2013 PGA Deutsche Bank Championship
Friday, August 30, – Monday, September 2, 2013, TV: Golf Channel, NBC
TPC Boston – Norton, Massachusetts
7,216 yards – par 71
Defending Champion: Rory McIlroy
All Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

After last week’s thrilling finish at the Barclays, the second leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs moves to Boston with the only Friday start of the season. The tournament will finish on Labor Day Monday instead of the normal Sunday.

Unlike Liberty National which hosted the Barclays, the TPC Boston is a relatively easy course. It ranked as the 4th easiest par 4 course on tour last year. Twice in the tournament’s 10 year history has the winning score reached 22 under par  Golfers need to take advantage of this because a par will feel like a bogey at some holes. The course does reward great putting and the short game. Weather should not be an issue with sunny dry conditions expected throughout the weekend and maybe some light winds.

Here is a look at some of the contenders and their odds along with some head-to-head match-ups with odds courtesy of Bookmaker.

Tiger Woods (+680)

Tiger tied for second last week at the Barclays and missed a long putt on 18 that would have forced a playoff with winner Adam Scott. Woods still leads the FedEx Standings by 162 points over Scott. Tiger has 5 wins and 3 other top 10’s including at the Masters and Open Championship. He loves the Deutsche Bank and has a win in 2006, two seconds, and a third in his career at TPC Boston. He is battling a back injury that requires treatment every day. He collapsed in agony on the 13th hole in Sunday’s final round at the Barclays. Still, it is hard to pick against Tiger on this course, where he should be at least in contention. Bookmaker doesn’t have Tiger in any match-ups because of his back injury.

Adam Scott (+1015)

Scott came from behind last week at the Barclays shooting -8 over the final 24 holes. He was actually in the ninth to last pairing and shot a 66 in the final round. Scott was able to hold off a field littered with the best golfers in the world, including Woods, Justin Rose, and Phil Mickelson. Scott moved from 11th to second in the FedEx Cup Standings with the win. He won the Masters, and also had top 5’s at the British Open and PGA Championships. Scott won this event in the 2003, the first year it was held, and has 4 top 10’s since then. He should at least contend again this week. I like Scott at -165 to beat Mickelson. Scott will be paired with Woods and Mickelson in the first two rounds in a group that features the top 3 ranked golfers in the world.

Phil Mickelson (25/2)

Mickelson tied for sixth at the Barclays last week. He shot a 65 in the final round.  Mickelson is third in the FedEx standings  but well behind Woods and Scott. Mickelson has 2 wins, 2 runner-ups, and 2 thirds in 18 events. He won the Open Championship and came in second at the U.S. Open. Mickelson won here in 2007, and has two other top 10’s including a tie for fourth here last year. A top 10 seems likely for Phil this week.

Rory McIlroy (61/4)

McIlroy has struggled all season, with no wins and only 5 top 10’s. He did get a top 10 at the PGA Championship his first in a major this year. McIlroy is seeded 36th in the FedEx Standings and faces an uphill climb. He is in the top 25 on tour in adjusted scoring, the all-around, and par breakers. McIlroy had a top 20 finish despite only one round under par last week. McIlroy won this event last year, but a repeat seems unlikely. McIlroy is even money to beat Justin Rose.

Justin Rose (37/2)

Rose tied for second at the Barclays to move from 7th to 5th in the FedEx Cup Standings. Rose won the US Open and has 5 other top 10’s this season. Rose has never won here, and missed the cut last year. I do like Rose at -120 to beat McIlRoy though.

Jason Day (49/2)

Day is 16th in the FedEx Standings with 6 top 10’s, including at the Masters, US Open, and PGA Championship. He finished third at the Masters and tied for second at the US Open. He has made 22 straight cuts, and finished tied for 25th at the Barclays last week after shooting an opening round 66. He has made 5 straight cuts at TPC Boston and has top 3 finishes the last two years here. I like Day at -105 to beat Matt Kuchar.

Henrik Stenson (51/2)

Stenson saw a string of 4 straight top 3 finishes, including a second at the Open Championship and a third in the PGA Championship, come to an end with his tie for 43rd last week. He dropped from 9th to 13th in the FedEx Cup Standings. Stenson has never won here, and didn’t qualify last year. I don’t see him contending this week. He is -130 to beat Zach Johnson, but I like Johnson in that match-up.

Jim Furyk (51/2)

Furyk jumped from 23rd to 14th in the standings with his 4th straight top ten finish last week at the Barclays. He was the runner up at the PGA Championship all by himself. Furyk has never missed a cut at TPC Boston and has 5 top 15’s. Furyk is -135 to beat Brandt Snedeker, and I like Furyk in that match-up.

Webb Simpson (53/2)

Simpson is 18th in the FedEx standings. with 4 top 10’s and 13 top 25’s. He tied for 15th at the Barclays. He was two strokes off the lead the halfway point last week. Simpson won here in 2011, and could do so again. He tied for 18th here last year. I like Simpson at -112 to beat Dustin Johnson.

Brandt Snedeker (57/2)

Snedeker, the defending FedEx Cup champion, is currently sixth in this year’s standings with 2 wins at Pebble Beach and at the Canadian Open. He also has 8 top 10’s. He had a top 10 at the Masters and top 20’s at the US and British Opens. He tied for 66th at the PGA and missed the cut at the Barclays last week, his sixth missed cut of the year. His chances of repeating took a serious hit with the missed cut. He could surprise but I don’t see a turnaround this week.

Other contenders and their odds include: Steve Stricker (30/1), Dustin Johnson (61/2), Zach Johnson (65/2), Keegan Bradley and Matt Kuchar ( both 67/2), Jason Dufner and Bubba Watson (both 71/2), Charl Schwartzel (78/2), Jordan Spieth, Lee Westwood and Hunte Mahan (all 81/2)  and the field is +375.

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