Appleby and Woods - two to follow. (Getty Images)

By Dave Tindall

Betting Box Tipping Guide

BETTING BOX
FIXED ODDS
	5pts win Tiger Woods at 7/1 (General)	Coming back to his best and legendary mental toughness will come to the fore here.
	1pt e.w. Adam Scott at 50/1 (Blue Square, Paddy Power 1/4 1,2,3,4,5,6)	Superb long iron play could be key on a course with three par fours over 500 yards.
	1pt e.w. Stuart Appleby at 80/1 (Ladbrokes 1/4 1,2,3,4,5)	Good recent USPGA record and looks equipped to cope with this course better than most.
	1pt e.w Carlos Franco at 125/1 (Sporting Odds 1/4 1,2,3,4,5)	First and third in last two starts and excellent iron player. Proven winner.
	1pt e.w. Kenny Perry at 50/1 (General 1/4 1,2,3,4,5)	Has the game to challenge anywhere these days so a first Major title beckons.

The USPGA has always suffered in comparison to its three Major rivals. But this year's renewal could prove one of the most memorable in history thanks to the choice of spectacular Whistling Straits as the host venue.

Set on linksland hugging the coast of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, Whistling Straits is wonderful to look at but devilishly difficult to play.

At 7,514 yards it's the longest layout ever used in Major Championship history. And to achieve such length three of the par fours measure in at over 500 yards.

Designed by Pete Dye with the great links courses of Ireland in mind, it also features deep pot bunkers everywhere, grass-top dunes and undulating greens.

In short, it's a place to sort the men from the boys and that's why the trend for the USPGA offering a winning chance to a wider range of players could be negated this year.

I believe that the second big factor why the lesser lights come to the fore in this event is that many of the big guns are running on empty at this time of year.

After getting themselves up for the US Open and British Open in the last couple of months, the USPGA can be a Major too far. As proof, check out the past records of all the leading lights and see how their USPGA results are a mixed bag compared to the consistent figures achieved in the other three.

There's one man, however, who has deeper mental reserves than just about anyone who's played the game. And that's why his name is already etched twice on the Wanamaker Trophy.

I'm talking, of course, about Tiger Woods and at 7/1 he simply cannot be missed.

Woods has been conspicuous by his absence at the business end of this year's three Majors.

But there were ominous signs that Tiger's game was returning to somewhere near its best at the Buick Open last time when he couldn't quite reel in Vijay Singh and John Daly despite carding a pair of weekend 66s.

Watching that final day, Woods had a certain look in his eye. The look of someone thinking: "I might not beat you this time, but just wait for the PGA."

He looked in control of his swing for the first time in ages and it looked eerily reminiscent of his performances a few years ago when he shot the easiest looking 66s you'd ever see.

A tough test like this will be right up Tiger's street and although so many golfers club it a long way these days, the extreme length of Whistling Straits will surely play into his hands.

If the forecast suggested gale-force gusts, I would lose a little confidence. But the current predictions of moderate winds tell me that Tiger has everything in his armoury to emerge from this test of endurance as the last man standing.

Back Woods to end his losing streak of nine Majors and nudge one closer to Jack's record total of 18.

If anyone deserves to add to his Majors tally this year it's 2004 Masters and Open runner-up Ernie Els.

With the course suiting someone who can hit it miles and thrive in links conditions, everything seems in place for the South African to get his just rewards.

But I tipped him on that basis four years ago when he'd finished runner-up in the first three Majors of 2000. The outcome? Els was mentally spent and limped home in 34th. The conclusion? Golf never owes you one.

Both Woods and Els are massively, massively talented but, in terms of mental strength, Tiger has a definite edge. And that's why I'll always prefer him in this event - especially when their odds are virtually the same.

Phil Mickelson is the joker in the pack this week. Last year you wouldn't have given him any chance, especially on a linksy type course.

But looking back from the Open to the Masters and his Major figures can be shown with a Ted Rogers finger flurry of 3-2-1. So will it be the bin or the car for Mickelson at Whistling Straits?

