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First introduced to the PGA Tour 12 months ago the Bermuda Championship returns with something of a post-lockdown coup – fans. Don’t expect the roars and cheers of a Ryder Cup, or even a regular tour event, however because their numbers, which even in normal times on this tax haven were low and liable to favour the hospitality units, are going to be limited. And whilst this is not an opposite event this year (no WGC HSBC Champions) it does have the nature of it, with the circuit’s top players having competed the last two weeks and in need of rest ahead of next month’s Masters; so a few of them might well be in Bermuda this week, but only in their properties, not in the field. The Port Royal test is a Robert Trent Jones Sr design which plays to a yardage of just 6,828 and a par of 71; there is (local!) Bermuda grass on the greens and down the fairways also. It was notable in the first edition that driver is largely taken out of play with big-hitting Aaron Wise, who finished in the top ten, admitting to hitting two 7-irons on one par-4 and concluding: “It’s not a bomber’s course.” The fact that Brendon Todd won and Brian Gay was part of a four-way tie for third backs up that notion and, of course, those two players also call to mind El Camaleon in Mexico – Gay is a past winner there and Todd was triumphant in the Mayakoba Classic in his next start after victory here. Gay felt that the hilliness of the course resembled Plantation whilst Boo Weekley referenced Harbour Town which is flat, but shares the same grass and susceptibility to ocean breezes. Angles to consider 1/ Putting Brendon Todd is an acknowledged dead-eye with the flat stick and both he and solo second placed Harry Higgs ranked third for Putts per Round (there were no Strokes Gained numbers collected). Gay and Hank Lebioda, both in the tie for third, also ranked top ten in this category and all four were top 12 for Putt Average. 2/ Going Low Todd carded an 8-under-par 63 in the second round and a final lap 62 to confirm his four-shot victory. Between them, the top ten finishers signed for 38 sub-70 scores and they all broke par in every round. They may not need to go quite so low, because the forecast is more blustery weather than last year, but the course is vulnerable to low tallies. 3/ Windy Central America/Caribbean form As noted, winner Todd and Gay are past winners at El Camaleon. We have less to go on with second placed Higgs, but he does have a second place in Jamaica on the Korn Ferry Tour in his record book. Fabian Gomez (solo seventh last year) is superb in this part of the world, Ryan Armour (T8th) is a past winner in Panama and Wes Roach (also T8th) a winner in Mexico.
Selections The above angles have been used to create a shortlist from which the following players are selected. Pat Perez Kicked off the season with a promising T9th-T21st (the latter in the Caribbean) before missing two cuts. The first I’ll take as over-high expectation and the second wasn’t a disaster (68-69). Now he faces a potentially well-suited test because he’s a past winner at El Camaleon (and actually has another four top 20s there, including two top tens in his most recent visits). A solid 30th in the field for Putt Average. He’s a three-time PGA Tour winner who he carded a 61 in the first, a 62 in the second and a 64 in the third. Denny McCarthy Finished T15th in this event last year when he scrambled and putted nicely. The putter ranks him seventh in the field and he has been top ten in his last two starts, including when T6th in the Sandersons Farms Championship. His first top five at this level was T4th in the Dominican Republic last year and at the end of that season he won the KFT Tour Championship at the gusty Atlantic Beach CC in Florida. Also has a top ten at Sea Island. Wyndham Clark Came close to breaking his PGA Tour win duck last time out in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, lying third after 54 holes before finishing T13th. But a repeat of his middle rounds of 63-65 would be a help this week and he’s also carded a 61 at TPC Scottsdale so is unafraid to go pin-hunting. He’s finished T7th and T11th at the windy PGA National, whilst T10th at Coco Beach and T4th in the Bahamas on the KFT read well. Eighth in the field for Putt Average.
Tips: 2-1; +15.80pts 1pt e.w. Pat Perez at 45/1 (William Hill, Paddy Power, BF Sportsbook 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) wd 1pt e.w. Denny McCarthy at 33/1 (William Hill 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) 4th 1pt e.w. Wyndham Clark at 66/1 (William Hill, Paddy Power, BF Sportsbook 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) 2nd
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