The week after the biggest event on the PGA Tour you would think things would die down a little but that isn’t the case as we have a decent field assembled for the Byron Nelson Championship. The Tour heads back to Texas this week with some of the stars of the golfing world teeing it up.
Recent Winners
2016 – Sergio Garcia
2015 – Steven Bowditch
2014 – Brendon Todd
2013 – Bae Sang-moon
2012 – Jason Dufner
2011 – Keegan Bradley
2010 – Jason Day
2009 – Rory Sabbatini
2008 – Adam Scott
2007 – Scott Verplank
[the_ad_group id=”3624″]
The Course
This is the final year that the tournament will be held at the Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas in Texas. Next year the event moves elsewhere so this will be the final time the par 70, 7,166 yard track will be used.
As with most Texas events the wind is expected to be in play this week and with the rough being up it could be a higher scoring week than previously. I think there is going to be a bigger emphasis on driving the ball this week while good putting is always a requirement around this gaff.
The Field
Usually after a huge event you get a drop in the quality that is teeing it up the following week but that isn’t the case here. Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka and Jason Day are all in the field.
There is also a strong contingent of recent US Ryder Cup players in the field too all looking for a big week to secure Presidents Cup spots. They include Jason Dufner, Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar, Patrick Reed and Ryan Moore.
Market Leaders
As you would expect Dustin Johnson is the favourite this week. He is a 9/2 shot to build on what has been a pretty big year already. He achieved his best finish in The Players last week to confirm his improvement in form and he is a worthy market leader.
Jordan Spieth is a second favourite to win in his home state. He missed the cut last week which will have been a disappointment and at 13/1 he looks a little short given the illustrious depth of the company he is keeping this week. Defending champion Sergio Garcia is a point bigger at 14/1 to win another tournament in his second start since he became a major champion.
Brooks Koepka was beaten by Garcia in the play-off last year but he arrives back in Texas in decent form and he is 16/1 to go one better than 12 months ago. Jason Day might be bang out of form but he is 20/1 for those who are interested in backing the former world number one. It is 33/1 bar.
Main Bets
I like two players this week. Both have shown they are solid playing in the wind and both are in pretty decent form which is a decent combination for this track.
Tony Finau won at a windy Puerto Rico last season and I was on him for The Open last year where he ran well for 63 holes too so he can clearly golf his ball in the wind. Finau is one of the best players in the world from tee to green with only Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia in the field about him in strokes gained over that distance and he isn’t a bad putter either. Finau was third in the Texas Open earlier in the season and he is decent value to win this tournament.
Patrick Reed started the year very badly but he has come back to form in recent times and this is the sort of event he should be competing strongly in. Reed is very good in the wind and one of the better putters on the tour so if his tee to green game is in good order then he should be right there this week. Reed has posted top 25s in each of the last three weeks and with one of those at Sawgrass that speaks highly of his all-round game. We might not get 33/1 on Reed too often after this so I’ll take it while I can.
Outsiders
I’m going to have stabs at three outsiders this week. The first of those is Sung Kang who has posted top 10s in the last two events he has played in Texas. One of those was at the Shell Houston where he powered into a huge lead which he couldn’t quite hang on to when Russell Henley came after him but that showed the scoring power that he has. Nobody hit more greens in regulation around Sawgrass last week and that is a huge statistic given how the wind blew there and how tough the track is. Kang clearly enjoys playing in Texas and I would imagine he’ll take plenty of inspiration from Si Woo Kim’s win last week. That inspiration can lead him to a big week here.
Michael Thompson leads the entire Tour in strokes gained putting this season so if he can find a few fairways and a few greens he should be capable of a big week here too. Thompson’s best two results this season were a tie for tenth in Puerto Rico which is renowned for the wind and the need of a good tee to green game and a tie for twelfth at the Shell Houston Open which shows he can compete in Texan conditions. Thompson was in the top 20 here last year and the year before was third in the St Jude Classic around this time of the year to show he plays well in spring. At a huge price I can’t resist a small punt on him.
Robert Garrigus has four top 20 finishes around this track including a fourth placed finish last year and he seems to enjoy playing in Texas if his top 20 at the Shell Houston Open was anything to go by earlier in the season. He has missed four cuts since then but the pairs nature of the Zurich Classic can be forgotten as can last week around a Sawgrass that would never suit. He was a key player on all the main stats here last year and his tee to green game has been decent enough this year. If he finds the putts he holed last year he could steal a decent finish this week.
Tips
Back T.Finau to win AT&T Byron Nelson Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back P.Reed to win AT&T Byron Nelson Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back them here:
Back S.Kang to win AT&T Byron Nelson Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 61.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-6)
Back R.Garrigus to win AT&T Byron Nelson Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 201.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-6)
Back M.Thompson to win AT&T Byron Nelson Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 251.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-6)
Back them here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2017
