open a new Bet365 account and receive a 100% deposit bonus up to £200!

From the players perspective it is the last chance to guarantee a spot in the forthcoming Players championship by moving into either the Top 10 in Fedex cup points or top 50 in the world rankings, although one place is available for the winner of next week’s Wells Fargo Championship.  From the betting point of view, there is a significant chance of a first time winner at this venue, 6 of the last 9 winners here have been first timers, including Jason Dufner in 2013 and Horschel last year;  other unexpected winners in the last decade include : Tim Petrovic, Chris Couch, Andres Romero and Jason Bohn.

The last 3 years have produced winners who are excellent ball strikers, Horschel, Defner and Bubba Watson, with that in mind I will be looking for another fine ball striker who is starting to putt well, with the profile of a high number first time winners here, don’t let the fact people have not won before put you off.

The early weather forecast suggests it will be unsurprisingly warm and humid, with a steady 10 mph wind blowing for the majority of the week.

Selections

Graeme Delaet – 28/1 EW Bet365 –  Open a new Bet365 account and receive a 100% deposit bonus up to £200!

If it’s a great ball striker you are looking for then Delaet is the man, ranked 2^nd on the PGA tour in GIR over the last 3 months, and 37^th in total driving, his short game has been the reason he has not won to date, but with many of the top names skipping this event it could really open the door for Deleat.  With this venue favouring fine ball striking and crowning plenty of first time winners this must be the perfect venue for someone in need of a breakthrough win.  Deleat also has some liking for the course, finishing in 4^th place in 2012.

Ryan Palmer – 28/1 EW Coral –  Open a new Coral account by clicking this link bet just £5 and get a free £20 bet!

Finished 4^th here in 2012 alongside opening selection Delaet, Palmer is ranked 2^nd in the all around rankings over the last 3 months, just below Adam Scott and just above recent Masters victor Bubba Watson; another excellent ball striker (22^nd in total driving and 7th in GIR over last few months) who is well overdue a win.  Brings in some excellent form with 4 top 10’s over preceding 7 events, probably should be a shorter price than Delaet, but hey I don’t price them up!  Really strong contender this week.

JB Holmes – 66/1 EW Ladbrokes – Open a new Ladbrokes account by clicking this link, and get a £50 free bet!

A man who is returning to form nicely, Top 20’s in his last 2 starts and finished 13^th here back in 2013 in one of only two previous outings here (MC back in 2009).  Breaks the mould of my other selection above as his GIR ranking is awful over the last 3 months, but on the tiny greens of Harbour town last week he ranked 22^nd in GIR and 22^nd in Houston 2 weeks prior, a fine effort for someone not renowned for their accuracy.   On the other hand his putting has been excellent over the last few months, ranked 17^th in total putting over that period; JB is a proven winner who is returning to form after significant brain surgery, let’s hope for the fairytale ending this week.

Danny Lee -200/1 EW Betfred- Open a new Betfred account by clicking this link and get a free £25 bet.

Long shot and a gut feeling selection so feel free to pass this one up, but Danny Lee is a player with significant potential and someone I tend to keep my eye on, especially in these events where many of the top players are absent (finished 2^nd in Puerto Rico a few weeks ago) .  Missed the cut by 2 last week but was in decent shape after round 1, this layout should suit him much more, he is accurate and long enough from the tee, but needs to improve his GIR% to feature this week (was ranked 1^st in GIR in PR) , if he does he has been in fine form with the putter so should be able to score low; which will certainly be needed this week. 

Good Luck this week all.

Coral Promotions: Open a new Coral account using the link below and place a sports bet of £5, receive an ABSOLUTELY FREE £20 BET.

EXAMPLE= Open a Coral account using the process below – Place £2.50 EW bet on Ryan Palmer at 28/1, if he wins pick up £87.50 profit! If he places still pick up £15 profit;  Even if he misses the cut, still find a £20 free bet in your account! 

To get your free £20:

1. Click this link straight to Coral

2. Open a new account for free

3. Deposit and bet £5

4. Your free £20 bet will be credited to your account

CLICK THIS LINK STRAIGHT TO CORAL TO ACTIVATE YOUR FREE BET BONUS