PGA Championships (New Jersey)

[bennythedip2]

Starting the Thursday (28th July)

So my main man is off to America to watch the PGA , his tips to me are these and after giving us that great tip in British Open at 30/1, i'll be following him again this week

Travelling tomorrow - so here are my PGA thoughts. Weather looks hot Thursday though not unbearable - stormy Friday - so probably a bit of an advantage being early thurs late Friday -
So of the big 4 Rory and Day do that. Having said that I think Dustin is clear fav and if you can get him at 8-1 or better - a decent bet.
The other 3 are too short for a punt in my humble -

So here are my bets

Dustin 8-1 win - late early - if you want to back one of big 4

and my longer shots

Westwood 80-1 e/w early late
Koepke 60-1 e/w early late
Oosthuizen 100-1 e/w late early
Patrick Reed 45-1 e/w late early
Justin Thomas 120-1 e/w early late

As always can make a case for loads - but if I make another bet it will be Kaymer 60-1 e/w late early

[bennythedip2]

American Jimmy Walker says that finding the fairways is crucial at Baltrusol after his opening round of 65 at the PGA Championship.

Walker shot a bogey-free 32 on the back nine, having started at the 10th, and a birdie at the first made it five gains in seven holes from the 13th.

His one and only bogey of the round came at the sixth after he had pulled his tee shot left into the rough but a 30-footer for birdie at the seventh got him back to five under.

"I made a lot of really quality shots on my front nine, the back," said Walker. "I made some good putts and hit a close couple of times. The birdies on 15 and 16 were nice and I made a good par on 17 - I had to pitch out in the fairway and lay-up again.

"I made a good par save on four. Hit some quality shots coming in on seven, eight and nine, so that was good.

"The rough is a challenge. You can either catch a nice lie or you can get one that's a pitch out. You really wanted to stay in the fairway so you can have control of the golf ball.

"The greens were very receptive. I felt like if you were hitting from the short grass, you could pretty much do whatever you wanted with the golf ball in the green."

Having set the pace early, Walker believes he has done everything he can to come give himself a chance of coming out on top come Sunday.

"It would be huge [to win a major]," Walker added. "The whole purpose and the goal in being here is to win.

"I feel like I've prepared and I'm ready to go this week. It's nice that that's what showed today. I felt like I was ready to go. So winning a major is huge. Three more days to go. There will be a lot more too."

[bennythedip2]

Americans Jimmy Walker and Robert Streb shared the lead heading into the third round of the US PGA Championship after record-equalling performances at Baltusrol.

Walker added a 66 to his opening 65 to post a nine-under-par score of 131 and equal the lowest halfway total in the year's final major, although he bogeyed the last to cost himself a share of the all-time major record of 130 held by Martin Kaymer, Brandt Snedeker and Nick Faldo.

The 37-year-old was then joined at the top of the leaderboard by unheralded compatriot Streb, who carded eight birdies and a solitary bogey to become the 28th player to shoot 63 in a major.

Defending champion Jason Day and Argentina's Emiliano Grillo were two shots behind after rounds of 65 and 67 respectively, Day recovering from a double bogey on the seventh to birdie seven of the next eight holes.

And Open champion Henrik Stenson was just a shot further back in his bid to win two major titles in the space of three weeks after carding a second consecutive 67.

Walker was unaware of the record possibilities as he stood on the 18th tee and promptly drove into the water to the left of the fairway and compounded the error by three-putting from long range.

"The finish wasn't what I was looking for - but it's fine," the five-time PGA Tour winner said. "I think you take 66 at any tournament all day every day.

"So it's good. It's really cool. You're at the PGA Championship. You are at the top. It's what you are here to do. It's fun."

Streb, who has not recorded a top-10 finish since last year's US PGA at Whistling Straits, compiled the third 63 in the space of 16 days after Phil Mickelson and Stenson achieved the feat in the Open at Royal Troon.

"I'm happy to join the club that seems to be ever-growing," the 29-year-old said. "Most of the year has been a big struggle. It's felt like I found something with my golf swing the last two weeks."

Day came into the week "under the weather" and only had one practice round after spending Tuesday evening in hospital after his wife Ellie suffered an allergic reaction.

But the world number one revealed an X-rated pep talk he gave himself after the double bogey on the seventh - where he needed four to get down from a greenside bunker - had done the trick.

