Bermuda Championship betting preview, free tips, course guide & where to watch

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on the PGA Tour.

When to bet by

10.35am, Thursday

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 4.30pm Thursday

Best bets

Lanto Griffin
2pts each-way 18-1 Sky Bet
Back this tip with Paddy Power

Mark Hubbard
2pts each-way 30-1
Back this tip with Paddy Power

Scott Harrington
1pt each-way 40-1Betfair, Paddy Power

Sepp Straka
1pt each-way 40-1bet365
Back this tip with bet365

While the game's big names battle it out in China this week, fresh graduates from the Korn Ferry Tour and seasoned pros from further down the world rankings head to Bermuda with their eyes on a valuable prize.

It is the first time the PGA Tour has staged a regulation event on the island - the Port Royal course previously hosted the Grand Slam of Golf - and it falls firmly into the alternate-field bracket.

However, it nevertheless looks a competitive event and the coastline course provides a good opportunity for those who have started the new campaign in fine fettle to prove they can soon join the giants of the game.

Wilkerson's top tip

Lanto Griffin 18-1

None of the players who are taking part this week contested the Grand Slam of Golf when the Major winners of the year were invited for a 36-hole trash, so golf punters have nothing to go on in relation to key course form.

Such a scenario can play into the hands of rookies. It can be harder for them to get to grips with layouts that seasoned veterans have familiarised themselves with over the years, but experience may not have that great a role to play this week.

Consequently, it could pay to go with players who have shown excellent form and none head into battle in better nick than Lanto Griffin, who has finished in the top 20 of his five PGA Tour, which culminated in a one-shot victory at the Houston Open earlier this month.

His one-shot margin of victory would have been more comfortable had he not carded a 74 in the second round at Humble, but that is one of just three rounds in his 20 PGA Tour efforts this year that has been more than 70.

His previous victory on the Korn Ferry Tour was on the Robert Trent Jones Trail in Alabama, so it may not be a surprise if he found this week's conditions to his liking and with the field looking weaker than some of the others he has contended in during the last few weeks, he could justify the market's confidence.

Next best bet

Mark Hubbard 30-1

Mark Hubbard finished second to Griffin in Houston and he too has made a decent start to the season.

The 30-year-old from Denver is ranked tenth in scoring average and performed solidly at Humble until a bogey six on the 15th put paid to his chances of claiming a victory.

His last ten rounds have all been in the sixes and other notable finishes in the last few weeks have been a tenth at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier - he hit 64 in the first round - and 13th at the Safeway Open.

Those showings came after a fourth spot in his final Korn Ferry display - he was fourth at the Albertsons Boise Open - and he can make his presence felt again in mediocre company.

Other selections

Scott Harrington 40-1

Sepp Straka 40-1

Two other players who performed well in Houston can make a bold claim this week.

Scott Harrington was unable to maintain a fast start at Greenbrier before finishing 24th but he was second at Houston, where a third-round 72 proved costly.

He is ranked 41st in greens in regulation and finished in the top 15 in five of his last ten Korn Ferry tournaments so he should head to Bermuda in fine fettle.

Sepp Straka missed five consecutive cuts before his fourth place in Houston, so the Austrian may have turned the corner.

It is notable that he was third at the Barbasol Championship, when most of the game's top names were trying to win The Open at Royal Portrush in July and he was 12th at the Barracuda Championship the following week, a tournament which attracted a similarly weak field.

If he takes note of those performances, his confidence will surely increase.

Players to note

Alex Noren
The Swede has slipped out of the world's top 50 but, at number 55, is still officially the best player in the field. Would not be a surprise if he was a factor, but he has claimed just one top-ten finish in his last 12 events.

Branden Grace
Straight-hitting Grace would be expected to dominate a field of this standard when at the top of his game, especially in windy conditions, but his form is woeful. He's not had a top-20 finish since his second in Phoenix in February.

Russell Knox
Knox could be a factor if he shows his customary accuracy, but he has not challenged for anything since winning last year's Irish Open.

Cameron Percy
Missed the cut last time at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, but his 11th at the Sanderson Farms and seventh at the Safeway open were encouraging.

Denny McCarthy
Has finished in the top 25 in seven of his last 11 tournaments, all of which have been on the main tour and many have contained stronger fields than this week's.

Port Royal course guide

Course Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton Parish, Bermuda
Prize money $3m ($540,000 to winner)
Length 6,842 yards Par 71 Field 120

When to bet By 10.35am Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf 4.30pm

Time difference Bermuda is three hours behind the UK & Ireland

Last week - Zozo Championship 1 T Woods (33-1), 2 H Matsuyama (18-1), 3 R McIlroy (8-1), S Im (35-1), 5 G Woodland (28-1)

Course overview This is the first time the PGA Tour has headed to Bermuda, although the Grand Slam of Golf - a four-man tournament between the year's Major winners over 36 holes - was played at this course from 2009 until it was discontinued in 2014.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones in 1970, there was heavy investment made before the Grand Slam arrived on the island.

The course features three par-fives, the longest of which is the 567-yard second while three of the four par threes are longer than 200 yards. The 230-yard par three requires a tee shot across the ocean on to a postage-stamp green. Many of the par fours are doglegs and while the course is picturesque and provides stunning coastline vistas, that can produce issues for the players if the wind picks up, especially as the rough can be penal.

Weather forecast It should be dry all four days but moderate breezes could affect play. Temperatures should peak around 26C.

Type of player suited to the challenge The ability to deal with windy conditions could prove an advantage this week and players who have flourished on Bermuda-grass greens may gain an edge. However, despite the lack of length, avoiding the rough could be key to success.

Key attribute Accuracy

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