My buddy Andy Bankuti, whom I consider the Guru of Golf Betting, has some forecasts for the 2022-2023 PGA Tour that could yield you money, especially if you like Keegan Bradley (Srixon Z-Star).
If you’ve been following my blogs, you’ll recall a year ago at this time Andy predicted that Scottie Scheffler (Titleist Pro V1) would do well in the 2021-22 PGA Tour season. He liked him so much, he said if there was a prop bet for the player to finish first overall it would be Scottie Too Hottie.
Well, we all know that Dandy Andy was right.
Think about it, Scheffler hadn’t even won a PGA Tour tournament going into the season.
So I suggest you consider taking some shots on Bradley this season. Editor’s note, I’m not a fan of Bradley because he always seems to wear a hat that is too big for his head, which is not to say I think he has a big head.
Bradley is best known for winning the PGA Championship in 2011, the best of his four PGA Tour career victories. He recorded the major in his first major, only the third such player to do it at the time. He was voted Rookie of the Year that season.
He went through some lean years going forward. He last won a tournament in 2017-18, when he topped $4 million in earnings. Inn 2018-19, he exceeded $1.9 million.
Fast forward to last season after years of struggles, he recorded a second, six top-10 finishes and nine top-25 finishes in 25 tournaments, making the cut in 19. He topped $3.6 million in earnings.
“He could be the one that’s going to climb the most this season,” said Andy, who always looks for longshots when he’s making his weekly golf bets. “He’s probably 40 or 50th in the world right now (48th in the Official World Golf Ranking and 54th in the FedEx Cup Ranking). “By the end of the year, he’s top-20 for sure. He might even be in the top-15 or top-10.”
So what did Andy see that gives him the confidence to boldly suggest Bradley is about to make a huge leap forward?
“I think he’s been a lot more comfortable with his putter, I believe,” Andy said. “The intensity in his eyes is back.”
On that note, I would like to declare Bradley’s blue eyes are as striking as the azure water in Greece. Make what you will of that description. I’m fairly confident no one has ever described his eyes as such.
“When the belly putter came into effect I think it through off his game for a couple years and I think he’s finally comfortable with what he’s working with right now,” Andy added. “When he was younger in his career, his putter was on fire. He was a top-10 guy and he fell off the map. I don’t think he’s going to be number one in the world. Scottie is not done yet.”
Andy thinks Rory McIlroy (TaylorMade TP5x) is “on fire. He’s come out into himself.”
So he says Scheffler and McIlroy are expected to be in the top-10.
“Scottie wasn’t expected to be there last year. Now we’re expecting him to be up there along with Will Zalatoris (Titleist Pro V1). I’m looking for the dark horse.”
Andy, who like me is Canadian, likes the Canadian contingent on the PGA Tour, led by Presidents Cup players Corey Conners (Titleist Pro V1) and Taylor Pendrith (TaylorMade TP5). The others include Adam Svensson (Callaway Chrome Soft X), Adam Hadwin (Callaway Chrome Soft X), Mackenzie Hughes (Titleist Pro V1) and Nick Taylor (Titleist Pro V1).
“There’s just so many of them right now and they are all trending in the right direction," he said. "Pendrith is the most exciting to watch right now because he’s got a nice drive. He was there on a Sunday (finishing second in the Rocket Mortgage). He didn’t make it, but it was good experience. Conners has shown to be a top-25 golfer in the world right now and he can snap out a win or two. I think the Canadians will grab between two to five victories this year.”
He likes Max Homa (Titleist Pro V1), who defended his Fortinet Championship last week holing out a birdie from 33-feet away, though 2016 Masters Danny Willett (Callaway Chrome Soft X) blew it three-putting for a bogey from inside four feet.
As an aside, I picked Homa in my Survivor pool last week. I thought he was a lock to not only make the cut but win it. Some people picked Maverick (Top Gun) McNealy (Callaway Chrome Soft X) and officially bowed out in the Survivor pool.
“Homa has been eyeing an international game,” Andy said. “I believe there was an interview with him at the beginning of the 2021-22 season in which he said he wanted to make the Presidents Cup at the end of the year. He had some motivation and now he wants to bring that motivation to the table.”
I wondered about Justin Suh (Titleist Pro V1), the top player last year in the Korn Ferry Tour.
“He was winning on a regular basis, he was doing well,” Andy said.
So there you have it.
If Andy’s picks come through, remember you read it here first.
