Unlikely favorite for PGA Tour’s Bermuda Championship
The PGA Tour’s Bermuda Championship has not attracted a top-flight field this week. That’s how you end up with Will Zalatoris as the favorite.
Zalatoris, who normally plays on the Korn Ferry Tour, is the 12-1 top choice at the Westgate for this week’s event in Southampton Parish, Bermuda.
“This is one of the worst fields of the season,” Westgate sportsbook vice president of risk Jeff Sherman said.
Defending champion Brendon Todd is the second choice at 14-1, followed by Doc Redman and Harold Varner III at 25-1 and Emiliano Grillo, Denny McCarthy and Kristoffer Ventura at 30-1.
The top players on the tour are skipping this week’s event with the Masters two weeks away.
Zalatoris has been on a tear of top-10 finishes, including tying for sixth in the U.S. Open and for fifth in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Sherman said Zalatoris was 60-1 for the Shriners, an indication of where he stacks up against a full field.
Sherman said handicapping this week’s event is also complicated by the windy conditions expected in Bermuda. Todd won last year’s event at 24-under 260, but Sherman set this year’s winning number prop at 267½.
Between the field and the weather, Sherman said he’s passing on betting this week.
Henrik Stenson, 40-1
Handicapper Wes Reynolds (@WesReynolds1), co-host of VSiN’s “Long Shots” golf betting show, has targeted a few players further down the board, starting with Henrik Stenson at 40-1.
Stenson has fallen out of the top 50 in the world golf rankings for the first time in eight years, but this course should suit him, Reynolds said.
“We forget that Stenson did beat many of the world’s best last December at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, so he still has some winning golf left in him,” Reynolds said.
Here are Reynolds’ other best bets, with his comments on each (odds at Westgate):
Henrik Norlander, 40-1
“Norlander was fourth at the Sanderson Farms Championship four weeks ago, where he rated third in putting average. He is also one of the few players in this field that got a look at this course last year.”
Peter Malnati, 40-1
“Solely a recent form play.”
Malnati finished second at the Sanderson Farms Championship four weeks ago, then tied for fifth at the Shriners.
Brian Stuard, 80-1
“Ranks second in this week’s field for driving accuracy and placed third several weeks ago at the Safeway Open.”
Brice Garnett, 100-1
“He’s a shorter hitter who hits a lot of greens, and in a speculative and wide-open event like this one, he’s the type of player that will have a lot of birdie opportunities and just needs to get the flat stick rolling.”
Josh Teater, 150-1
He finished tied for 11th in Bermuda last year and also ranks in the top 10 in this week’s field for driving accuracy (10th) and greens in regulation (fifth).
D.J. Trahan, 200-1
“The sense of urgency is there” after missing six straight cuts to end last season, and he has made three straight cuts to start this season.
Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.