A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier: PGA Golf Odds And Predictions
The PGA Tour heads to West Virginia this week for the only major professional sporting event in that the state: the newly-renamed A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier. Sports Interaction breaks down this week’s PGA golf odds.
A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier Background
This is one of the newer tournaments on the PGA Tour as it began in 2010 and had been called the Greenbrier Classic. It’s played at the historic Old White TPC Course in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The Greenbrier Resort’s grounds have plenty of ties to the military and were in fact used by both sides during the American Civil War. It even has ties to World War II and the Cold War.
The Old White TPC is a par 70 measuring 7,286 yards. One of the handful of 59s on the PGA Tour (the record is now 58) was shot here in the first year of the tournament by Stuart Appleby in the final round on his way to victory. His 22-under 258 overall total is a tournament record. Players not already qualified for the British Open have a chance to get in here if they finish high enough. The 2016 tournament was canceled due to massive flooding in the area and the course had to undergo some major renovations in the wake of that destruction.
The defending champion is Xander Schauffele, who finished at 14-under 266 to beat out fellow American Robert Streb by a shot. That played a role in Schauffele being named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year last season. However, his sophomore campaign has been a struggle. He’s +2100 this week. No player has won this event twice. It doesn’t always draw the best field two weeks ahead of the British Open as many players are already in Europe getting their games in order.
A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier Favourites
Tony Finau is favoured to win at +1000. He comes off a fifth-place finish at the U.S. Open and finished seventh in this event a year ago at 10-under 270. He also was 13th in 2015.
Bubba Watson is perhaps the early favourite for PGA Tour Player of the Year this season with his Tour-leading three victories and the left-hander is +1500 for a victory this week. Bubba looks for back-to-back wins as he captured the Travelers Championship two weeks ago for the third time in his career and didn’t play last week in Maryland. Bubba was tied for 70th at this tournament a year ago. He owns a place on the property.
Phil Mickelson, who also owns a place at the resort, is +1700 along with Webb Simpson and Russell Henley. It’s Mickelson’s fifth time playing the tournament and the only time he made the cut previously was last year when he was tied for 20th. Simpson was Top 10 here in 2014, ’12 & ’11 but missed the cut last time out at the Travelers Championship.
Canadian Golfer Odds
No Canadian has won this tournament, but David Hearn was part of a playoff in 2015 with Kevin Kisner, Streb and eventual winner Danny Lee of New Zealand. Hearn is +20500 this time with Mackenzie Hughes the same price, Ben Silverman +25800, Nick Taylor also +25800 and Corey Conners with the shortest odds of his countrymen at +14900. Hearn and Conners both tied for 41st last week at the Quicken Loans National. Hearn was 14th at the 2017 Greenbrier and Conners makes his debut.
A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier Predictions
Roll the dice on Hearn for a Top 10 as this course appears to suit him, but Henley is the winner after finishing fifth each of the past two trips here.