Tony Finau has joined the growing list of players to withdraw from this week’s Genesis Scottish Open on the DP World Tour.

The withdrawal of the six-time PGA Tour winner and two-time Ryder Cupper from the event at the Renaissance Club in East Lothian was announced on Monday of the tournament week.

Other players who have pulled out are Keith Mitchell, Jhonattan Vegas and Taylor Pendrith.

Finau was one of six players to remove themselves from the field for the co-sanctioned event on Monday.

He is not in the field for The Open at Royal Birkdale, and his decision not to tee it up this week means he has failed to qualify for the game’s oldest championship for the first time since 2014.

The 36-year-old has endured something of an indifferent season on the PGA Tour. He has made 14 of 19 cuts but has just one top-10 finish to show for it – a T6 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May.

He currently sits down in 79th in the FedEx Cup standings and has slipped outside the top 100 in the world rankings.

Genesis Scottish Open field changes

• Friday, July 3
  Jhonattan Vegas WD / Michael Brennan IN
  Taylor Pendrith WD /Adrien Dumont de Chassart IN
  Adrien Dumont de Chassart WD / Rico Hoey IN
• Saturday, July 4
  Keith Mitchell WD / William Mouw IN
  Rico Hoey WD / Max McGreevy IN
• Sunday, July 5
  Michael Hollick IN (Winner of BMW International Open)
  Oliver Lindell IN
  William Mouw WD / Austin Eckroat IN
• Monday, July 6
  Tony Finau WD / Brice Garnett IN
  Brice Garnett WD / Chandler Phillips IN
  Chandler Phillips WD
  Zecheng Dou WD
  Chad Ramey WD
  Jimmy Stanger WD
  Karl Vilips IN

A number of the best players in the world are in town for the Scottish Open. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and Masters champion Rory McIlroy headline a star-studded field for what has become one of the most popular stops on the calendar.

The likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Thomas, Ludvig Aberg, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre and Xander Schauffele are also in East Lothian this week as anticipation ramps up ahead of the final men’s Major of 2026.

Chris Gotterup edged out Rory McIlroy and Marco Penge to claim a surprise Scottish Open victory 12 months ago, with the American back to defend his title on the back of a win at the John Deere Classic.

McIlroy hasn’t been in action since the US Open as he looks to make it a summer to remember, while Scheffler will be eager to find top form ahead of his Open defence at Birkdale.

Another notable name in the field is Jon Rahm, who will be desperate to put himself in a good spot for the final Major of the year after a disappointing missed cut at the US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

Alongside Tyrrell Hatton, David Puig, Laurie Canter, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, and Victor Perez, the Spaniard is one of seven LIV Golf players teeing it up in Scotland.

Some golfing collaborations just make perfect sense - for instance Tony Finau joining the Jordan Brand golf team is a no-brainer.

Finau signed for Nike in 2016 and has always leaned towards the Jumpman products, including wearing Air Jordan golf shoes on the course since around 2022.

And with the Jordan Brand looking to make a serious splash in golf they needed a serious player who fit their profile - and Finau certainly ticks all the boxes.

The six-time PGA Tour winner was announced as a Jordan Brand golfer on social media with a typically stylish promo video pointing to his early days trying to learn the game.

Michael Jordan is widely know for his love of golf, often turning up and being part of Team USA's backroom staff at Ryder Cups over recent years.

With the great man having the final say over approving golfers being signed to Team Jordan, Finau says it's a great honor to be wearing the famous logo going forward.

“Obviously, Michael represents excellence at the highest level,” Finau said. “Jordan Brand is incredible to be a part of, and Michael is an incredible individual to represent.”

Finau has known Jordan since he was 17 and played at Jordan's private golf course in Florida, and now 36 he's one of the most recognisible stars on the PGA Tour.

Standing 6ft4in, Finau is built more like an NBA star than a golfer, and despite swapping the court for the course he's still brought some basketball style to the links whenever possible.

He'll now be sporting Jordan Brand's golfing attire on the course as well as the Air Jordan golf shoes when he's strolling the fairways this season.

"I can't wait to join the Jordan Brand as it expands further into golf," says Finau. "There's so much we can do for the game."

Tony Finau has withdrawn from this week's Baycurrent Classic, the PGA Tour has confirmed.

No reason was given for the American's withdrawal, which comes after his T99th finish at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this past weekend in Scotland.

Finau was due to fly to Japan for the 78-man limited-field PGA Tour event at Yokohama Country Club this week, where he was among the star names in the field.

The 36-year-old has been replaced by Sam Ryder.

Six-time PGA Tour winner Finau has dropped to 66th in the world this year after recording just one top-10 on the PGA Tour, which was his T5th finish at the Genesis Invitational back in February.

Ryder is on his way to Japan after finishing T29th at the Sanderson Farms Championship this past weekend in Jackson, Mississippi. The American is down in 111th in the FedEx Cup Fall standings so is in need of a good result to retain his playing status for 2026.

There are just five events remaining on the FedEx Cup Fall schedule, with the top 100 retaining their cards and qualifying for The Players Championship.

Numbers 101-125 will have conditional status for next year and are eligible for the PGA Tour Q-School to try and regain their cards.

Nico Echavarria defends the title this week after beating Justin Thomas and Max Greyserman by a single stroke last time out. Thomas is back this year along with big names including Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama and 2023 champion Collin Morikawa.

The Open Championship was not quite a last chance for Ryder Cup hopefuls to impress, but it may have been a missed opportunity for some big names to press their claims to make their respective teams.

This seems especially true for Team USA more than Europe - with Luke Donald looking like having a far more settled side with many of the 12 that won in Rome in 2023 set to return.

The big 10 for Europe seem almost assured and make our very own Ryder Cup team predictions pretty settled in terms of the visitors in New York, with Sergio Garcia the 'biggest' name likely to miss out.

One of the Hojgaard twins or Matt Fitzpatrick could be others who miss out but they're likely the only big decisions to make - while for Keegan Bradley he has some Ryder Cup stalwarts nowhere near in good enough form to warrant a pick.

Brooks Koepka

One of America's biggest alpha males, Brooks Koepka has played in four Ryder Cups, won eight points and is unbeaten in singles with a 3-0-1 record when going man-to-man.

But he's just not been himself this season, missing three cuts from four in the Majors and not managing to win on LIV Golf - with just two top 10s ahead of the latest round in the UK.

He's nowhere near qualifying so Bradley would be taking it all on trust that he could find something back at Bethpage, where he won the US Open, but that'll be a huge gamble in this form.

