The Bermuda Championship will make its debut on the PGA Tour this week as an alternate-field event to the WGC HSBC Champions, and it will take place at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton. Playing alongside a WGC event we don’t have many big-name players in the field, which is a good thing for the golfers and for those wagering on the tournament. Houston Open winner Lanto Griffin opened as the betting favorite at offshore sportsbooks with odds of +1400. That alone tells us that oddsmakers are throwing their hands up and shrugging with an I-don’t-know look. There are a lot of unknowns this week but I’ll try and supply some clarity. Be sure to visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win Bermuda Championship at BookMaker.eu
Lanto Griffin +1400
Alex Noren +1400
Denny McCarthy +1500
Scottie Scheffler +1600
Aaron Wise +1600
Beau Hossler +1800
Russell Knox +2200
Sam Ryder +2500
Mark Hubbard +2800
Brian Stuard +2800
Doc Redman +3000
Scott Harrington +3500
Sepp Straka +3500
Brian Gay +3500
Cameron Percy +3500
Robby Shelton +4000
Zac Blair +4000
Branden Grace +4000
Robert Streb +4500
Kramer Hickok +4500
Fabian Gomez +5000
Ryan Armour +5000
Maverick McNealy +5000
Peter Uihlein +5000
Patrick Rodgers +5500
Scott Stallings +5500
Roger Sloan +5500
Harry Higgs +5500
Dominic Bozzelli +6600
Kristoffer Ventura +6600
Kyoung-Hoon Lee +6600
David Hearn +6600
Joseph Bramlett +7000
Shawn Stefani +7000
Roberto Castro +7000
Anirban Lahiri +7500
Rob Oppenheim +8000
Henrik Norlander +8000
Doug Ghim +8000
Cameron Davis +8000
Hank Lebioda +9000
Johnson Wagner +9000
Ollie Schniederjans +9000
Rafael Campos +10000
Tyler McCumber +10000
Wes Roach +10000
Zack Sucher +10000
Bo Hoag +10000
Brendon Todd +10000
Odds Analysis
Lanto Griffin +1400
I backed Griffin in another lower-level event and he came through for me by claiming the Houston Open title. He hasn’t played since that win and there’s a chance that his torrid form cools a bit, but the field is to his liking and why not go back to him? He’s finished among the top-20 in each of his five starts this season, though he cracked the top-10 for the first time in Texas. Still, he’s been consistent and he’s loaded with confidence as he returns to the course.
Scottie Scheffler +1600
Throwing down on Scheffler is a no-brainer, but it does come with some trepidation. One thing that scares me about his chances is the length of Port Royal. In a small sample size over the Korn Ferry and PGA Tours, Scheffler hasn’t performed as well on shorter tracks because they neutralize one of his strengths, which is hitting for distance. He is 4 for 4 this season with a T7 at Greenbrier, and if he can avoid that one stinker round he should be a solid pick.
Branden Grace +4000
Just the opposite of Scheffler, Grace has thrived on the shorter courses making this a good spot for him to break out of his funk. He’s offered at these odds for reason, and that’s because he hasn’t finished inside the top-25 in a stroke-play event since a runner-up at the Phoenix Open in February. That’s a long time ago. Throw in the distance and Grace’s fondness for Bermuda grass and I’ll take a chance on him at these odds for a breakthrough in a watered-down field.
Denny McCarthy +1500
An event like this really opens things up and McCarthy enters on a nice little run that could propel him to the top of the leaderboard. He comes in off a pair of T9s at the Houston Open and the Shriners, and he’s one player who could take advantage of the lesser field of players. And if he plays like did in those last two events I like his chances.
Rafael Campos +10000
This is a major longshot, but this is the type of tournament where you could expect someone from down the odds board to rise up. So, why Campos you ask? Well, he plays especially well in this part of the world with results to back it up. He won in the Bahamas on the Korn Ferry Tour, has a T2 in Panama and a third in Exuma. Oh, and he also crushes the Puerto Rico Open. I know, that doesn’t always translate, but when you look for an edge you gotta lean on something.
Course: Port Royal Golf Course – 6,842 yards, Par 71
A short 6,842 yards at par 71, Port Royal is best known for hosting the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 2009-2014. Prior to hosting, the track underwent a $14.5 million renovation. Given the distance we’re not going to see a lot of drivers this week. Port Royal can be tamed with pinpoint accuracy. There are eight par-4s that all play under 415 yards, so expect a lot of wedgies. There are hazards out there to offset the lack of distance. Every hole has at least one strategically placed bunker to stay clear of and several have multiple sand traps. Water is present on four holes that could alter a few tee shots. And finally, the coastal location is subject to wind gusts that will be a factor.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
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