Moore is the value at Valhalla

GOLF’S final major of the season, the USPGA Championship, gets under way at Valhalla tomorrow with a huge weight of expectation on the shoulders of Rory McIlroy, writes KEITH McHUGH.

The Northern Irishman, who completely dominated the Open Championship at Hoylake and in doing so won his third major at the age of 25, is clearly the stand-out player in world golf at the moment.

McIlroy followed up in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last weekend.

When he is on his A-game, the rest simply cannot match him as back-to-back 66s in the first two rounds of the Open underlined.

The question punters must ask themselves is, are the odds in favour of McIlroy reproducing such stunning form?

I believe not. Rory was 20-1 to win the Open, but is only 11-2 best price to win this weekend in America.

As such, there is little value in backing him at cramped odds in such a stellar field.

There are any number of potential winners.

It has been a frustrating year for Adam Scott. He has contended to some degree in all three majors in 2014 and, bar McIlroy, is playing as well as anyone.

At 12-1, he has to come into the equation.

But the same has to be said of Justin Rose, who has equally strong claims at Valhalla yet is a bigger price (18-1).

He is my main bet, but the home players usually do well in this event and one who might have sneaked under the bookies’ radar is Ryan Moore, who figured in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and seems to be in good form at present.

He is available at 70-1 and those odds certainly do not reflect his chance of getting in the mix come Sunday.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Justin Rose, each-way, 18-1 (general); Ryan Moore, each-way, 70-1 (888sport).