2008 PGA Championship Picks – Ernie Els vs. Retief Goosen – Betting On Golf
Well…it’s PGA Championship week and FiveStarPick.com has mixed emotions. We love majors, but we’re sad that the last major of the year is already upon us. Where has the time gone in 2008. Not to mention…no Tiger Woods. Luckily we have been relentlessly studying this week’s field and plan to have a few winners for our members by the end of the week.
Our Five Star Pick of the Day looks at the 1st round matchup between Erniel Els and Retief Goosen. The man they call the Big Easy hasn’t had it so easy recently. Els all but lost his chance to win the 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale last month. The kiss of death was the triple bogey he made on the par-3 14th during the first round. Els couldn’t shake it off, and he followed with a bogey at the par-5 15th and a double at the next. When the round was over, the affable South African – who had made the turn in contention at 1 over – had shot a big, fat 80.
The 80 was Els’ highest score since an 81 in the final round of the 2006 Memorial Tournament. He had to shoot 69 in the second round just to make the cut on the number. He later matched that score on Sunday on the way to a pretty phenomenal tie for seventh given his start. The finish was Els’ 27th top-10 in 64 majors.
If he can stay more patient than he did that day at Birkdale, the three-time major champ could add the third leg of the career Grand Slam to a resume that includes 16 PGA Tour wins and 44 more worldwide. Els won his first two majors, both U.S. Opens, before he turned 27 and he added the Open Championship in 2002. He’s also been second six times, including the first three majors in 2000, the latter two runners-up coming as the game’s No. 1 player embarked on his “Tiger Slam.” So the opportunities are precious few. Els would love to have won more majors in the Tiger era, but he knows he’s not alone. He doesn’t care about the critics, and he’s not ready to give up, either.
Els, who ended a four-year victory drought at The Honda Classic earlier this year, is ready for that ultimate test this week. He’s pleased with the changes he and Butch Harmon are making to his swing. He’s got his long-time caddy, Ricci Roberts back on the bag, joking that their on-again, off-again relationship of 16 years is like a “bad marriage.” Even more so after Els spent time with Harmon at his teaching facility in Las Vegas before the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational last week. He began working with Harmon earlier this year, seeking a new set of eyes after a long-term relationship with David Leadbetter, who remains a good friend despite the split.
Together Els and Harmon have tightened the 38-year-old’s swing, making sure his lower body is in synch with his upper body. The results continue to impress. Els didn’t putt well the first two days at Firestone last week, using 65 strokes on the greens, but he got his feel back over the weekend in shooting rounds of 69 and 68.
The question is can he beat Retief Goosen today? If there is one thing FiveStarPick.com knows, it’s how to make money betting on golf. We know the game inside and out and maintain personal relationships with many of the game’s top players. If you would like to know who we have in today’s matchup, visit our homepage and become a member of the most accurate sports handicapping service on the net. We are nearly 70% against the spread. That means if you are a $100 bettor paying 10% juice and started with us at the beginning of 2008, you would be around $10,000 ahead. Not bad for doing what you love to do. Join our family today and start your win streak tonight.
Jimmy the Geek – FiveStarPick.com
Tags: 2008 PGA Championship Picks, Betting on Golf, Ernie Els, Golf Picks, Oakland Hills, PGA Tour Picks, Retief Goosen, Sports Handicapping Service
