PGA Championship
The American Express: Young can register first PGA Tour win
For several years the American Express has been a fairly low key event on the PGA Tour with many of the game’s best choosing to skip it. However, in 2023 it’s a very different story with Jon Rahm, Patrick Cantlay, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Will Zalatoris, to name a few, all teeing it up.
All have obvious chances as they always do and preference would be for Cantlay at 9/1, who probably should have won this already in his career. His tournament form figures of 9-2-9 show it’s an event he likes and given he shot a 61 in the final round in 2021 and a 62 in the opening round last year, he can go very low indeed.
However, he didn’t play great at the Tournament of Champions, particularly off the tee, and the eye is drawn to Cameron Young at 20/1. Still a PGA Tour rookie, Young’s first season didn’t go too badly with a third at the PGA Championship and second at The Open as well as three further second places. It was an impressive season that earned him a spot on the US President’s Cup team, where he again played nicely.
This is an event where birdies are needed in bunches so the fact he ranked sixth for birdie average last season should hold him in good stead. There were several instances last season, many of which came in big events, that show he’s not afraid to go very low when it’s needed.
This is second start in this event and there were plenty of signs it’s a tournament he’ll be well-suited too as he was sitting fifth after 54 holes before a disastrous 77 saw him finish 40th. That was just his ninth PGA Tour start and with significantly more experience under his belt this time around, this looks a very good opportunity to get that cherished first win.
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Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship: Back Perez to be the Victor in Abu Dhabi
Yas Links hosts the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship for a second time this week and if last year’s test is anything to go by, it will be very good viewing. Like most courses, Yas Links’ biggest defence is when the wind blows, so if conditions are calm expect low scoring, but if the wind does get up, this won’t be easy.
Victor Perez is the one who looks worthy of consideration at 28/1 given his clear liking of Kyle Phillips-designed courses – the man behind Yas Links. He won the Dutch Open at Bernardus and he also won the Dunhill Links where one of the courses used is Kingsbarns – another Phillips track. As such you’d think Yas Links would be a good fit for the Frenchman and he suggested that was the case with an opening 66 last year. He was still in the mix at the halfway stage and while he went off the boil on the weekend, his game wasn’t where he would have liked to be at the time.
He has a decent-enough record in the Middle East and having missed out on Ryder Cup selection last time, this would be an excellent way to get the attention of European captain Luke Donald.
