TIGER TO ROAR IN USPGA

Today sees the start of the fourth and final golf major of 2009 – yes folks, it’s the 91st USPGA Championship, this year at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota, writes our Kevin Officer.
Measuring over 7,600 yards in length, this will be the longest venue to have hosted a major championship.
This monster of a course will definitely challenge the world’s best golfers, with three par 5s that measure over 600 yards, two par 4s over 480 yards and a par 3 of around 250 yards.
So who could be holding the Wanamaker Trophy at the end of the week?
It’s simple – if the the real Tiger Woods shows up, everyone else will be playing for places.
The mighty Woods has won a remarkable $6.8 million already this season to take his career earnings up to a few dollars short of the $90 million mark – not bad work if you can get it.
Along with his off-field earnings the greatest player ever to play the game is set to become sport’s first billionaire.
Tiger as usual is priced at a terrible 7/4 to win this weekend, and no wonder – the world’s greatest player has had eight top 10s in 11 starts this year, including wins in his past two events in the past two weeks, at the Buick Open and the World Golf Championships at Bridgestone. At just 33 years of age, last week’s win was Woods' 70th PGA victory. The great Jack Nicklaus was 40 years of age when he had his 70th win.
It is well known that golf is one of the hardest sports to bet on, with the field so big, so look out for the players on form and take them each-way – that’s always the advice we hand out in the Punters Guide. Most layers will pay a quarter the odds for a top six finish and if you shop about you might even get the first seven.
We have opted for two players this week who we think give outstanding each-way value.
We have gone for the ever-consistant Steve Stricker who is way overpriced at 40/1 as our first selection this weekend.
American Stricker is a money making machine on tour and his 2009 stats are nothing short of brilliant, although for some reason people still overlook him when it comes to betting. Stricker has earned $4.2 million this season and is currently second in the Fed-Ex Cup standings with an amazing record of eight top 10s this year and two wins.
Stricker plays well under pressure and is a great putter, assets which have seen him rise to the fifth best player in the world – a great each-way bet at 40s.
Our second tip for an each-way finish is the ever-consistent American Zach Johnson who is priced at 75/1. Ryder Cup player Johnson is playing steady golf at the minute and relishes the big occasion. The Hazeltine course requires a lot of patience and Johnson is one of the best at course management – Zach will try and plot his way quietly around this tough test of golf. Definitely worth a few pounds of your hard-earned cash each-way at 55s.
The Irish players look as if they’re up against it. Young Rory McIlroy gets a 55/1 quote while Padraig Harrington gets a 25/1 price from Grahams after his second place at Bridgestone last weekend. Graham McDowell gets a 125/1 quotation for Hazeltine and he has it all to do .