Bozos Pick Brooks to Repeat in PGA at Bethpage Black

Sportsbozos pick to win the PGA and to repeat for the first time since Tiger in 2006-2007 is Brooks Koepka. At 10-1 odds, it is not the greatest value pick (150 in the field) but we love having the reigning PGA and US Open Champ in our corner. In fact Brooks has won the past two US Opens. He also finished 2nd to Tiger in last month’s dramatic Masters, losing by just a stroke after suffering a double on the par 3 12th hole. Let’s face it, Tiger was not going to be beat that fantastic and memorable day.

Florida bred Brooks, from West Palm, living in Jupiter, shot 20 under last week in Texas and was (-16) in New Orleans the past two weeks while Tiger rested. Tiger has not played since his Masters win. As one of Brooks’ main competitors, we have to feel Tiger off a layoff will be rusty. Koepka matriculated at Cardinal Newman where this Bozo cheered on the little Bozette in many a High School Girls Basketball game.

We all know Brooks peaks in the Majors. Bethpage Black is brutally long and Koepka has the length to match the best drivers out there. The fairways and greens will be soft so length is a must. Holding the greens and putting will suit Koepka’s style and ya gotta believe he’ll be on the front page of the leaderboard come Sunday afternoon. Recent high quality form points to him.

Besides Tiger, stiff challenges will come from #2 Justin Rose, #4 Rory McIlroy, and #1 Dustin Johnson. All of these guys plus Molinari, Fowler, Rahm and Day could pose a legitimate threat but we like Brooks’ consistency and ability to rise to the Major event challenge.

The Head Bozo played the brutal Bethpage Black way back in the day. Travelling to the course at 4 AM and praying for a tee time hours later was a real joy in order to take 150 shots and six hours to plod through a hungover round. I had just started playing and this round made me question any future attempts to actually want to continue to try to learn golf. It’s certainly an ego buster even for single digit handicappers. Damn trees and hills everywhere, side hill lies, jeez, I didn’t know if I was playing golf with Mr. Harper or a mountain goat. With the recent and expected rain, this course is going to be a beast!

Other predictions/ wagers we like:

Fan favorite Rickie Fowler to finish in the top 5 at 4-1 seems like good value. Rickie is hot, he shot (-10) at the Masters, was 2nd in the Honda and won the Waste Management in Phoenix this year. He’s long off the tee and tied for 5th in last year’s PGA. We think he’s due for a run at the Wanamaker trophy.

Mickelson to crack the top 10 at 6-1. New Yorkers love Phil and he is fired up to play Bethpage. Baba Booey! He’s still long even at 48. He won the PGA in 2005 and won at Pebble in February.

St. John’s grad Keegan Bradley used to LIRR out to Bethpage in his college years to play early mornings, so we’re giving him a shot to finish in the top 20 at 5-1.

Watch the PGA on TNT Thursday and Friday afternoons
CBS over the weekend.

-HB