BERMUDA: While many of the world’s top players are in Dubai this week for the DP Tour Championship, the PGA Tour makes its yearly stop in breezy Bermuda, where veterans of the Tour’s “island circuit” will compete with the youngsters and various other strivers for the $6 million purse and, more importantly, the opportunity to escape the island circuit and qualify for some of the big money, limited field events in 2026.
One thing that has made this tournament unique over its seven-year history is the type of player who has won here: veteran grinders like Brendon Todd, Brian Gay, Camilo Villegas, and last year’s champion Rafael Campos, a 37-year-old Puerto Rican whose win more than doubled his career PGA Tour earnings, with his only other professional victory coming on the Korn Ferry Tour back in 2019. The success of these crafty old vets in this event can surely be chalked up to the venue, Port Royal Golf Course, a layout tipping out at just 6,828 yards, making distance off the tee largely irrelevant. The holes are basically on top of each other, meaning the fairways are super narrow and the greens are small and knobby, so players who succeed are those who can consistently put the ball in the fairway and get really precise with the wedges and short irons. When the wind gets whipping, as it often does, things can get really tricky out there, and Port Royal usually puts up a pretty good fight, as only once in the past five years has the winner here reached the 20-under mark. It will take smarts, patience, and consistency to get the job done this week. A hot putter won’t hurt, either,
Though names like Rico Hoey (26.0) and Nicolas Echavarria (26.0) sit atop BETDAQ’s Win Market, the real value here feels like it’s a bit further down the board with players whose prices are a bit friendlier. With that in mind, here’s what I’m thinking this week:
WIN MARKET
Recommendations to BACK (odds in parenthesis)
Pierceson Coody (36.0)- The young Coody, grandson of Masters winner Charles and twin brother of fellow Tour player Parker, has been playing the best golf of his career in recent weeks, finding the top-15 in 3 of his past 4 starts, including a T3 at the recent Bank of Utah Championship. Coody is a terrific driver of the ball, ranking 1st on Tour in strokes gained off the tee, and that should serve him well at a tight track like Port Royal, a place where putting it in the fairway is a prerequisite for success. This will be his second trip to Bermuda after last year’s successful debut that saw him break 70 in all four rounds and finish 12th, and he’s well-positioned to improve on that performance. Coody is my pick to win this week and is well worth a bet at a price like 36.0.
Michael Brennan (50.0)- Considering this incredible run of form, this price feels a bit long for Brennan, doesn’t it? Sure, he came back to earth last week… sort of, finishing T59 after posting 11-under over four rounds in Mexico. Not exactly a performance that would make you overly nervous about his form, right? Especially when you know about the streak this guy has been on, racking up three wins in six starts (with two other top-5s) on the lower-rung PGA Tour Americas, and then, ho-hum, keeping it right on going on the big tour, cruising to a win at the Bank of Utah Championship. And while I’m sure he’s going to pinch himself one of these days, wake up and start playing like a mere mortal, I’d be more inclined to think that would happen down the road in some higher-profile situations. Just a hunch, but I don’t think he’ll be intimidated here at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, and he’s got a real shot to win again. A better shot than his price would indicate, anyway…
David Lipsky (80.0)- After a rough stretch in early summer, Lipsky turned it around and has been playing some really good golf over the past three months, making 9 of his last 10 cuts and logging a pair of top-3 finishes in that stretch. He’s not particularly long off the tee, ranking 160th on Tour in driving distance this season after averaging just over 294 yards per drive, but that’s not a hindrance at Port Royal, a course where distance matters less than perhaps any track on the schedule. That may be why Lipsky has always played well here, finishing 9th last year and 13th in 2023. He’s a good bet to put himself in contention once again, and if his putter heats up he could walk away with the trophy, making him a nice value at nearly 80/1.
