Tuesday 8 August 2017 14:08, UK
The final major of the season tends to feel a little more like a standard PGA Tour event, and that's especially the case this week as Quail Hollow plays host to the PGA Championship.
This tree-lined track has been a staple of the Tour for several years now and was the scene of Rory McIlroy's breakthrough in 2010, so it's no surprise the four-time major champion heads the betting after an encouraging few weeks.
McIlroy has a huge chance here and the same goes for Grand Slam-chasing Jordan Spieth, but both are much shorter than they were for the Open a month ago and perhaps the value has now gone from their prices.
That isn't the case with Branden Grace, quoted at as big as 80/1 in places despite now being a regular major contender.
Indeed, Grace wrote his name in the history books just last month with that stunning 62 at Birkdale en route to a share of sixth, the fifth time he's hit the payout places in majors since the start of 2015.
Unlike some, he has no competitive experience of Quail Hollow but the same has been true ahead of all his best major performances and this classy South African can step up once more.
Justin Rose would've been interesting but for some tinkering with his swing, so namesake Justin Thomas gets the vote instead.
Here's a player who has three wins this season yet has drifted out of the limelight slightly, as Hideki Matsuyama, McIlroy and Spieth dominate it once more.
However, Thomas showed some really encouraging signs last week, he's been seventh at this course before, and just two months have passed since he started the final round of the US Open as favourite.
He could go well and so too could Kevin Chappell, who was third in his first major start some six years ago and has finally started to build on that lately.
The Californian won his first PGA Tour title at the Valero Texas Open earlier this year and has held his form since, contending in Canada before a solid top-15 finish at Firestone last week.
Runner-up there was Zach Johnson and he looks overpriced at a course he knows well.
Sure, heavy rain in the forecast and the prospect of a very long golf course might not look ideal, but in-form Johnson has been defying expectations his entire career and could do so again.
If it does turn into a bomber's paradise, having Gary Woodland on-side might make some sense and this big-hitter, fourth two starts ago, completes a speculative staking plan.