Patrick Reed

Three Ryder Cups, eight points from 12 matches including a perfect three-for-three in singles and a match of the century contender against Rory McIlroy - Patrick Reed has excelled as Captain America over the years.

A fallout with Jordan Spieth and move to LIV saw him miss out on the last two, and after coming third at The Masters and winning on LIV he's fallen away this season and missed the cut at The Open.

Bradley may feel he lacks experience in his side and having Reed around would certainly add a swagger, and raise the temperature and the atmosphere even higher at Bethpage - but he'd be the ultimate wildcard pick.

Dustin Johnson

OK, so it's not really a surprise but Dustin Johnson doesn't look like he'll make the side - making his perfect 5-0 record from Whistling Straits possibly his last action from five Ryder Cups.

Outside the top 100 in the standings, he missed three out of four cuts so surely won't be anywhere near Bradley's thinking unless he's planning a major curve ball for the Europeans.

It's a shame as DJ was dynamite in his perfect 2021 outing - and the best thing about him is that his matches are decisive, as he's never halved a Ryder Cup match with his record being an impressive 12-9-0.

Rickie Fowler

If you had sponsor invites into the Ryder Cup Rickie Fowler might get in! He rode the system nicely to get into The Open and finished T14, but barring a late season charge his race looks run.

He's a five-event veteran in the Ryder Cup, but Fowler's record doesn't breed confidence as he's only won three of his 17 matches and 5.5 points overall.

A huge crowd favorite, yes, but at 42nd in the standings and with that record chances are he'll have more chance being at Bethpage as an extra vice-captain than as a player.

Tony Finau

A nice symetrical won three, lost three record from Tony Finau's matches across two Ryder Cups, but he missed out in Rome last time and is just outside the top 20 in the standings again after a so-so season.

Down in 67th on Data Golf shows he's not been playing that well either, with just that spark missing from his play. He won four times in the 14 months before the last Ryder Cup and still didn't make the team - he looks to stand no chance this time.

Max Homa

Max Homa played really well in his Ryder Cup debut in Rome, winning 3.5 points after being trusted to play all five matches, but his form has fallen off a cliff since.

He's missed cuts by the bucketload and didn't even make the last two Majors of the season, so he's got no chance sadly until he can at least find some of his best form.

Tony Finau has signed a one-match deal with Los Angeles Golf Club and will play in Monday's TGL match against New York as the west coast team aim to lock down a playoff spot.

Finau will temporarily join fellow Americans, Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala on LA's roster for the 5pm ET start time on February 24 with the English pair of Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood both unavailable for selection due to "pre-existing commitments," according to an LAGC statement.

“We were aware that Justin and Tommy would take this week abroad to spend time with family, which created a unique opportunity for us to have Tony join LAGC for this match,” said Neal Hubman, co-founder and president of LAGC.

LA are second in the TGL table after winning two of their first three matches, triumphing 6-2 on debut against Boston Common before hammering Tiger Woods' Jupiter Links 12-1.

Despite a brilliantly-entertaining overtime defeat to Atlanta Drive last time out, LA's playoff fate remains in their own hands and can be secured via two more points against a New York side which is nervously looking over its shoulder in fourth.

Reacting to his one-day agreement, Finau said: “I appreciate Los Angeles Golf Club calling me up for this match. I’m excited to get to SoFi Center. The place looks electric, and I can't wait to see it all first-hand and practice with the team. Monday is going to be a fun night.”

TGL rules state that if a "starting player" cannot compete then teams are allowed to sign an external replacement, as long as said golfer is a "PGA Tour member in good standing."

Finau's addition arrives a couple of months after rumors of his potential switch to LIV Golf, which would have made the six-time PGA Tour winner ineligible for TGL.

The 35-year-old pulled out of the Hero World Challenge in early December at the last minute following a delay to his recovery from a necessary knee operation midway through October. That, plus the fact that he hadn't registered for The Sentry a few weeks later, saw stories begin to surface that Finau was finalizing a change in tour.

However, speaking to Golfweek, Finau clarified his future remained with the PGA Tour and he was looking forward to playing on a clean bill of health.

At the time, Finau said the rumors were "not true" before continuing: “I’m more than happy where I’m at on the PGA Tour and looking forward to 2025... The last couple of seasons have been kind of rough with my knees. I’m optimistic about this coming season about being more fully healthy than ever.”

The man from Salt Lake City, Utah withdrew from the Grant Thornton Invitational - where he was due to play alongside women's World No.1 Nelly Korda - but did return to action at The Sentry in the first week of January, where he finished T15th.

Two poor putting performances, at the American Express and the Farmers Insurance Open, saw Finau miss the cut in his next two starts before he returned to form via a T13th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Finau's most recent appearance resulted in a highly-encouraging T5th finish at the Genesis Invitational.

Tony Finau could be the latest name to leave the PGA Tour in favour of the LIV Golf League, according to multiple reports.

The Telegraph is claiming Finau has already begun discussions about becoming the second member of Jon Rahm's as-yet-unnamed LIV Golf team - following the Spaniard's extraordinary switch on Thursday - and could be in line for a near-$70 million deal.

The 34-year-old won twice last season - lifting the Houston Open and the Mexico Open - while claiming $5,867,652 in prize money after missing only four cuts. He did only manage one top-10, however, after success in Mexico in late-April and recorded a best finish of T26 at a Major (The Masters).

Finau and Rahm are neighbours in Arizona and regularly practiced together when not competing on the PGA Tour. Should the World No. 21 agree a move, it would see the pair reunited on the 54-hole circuit ahead of the 2024 campaign.

The British newspaper also stated that it understood one of the conditions in Rahm's contract is that the World No. 3 could pick at least one "ally" to play alongside him, but if other reports which suggest several more PGA Tour players are set to follow, then the current Masters champion may be allowed further choice.

GolfWRX's Matt Vincenzi posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Finau will be joining LIV Golf "imminently" before later clarifying he believed confirmation to be a week or two away.

These stories arrived just days after Finau remained tight-lipped over any talk of LIV at the Grant Thornton Invitational, where he is playing with American juggernaut Nelly Korda in the mixed team event.

"I have nothing to say right now. I haven’t heard anything," Finau said when asked about the rumours. 

When pressed further if he had any further response, the American said: “No, not yet. I haven’t let anything marinate other than just playing right now.”

Speaking to Sports Illustrated about Rahm's departure, the six-time PGA Tour winner added: “Yeah, I think he made the best decision that he felt was right for his family and himself. I'm happy for him."

