PGA Golf Preview & Tips: Bermuda Championship

This week’s main golfing action sees us making port in Bermuda for the Bermuda Championship on the PGA Tour.

Here’s a full preview of the action in the British Overseas territory from the Golf Insider…

Bermuda Championship

This event returns to the calendar in 2021 for its third outing – so there’s still not a whole lot of form to work on. We have an overseas location, and the make-up of the field is not the typical high standard we see regularly on the PGA Tour, with the line-up populated by any number of journeyman players, up-and-coming talent, and perennial bridesmaids. Yes, there are a few familiar names competing this week, but far fewer than normal. This could all be viewed as ingredients to produce a lower than normal standard of competition but, if anything, the desire to win among this week’s players is arguably stronger than many other tournaments.

Bermuda Championship: The Course

We do know a little about the course as it was the host venue for the Grand Slam of Golf (an annual four-man, two-round shootout between the previous year’s four Major champions) which ran from 2009 to 2014. It’s the Port Royal GC in Southampton, Bermuda. The venue is located right on the Atlantic coast and features several signature holes (notably the treacherous over-water par 3 16th). It was designed by Robert Trent Jones and will be set-up as a par 71, laid out over 6,828 yards. There is some performance data available from the Grand Slam days… all of which suggests scoring will be easy enough for those players who can handle the conditions.

72-Hole Record 260, Brendon Todd (2019)

18-Hole Record 62, Scottie Scheffler & Brendon Todd (2019)

Past Winners
2020: Brian Gay
2019: Brendon Todd

Bermuda Championship: The Field

A standard field of 150+ golfers line up for this week’s tournament, with Matt Fitzpatrick the $12 market leader.with TopSport.

The @PGATOUR has landed in Bermuda for this week’s @Bermuda_Champ. pic.twitter.com/fds8WMSVaD

— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) October 26, 2021

Bermuda Championship: The Weather

Not great. A difficult week is expected with a daily precipitation forecast of 30%-10%-50%-80% over the course of the tournament, and possible thunderstorms. Temperatures will be in the mid-to-high 70s, with cloud cover for most of the week. Wind speeds will be testing on Thursday (25mph+), steadying slightly to 15-20mph over the next three days.

The Bets

These are two each-way outright bets from the Golf Insider. Members receive all of his best bets for all markets – win and each-way, Top 10, Top 20, Round 1 Leader and 3-Ball groups. He covers every tournament on the PGA and European Tours.

RUSSELL KNOX – currently $34 with TopSport

This week the PGA travels to Bermuda for one of the season’s less glamorous events in terms of field quality. That being said, this is the perfect opportunity to find some serious value on some very good players both old and new. First up is the American-based Scot, Knox, who is a double winner on the PGA Tour already. Add in past efforts in this tournament (Top 20’s in 2019 and 2020), and a high ranking on my own personal ratings, Knox has to be considered as one of this week’s more likely winners. He posted an MC when last seen, but prior to this he was scoring well and undoubtedly has the ability to shoot low numbers – which will probably be needed this week. The key to Knox is when the putter is in hand, and if he can get to work on the greens then I expect him to go well on a course that should suit, and in the forecast conditions that will severely test many less experienced and less versatile players. Knox strikes me as much better value than several of this week’s market leaders who are seeing this course for the first time.

LUCAS HERBERT – currently $56 with TopSport

Another player who thrives in the wind is the Australian, Lucas Herbert. Herbert won the Dubai Desert Classic in 2020 – a venue which is known for its dry windy conditions. Since then his best results have come at the Scottish Open (4th twice in 2020 and 2021) and a win at the Irish Open in July at Mount Juliet, which just goes to highlight he’s a player who thrives when conditions are tough. He’s now playing on the PGA Tour, and he’s struggled a bit of late, but there’s nothing like playing against the also-rans of the circuit, at a venue that should suit you down to the ground, to get your mojo back. In terms of talent, Herbert is head and shoulders above the majority here this week, and he looks to be going nicely under the radar. At the price he looks a cracking each-way bet.