"Just a few swear words inside my head, like 'What are you doing?"' the 28-year-old said. "I played that hole so bad that it was really frustrating for me. Why are you doing that? Why are you giving shots to the field when you don't need to do that?"

[bennythedip2]

The US PGA Championship faces the prospect of a Monday finish at Baltusrol for the second time in succession after bad weather prevented the final groups from starting their rounds on Saturday.

The top 10 players on the leaderboard did not make it out onto the course before an approaching thunderstorm forced play to be suspended at 1415 local time (1915 BST).

Persistent heavy rain then left parts of the course flooded before play was finally abandoned for the day shortly before 1800 local time (2300 BST), with a resumption set for 0700 (1200 BST) on Sunday.

However, similar conditions were forecast and any further delays would force the final major of the year into a fifth day, just as they did the last time Baltusrol staged the US PGA in 2005.

One man actually hoping for history to repeat itself was Ireland's Padraig Harrington, who had earlier carded a flawless 65 to finish four under par, matching Phil Mickelson's winning total of 11 years ago.

Mickelson's second major title was sealed on a Monday after bad weather disrupted the final round, the left-hander eventually making a birdie on the 72nd hole to finish a shot ahead of Thomas Bjorn and Steve Elkington.

Harrington ended the day a shot off the clubhouse lead held by American Kevin Kisner, who also recorded a 65 before the suspension.

The 44-year-old Dubliner, who successfully defended his Open title in 2008 and won the US PGA a month later at Oakland Hills, said: "In my head I'm hoping the scoring goes the same it did the last time the PGA Championship was here, when the leaders came under pressure on the golf course and maybe some guys behind, namely me, get a bit of momentum early on and can push on.

"If you do get momentum in the early holes you feel good and feel there are opportunities to make birdies."

Justin Rose certainly agreed with that assessment and had predicted that the first 62 in major history was a real possibility before the bad weather intervened.

Rose celebrated his 36th birthday by recovering from a bogey on the opening hole to card a 66 and improve to two under par, having made the cut on the mark of two over.

''The birthday present was last night, making the cut,'' the former US Open champion said. ''When I tapped in to finish my round I felt like I was going to make the cut but as the day went on I felt I was going to miss it and we sweated it.''

The top 70 players and ties qualified for the weekend, with 69 eventually finishing on one over par or better to let the likes of Rose, Ernie Els and Matt Fitzpatrick make the final two rounds.

"It was one of the tightest cuts I've seen, incredibly close, but I was very happy to be out here today and made the most of it, which was fun," Rose added.

"I've just got a vague feeling there might be a 62 today. I'm not saying it's that easy, but anyone who gets under par through the first six or seven holes, it's on. The course is there for the taking and the back nine is full of chances.

"I actually didn't play that well to be honest and putted unbelievably well, which was so much fun. It's what I've been working hard on and today was one of the first days I've really seen a great deal of progress."

Rose has won at least one event worldwide every year since 2010, but the Ryder Cup star has yet to taste victory in a frustrating 2016 campaign hampered by a back injury.

"It's definitely on my mind for sure," the world number 11 added. "I've got to look at 2011 which wasn't a particularly good year and then I won the BMW Championship and turned it into a great year.

"It can happen any week. I'm aware time is running out but I feel a few things in my game are beginning to click and when they do I know I'm going to be in contention and then you hope to put it away."

Fitzpatrick could not match Rose's score but a second consecutive 70 at least represented progress after missing the cut in his last four events.

The 21-year-old currently occupies the final Ryder Cup qualifying place and was told earlier this week to "relax" by European captain Darren Clarke, who has still been impressed by Fitzpatrick's statistics since winning the Nordea Masters in June.

"Darren knows best and always tells me that, but it's just difficult when every putt means a lot and it's almost one of those things where you try too hard," Fitzpatrick said. "It's annoying at the minute but you've just got to keep working at it."

Arguably the happiest player at Baltusrol was Scotland's Russell Knox, who completed a 67 just seconds before play was suspended after spotting an official was about to blow the horn and rushing to tap in his par putt on the 18th.

Playing partner Marc Leishman was not so fortunate, however, the siren sounding as he lined up his own putt and forcing the Australian to wait until play resumed before completing his round.