Talk about Finau and others potentially moving from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf League comes days before the two tours' respective leaders - Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan - are set to meet for crunch discussions about a potential merger.

The PGA Tour commissioner and PIF boss Al-Rumayyan shook hands on that bombshell deal back in June, but nothing has progressed beyond that framework agreement ahead of the deal's deadline on December 31. With that date fast approaching, the upcoming meeting must produce some kind of breakthrough if that date is not to be extended.

But speaking recently, Monahan suggested he was confident some kind of deal would be completed with the PIF and a third party.

Monahan said: “When this gets finalized, the PGA Tour is going to be in a position that the athletes are owners in their sport, and you've got not only the PIF, but you've likely got another co-investor, with significant experience in business, in sport and brand that's going to help take the PGA Tour to another level and help us take share from other sports and even be more competitive."

Following on from the John Deere Classic, the PGA Tour heads to Kentucky for the Barbasol Championship at Keene Trace Golf Club in a co-sanctioned event with the DP World Tour. 

With The Open just two weeks away, the world’s best players are over in Scotland, competing in the co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick. 

As the Barbasol is played opposite that event, the field is lacking the usual firepower of a regular PGA Tour event, with no players inside the world top 50 competing in the tournament this week. 

Last year saw Trey Mullinax capture his maiden PGA Tour victory with a one-shot victory over Kevin Streelman, although the American is not in the field this week to defend his title.

Headlining the field is World No. 112, Lucas Glover. The 2009 US Open champion last won on the PGA Tour at the 2021 John Deere Classic but comes into this week off the back of consecutive top-ten finishes at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and the John Deere Classic. 

Alongside him at the top of the billing is World No.113, Taylor Pendrith. The Canadian played for the international team in last year's President Cup and goes in search of his first PGA Tour title having finished T14 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. 

One name to keep an eye on could be 21-year-old Akshay Bhatia who earned Special Temporary Member status on the PGA Tour after a runner-up finish at the 2023 Puerto Rico Open earlier in the season. The left-hander went on to finish fourth behind Tony Finau, Jon Rahm and Brandon Wu at the Mexico Championship in April and finished T35 at the John Deere Classic last week.

The event was awarded co-sanctioned status with the DP World Tour in 2022 and, as such, this week's field features several European players including veterans Søren Kjeldsen and Andy Sullivan who have eight combined DP World Tour wins between them.

There are also four past Barbasol winners teeing it up this week including Grayson Murray who won on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this year.

The purse is $3.8m, an increase of $100,000 on 2022. Of that, the winner will receive $684,000. Below is the prize money, payout breakdown and field for the 2023 Barbasol Championship.

Barbasol Championship Prize Money

Barbasol Championship Field

• Tyson Alexander
• Kiradech Aphibarnrat
• Ryan Armour
• John Axelsen
• Sangmoon Bae
• Ricky Barnes
• Akshay Bhatia
• Jonas Blixt
• Ryan Brehm
• Daniel Brown
• Scott Brown
• Wesley Bryan
• Jonathan Byrd
• John Catlin
• Greg Chalmers
• Cameron Champ
• Kevin Chappell
• Todd Clements
• Aaron Cockerill
• Trevor Cone
• Austin Cook
• Trey Cox
• Ben Crane
• MJ Daffue
• Jens Dantorp
• Louis de Jager
• Alejandro Del Rey
• Zecheng Dou
• Jason Dufner
• Tyler Duncan
• Bryce Easton
• Nacho Elvira
• Derek Ernst
• Pedro Figueiredo
• David Ford
• Jeremy Freiburghaus
• Tommy Gainey
• Manu Gandas
• Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez
• Brice Garnett
• Robert Garrigus
• Ryan Gerard
• Deon Germishuys
• Michael Gligic
• Lucas Glover
• Tano Goya
• Cody Gribble
• Julien Guerrier
• James Hahn
• Paul Haley II
• Scott Harrington
• David Hearn
• Marcus Helligkilde
• JJ Henry
• Jim Herman
• Kramer Hickok
• Angel Hidalgo Portillo
• Harry Higgs
• Ryo Hisatsune
• Bo Hoag
• Wes Homan
• Daan Huizing
• Oliver Hundebol Jorgensen
• Ryuji Imada
• Jazz Janewattananond
• Richard Johnson
• Sung Kang
• Masahiro Kawamura
• Nathan Kimsey
• Marcus Kinhult
• Patton Kizzire
• Søren Kjeldsen
• Alexander Knappe
• Russell Knox
• Jeong Weon Ko
• Satoshi Kodaira
• Kelly Kraft
• Peter Kuest
• Derek Lamely
• Andrew Landry
• Hank Lebioda
• Alexander Levy
• Mikael Lindberg
• Adam Long
• Mike Lorenzo-Vera
• Justin Lower
• Peter Malnati
• Jesse Massie
• Brandon Matthews
• William McGirt
• Max McGreevy
• Troy Merritt
• Ryan Moore
• James Morrison
• Jesse Mueller
• Grayson Murray
• SY Noh
• Niklas Norgaard
• Henrik Norlander
• Vincent Norrman
• Andrew Novak
• Augusto Núñez
• Sean O'Hair
• Geoff Ogilvy
• John Parry
• Taylor Pendrith
• Cameron Percy
• Scott Piercy
• D.A. Points
• Ted Potter Jr.
• Chad Ramey
• David Ravetto
• Doc Redman
• JC Ritchie
• Kevin Roy
• Adrien Saddier
• Jayden Schaper
• Matti Schmid
• Freddy Schott
• Matthias Schwab
• Robin Sciot-Siegrist
• Jason Scrivener
• Martin Simonsen
• Austin Smotherman
• Clément Sordet
• Kevin Stadler
• Stephen Stallings Jr.
• Kyle Stanley
• Robert Streb
• Kevin Streelman
• Chris Stroud
• Brian Stuard
• Andy Sullivan
• Santiago Tarrio
• Josh Teater
• DJ Trahan
• Martin Trainer
• Kevin Tway
• Omar Uresti
• Darius Van Driel
• Bo Van Pelt
• Erik van Rooyen
• Johannes Veerman
• Nick Watney
• Trevor Werbylo
• Richy Werenski
• Kyle Westmoreland
• Vince Whaley
• Andrew Wilson
• Carl Yuan

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How To Watch Rocket Mortgage Classic live stream 2023

Rickie Fowler birdied six of his last eight holes on Saturday to rise to the top of the Rocket Mortgage Classic leaderboard at 20 under. He is aiming to win his first Tour event since the 2019 Phoenix Open, 96 starts ago. Fowler, 34, has lead, either alone or jointly, 10 times on Tour going into the final round, but has converted these into only two victories. 

Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith are in second and third, on 19- and 18-under. If either win they will become the fifth player from Canada to win this season on the PGA Tour.

Because of lighting, play was suspended for an hour and 42 minutes on Saturday and Sunday’s tee times have been moved forward in the hope of completing the final round before more forecasted bad weather arrives. Players will go out in threes and groups will be starting on both the 1st and 10th tees in an effort to get people round in time.

To make sure you miss none of the action, below are all the streaming and broadcast details on how to watch a Rocket Mortgage Classic live stream from wherever you are, as well as today's tee times.

The PGA Tour heads to Michigan for the fifth running of the the Rocket Mortgage Classic. No-one has won this event twice, something Tony Finau, Cam Davis and Nate Lashley were out to change this week.

Although several of the big names have stayed away from this year's Rocket Mortgage Classic, it still boasts eight of the top 30 in the world rankings in its field. Defending champion Tony Finau is joined by last week’s Travelers champion Keegan Bradley, as well as Max Homa, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim and Hideki Matsuyama.

The Rocket Mortgage Classic, which replaced the Quicken Loans National on the PGA Tour schedule four years ago, is held at Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Michigan. The club has two 18-hole Donald Ross designs, the North and South. The tournament is played over a composite 18 holes with 17 from the North and one from the South.

Tony Finau shot 26 under last year to win by five strokes. In doing so, he broke Nate Lashley’s scoring record. Lashley had won the inaugural event by six shots, with a 25-under-par 263. In the intervening years the winner’s score had been 18- and 23-under.

So it is not rocket science, nor even Rocket Mortgage science, to calculate that this week’s winner needs to make plenty of birdies. With the greens fairly accessible, putting well may prove to be the key factor as to who scores low round this predominantly flat course – when Detroit Golf Club became a PGA Tour host in 2019, it replaced TPC Louisiana as the flattest course on tour. (Its elevation change from highest to lowest point is only 43ft.)

Make sure you know how to watch PGA Tour golf from anywhere including all the details on the Rocket Mortgage Classic live stream just below.

US TV Schedule - Watch Rocket Mortgage Classic live stream

All times EDT

Thursday, June 29: 3pm-6pm (Golf Channel)

Friday, June 30: 3pm-6pm (Golf Channel)

Saturday, July 1: 1pm-3pm (Golf Channel) 3pm-6pm (CBS)

Sunday, July 2: 1pm-3pm (Golf Channel) 3pm-6pm (CBS)

NBC's Golf Channel will televise the action from the Rocket Mortgage Classic. If you already have the Golf Channel as part of your cable TV package, then you're all set.

No cable? No problem. Try a cord-cutting TV service such as fuboTV ($74.99), AT&T TV Now ($80/m) or Sling ($51/m) to watch the Golf Channel. There are no long contracts with these services. You can try them and cancel whenever you've had enough. FuboTV has a 7-day free trial.

For Sling you'll need the Sling Blue package plus the Sports Extra addon which usually has a very reasonable introductory price for your first month. Again, just cancel when you're done.

The most complete and the cheapest streamed choice, though, has got to be ESPN+. It's $9.99 per month (again, no contract) and has full coverage of every PGA Tour session. You can watch the main feed or stay with individual holes and marquee groups instead.

Watch every session on ESPN Plus

Rocket Mortgage Classic Live Stream: How to watch from outside your country

There are loads of easy ways to watch golf in 2023 including in the US, UK and almost anywhere else but geo-blocking means you won't be able to tune into your regular streaming service if you're away from home. Fortunately, VPNs allow you to tune in from abroad and let you watch the same legal, high-quality golf live stream you would at home.

ExpressVPN is one of the best out there. It's easy to use, boasts strong security features, is very easy to setup and is compatible with most major streaming devices, including the Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation.

Best of all, ExpressVPN comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. This is the #1 rated VPN in the world right now. You can try it out for a month for free or sign up for an annual plan and get 3 months absolutely free.

UK TV Schedule - Watch Rocket Mortgage Classic live stream

All times BST

Thursday, June 29: 6.30pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Friday, June 30: 6.30pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Saturday, July 1: 6pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Sunday, July 2: 6pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf)

In the UK, Sky Sports should be your first port of call as Sky Sports Golf will televise action from the event. At the moment Sky has some great deals on Sky Sports for those looking to upgrade and those looking sign up to Sky for the first time.

You can get all eight Sky Sports Channels in HD for just £25 a month which not only includes all the golf action, but you can also watch the football, cricket, Formula 1, NFL and a whole host of other sporting events.

Australia TV Schedule - Watch Rocket Mortgage Classic live stream

All times AEST

Thursday, June 29: 9.30pm-8am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Friday, June 30: 11pm-8am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Sunday, July 2: 3am-8am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Monday, July 3: 3am-8am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

The PGA Tour coverage in Australia obviously means getting something great to watch early in the morning. As ever in Australia, the most comprehensive golf coverage is offered by Kayo Sports where you can watch Fox Sports that broadcasts the PGA Tour coverage. Not only can you watch the action from Detroit here, it has all the PGA Tour, DP World Tour events and the Majors. It also has events on the LPGA as well.

It also offers access to over 50 sports live and on-demand, with some its big name channels including Fox Sports, ESPN, and beIN Sports.

It's also good value at either $25 for Kayo One, $30 for Kayo Basic or $35 for Kayo Premium. Basic lets you stream sport on two devices at once, while Premium allows you to watch on up to three screens simultaneously, so it represents great value if your household has different sporting tastes or you're splitting the cost of the subscription. There's even a free 7-day trial.

As ever, Aussies out of the country can access their favorite streaming service just like they would at home can use a VPN to watch their PGA Tour live stream of choice.

Rocket Mortgage Classic tee times & pairings: Round 4

Leading players' tee times (PDT/EDT/BST):

5.25am/8.25am/1.25pm Taylor Moore, Lucas Glover, Brian Harman
5.35am/8.35am/1.35pm Dylan Wu, Collin Morikawa, Justin Lower
5.45am/8.45am/1.45pm Peter Kuest, Aaron Rai, Carl Yuan
5.55am/8.55am/1.55pm Rickie Fowler, Adam Hadwin, Taylor Pendrith

We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:

1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service) 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad

We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. 

Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing. 

The PGA Tour returns to Detroit this weekend for one of the most popular summer events in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Like what we saw last week at TPC River Highlands, where the winning score was well over -20, the world’s best should tear this course up again. 

With the lack of elevated status, this week’s field is as expected light without the top players in the world, as Tony Finau and Colin Morikawa lead the way amongst the highest ranked in the field. Let’s take a closer look at my top five for the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Before we get into our picks for the Rocket Mortgage Classic power rankings, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. With the offers below, you can turn $6 into $350 worth of bonuses, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic selections this week.

Rocket Mortgage Classic Odds

Rocket Mortgage Classic Course - Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, MI

Despite coming in at nearly 7,400 yards, longer than the Tour average, the best in the world have been known to eat this course (and its greens up). When the weather is nice, which we expect this week, the greens are amongst the friendliest on Tour. 

A Donald Ross design, Detroit Golf Club is a Par 72 that was founded in 1899, making it one of the oldest golf courses in regular rotation on the PGA Tour. One thing to look out for this week, the course suffered extreme damage due to a storm last weekend, and as such, some greens have been freshly surfaced. 

Rocket Mortgage Classic Power Rankings

Tony Finau (+1400) Bet $100 to collect $1,500 Get the best Tony Finau odds at DraftKings

Tony Finau dominated this event last year, winning with four straight days under 67 finishing the week at -27. He has been in a rut as of late since winning the Mexico Open in April, but this is the exact place to get the spark back. 

Rickie Fowler (+1400) Bet $100 to collect $1,500 Head to DraftKings for the best Rickie Fowler odds

The pain of losing the US Open has likely worn off for Rickie Fowler, as he returns to a place he’s had success at in the past. 

Collin Morikawa (+1400) Bet $100 to collect $1,500 DraftKings has the best Collin Morikawa odds

Making his debut here, Collin Morikawa finished T14 at the US Open and has quietly been playing some stellar golf despite last week’s missed cut. 

Max Homa (+1800) Bet $100 to collect $1,900 Go to DraftKings for the best Max Homa odds

Max Homa missed the cut at the US Open and last week at the Travelers but returns to a course he’s had success with an average score of 69.3 per round. 

Justin Thomas (+1800) Bet $100 to collect $1,900 For the best Justin Thomas odds go to DraftKings

There aren’t many tournaments left for Justin Thomas to make his debut, but he will be this week and comes in off a top 10 at the Travelers.

The 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic is the next event on the PGA Tour schedule this week. Located at Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Michigan, players will compete at one of the flattest terrain courses on the PGA Tour circuit, where we’ve seen course records and round records set several times since the inception of this event in 2019. 

Designed by Donald Ross, Detroit GC runs just under 7,400 yards and plays as a stock par 72, featuring four par 3s and four par 5s. The Poa Annua bentgrass green mixture is expected to run up to 12.5 feet via the Stimpmeter, while the size of the greens tends to be on the smaller side of average at 5,150 square feet. Bluegrass rough stands over four inches, punishing errant lies, while the undulations in the fairways, combined with tiered putting surfaces, makes Detroit GC a bit more cumbersome than past winning scorecards indicate. 

The RMC DFS slate still has plenty of big names that warrant attention, starting with defending champion Tony Finau, who went -26-under-par in 2022 to set the course record at Detroit GC. Finau already has an outright win at the Mexico Open a couple of months ago, but he’s riding a shaky slump right now, while Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, and Max Homa comprise the most expensive blue-chip prospects available to roster in DraftKings and FanDuel DFS lineups this week. 

Despite the absence of Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Rory McIlroy at the 2023 RMC, there is plenty of talent to tap into, with a lot of players presenting terrific value, making them a great return on investment assets in our DFS lineups this week. Nate Lashley and Cam Davis are the other two previous outright winners in attendance in the field at Detroit GC, while plenty of other golfers have been heating up ahead of what could wind up being a birdie fest in the Midwest this weekend. 

As always, good luck! Let’s cash some PGA DFS contests at RMC this weekend to start July off with money in our pockets!

Before we get into our Rocket Mortgage Classic DFS Picks and Targets, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. You can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic selections this week.

DraftKings $50,000 Maximum Salary

Rickie Fowler ($10,400)

California native Rickie Fowler has been in strong command of his entire golf bag lately. He has recorded four consecutive T15 finishes, including a T5 at the third major of the year at the U.S. Open, while going -10-under-par in his third round at Travelers Championship, yielding a T13 finish after starting off even par. Cashing DFS contests is all about birdies since they are so valuable based on the weighted scoring system. Fowler has been a birdie machine, recording 41 birdies in his past two events, generating 95.5 and 111 FPPG during this streak. Don’t hesitate to roster Fowler, who ranks 10th in total strokes gained, including 48th putting, 25th around the green, 12th tee-to-green, and seventh approaching the green.

Hideki Matsuyama ($9,600)

We’ve seen Hideki Matsuyama go T13 and T21 at Detroit GC back in 2019 and 2020 before withdrawing from play in 2021. A year off from this course should not worry you about the Japanese golfer’s production, as he’s recorded 15-18 birdies in each of his last three events. Matsuyama averages 70.3 FPPG across 19 events this season, making 17 of the cuts while still seeking his first outright win. At under $10,000, this is a solid value to acquire for a player ranking eighth in scrambling, eighth tee-to-green, and 14th tee-to-green. Let’s lock Matsuyama up in DraftKings lineups with extreme confidence. 

Ludvig Aberg ($8,700)

Since March, Swedish amateur Ludvig Aberg has quickly made a name for himself on the PGA Tour. Aberg has made all five cuts thus far, averaging 70.3 FPPG, including 13-17 birdies in four of his five events. At just $8,700, this feels like a steal, especially since Aberg has three T25 finishes across his last four events played. There aren’t many flaws to Aberg’s game right now, so despite playing at a new course, his accuracy with irons, plus a hot putter, make him a prime buy-low candidate to target during roster construction on DraftKings.

FanDuel $60,000 Maximum Salary

Tom Kim ($10,900)

We watched Tom Kim go -9-under-par in the final round of the 2022 RMC, so expect the 21-year-old South Korean native to continue his greens in the regulation clinic. Kim ranks eighth in converting greens in regulation at nearly a 70 percent rate, 18th tee-to-green, eighth approaching the green, and 15th total driving. He’s left a lot of short birdie putts out of the hole, so his putting game needs to improve, but Kim has still managed to drain over 40 birdies in the last two events, which were against major and designated fields. I expect Kim to be a huge asset in FanDuel lineups this week, so pay up to roster this rising star.

