The course is a Par-71 and stretches over 7,316 yards. The winner is calculated by stroke play, and Dustin Johnson shot a 2675 over the four days last year to take the event, finishing 9 under par and taking home $1.35 M. The PGA Tour added this event in 2007, as the third stop on the Fed Ex Cup tour.
Let’s take a look at some of the more popular picks. Betting Odds taken from Bodog.
Luke Donald (10/1)
Luke Donald has been in the hunt in all events recently, but has yet to take one down. He’s finished in the top 10 in three of his last four events and grabbed 3rd at the Deutsche Bank Invite. Last year at this event, Donald finished 10th. He is 39th on the tour in driving accuracy and 41st in GIR. Donald was the pick of ESPN’s Farrell Evans.
Adam Scott (14/1)
Adam Scott has really come into his own. He has a win and four top 10 finishes in his last six events. He is a good ball striker and ranks high in the favorites for this week due to his recent play. The problem for Scott will be that this course doesn’t cater to his personal abilities. Long drives aren’t as important as short accurate ones at Cog Hill and Scott will have to curtail his drives.
Dustin Johnson (16/1)
Dustin Johnson is a good pick for this event, given the accuracy of his drives, combined with decent distance. The fact that he is the defending champ also bodes well. If Johnson can get in his groove putting, he could repeat as champ. He led the field in BOTH accuracy and distance at the Duetsche Bank championships; a repeat of that would bode very well for him.
Webb Simpson (18/1)
Webb Simpson is a popular pick for this course given his recent dominance and the fact that this course should suit his skill set well. A victory would represent his third in four starts. While doing so would defy tradition, it may not defy common sense, as Simpson is sure to be among the leaders.
Steve Stricker (18/1)
Stricker has been struggling lately, haivng gone five straight events without a top 10 finish. His driving accuracy and greens in regulation have been weaker than one might expect, at 62nd and 58th for the two respective stats. He’s aging so fatigue is beginning to play a role, but Stricker is due for a solid performance after struggling for a while now.
Nick Watney (25/1)
Watney represents one of the better “long shots” (if 25/1 qualifies for that) in this field. In the 2010 BMW’s, he was 15th or higher in all the accuracy stats. He’s listed at 7th place in the standings which makes Watney an excellent value pick at 25/1 odds.
K.J. Choi (40/1)
Michael Collins of ESPN chose K.J. Choi as the winner of this event. He tied for third last season, shooting three rounds of 69. He is 15th on the Fed Ex Cup rankings, but a win would do great things for Choi’s chances. His patience and tact approaching difficult holes will prove to be vital on this course and at 40/1, you could certainly do a lot worse as far as value piocks go.
Ernie Els (66/1)
Els was the choice of ESPN senior golf writer Bob Harig. Els has had a rough year, but his veteran skills are always worth considering. He is in desperate need of a high finish to advance to the Tour Finish, so expect Els to come out focused on not only finishing high but finally picking up a win. While his heddey may be long over, he is still a capable golfer and seems due for a solid outing.
Jerry Kelly (100/1)
The cold weather of this event may bode well for Jerry Kelly. He didn’t expect to do this well in the Fed Ex Cup, but he’s been trying to relax and just have fun, and the approach has proven successful. He’s 44 years old and is constantly aching, but he is ranked 5th in driving accuracy, which is necessary on a course like this, especially since it was re-designed.
With this solid host of picks, you should feel confident and willing to back up a few picks at Bodog. They offer a 10% bonus and free easy hassle-free payouts. Consider Bodog for all of your PGA betting needs.
Betting Odds on All Golfers 100/1 or better:
