Golf: BMW PGA Championship
Venue: Wentworth, Surrey, UK.
Dates: Thursday 8th – Sunday 11th October 2020
Tournament Preview
The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth has long been one of the flagship events on the European Tour and with its new position on the golfing calendar; a stellar field has been assembled. The event which was originally known as the PGA British Championship notoriously attracts players from all over the globe and was first played in 1955. With all 4 majors (without COVID 19) now being played in a 4 month period between April & August, the BMW PGA Championship moved from May to September/October in the calendar – a move which looks to be favourable with both players and fans alike. With a healthy £7 million prize pot, it is the biggest event on the European Tour and it promises to be a fascinating 4 days of golf at the always impressive Wentworth West Course.
Betting Preview
Outright Winner
The course at Wentworth tests the best golfers and with the weather set fair, there could be plenty of big names in contention come Sunday:-
Despite being edged out at the Scottish Open last weekend, Tommy Fleetwood should arrive in Wentworth full of confidence and he is well versed in winning European Tour events.
American Patrick Reed is always in and amongst it on the big European Tour events and few would bet against him featuring heavily on Sunday at Wentworth this week.
English Ryder Cup star Tyrrell Hatton could be player that goes under the radar this week and he should go well in familiar conditions at Wentworth.
Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick is another that should be confident arriving in Surrey and the course at the Wentworth Club should suit his game.
2014 BMW PGA runner up Shane Lowry is always capable of turning on his best golf when it matters and the defending Open champion could come good once again here.
1st Round Leader
Producing the goods over 72 holes is often the most difficult thing for any golfer to do therefore here are our first round leader picks:-
Englishman Matt Wallace sits off the pace on the European Tour Money List, but he has a reputation as a fast starter and hasn’t missed a cut for over two months.
Impressive Belgian Thomas Pieters put in incredible performances at both the US Open and Celtic Classic last month and he’ll be looking to get off to a flyer here.
Eddie Pepperell is one of the most consistent performers on the European Tour and he could stage a real challenge this week if he gets off to a solid start on Thursday.
Top Ten Finish
With so many quality players assembled here at Wentworth, getting into the winning enclosure could be tough but there are plenty of candidates to finish in the top 10 come Sunday:-
Few men are as familiar with the workings of the Wentworth course as Justin Rose and although his form has been poor of late, he can always turn it on in – particularly in the big events.
Home favourite Ian Poulter continues to perform on both the European and PGA Tours and with course knowledge playing into his favour, he could challenge the leaders on Sunday.
Chinese superstar Haotong Li is another man that divides his time between the European and PGA Tours and few would bet against him getting into the top 10 come the weekend at Wentworth.
BetXChange Best Bets:
Outright Winner: Tommy Fleetwood- 1.95
1st Round Leader: Matt Wallace – 40.00
Top Ten Finish: Ian Poulter – 3.00