Doug Ghim ($8,900)

Quietly, Doug Ghim has logged three consecutive T20 finishes across his last three events. The 27-year-old American has 17-20 birdies in each of his previous four outings, which makes him a screaming value at under $9,000 on FanDuel. A shaky start to Ghim’s PGA Tour season has evolved into strong T20 finishes, finding greens in regulation at over 68 percent while also ranking inside the top 40 for scrambling. Ghim tends to pop in the middle rounds, so don’t fret if he gets off to a sluggish start. I’m not concerned about him missing the cut at the 2022 RMC, as I value Ghim’s current form over his results from last season.

Harry Hall ($8,500)

Englishman Harry Hall nearly pulled off the outright win during the Charles Schwab Challenge last month, using a nice mixture of precise irons and red-hot putting to drain birdies and eagles with ease. Hall has regressed a bit since that happened, but it was not a fluke, as he managed a T10 finish during another birdie fest at the Mexico Open back in April. Hall has delivered 13-20 birdies in each of his last four events while playing better early to make five straight cuts. Any time I see a player ranked seventh in strokes gained putting, he warrants serious consideration in DFS. Such is the case for Hall, who also ranks 18th in strokes gained around the green while ranking inside the top 40 for a sand save percentage and 19th in birdie or better conversion percentage. Let’s scoop up Hall as a cheap commodity with a massive ceiling due to his play around and on the greens.

The Rocket Mortgage Classic will go ahead 'as planned' this week, despite wild storms sweeping through Michigan at the weekend, causing some damage to Detroit Golf Club. 

Winds of between 70 and 80mph were reported in Detroit on Sunday, leaving more than 71,000 people in the city without power, according to local outlet Detroit News. 

It cast much uncertainty over whether the Rocket Mortgage Classic would go ahead, with several videos and images emerging online of trees being torn up, showing just how ferocious the gales were. 

Standing water can also be seen on several parts of the course but, after much tireless work from ground staff, Executive Director Jason Langwell, on Monday, confirmed that the course would be ready to play. 

"We’ll be ready to go at 10am (Tuesday), as planned, opening the gates for our community days, our youth clinic, and our celebrity scramble plans. It’s been a great day and we’re in great shape to get things going tomorrow," he told the PGA Tour's website.

“We’ve been really fortunate. There’s no damage to any of our structures, no damage to the golf course whatsoever. Certainly, some branches down, sticks around, a few trees down, but a handful of companies have come out to help us. It’s just been a yeoman’s effort to get everything cleaned up, but we’ve got a great golf course ready for play.”

The Executive also confirmed that no one was injured, whilst PGA Tour Senior Tournament Director, Stephen Cox, admitted that they were fortunate that no serious damage was caused. 

“We got incredibly lucky,” Cox said. “The trees fell in the right direction. One fell on a car at the entrance to the club, and another fell in close proximity to the practice putting green and did some minor damage, but if it had fallen 4 or 5 feet to the right it would have been much worse.”

Several big names will be teeing it up this weekend in Detroit, including Max Homa, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and defending champion, Tony Finau. Despite the storms, some have reportedly been out on the back nine playing practice rounds.  

The Rocket Mortgage Classic is the next event set to get underway on the PGA Tour circuit. It’s the fifth annual edition of the RMC, held at Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Michigan. The course has yielded red scorecards galore since its inception in 2019 when Nate Lashley set a first-round course record at -9-under-par en route to his -25-under-par victory at the inaugural RMC.

Last year, Tony Finau scorched the entire course, going -26-under-par to beat Lashley’s 2019 record by one stroke. Again, Finau leads the field at 12/1 odds for his current outright value. Still, his inconsistency in the last five events following his outright win at the Mexico Open makes him a risky favorite to pursue. Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas, and Max Homa round out the top five outright betting favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, ranging from +1400 to +1800. 

It’s a relatively deep field despite the absence of World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and World No. 2 Jon Rahm. Tom Kim and Cameron Young flashed in certain rounds at the 2022 RMC, plus Keegan Bradley is fresh off of a dominant -26-under-par outright win at Travelers. Sungjae Im is certainly a force with his irons. Cam Davis has been quietly producing quality, albeit inconsistent, finishes, returning to the only event he has won during his four years on the PGA Tour. Let’s explore the current outright betting odds, followed by previous winners, a few relevant betting stats, and an in-depth Detroit Golf Club course layout.

We’ll finish with my top players to target for outright betting tickets and explain why each one is worth wagering on ahead of Thursday’s opening round from the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic. 

Before we get into our picks for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. We have teamed up with OddsChecker to ensure that you turn $6 into $400 worth of guaranteed bonuses, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic selections this week.

Rocket Mortgage Betting Odds

2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic Betting Preview

Previous Winners

• 2022 - Tony Finau (-26)
• 2021 - Cam Davis (-18)
• 2020 - Bryson DeChambeau (-23)
• 2019 - Nate Lashley (-25)

Relevant Betting Stats

• Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green
• Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee
• Driving Accuracy percentage
• Strokes Gained Putting
• Birdie Average
• Scrambling

Course Layout

Detroit Golf Club is a Donald Ross design, playing as a par 72 that runs just under 7,400 yards. This is the first time in several PGA Tour events that four par 5 holes will be featured throughout the course, each running various lengths, including the 635-yard fourth hole. Narrow fairways with undulations are the main challenge to overcome at Detroit GC, as the greens are slightly under average in size but tend to cede plenty of birdies and eagles.

The tree-lined, doglegged fairways will create challenging lies with errant tee shots, while there are much fewer water hazards than we saw at TPC River Highlands. Greens have been modified recently to increase the pace of putting velocity, but Tony Finau and four other golfers netted -20-under-par or lower on their final scorecard last year. Accuracy off the tee will be huge, along with strokes gained off-the-tee, tee-to-green, and of course, strokes gained putting. Players who can hit greens in regulation while sinking putts on their first attempt is the specific skillset to target when competing at Detroit Golf Club.

