BMW PGA Championship Tips: Three-ball bets for day one at Wentworth

Poulter knows how to play Wentworth

The European Tour returns to HQ for the BMW PGA Championship - Dan Geraghty makes a quartet of picks from the first day three-balls

Ian Poulter was disgusted with his performance at last week's Matchplay, where he exited at the first hurdle. However, he is as strong as they come mentally and stated he'll get over it by winning this week. Although outright victory might be a little ambitious, winning his three-ball on day one should be attainable. The Englishman is up against two opponents that have a disappointing record at Wentworth - Nicolas Colsaerts and Brett Rumford have missed a number of cuts here.

We all know that anything can happen in Matchplay, so we can forgive Francesco Molinari his quarter-final exit to Thomas Aiken last week. Molinari has struggled to get going this season but looked to be striking the ball beautifully last week in Bulgaria. The straight-hitting Italian was seventh at Wentworth last year; the course sets up perfectly for him. At the prices, he must be backed to outscore Lee Westwood and Ernie Els on day one.

Ross Fisher is in the middle of his first full season on the PGA Tour in America, he's currently 120th in the FedEx Cup standings and despite a number of missed cuts is well on the way to keeping his card. Fisher was a Wentworth member and has come close to winning this tournament a couple of times, not least in 2007 when he collapsed when holding the final day lead. Perhaps we'll see the Englishman go well in familiar surroundings, away from the pressures of the new tour. His playing partners George Coetzee and Jamie Donaldson will be no pushovers in what looks a tight three-ball.

World number two Rory McIlroy is the best player in the field, Graeme McDowell is the form player in the field (two wins in his last three starts) but Paul Lawrie - the third member of what looks a high quality three-ball - has the best stroke average around Wentworth, was second last year and sixth in 2010. At the prices the Scot has to be the bet.

Recommended Bets
Back Ian Poulter @ 2.45n/a 
Back Francesco Molinari @ 3.02/1 
Back Ross Fisher @ 2.55n/a 
Back Paul Lawrie @ 3.7511/4 

*Follow me on twitter: @dangeraghty10