PGA TOUR - BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

To say it has been a massive month for CAMERON SMITH is clearly an understatement.

In Tokyo, he finished T10 and one shot from a medal play-off. In Memphis, he finished two shots from the play-off after a double bogey on the 72nd hole. Then, at Liberty National he made the play-off and drove his tee shot into the Hudson River to give Tony Finau the win.

There is some consolation in the fact that the Queenslander moves from 16th in the FedExCup standings to No.3. He will go one better this week in Baltimore and be the man to catch heading into the Tour Championship in a fortnight.

Sportsbet odds: $17

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy Editor

JON RAHM will win at least one of the season-long points races on offer across the PGA and European Tours this year, if not both. And his FedExCup coronation starts here.

The defending champion claimed this event at a different course in 2020, but is in such spectacular form a change of venue makes little difference to his favouritism.

Of the 16 events the World No.1 has played this year he has finished T13 or better 13 times, while one of the other three was The Memorial where COVID forced a withdrawal after 54-holes when he had an almost unassailable lead.

Despite this magnificent year, Rahm has only won the U.S. Open, a fact that will change this week as he continues to vent his frustrations of missing the Olympics after another COVID positive test on the golf course, as evidenced by his third place last week in his return.

Sportsbet odds: $6.50

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Rod Morri – Golf Australia magazine contributor and The Thing About Golf podcast host

Motivation comes from both ends of the field this week with those at the top looking to capitalise on a big advantage at the handicapped Tour Championship next week while those around 30th place will be desperate just to push their way into the field at Atlanta.

In those circumstances, I think the drive from the bottom will be stronger and am looking no further than CAMERON DAVIS at 36th to play his way to East Lake.

After a breakout year where he claimed his first PGA Tour title, Davis has nothing to lose and everything to gain this week and a spot in the field to play for $15million would be icing on the cake after a very successful 2021.

Sportsbet odds: $126

Mark Hayes – Man About Golf

PAUL CASEY. You’ll have to excuse me, but as eye-catching as this little-known (from a PGA Tour perspective) layout is, with its dazzling white sand (potentially trying to match a southern course of note??), I’m likely going to suffer from post-Carnoustie blues in enthusing myself from an architectural standpoint.

My research pointed me to the need for the winner to have an excellent long-iron game and there are few better than the veteran Englishman. In fact, he only trails Collin Morikawa in “strokes gained approach the green”, whatever that means!

He’s in reasonable form and also needs a very bold showing to reach the Tour finale.

Sportsbet odds: $34

EURO TOUR - OMEGA EUROPEAN MASTERS

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

Dane LUCAS BJERREGAARD has a pretty good record at Crans-Sur-Sierre and, having had a week off to recharge the batteries, I expect he’ll contend in the Swiss Alps.

He would have been buoyed by the way his form started tracking upwards at the Hero Open in Scotland, where he finished T10. A final round 73 there cost him a few Euros but I reckon he will collect a small fortune this week.

He was runner up in this event in 2018 and T28 when it was last played two years ago. Of his last four trips to the Alps, he’s made four cuts and has a scoring average of 67.81. That kind of scoring could get the job done this week.

Sportsbet odds: $81

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy Editor

Picking winners in Europe is proving something of a serious challenge for this quorum of tipsters of late, so I am going with a bit of a wildcard to hopefully right the ship this week.

FRANCESCO MOLINARI has had one of the most affected careers in the COVID era of the top players in the men’s game, and it would be a wonderful sight to see him leave the Swiss Alps with a new piece of silverware for the mantlepiece back home in California.

Molinari was planning his move stateside when the pandemic took off and just two years removed from winning one major and a year removed from arguably throwing away another, he practically disappeared from the world stage.

The U.S. Open suggested the old Molinari might be back when he finished T13 before missing four straight cuts, but he has a game that matches well here and he would be a very popular winner. Forza Frankie!

Sportsbet odds: $41

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Rod Morri – Golf Australia magazine contributor and The Thing About Golf podcast host

It’s almost a habit to pick Scott Hend at this event but I will break with that tradition this year (you can thank me when you win, Scott) and instead revert to a more recent tradition: picking MARTIN KAYMER.

This is his fourth trip to the course that is almost universally considered to have the best views in world golf and despite two missed cuts on his resume his runner-up showing in the other appearance makes me think this could be his week.

Sportsbet odds: $34

Mark Hayes – Man About Golf

MIN WOO LEE. Currently 10th in the Race To Dubai rankings, the West Aussie has a real chance to vault up those standings with a few of his near rivals in Baltimore.

The only thing more dazzling than the magnificent views atop the Swiss Alps will be the way Lee carves up Crans-sur-Sierre with his power game.

Sportsbet odds: $67

2021 RESULTS

So far our so-called experts have combined to tip 21 winners in 2021, with 116 of their picks recording top-10 finishes that week and a best return of $61 for Max Homa to win the Genesis Invitational (tipped by Rod Morri).