Steve Palmer's Senior PGA Championship predictions & free golf betting tips: Richard Bland ready to make immediate impact

When to bet on the Senior PGA Championship

By 12pm on Thursday

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Steve Palmer's Senior PGA Championship predictions

Richard Bland
3.5pts each-way 7-1 general

Brian Gay
1pt each-way 50-1 general

New AK BETS customers can claim up to £50 in free bets if their player misses the cut in the Senior PGA Championship

Steve Palmer's Senior PGA Championship preview

The second Champions Tour Major of the season starts on Thursday and the energy levels of Steve Stricker will be under discussion. The undisputed top dog of the circuit was complaining of tiredness in the wake of the Regions Tradition last time out.

Stricker's record at the Regions Tradition venue is incredible – and he was expected to win a third consecutive Traditions the week before last – but the 57-year-old went birdie-free in the third round and eventually finished in third place.

Stricker was due to play in the US PGA the following week, but withdrew, claiming he did not have the strength to tackle Valhalla. The winner of seven senior Majors left the Regions Tradition jaded and downbeat, so the favourite can be opposed as he bids to win at Harbor Shores for the first time.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Richard Bland 7-1

A 51-year-old Englishman making his Champions Tour debut will feel he has the potential to boss the event. Richard Bland is taking advantage of a gap on the LIV Golf schedule to try to pinch a senior Major – and he appears to have every chance of success.

Bland has been playing some rock-solid golf on the LIV circuit, finishing in the top half of the field in six of the seven LIV events this year, including eighth place in Hong Kong. The Southampton-based veteran has banked more than $10m since joining LIV in 2022.

The 2021 British Masters champion still has plenty of game and has been mixing it with the likes of Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and others on an increasingly strong LIV tour. This significant downgrade to the Champions Tour makes him a fascinating runner.

With Steven Alker missing the Senior PGA, and Padraig Harrington struggling to find his A-game, the stage could be set for a smash-and-grab raid from Bland.

Next best bet

Brian Gay 50-1

This week's venue looks a serious test of short-game skills – Jack Nicklaus created some hugely undulating greens when he designed this course – and Brian Gay will relish the challenge more than most.

Gay, a five-time PGA Tour champion, finished eighth in the 2022 Senior PGA at this week's layout. The 52-year-old has been in solid form on the roundbellies circuit and is an attractive each-way investment.

Course guide for the Senior PGA Championship

• Course The Golf Club at Harbor Shores Resort, Benton Harbour, Michigan, USA
• Prize money $3.5m ($630,000 to the winner)
• Length 7,096 yards
• Par 71
• Field 156 The cut Top 70 and ties qualify for round three
• Course winners taking part Roger Chapman, Colin Montgomerie, Paul Broadhurst
• When to bet By 12pm on Thursday
• Time difference Michigan is five hours behind the UK and Ireland
• Course overview The Jack Nicklaus-designed Golf Club at Harbor Shores will host the event for the sixth time in the space of 12 years. The 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2022 Senior PGAs were there
• Story of last year Steve Stricker defeated Padraig Harrington in a playoff at Fields Ranch
• Weather forecast Sunny and calm throughout, temperatures peaking at 24C
• Type of player suited to the challenge This fiddly assignment on the shores of Lake Michigan has lots of water in play, but is fairly straightforward for professionals. The fast, undulating greens are its main defence, so side with those who have a strong short-game

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