Having had a less traumatic time than Els - Mickelson's near miss at Troon was more of a bonus than a letdown given his previous Open record - I think the left-hander still has plenty of mental reserves to draw on. Indeed, his only two starts since mid-June have been the two Opens - a sure sign that his schedule is built around the Majors.

It's hard to find a solid reason why Mickelson won't contend again so I guess the only reason I'm going to overlook him is that I can't really back two players at single figures prices.

If you don't like Woods, Mickelson is a good man to carry your money but my preference, on this occasion, is definitely for Tiger.

Big-hitters with good links credentials and mental freshness have to appeal this week so that's why we already have Davis Love on our side at 33/1 (see here for ante-post preview).

If you didn't back him then, he remains a strong tip at 25s.

Love, like Woods, is an excellent long iron player and that could be a crucial factor this week given the length of the course.

The US Tour's Shotlink stats actually have standings for the best players (i.e those who hit it closest to the flag) from 175-200 yards and 200+ yards and they could prove a valuable source.

It's a welcome surprise - given the perception of him hitting it all over the place - that Tiger is second behind David Toms in the former category this season.

But the man who shows up in the top three on both lists doesn't surprise me.

Adam Scott is a superb long-iron player and those skills have helped him capture two US Tour wins this year, including the Players Championship at Sawgrass.

His poor Open record isn't ideal but Scott grew up in windy Queensland and has plenty of experience on the Sandbelt courses in Melbourne.

He's a surefire future Major winner in my book and the days of him going off at 50/1 won't last long. Cash in now by backing him here.

Some in the Aussie press have likened Whistling Straits to the Moonah Links course used for last year's Australian Open.

Peter Lonard won that event and, although I couldn't ever see him holding it together over the last few holes of a Major, there IS a significant name in the list of top finishers on that occasion - Stuart Appleby.

Appleby was tied third going into the final day at Moonah Links before finishing tied 11th - five shots behind Lonard. He was one of just five players to register two rounds in the 60s.

Having reached an Open play-off in his past (Muirfield 2002), Appleby looks ideally suited to cope with the rigours of Whistling Straits.

And, although I'm not convinced it will work out that way this year, he certainly fits the profile of previous USPGA winners - players in their 30s with a bunch of US Tour wins.

Appleby was third for greens in regulation when tied 19th at last week's International at Castle Pines so his long game looks to be in good working order.

Unlike most, his recent USPGA record is very consistent - 23-17-16-4 in the last four years - so it looks like he can still raise his game at the back end of the busy Major season.

If he can hole his share of putts, there is an awful lot to like about Appleby at 80/1.

In theory, the chances of a European winner should increase given the linksy nature of the course but many thought that at Shinneock where the Europeans performed abysmally.

Add in the fact that no European has ever won this event and the desire to lump on Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke decreases further.

I prefer the chances of the strong Rest Of The World contingent and, as well as Scott and Appleby, Vijay Singh, Mike Weir and KJ Choi may all have a part to play.

But on very recent form there is no-one playing as well as Carlos Franco.

The Paraguayan has finished first and third on his last two starts but, despite that, isn't being mentioned anywhere as a potential winner.

It's strange really given that he boasts four US Tour wins in the last five years and also a sixth and a seventh on his first two appearances at Augusta.

He's long off the tee and his seventh place in the Greens In Regulation stats shows he's an excellent iron player too.

Rich Beem won the 2002 USPGA a week after winning the International so why not Franco after his recent win and top three?

Take the 125/1.

As for the Americans, apart from Woods and Love the one I fancy stretching the sequence of home winners to six is Kenny Perry.

The man from Kentucky should have won this in 1996 but lost out to Mark Brooks after bogeying the par five last and then making an even bigger hash of it in the play-off.

There was a time when the thought of Perry winning on a course like this would have been too far-fetched. But his career has definitely been boosted by the advances in technology and it seems he can challenge anywhere these days.

Perry showed when winning three times last year that he's far from flaky when in front so, although he's never come through and won a Major, this could be his time.

The 50/1 is a fair price in an event when many of the big guns aren't always at their best.