USPGA 2013

Many sporting quests have taken a lifetime, and many sporting greats have been cursed. The Chicago Cubs have not won the World Series since 1908 and have not even appeared in the Fall Classic since 1945. It’ll been nearly 50 years since a title of any fashion came to San Diego. In non-American Sports it took Clermont 91 years to win their first title despite making it to 10 straight finals, Real Madrid had a 32 year drought after winning 6 of the first 11 Champions League titles, and the great Sachin Tendulkar over a year to break the milestone of a hundredth international hundred, if not just to prove that the very best can be struck down by attempting to reach a major milestone.

Few thought at the time that those giants – Clermont apart – would struggle to find success for so long and when Tiger Woods took an epic 2008 US Open playoff at Torrey Pines despite having come back from a knee reconstruction just a month before, few thought that would be the last time he took a major, but further injury and total scandal has robbed him of many chances, and some felt, seemingly any last opportunity to get closer to Jack Nickalus’s major record of 19 and assume the title of the greatest golfer of all time. While he’s since recovered his game and ability, it’s the major question that still reigns.

Woods has played the best golf of anyone in the world this season, winning 5 times on the PGA Tour – the Buick Invitational, Cadillac Championship, Bay Hill, Players’ Championship and most impressively, at Bridgestone last week in what has to be one of the most impressive performances he’s put in of recent years, tearing apart the field in sensational style in beating most of the main contenders by seven shots after a round of 61 which could easily have been 59 but for a slightly wayward last hole.

And even his major record – while a source of concern from a win point of view – has been improving of late and would be one of remarkable consistency for anyone else – is improving. In 9 of his last 17 majors Woods would have rewarded each/way support with a top 6 finish and he tied fourth in the Masters and sixth in the Open.

The only problem is that while Woods has been playing sublime golf, it’s all been at courses which he’s had a good relationship and plenty of winning form in the past. His win at Firestone was his eighth – just like Torrey Pines and Doral – and it’s becoming clear that while Tiger can sometimes be unplayable on courses he enjoys, it’s a very different case for courses he doesn’t enjoy. Woods had never played at Merion and was never going this year in the US Open, but had made a big challenge for the Masters – a tournament in which he’s always had a fine record – earlier this season. However Woods’s sixth at Muirfield was a very encouraging one given that he’d previously lost his chance at a Grand Slam there in 2002 when the wind blew his chances away – and he last came closest to a major at this event, although that wasn’t at Oak Hill.

One of New York’s many flagship golf courses, Oak Hill is a long standing classic which has been around since 1925. Redesigned many times in the 1950’s and then again for the 1989 US Open and 2003 renewal of this, it’s one of the toughest courses in the known game and a brutal eliminator.

More tweaks have been made in the runup towards this year’s tournament with new pin positions being added and the greens on holes 5,6 and 15 - two of the three most difficult holes in the tournament and a slight lengthening of the last two holes, which were already monsters in length.

At 7,163 yards it’s not a record in length but it’s as difficult as any major course going. The fairways are just 25 yards wide in average, the rough is at least 5 inches thick, and all of this exaggerated by small greens with plenty of elevation changes here and a wide range of left to right holes and vice versa, although there are more of the former than the latter.

Oak Hill has held seven major championships – as well as the 1995 Ryder Cup – and in those events only 10 men have finished under par, and only three of them in the 2003 edition won by Shaun Micheel. The key attribute this week is very much likely to be straight driving and a high class approach game, with the greens here not as fast as many other major American venues and offering relative leniency compared to a venue like Augusta.

While it’s a tournament which has had it’s fair share of upsets – there has been at least one triple figure player placed since the turn of the century -  this year’s USPGA skill set is one for the elite players and in recent majors class has been shining through whether from the young talents who have been threatening a big win or through the established elite.

Phil Mickleson’s Open win represented yet another fine major effort and arguably career best gold given how in blitzing the last 9 holes of Muirfield, he conquered links gold fully for the first time in his career, being the first person to complete the double of the Scottish and British Open. Having enetered with four top three finishes in his last 6 starts and yet another runner up spot in the US Open – his sixth – this is one of Mickleson’s best seasons yet , as supported by form figures of 3-MC-2-2-MC-1-1-21, the latter his first start after Muirfield which was a nice tune up. Having found his driving niche in recent weeks, if he keeps it straight again few have a better tee to green game and the course is set up for a left hander able to draw and fade the ball as he does, and the lower speed of the greens should suit him down to the ground, so even at a fairly short 16/1 (14 for the extra each/way place with Betfred) he looks a solid place to start.

Adam Scott was right in contention and leading that Open, reaping the benefit of his much deserved Masters win before carding four bogeys in a row and then tying for third. He has a good record on two other courses designed by Donald Ross (he’s been third at Aronimink and first at East Lake), and Oak Hill experience, having tied for 23^rd in the 2003 USPGA here. While he’s been a little on and off in the aftermath of his Masters win, he played good golf at Firestone, has the tee to green game to make some attacking opportunities and a fine putting record and looks capable of challenging this week if keeping it straight off the tee.

There are several other big names who can get seriously involved – particularly Lee Westwood if he keeps his driver straight given that the rest of the course suits him down to the ground – but form, pure and simple, draws us to our third selection. Zach Johnson started the flurry of new major champions with his 2007 Masters win and has since tied for third in this event, although his majors record hasn’t been as impressive as some might have fought in the aftermath of Augusta. However after only narrowly failing to retain his John Derre Classic, he has since finished sixth at Muirfield and then fourth at the Bridgestone Invitational, giving him a hot streak as close to Mickleson’s in terms of consistency. Holding the course record of 60 at East Lake, he could light the blue touch paper if taking to the course.

Last but not least, take a flyer on Richard Sterne. The big South African has had an age of injury issues but seems over them based on his Jo’burg win – which came by the small margin of seven shots and his runner up display when he chased home Graeme McDowell in Paris and last week’s finish at Firestone where he was fifth for greens in regulation and fifth for driving accuracy was an elementary display of the skills that will be needed for this week. Sterne has also finished in the top-25 of both majors he's played in 2013 - the Masters and the Open Championship and can give backers a decent run for their money at least in that market.

Advice

1 pt each/way Phil Micklestone (14/1 Betfred, 16/1 general)

1 pt each/way Adam Scott (16/1 Betfred, 18/1 general)

1 pt each/way Zach Johnson (35/1 Betfred, 40/1 general)

1 pt each/way Richard Sterne (100/1 Betfred, 125/1 general)

2 pts Richard Sterne Top 20 (4/1 Skybet)

*Betfred are paying 7 places each/way