PGA Championship 2015 Preview

Onto Whistling Straits, why are the UK courses not given such idyllic names?! The PGA Championship is the final golfing major of the year and although the four-week FedEx extravaganza takes place in the next few weeks, the end of the golfing season is nearly upon us and I will have to console myself with copious amounts of National Hunt racing from the delights of Plumpton and Ludlow.

Anyhow lets enjoy four days of spectacular golf.The last time the tournament was held here (2010) it was won by a European, Martin Kaymer, and with Vijay Singh taking in 2004 you can use statistics to look past an American dominance if you so wish! However the favourite is the US Wonder Kid Jordan Spieth, who will not be going for the Major Grand Slam after he fell at the final hurdle last month. Spieth is the favourite once again, justifiably as he is the best golfer bar far right now, but I cannot see much value in a 6-1 shot in a big field.

So with no Major Grand Slam all attention will turn to Rory McIlroy’s ankle. I suppose there are worse points of him to concentrate on, like his man boobs or face. How is he still 10-1 though?! He has not played in over a month and his Major performances this year have no exactly set the world alight. AVOID. (And laugh at me when he has a ten shot lead on Friday evening).

From the other shorter priced players I will settle for Bubba Watson. Second to Kaymer here five years ago and in good form last weekend when second in the Bridgestone, we know Bubba has the mindset to win a Major. He is 16-1. He is a tad longer than the Major bottlers Jason Day and Dustin Johnson. How many tournaments could those two have taken if they did not gibb! I will be dodging those and going for a few other bigger priced players.

I will of course be backing my future husband Rickie Fowler as it would pain me too much he wins anything and I do not a monetary return, although I suppose I will benefit from that post wedding. Rickie is good enough form, he played well last weekend, but his putting is STILL letting him down and he is just a few shots of the brilliance we saw last year. At 20-1 though he is worth a punt and many do see him finally breaking his Major duck this weekend.

Previous tournament winner here Martin Kaymer is at 45-1 and last weekend’s surprise Bridgestone Champion Shane Lowry is just behind him at 50-1.I have backed Kaymer to win the Race For Dubai this year and he has been pretty much pants so I will leave him to Kirsty G. No one was more shocked to see Lowry top the leaderboard last week than himself but I am not sure renewed self belief will get him through four brutal days. Therefore I will select Big Phil Mickelson here. Now Mr Mickelson has been kind to me in the past, taking The Open on my birthday two years when I had backed him mid tournament at a big price, and is 50-1 here. Phil, who won this in 2005, was sixth in 2004 and 12th in 2010 (the two latter performances therefore on this course). Good enough for me.

For a longer priced player I like Steven Bowditch. He played well for a long time last weekend, finishing an eventual 12th, and he posted his best performance in a Major to date at The Open last month. He has won twice on the PGA Tour and is open about his battles with depression, maybe a Major victory at 175-1 will help with the latter.

Predicted Placings

1. Bubba Watson (wins playoff from other two. This is literally my idea of golfing heaven!)
=2. Jordan Spieth
=2. Rickie Fowler
4. Phil Mickelson
5. Dustin Johnson/Jason Day/Adam Scott can battle this out whilst they all choke on the final day back nine

Other I think will play well:
Ian Poulter, Justin Rose (too short at 14-1 to back), Patrick Reed, Cameron Tringale, Brooks Koepka

To Miss The Cut

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy

(New blog page, so I thought I would do a new format, let me know if you like it!)

Why do we bet?

So apparently I don't blog enough anymore. I am not sure on the reasons for this but I thought it may be because I have am becoming less opinionated in my old age or maybe I am just becoming busier juggling three and a half jobs as well as looking after my dog, chickens, housemates and maintaining a look defined at the weekend as 'Caitlyn Jenner!’ However Caitlyn  will endeavour to write more and hopefully gain a few more followers of my intensely funny blogs, and I will try and write less about golf too... After a request.

Caitlyn V Lara

Kindly Supplied By Samantha ‘Baby Hills’

I have not had the greatest of times recently due to a combination of bad new, which included losing my favourite chicken Black Caviar (did not receive much sympathy on this as I was told 'at least it wasn't the horse in foaling’) and then on Friday we made the very difficult decision to put down Mister Newby. Newbs fractured a pedal bone at Huntingdon in February and was not showing any improvement. It is always a major blow to lose a horse but it was more crushing due to him showing such promise over fences and we will always wonder what he could have achieved. However he gave us some amazing days out, including two at Cheltenham, and he took out some nice races. He will be sorely missed but I am already hearing whispers that we will be on the hunt for something new to race in the purple and pink gayboy colours.

Newby

The last three Monday's I have enjoyed the BBC series Britain at the Bookies, although it has given me an intense urge to bet more. Luckily with the Glorious Goodwood Festival last week I managed to feed this addiction with some success but I then lost it all due to Rickie Fowler being a prat in the golf yet again. I am hoping to regain some of that in the Bridgestone this weekend...

The TV series has been a bit of an eye opener on what goes on in betting shops and how many people have had their lives destroyed by gambling. The show made me question why people enjoy betting, and I why I personally like gambling on certain sports.

Now I am not a big gambler, I do not place too much money on the line that I won't be able to pay my mortgage but I do bet at least weekly on the golf and usually at least a couple of times a week on horse racing. I love the odd novelty bet (SPOTY and X Factor are favourites) and I have been know to have a bet on something making the headlines (The decision on a court case for instance). I also have the odd football accumulator, tennis bet and a gamble on any big sporting tournament.

The reason why I like to bet is simple, I enjoy watching the majority of sports and placing a bet just makes it a bit more interesting. Golf gives particularly good value, as you get four days of entertainment and the odds are often big for winners and those who may get placed, hence why I have a slight obsession. Oh and I suppose the fact that some golfers look like Adam Scott is no bad thing either.

Adam Scott

Betting on racing is in my blood and living in Newmarket I cannot escape that. I can watch a race on course without a bet but it is a rare occurrence.

The betting I do not understand is the slot machine, roulette and virtual sports. Where is the enjoyment in those? Or is this when you know have a problem?

PS I met Boyzone.. And Lottie (second from Left) told Ronan she was looking forward to ‘grooving’ #AustinPowers

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