Wentworth’s West Course plays host to the European Tour’s flagship tournament this week - the BMW PSG Championship - which is 2018’s first Rolex Series event. This year’s field features the likes of Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, Ian Poulter and last year’s winner Alex Noren, who will attempt to become the first player to successfully defend the silver trophy since Luke Donald in 2012.
Last year Noren equalled a course record - firing 62 in his final round - en route to storming back from a whopping seven-shot deficit to finish two shots clear of the pack at the summit of the leaderboard. The Swede has been installed as the joint-second favourite, 14/1, to bag another victory here this time around.
Former BMW PGA Championship winner McIlroy returns to the tournament for the first time since 2015, as he bids to become the event’s tenth multiple winner. In his last Wentworth showing the four-time major winner missed the cut - for the fourth time here - but after a reasonably a decent last few months, THE PLAYERS Championship aside, the 8/1 favourite will be confident of conjuring up a challenge in Surrey.
One player we like the look of his Branden Grace who last year finished T9. after a run of consistent form in 2018, which includes last week’s T3 finish at the AT&T Byron Nelson, the South African heads over to Surrey in high spirits, and at 14/1 he’s definitely worth a look as be bids to register his ninth European Tour success.
The tournament provides a number of European golfers with a chance to impress Ryder Cup captain, Thomas Bjorn, who earlier in the week named Lee Westwood, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald as his vice-captains for September’s showcase spectacle in France.
Paul Casey will be looking for a spot in Bjorn’s team, but while he’s not played at the tournament for five years, he did triumph back in 2009, and he can now be backed at 14/1 to do the same again nine years later.
Tommy Fleetwood came T6 three years ago, but has since finished T69 (2016) while he missed the cut last year, meaning at 14/1 he doesn’t represent too much value this week.
Ian Poulter (28/1) arrives back on English soil following a recent win at the Houston Open, followed by impressive finishes at THE PLAYERS and RBC Heritage. The passionate Englishman would no doubt love to win in front of his home crowd but considering he only has one top-10 finish at the event, he’s perhaps one to avoid.
The 30/1 priced Tyrrell Hatton won back-to-back European Tour events at the back end of 2017, but while his form has tailed off of late, he did finish T7 here two years ago, and if he can get his game together he could prove to be a real threat.
Elsewhere you’ll find Andrew Johnston at 45/1 and Andy Sullivan at 33/1, while the likes of Justin Rose and Jon Rahm have opted not to take part.