Top Players To Bet For Outright Rocket Mortgage Classic Winner

Hideki Matsuyama (+1600) (Bet $100 to collect $1,700) Get the best Hideki Matsuyama odds at DraftKings

Any time we’ve seen Hideki Matsuyama at the RMC, he’s been solid, excluding his withdrawal after the first round in 2021. The Japanese native has been heating up lately, recording two T20 finishes in two of his previous three events played. Matsuyama is ranked 14th in strokes gained tee-to-green, 21st in approaching the green, eighth around the green, and eighth in scrambling. His putter has been a weak point in his game this season, but Matsuyama is rounding into form, returning to a course where he’s logged previous finishes of T13 and T21 in 2019 and 2020. At 16/1, let’s wager a healthy unit or two on one of the PGA Tour’s most proven players at a course that fits his skill set.

Cam Davis (+3000) (Bet $100 to collect $3,100) Head to DraftKings for the best Cam Davis odds

2021 RMC champion Cam Davis has climbed up to 30/1 for his outright odds after opening at 35/1 at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Aussie has only been on the PGA Tour for four seasons, with his lone win coming at Detroit Golf Club. When Davis is playing well, he can conquer any course, but his bad days can quickly erase him from atop the leaderboard. After missing the cut in 2019 and 2020, Davis won outright in a three-man playoff in 2021, then followed it up with a T14 finish in 2022. He went -12-under-par in his final two rounds at the 2022 RMC. Plus, he ranks ninth in strokes gained off-the-tee, 37th tee-to-green, and 12th in final-round scoring average. If he’s inside the top 20 once Sunday arrives, there’s a strong chance we cash his 30/1 outright odds, so let’s bet a unit or two for Davis to double-dip for his second career win at the same event, just like Corey Conners did at Valero earlier this year.

Brian Harman (+4000) (Bet $100 to collect $4,100) DraftKings has the best Brian Harman odds

Brian Harman has seen his outright odds climb from 40/1 to 35/1, so we need to get on this number ASAP before it gets even shorter. The 36-year-old Georgia native has two career wins, but he’s currently riding a six-year win drought. Harman has begun to find his rhythm lately, recording an impressive T2 finish at Travelers last week while recording a T7 at RBC Heritage a few months ago. Harman is either going to deliver a strong performance or miss the cut, but he’s only missed one cut in his last four events. Plus, he’s ranked 52nd in strokes gained putting, 46th off-the-tee, 32nd greens in regulation, and 30th in total driving. While he doesn’t completely dominate one metric, Harman’s constantly steady and positions himself nicely with sharp irons and tee shots, avoiding bad lies and navigating to pars and birdies. 35/1 is still good value; although Harman has been absent from the RMC the past two years after missing the cut in 2019 and 2020, but his current form overrides his course form for me, making him a solid prospect to bet a unit on for the 2023 RMC outright win.

Stephan Jaeger (+4500) (Bet $100 to collect $4,600) Go to DraftKings for the best Stephan Jaeger odds

German golfer Stephan Jaeger produced a T5 finish at the 2022 RMC, going -4-under-par or lower in each of his four rounds at Detroit GC. He has not had a strong year, logging one T25 finish in his last four events played, but he has made the cut in seven consecutive outings. The final round has been Jaeger’s Achilles heel, going 76-76-76-74 during this relative slump. I don’t expect that trend to continue at a course where Jaeger is comfortable playing, ranking 11th in strokes gained around the green, 31st tee-to-green, and finding greens in regulation over 68 percent of the time. Let’s sprinkle on the 34-year-old German’s 45/1 odds before he produces his signature low-scoring first round. 

The PGA Tour heads to Michigan and the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

Even though it is not one of the PGA Tour’s designated events, there is still a strong field in the tournament. Indeed, this year’s event will have the deepest field in its history with 13 of the world’s top 40 and 34 of the top 100 in the rankings participating.

The highest-ranked player participating is Max Homa, who is currently ninth in the world. The American has had some strong performances in 2023 including victory in the Farmers Insurance Open and runner-up at the Genesis Invitational.

However, his last two starts have being disappointing, with missed cuts at both the US Open and Travelers Championship. Given his status in this week’s field, he will be confident of getting back on track.

Another player with aspirations of victory will be Tony Finau. The World No.14 is the defending champion after winning by five shots in 2022. He is another player who has suffered some indifferent form of late. His most recent win did come relatively recently, though, when he held off Jon Rahm to win April’s Mexico Open, which suggests he could soon find his best form.

One player who will be heading into the tournament full of confidence is Keegan Bradley. The American finished 23 under to win last week’s tournament at TPC River Highlands and will be looking to continue that momentum here. 

Another player who performed encouragingly last week was Justin Thomas. The two-time Major winner finished tied for ninth following successive missed cuts in The Memorial Tournament and the US Open. He will be looking to build on that display with the Open Championship now less than a month away.

The player who won the Major in 2021, Collin Morikawa, also plays as he looks for his first win since the event at Royal St George’s.

Others who will be confident of victory include Rickie Fowler, who shot a PGA Tour career-low 60 in the Travelers Championship to leave him well in contention going into the final round, before eventually fading to T13.

Elsewhere, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim and Hideki Matsuyama are three of the other standout names competing. Ludvig Aberg will also be hoping for another encouraging performance after a T24 last week as his fledgling professional career continues. Similarly, Sam Bennett also plays. The American, who was low amateur at The Masters, has also since turned pro but missed the cut in Connecticut.

Two other former winners of the tournament are also appearing, 2021 winner Cam Davies and 2019 winner Nate Lashley.

Players will be competing for a purse of $8.8m, with the winner banking $1.584m.

Below is the full prize money breakdown and field for the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

