Who to back at the Players Championship
Players Championship betting: Keel’s each-way bets
If you’re going for some outsiders this week, make sure you check your each-way terms. With the Players Championship being one of the more popular events of the year, some bookmakers are paying out on extra places.
The standard is six places, but some firms are going with seven and eight, while one firm is paying out a ridiculous 10 places.
The Players is typically won by a class act, but every year you’ll get one or two outsiders lingering around the top of the leaderboard on Sunday. Just look at Si Woo Kim last year who went on to win at 750/1.
That’s why it’s wise to go for a few big-priced players in the hope that they can bring some each-way profit, and you’ll always have that chance of striking gold if they do go on to win outright.
The liveliest of the outsiders appears to be Emiliano Grillo.
The Argentine is known for his pure ball-striking, and he seems to be rounding into form perfectly for the PGA Tour’s showpiece event.
His last three stroke-play events have yielded finishes of 9-16-3, and if ever a course was made for the 25-year-old, it’s Sawgrass.
Over the years it has been notorious to get to grips with, yet Grillo seemed to have figured it out in his second attempt, where he finished 11th just last year.
80/1 is available, but even at the more populous 66/1, he still ranks as a good bet.
We’ll then head to the triple-figure prices, where Kyle Stanley, at 100/1, looks worth chancing given his effort this time last year.
In fact, one could argue that his return to the world’s top 50 was thanks to his 4th place here just 12 months ago. He led the field alongside J.B. Holmes entering the final round, but a final round of 75 – which was entirely creditable in the circumstances – meant he’d have to settle for a tie for 4th.
Five starts later, he went on to win his second PGA Tour title at the Quicken Loans National, five years after his maiden at the 2012 Phoenix Open.
He’s an established player now, and one that is known for terrific ball striking and long-hitting. After a few weeks off, Stanley finished 13th at Quail Hollow last week to remind us that his game is still in fine shape – perhaps he can go a few spots better than last year this time around.
So who is Keel backing for the top prize at TPC Sawgrass? Head to the next page to find out…
Tom Irwin
Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.
