We turn our attention back to the European Tour on Thursday as the Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast plays host to the time-honoured Australian PGA Championship.

Back-to-back champion Cameron Smith returns to defend his crown, but he’ll have his hands full against Presidents Cup teammate Adam Scott.

It’s been an exciting three weeks of golf on home soil and, with $1.5 million in prize money up for grabs, this year’s PGA Championship should be no exception.

Be sure to read on below for our top tips in what appears to be a very wide-open field.

Adam Scott – $6.00

Scott played a huge part in helping build an early lead for the International team at Royal Melbourne last week. After missing the cut at the Australian Open, Scott bounced back to win the opening two rounds alongside Byeong Hun An and Louis Oosthuizen before making some clutch putts in the singles event. Scott won this event back in 2013 at Royal Pines, so if you want to back him, you can rest easy knowing he’s familiar with the course. Scott’s putting has improved significantly over the last 12 months which should also help him tackle the unforgiving greens Royal Pines has to offer.

Cameron Smith – $6.00

The reigning champ has been almost untouchable at this event winning in Playoff style against Jordan Zunic in 2017 before finishing -16 under ahead of Marc Leishman last year. Smith will also take plenty of confidence away from the Presidents Cup after winning in singles competition against Justin Thomas. Dan Soutar remains the only golfer to have won three-straight Australian PGA Championships starting in 1905, meaning Smith has a chance at making some pretty impressive history this weekend.

Jason Scrivener – $13.00

Scrivener is one of the in-form plays entering the weekend. The 30-year-old sits well outside the Top 100 in the official world golf rankings, but after carding two Top 10 finishes on Tour at the DP World Championship in Dubai and the Nedbank Golf Challenge last month, it’s safe to say he looks well over the odds. Scrivener also finished tied for sixth at this event last year – his second consecutive finish inside the Top 20, making the West Australian enormous value to finally claim glory.

Cameron Champ – $13.00

It’s been a big year for the 24-year-old. Champ won the 2019 Safeway Open back in September with a birdie at the 72nd hole – marking only his second-ever win on the PGA Tour. More recently Champ finished T33 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic last month, but it’s still tough to get a feel for the American as he makes his debut down under.

Dimitrios Papadatos – $17.00

The Sydneysider returns to Royal Pines hoping to pick up where he left off last year. Papadatos finished T19 in his fourth appearance at the PGA Championship, while hardcore golf fans might also remember his T6 back in 2015. It’s been an up and down year for Papadatos having missed the cut at the Portugal Masters in October after finishing T23 in Spain only three weeks prior. Papadatos also missed the cut at this event in 2016 and 2017, making him one of the tougher names to trust.

Jake McLeod – $17.00

This time last year McLeod was riding the highs of his first professional win after claiming the NSW Open. A year later, things haven’t exactly gone according to plan as the Townsville boy struggles to find consistent form. McLeod finished tied for eighth at the Portugal Masters in October before two disappointing middle rounds cost him a chance at the WGC-HSBC Champions. He does own back-to-back Top 20 finishes at the Australian PGA Championship however, making McLeod one of the names to watch.

John Senden – $41.00

The Tour veteran heads to the Gold Coast at very long odds after a rough year. The two-time PGA Tour winner raised some eyebrows with a strong opening round 65 at the Bermuda Championship early last month, but three rounds over 70 saw Senden fall outside the Top 50.

Stewart Cink – $101

Cink makes up some of the American flavor this year, although as the odds suggest, it’s going to take a lot for him to win. The 46-year-old made some noise at the Houston Open earlier in October finishing tied for ninth. Unfortunately, Cink backed that up with a disappointing T43 a fortnight later at The RSM Classic. Americans don’t have the greatest run of luck at the PGA Championship, with only Harold Varner III and Hale Irwin winning over the last five decades. With some spotty form, it’s hard to see Cink coming close.

Best Bet

Jason Scrivener at $13.00