Back English glory as Ladbrokes go six places for BMW PGA C’ship

The Players Championship may be heralded as the unofficial fifth golf major, but outside the certified big four it doesn’t come any more prestigious than the European Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

To celebrate, Ladbrokes are giving punters ample opportunity to profit by paying out six places each-way on the stellar field due to turn out once again at the exclusive Surrey club.

After former world number one Martin Kaymer ended a two-year winning drought in dramatic fashion at TPC Sawgrass, the German is back among the market principles at 20/1.

However, he’s since followed that up with 29th at the Byron Nelson and outside of his unexpected Players triumph he’s only made one other top-10 this season, making Kaymer too erratic to back with any confidence.

Instead, as recent history of this event denotes, money looks to be far better spent on the top class English contingent of Lee Westwood (12/1), Luke Donald (14/1) and Justin Rose, also at 14s.

Donald’s back-to-back BMW wins in 2011 and ’12 completed a streak of four consecutive English victors, to follow on from Paul Casey and Simon Khan’s previous triumphs.

Although Donald’s career trajectory has stuttered since those landmark victories, writing off a man with such an affinity for this course, and has finished 2-1-1 in the last four editions, would be foolish.

Moreover, Khan’s runner-up finish to Italian Matteo Manassero after a three-way play-off last year, renders his 150/1 price an awesome one, despite a troubled season on the European Tour so far.

But it’s Westwood and Rose’s current and course form which makes the duo stand out in 2014.

Both men have finished runners-up here twice and once each in the last three years, where Westwood lost out to Donald in a first-hole play-off after tying at six-under par in 2012.

Although he so often falls short of the winning post, Westy is a an e/w backers dream at big events and has posted a seventh at Augusta and a sixth at The Players en-route to Wentworth.

Meanwhile, Rose’s last three finishes read 8-5-4 as he makes his way back to English shores after lighting up the PGA Tour stateside.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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