Rocket Mortgage Classic Prize Money 2023

Rocket Mortgage Classic Field 2023

• Aberg, Ludvig
• Alexander, Tyson
• An, Byeong Hun
• Armour, Ryan
• Bennett, Sam
• Bezuidenhout, Christiaan
• Bhatia, Akshay
• Blair, Zac
• Bradley, Keegan
• Bramlett, Joseph
• Brehm, Ryan
• Buckley, Hayden
• Byrd, Jonathan
• Champ, Cameron
• Collins, Chad
• Cone, Trevor
• Cook, Austin
• Daffue, MJ
• Dahmen, Joel
• Davis, Cam
• Detry, Thomas
• Donald, Luke
• Dou, Zecheng
• Dufner, Jason
• Duncan, Tyler
• Echavarria, Nico
• Eckroat, Austin
• Endycott, Harrison
• English, Harris
• Finau, Tony
• Fowler, Rickie
• Frittelli, Dylan
• Garnett, Brice
• Gerard, Ryan
• Ghim, Doug
• Gligic, Michael
• Glover, Lucas
• Gordon, Will
• Goya, Tano
• Grant, Brent
• Griffin, Ben
• Griffin, Lanto
• Hadley, Chesson
• Hadwin, Adam
• Hahn, James
• Haley II, Paul
• Hall, Harry
• Hardy, Nick
• Harman, Brian
• Harrington, Scott
• Hickok, Kramer
• Higgo, Garrick
• Higgs, Harry
• Hodges, Lee
• Hoffman, Charley
• Hoge, Tom
• Homa, Max
• Hossler, Beau
• Hubbard, Mark
• Im, Sungjae
• Jaeger, Stephan
• Johnson, Zach
• Kim, S.H.
• Kim, Tom
• Kirk, Chris
• Kizzire, Patton
• Knox, Russell
• Kodaira, Satoshi
• Kraft, Kelly
• Laird, Martin
• Landry, Andrew
• Lashley, Nate
• Lebioda, Hank
• Lingmerth, David
• Lipsky, David
• List, Luke
• Long, Adam
• Lower, Justin
• Malnati, Peter
• Martin, Ben
• Martin, Kyle
• Matsuyama, Hideki
• Matthews, Brandon
• McGreevy, Max
• Merritt, Troy
• Moore, Ryan
• Moore, Taylor
• Morikawa, Collin
• Mullinax, Trey
• NeSmith, Matt
• Noren, Alex
• Norlander, Henrik
• Norrman, Vincent
• Novak, Andrew
• Núñez, Augusto
• Palmer, Ryan
• Pan, C.T.
• Pendrith, Taylor
• Percy, Cameron
• Piercy, Scott
• Potgieter, Aldrich
• Putnam, Andrew
• Rai, Aaron
• Ramey, Chad
• Reavie, Chez
• Redman, Doc
• Riley, Davis
• Rodgers, Patrick
• Roy, Kevin
• Ryder, Sam
• Sargent, Gordon
• Schenk, Adam
• Schmid, Matti
• Schwab, Matthias
• Shelton, Robby
• Sigg, Greyson
• Simpson, Webb
• Smalley, Alex
• Smotherman, Austin
• Snedeker, Brandt
• Spaun, J.J.
• Stallings, Scott
• Steelman, Ross
• Stevens, Sam
• Straka, Sepp
• Streb, Robert
• Stuard, Brian
• Suh, Justin
• Svensson, Adam
• Tarren, Callum
• Taylor, Ben
• Thomas, Justin
• Thompson, Davis
• Todd, Brendon
• Trainer, Martin
• Tway, Kevin
• Van Rooyen, Erik
• Walker, Jimmy
• Wallace, Matt
• Watney, Nick
• Werbylo, Trevor
• Werenski, Richy
• Westmoreland, Kyle
• Whaley, Vince
• Willett, Danny
• Wu, Brandon
• Wu, Dylan
• Young, Carson
• Yu, Kevin
• Yuan, Carl

The PGA Tour heads west to Detroit, Michigan, for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, a tournament that is still in its relative infancy. The event replaced the Quicken Loans National on the schedule and is the first PGA Tour event to be held completely in the Detroit city limits. Detroit Golf Club, an iconic Donald Ross design, is our host course, and while it may struggle to stand up to the modern game, it remains a wonderful course to watch golf on, and the event always produces great fan turnout and energy. 

While this is certainly a sleepy part of the jam-packed PGA Tour schedule, the Rocket Mortgage Classic will have its best field in tournament history, with 14 of the top 40 players in the Official World Golf Rankings. Tony Finau will return to defend his title, and he will be joined by the likes of Max Homa, Justin Thomas, Sungjae Im, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Tom Kim, Hideki Matsuyama, and recent Travelers Championship winner Keegan Bradley. I have always felt that this event deserves a stronger field, and it’s certainly exciting to see some of the World’s best show up in Detroit this week.

Before we get into our picks for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. We have teamed up with OddsChecker to ensure that you turn $6 into $400 worth of guaranteed bonuses, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic selections this week.

Rocket Mortgage Classic: Course Preview

Detroit Golf Club

Designed in 1916 by famed architect Donald Ross, Detroit Golf Club fits the prototype of a classical, tree-lined, Bent-grass course that pros tend to tear apart. While measuring a stout 7,370 yards on the scorecard, the golf course plays much shorter than that, as the average driving distance is nearly 10 yards longer than Tour average. Hot, humid, and muggy conditions aid in the distance, and this is not a golf course that in any way deters plays from bombing drivers on nearly every hole. Everything is all out in front of you at Detroit Golf Club, and there are no real hazards that players need to be concerned with. Last year, it ranked 35th out of 38 courses in a fraction of missed fairways that resulted in a penalty stroke and 37th out of 38 courses in penalty strokes per round. 

As a result, it should not be a surprise to see power hitters such as Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Davis, and Tony Finau win in the last three editions. While length off the tee is certainly advantageous at Detroit Golf Club, it’s far from a necessity. Wedge play and putting is still the name of the game. While elite drivers of the ball are not able to do much to separate themselves on this golf course, players who excel from inside 125 yards will have a huge advantage. Even more importantly, 40.1% of strokes gained at Detroit Golf Club have come with the flat stick, which certainly forces us to put the Ross design in the category of a “putting contest.” 

Like all Ross courses, these greens do have some character, and putting is the hardest strokes gained metric for players to gain strokes in, but the lack of firmness prevents these greens from truly having some bite. Putting inside 15 feet will remain absolutely essential this week, as scoring opportunities will be plentiful. I will primarily be looking for players who excel inside 125 yards, are elite at generating birdie looks, possess the ability to heat up with the putter and have a tendency to raise their baseline in easy scoring conditions.

Rocket Mortgage Classic Key Stats

• Long-term Proximity 100-150 yards
• Putting 5-15 feet
• Opportunities Gained

Rocket Mortgage Classic: Outright Winner

Tony Finau (+1200) (Bet $100 to collect $1,300) BetMGM has the best odds for Tony Finau

Despite being the defending champion, Tony Finau is flying relatively under the radar this week due to some understandable concerns about his recent form. While the six-time PGA Tour winner has failed to finish in the top 20 in his five starts since winning the Mexico Open, the ball-striking has never wavered. Finau is coming off a ho-hum 45th at the Travelers Championship, where he gained strokes in both ball-striking categories, including over three strokes off the tee. There’s absolutely nothing to prove in terms of course fit, and I would argue that Finau is a better player now than he was at this time last year. 

I would make that claim mainly due to the elevation of his approach play this season, as Finau remains the number two iron player in this field, behind only Collin Morikawa. