A strong continent of Englishmen sit towards the top of the betting, lead by Tommy Fleetwood, and one of their number appears to have hit top gear just in time to land the penultimate Rolex Series event.
Fleetwood Bidding to Bounce Back From Scottish Open Setback
A misbehaving putter cost Tommy Fleetwood victory in the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club last Sunday – missing twice from short range over the closing stages before his eventual playoff defeat to Aaron Rai – and the popular Southport man has headed south to Wentworth looking for redemption.
Fleetwood’s ball-striking brilliance should serve him well at Wentworth in the BMW PGA Championship, but his record at the track over the last four years is poor (69-MC-20-60) and confidence must be lacking on the greens.
The 29-year-old is a five-time European Tour champion, whose maiden success came in the UK in the 2013 Johnnie Walker Championship, but he has been an uneasy 10/1 market leader after his ugly finish at the Renaissance.
Fleetwood, the world number 14, has posted six top-five finishes in his last seven regulation European Tour events.
Reed Jets Over Looking to Extend Race to Dubai Lead
Vying for favouritism with Fleetwood is American raider Patrick Reed, who can be backed at 10/1.
Reed’s last event was the US Open at Winged Foot, where he strongly contended through two rounds due to a magnificent short-game performance, before carding a miserable Saturday 77 which saw him plummet down the leaderboard.
Reed closed the US Open with a 74 and left the tournament bereft of long-game confidence, so it will be interesting to see how he handles the tight, tree-lined Wentworth. Last year he made his BMW PGA Championship debut and finished fourth after a weekend charge, so he clearly took a liking to the layout.
Formbook students, though, will have noticed that Reed has gone 14 tournaments without a top-five finish, so he has been struggling for 72-hole consistency.
Reed’s last victory came in the WGC-Mexico Championship at the end of February, but post-lockdown this controversial figure has failed to make much of an impression.
Wallace Could Prove Serious Contender Performing Close to Home
Wentworth is a course known well by Matt Wallace, a Londoner who moved to Sunningdale last year, and regular practice at the BMW PGA venue could mean he makes a fast start in the European Tour’s flagship event this week.
Wallace, who finished fourth in a high-class Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour in July, closed with an encouraging 68 in the Scottish Open on Sunday to finish in 30th place. That was a more than respectable result given he was out in the worst of the weather conditions on the Thursday and Friday, suffering on the wrong side of the draw.
Wallace, a six-time winner on the Alps Tour before becoming a four-time European Tour champion, appears to be getting his swing in top order. And he has seemed a more cheerful, happier, content character since reuniting with long-time caddie Dave McNeilly.
Wallace at 30/1 could be the man punters opt for as a value alternative to the market principals. As world number 50, this event is crucial to his hopes of staying in the elite.
*All odds correct at time of writing