Padraig Harrington can edge his three-ball for the second day running, while it's worth chancing a young European at a nice price.
Golf betting tips: PGA Championship three-balls
2pts Harrington to beat Walker and Kisner at 13/8 (Sky Bet)
2pts Schauffele to beat Johnson and Hatton at 11/8 (BoyleSports, Sky Bet)
1pt Hojgaard to beat Varner and Stallings at 23/10 (Sky Bet)
0.5pt double Harrington and Hojgaard at 7.66/1
Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook
Side with Harrington
I'm really keen to oppose Kevin Kisner this evening, which I'd considered on Thursday only to find Jimmy Walker and PADRAIG HARRINGTON (1842) difficult to split.
Kisner is in dismal form. So bad was his long-game on Thursday that even a really good day with the putter couldn't spare him from a five-over 75. For a while now he's been crooked off the tee and he's never been long, so another tough day lies ahead.
Walker's recent improvement was the reason I couldn't quite bring myself to side with Harrington in round one, but the Irishman edged the three-ball and, with confirmation of Kisner's woes, I felt 13/8 with Sky Bet and 6/4 generally was bigger than Harrington ought to be.
Walker definitely still has a big number in him whereas to my eye Harrington looks on top of all aspects of his game at the moment. He can shoot something around the 72 mark or better and I'd expect that to do the job.
Finally, I'm happy to take a chance with NICOLAI HOJGAARD (1803), who is upwards of 2/1 to beat Harold Varner and Scott Stallings.
Varner justified favouritism over the first 18 holes thanks to something close to a career-best short-game day. That's not usually a strength and, as with Johnson, better ball-striking will be needed in round two.
It's possible, but Oak Hill definitely leant a big advantage to big drivers so it has to be worth taking the biggest of this trio, Hojgaard, who played reasonably bar a big mistake when laying-up at the seventh hole.
Scott Stallings holed out for eagle at his first hole but was six-over and birdie-free for the following 17, so while Varner is the most likely winner of this group, Hojgaard has the scope to outmuscle him.
Day two scene-setter
A morning frost delay means the first round of the PGA Championship is some way from being completed, with Honda Classic runner-up Eric Cole both atop the leaderboard and with holes to play – note avoidance of the phrase 'holes in hand'.
Cole returns to face the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth, a group of difficult par-fours which combined to average +1.5 strokes over par on Thursday, and that's why clubhouse leader Bryson DeChambeau is just 6/5 to land the first-round lead with bet365.
Cole is in the middle of the sixth fairway at least and some may be tempted to take 4/6 that he navigates these four holes in level par, knowing they'd get 83% of their stake back were he to play them in one-over and tie with DeChambeau. Much may depend on whether he gets to play them in warmer conditions or whether play begins as scheduled.
Having been so impressed with Cole at the Honda, I've been eager to see him back in the mix, but he's seventh or eighth in the betting for a major championship having played just 14 of 72 holes and there's absolutely no desire to go backing a player who was available at the maximum exchange price 24 hours ago.
The outright market is as you'd expect and if there's a bet I'd suggest it might be as simple as Scottie Scheffler at 11/4, but rather than go down that road I'll instead just take on Dustin Johnson in his three-ball.
Johnson is riding the crest of a wave following last week's LIV Golf win and, rewind the clock perhaps 18 months, he'd be your favourite having matched Scheffler's score from an afternoon tee-time.
However, he did it all with his short-game, gaining six strokes on and around the greens, around twice as many as Scheffler. Putter was key to his Tulsa victory on the LIV circuit but it seems ambitious to believe it can carry him for a further 54 holes here, so his approach play, which has been average for a sustained period, is going to have to improve.
It might but I'm happy to take him on with XANDER SCHAUFFELE (1322 BST), who was four-over through three holes and did very well to shoot two-over in the end.
Schauffele was outshone by Johnson but was the better ball-striker and while undoubtedly furious with himself for a clumsy start under what were not bad conditions by any means, he must surely have taken great heart from the way he fought back.
It's a long road to get into the tournament from where he is even now, but at the very least I expect him to continue to play as he did for the final 15 holes. Do that, and any regression in Johnson's short-game should have us in business.
This is a three-ball, of course, but Tyrrell Hatton shot 77 and will find it difficult again off the tee. Anything like a slow start and all hope of making the cut may quickly fade.
Posted at 1000 BST on 19/05/23
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