Greenbrier Classic Tips

Previews and pre-event analysis from Golf Betting System's PGA Tour and European Tour coverage

Betting Preview - 2014 Greenbrier Classic

To read Steve Bamford's Greenbrier Classic Tips for 2014 click here. Follow Steve on twitter: @bamfordgolf

The Greenbrier Classic is a relatively new addition to the PGA Tour. Established in 2010, the tournament took over the slot vacated by the Buick Open and now sits firmly in the schedule between Tiger's National tournament and the John Deere Classic. The tournament is hosted at The Old White TPC in White Sulphur Springs resort in West Virginia. With the shortest winner priced at 80/1 in the history of the tournament shock winners consistently deliver, be they grizzled veterans or Tour rookies. Read Steve Bamford's Greenbrier Classic tips for 2014 click here.

Tournament Facts & Scheduling

Motivating goals at the Greenbrier Classic are two-fold. Where elite players don't tend to like the 'small scale' feel of the event (it hardly motivates) the games lesser lights are fighting for important targets. 2014 sees the start of the Open Qualifying Series, where 4 players, who have not already qualified and who finish in the top 12 at Old White TPC, will secure places in The Open Championship. However PGA Tour survival will be the main goal of a vast number in the field as gaining an all important FedEx Cup Top 125 position becomes increasingly more transfixing. 4 domestic tournaments after the Greenbrier are all that remain for players to earn/retain full playing privileges; namely the John Deere Classic, the RBC Canadian Open, the Reno-Tahoe Open and the Wyndham Championship.

Greenbrier Classic Course Details

The Old White TPC, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Designer: MacDonald/Raynor 1914, with PGA Tour Design renovation 2010/11; Course Type: Classical Par: 70 Length: 7,287 yards Bunkers: 72 Fairways: Bentgrass with Poa Annua Rough: Kentucky Bluegrass: 7,000 sq.ft average featuring Bentgrass Stimpmeter: 10.5ft Scoring Avg 2012: 69.78 Ranked 27 of 49 courses for difficulty on the 2012 PGA Tour 2013: 69.97 Ranked 25 of 43 courses in 2013 for difficulty.

Previous Champions: 2013: Jonas Blixt; 2012: Ted Potter Jnr.; 2011: Scott Stallings; 2010: Stuart Appleby. 2013: -13/267; 2012: -16/264; 2011: -10/270; 2010: -22/258

Winners Prices: 2013: Blixt - 125/1 2012: Potter Jnr. - 500/1 2011: Stallings - 175/1 2010: Appleby - 80/1

Pre-Tournament Key Summary

What can you say about the Greenbrier Classic apart from 'shocks galore.' Listen to many an interview from the PGA Tour's newest tournament and you'll notice players noting that the week has a 'small scale' atmosphere; and that it feels far more like a web.com Tour event. So it doesn't overly surprise that recent leaderboards feature Blixt, Bowditch, Potter Jnr., Todd Kelly (whatever happened to him) and Scott Stallings.

Old White TPC is a classical test of golf that's played within a National Park in the Alleghany Mountain range. The course is located at 1,800 feet above sea level and that means that the golf ball flies further. The course has received a couple of PGA Tour Design alterations since Stuart Appleby shot a closing 59 to win at -22/258 back in the tournament's inaugural year of 2010, so the course is scorable but more challenging.

What is clear though is that a stunning week on the Bentgrass greens is required to get the job done here. Time to search out some value selections!

Below we track the results of Golf Betting System PGA Tour tipster Steve Bamford who has been producing weekly tips since 2009. You can also follow him on Twitter @bamfordgolf.

2013

• Webb Simpson 2pt EW 16/1 RESULT: T41
• Scott Piercy 1pt EW 45/1 RESULT: MC
• Kyle Stanley 1pt EW 50/1RESULT: MC
• Morgan Hoffman 1pt EW 80/1 RESULT: T23
• Luke Guthrie 1pt EW 125/1 RESULT: MC

2012

• Steve Stricker 2pt EW 25/1 RESULT: T22
• Jim Furyk 1.5pt EW 25/1 RESULT: MC
• Cameron Tringale 1pt EW 55/1 RESULT: T56
• Charley Hoffman 1pt EW 66/1 RESULT: T67
• Charley Wi 0.5pt EW 110/1 RESULT: T3