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Virtual Insanity! John Duggan's golf tips for the BMW PGA Championship

Welcome to Virtual Insanity, where we spend virtual money to try and win virtual money on golf be...



Virtual Insanity! John Duggan'...
Golf

Virtual Insanity! John Duggan's golf tips for the BMW PGA Championship

Welcome to Virtual Insanity, where we spend virtual money to try and win virtual money on golf betting. It's that simple!

The pot is at €697 entering this week's first tournament of focus, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

This is the flagship event on the European Tour, played at the headquarters of the Tour in Surrey.

Shane Lowry has a great record here and will play, along with Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell.

The tournament begins at 7.35am on Thursday and I have made a quartet of picks.

Be sure to shop around, with bookmakers such as Paddy Power, Betfair, SKY Bet, and Boylesports offering 1/5 the odds for your pick to get into the top 8.

Normally I would be all over Lowry, but he's been changing clubs and is out of form. Reluctantly, I am going to pass him over.

Our headline selection is Erik Van Rooyen for €4 each way at 22/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places). 

South African Van Rooyen is inside the world's top 50 and he's going to right way entering this tournament. A 65 in the final round of last week's Scottish Open gave him a tie for sixth place. Eight top tens on the European Tour last year included a win at the Scandinavian Invitation and he's performed well at both the US PGA Championship and WGC Mexico Championship, big dog events. At Wentworth a year ago, he ended in a tie for 14th place, which followed a tie for 20th the previous annum. Van Rooyen is one of the longer hitters and his putting statistics have improved. In form, and with a liking for the course, he represents a solid each way bet IMHO.

Our second selection is Thomas Pieters for €2 each way at 28/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places). 

Natural talent is everything in golf, and Belgian Pieters has bags of it. The monster hitter has been quiet on the circuit since that period around 2016/7 when he made the Ryder Cup team, starred in it as a rookie, and then finished 4th at the Masters. Pieters has shown glimpses of form lately, finishing in a tie for third at the Celtic Classic in August before carding a 66 in the first round of the US Open. His challenge at Winged Foot faded and he missed the cut at last week's Scottish Open, but he has posted a top 15 at the BMW PGA Championship before and won the Czech Masters last year, so the ability is there. Pieters has an advantage on the par 5's, of which there are four at Wentworth. He has the X Factor to just go out and win.

Our third selection is Joost Luiten for €2 each way at 50/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places). 

One needs to be accurate off the tee at Wentworth, and Dutchman Luiten is one of the straighter hitters on the circuit. Six times a winner on the European Tour, Luiten opened with a 63 and closed with a 68 at the Scottish Open last week, enough for a top 20. This followed a tie for 11th at the Irish Open, so his game is in pretty good nick. Luiten has posted two top 15's at the BMW PGA Championship in the past and is a steady option to contend.

Our final selection this week is Dean Burmester for €2 each way at 100/1. (1/5 the odds the first 8 places). 

Burmster showed up for a long way at the Irish Open before a final round of 75 derailed his chances. He has posted top 10's at the Dubai Desert Classic and English Championship this year. In 2018 he was tied 12th at the PGA Championship and in 2017 he ended in a tie for ninth, so he has displayed an fondness for Wentworth. One of the longest hitters in the field, and a streaky putter, he could prove a value outsider at decent odds.

So that's €20 wagered on this week's BMW Championship.

Gamble responsibly, never bet more than you can afford, and good luck!

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