The PGA Tour heads to one of the best courses on its circuit this week for the Dean & Deluca Invitational in Texas. With big events on the horizon and one going on elsewhere this week you would forgive the organisers for failing to attract a decent field but that hasn’t been the case.
Many use this week to begin their US Open preparations while others are here for much different reasons. All will be eyeing up the title and what comes with it as ever though.
Recent Winners
2016 – Jordan Spieth
2015 – Chris Kirk
2014 – Adam Scott
2013 – Boo Weekley
2012 – Zach Johnson
2011 – David Toms
2010 – Zach Johnson
2009 – Steve Stricker
2008 – Phil Mickelson
2007 – Rory Sabbatini
The Course
Colonial Country Club is the course in use once again this week. The par 70 which measures 7,209 yards is a track where experience can often be the key. Recent winners with the exception of Spieth were all in their 30s and had gone well around here in the past.
The course is largely a second shot golf course with greens in regulation a huge statistic this week. The wind is expected to play a part too as it often does in Texas so it might pay to keep players who go well in the wind on side too.
The Field
We have some seasoned PGA Tour stars teeing it up this week as you would expect around a course as iconic as this. Jordan Spieth heads the field although The Masters champion Sergio Garcia gives it an extra special look.
Texan specialists and PGA Tour stars are right throughout the field with the likes of Jon Rahm, Jason Dufner, Phil Mickelson and Ryan Palmer all standing out. Former champions Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker and Chris Kirk are back looking to win the title again.
Market Leaders
Jordan Spieth is the 12/1 joint favourite this week. He knows every inch of this golf course but his recent form hasn’t necessarily been the best so you will be taking a bit of a chance that familiarity brings out his best golf. Jon Rahm is the same price but this might not be a track he is completely comfortable on.
Sergio Garcia is 16/1 to win a tournament which you would think should be right up his street. I guess part of that price is the unknown of how long he’ll take to come back down to planet earth after winning The Masters.
Paul Casey and Jason Dufner head into the week as 25/1 shots. Jason Dufner has been well backed in the lead up to the tournament and could be a danger. Casey’s form might not be at the level it was this time last year which would be a concern. It is 28/1 bar those named.
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Main Bets
I’m going with three main bets this week. All hit a significant number of greens and have shown their liking to perform in windy conditions which I think is huge in this tournament.
I’ve already backed and won with Marc Leishman this season and I see no reason to desert him now. He has shown on multiple occasions that he is proficient in the wind and he hits an awful lot of greens. We’ve seen the improvements on his short game all year long so he is a fairly obvious pick for me this week.
Danny Lee hasn’t had the season he would have liked but he certainly warmed up for the week in style last week with a top five where he ranked second in greens hit and inside the top 10 in proximity to the hole. That suggests his long game could be coming together which is ideal. He has been in the top 25 here for the last two years so a punt at 55/1 makes sense.
William McGirt is reliable when it comes to greens in regulation and a long game as a whole. He has shown he can handle the wind too and we saw that at Sawgrass recently when he led after the first round. He defends the title next week so he should be getting plenty of positive feelings coming into his psyche this week. At 66/1 he is a big price.
Outsiders
I’m not sure whether Si Woo Kim should be in this category given his win at Sawgrass but I’m only having a slightly smaller stake on him because there are concerns over him injury wise. He is now a Texan native though so I’m expecting him to want to put on a bit of a show and we saw at Sawgrass just how well he is striking the ball. The win at TPC was no fluke and he can highlight that with a big run here.
Chez Reavie leads the PGA Tour in proximity to the hole this season and while he faded at the weekend at TPC Sawgrass we shouldn’t forget the two rounds he played to get into that position. Ultimately the going was a bit too tough for him that weekend but that is by no means a disgrace. If he keeps firing it close to flags this could be the weekend that he delivers a really big finish.
I’ve backed Chris Stroud in the wind a few times and I’m going to chance him again. He has been in the top 15 in four of the last five stagings of this tournament which emphasises how well he can play in the wind and he was right there in Puerto Rico earlier in the year to further enforce that. Nobody plays the par 3s better on the PGA Tour this season and with a shortage of par 5s that could give him the advantage here.
Tips
Back M.Leishman to win Dean & Deluca Invitational (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Betbright (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
PLACED – Back D.Lee to win Dean & Deluca Invitational (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 56.00 with Paddy Power (1/5 1-7)
Back him here:
Back W.McGirt to win Dean & Deluca Invitational (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 67.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back C.Stroud to win Dean & Deluca Invitational (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 251.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back them here:
Back S-W.Kim to win Dean & Deluca Invitational (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 71.00 with Betfred (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back C.Reavie to win Dean & Deluca Invitational (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 201.00 with Boylesports (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
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