[bennythedip2]

American Jimmy Walker survived a marathon final day and held off the determined challenge of defending champion Jason Day to win his first major title in the weather-affected US PGA Championship.


Walker carded a closing 67 at Baltusrol to finish 14 under par, one shot ahead of Day after the world number one stunningly eagled the final hole to pile on the pressure.

A par was still good enough for Walker to become the eighth wire-to-wire winner of the US PGA - and the first since Phil Mickelson at the same venue in 2005 - and the 37-year-old held his nerve after pitching to 30 feet from right of the green.

Walker's win booked a second consecutive appearance in the Ryder Cup and completed a clean sweep of 2016 majors by first-time winners after Danny Willett (Masters), Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson (Open Championship).

Stenson was in contention for back-to-back majors until a double bogey on the 15th ended his chances, the 40-year-old Swede having to settle for a tie for seventh with playing partner Martin Kaymer, who eagled the last in a closing 66.

One of 10 players forced to play 36 holes on Sunday after the previous day's thunderstorms, Walker started his third round at 7.40am local time and carded a 68 to take a one-shot lead into the final round.

A run of nine straight pars was enough to keep Walker's nose in front before the world number 48 - the lowest ranked major winner since world number 108 Keegan Bradley won the 2011 US PGA - doubled his lead in brilliant fashion by holing out from a bunker on the 10th.

Day, who was looking to become the only player after Tiger Woods to win back-to-back titles since the US PGA became a strokeplay event in 1958, had bogeyed the first and third but bounced back with birdies on the fifth and ninth.

The 28-year-old also immediately answered Walker's bunker shot by making a birdie on the 11th, only for Walker to hole from 30 feet on the same hole 10 minutes later.

Day was unable to pick up any further shots before hitting a superb approach to within 15 feet of the hole on the 18th, prompting a roar from the crowd which forced Walker to back off his birdie putt on 17 before crucially holing from eight feet for a three-shot lead.

Walker, who led after an opening 65 and shared the halfway lead with compatriot Robert Streb, said at the presentation ceremony: "I was thinking if I could birdie 17 that would put it out.

"Then we made birdie but sometimes things just don't come easy. Jason is a true champion...eagle on 18, that's unreal. That really put it on me to make a par - and pars are hard sometimes.

"There's a lot of emotion going on out there. It's tough. I felt a ton of support from the crowd and it was amazing. It was a battle all day."

Day, who was among the first to congratulate Walker on the 18th green, said: "I tried to give it a good run. I felt like I played pretty decent the whole week and unfortunately it just was not good enough. But I can't be disappointed. Jimmy played great all week and is a deserving winner."

American Daniel Summerhays finished three shots behind Day in third, with Branden Grace, Hideki Matsuyama and Brooks Koepka another stroke behind.

Stenson, Kaymer and Streb shared seventh on eight under, with Stenson left to rue the double bogey on the 15th which ended his chances of a second major title in the space of 15 days.

The 40-year-old Swede said: "It was a long day and I never felt like I brought my A game.

"I was struggling most of the day. I think I hit more poor shots in the two rounds today than in the previous six or seven rounds combined.

"Despite that, I thought I was hanging good. I was trying to push, which I had to. I was two or three behind coming into the last five or six holes. Then on 15, I'm trying to get to the back pin with a three-quarter nine (iron) and winged it over the loft and ended up with a double and that was the end of it for me.

"All in all, I'm pretty pleased to come off the win at The Open and then be right up there contending the week after."

England's Tyrrell Hatton, who finished fifth behind Stenson at Royal Troon a fortnight ago, carded a closing 68 to finish in a tie for 10th alongside compatriot Paul Casey, who shot 67.

Hatton, who also finished second in the Scottish Open this month, said: ''It's been three really good weeks and it's really good for my confidence.

''I'm just really happy to finish birdie, birdie in both rounds today and post a decent score. It's a great end to a great week.

"I found it difficult to get close to the pins because the greens were so soft and I struggled a little bit with my game today, but I ground out a good score with a good finish."

[bennythedip2]

Well another profitable golfing tournament with the betting and many thanks to our top man for passing on the message before he flew out to the USA

His e/w tips showed up nicely and we came so close with the short priced win bet (7/1) Jason Day who came second

Brooks Koepka @ 60/1 7@1/5
Martin Kaymer @ 66/1 7@1/5

Well did you follow the tipster ?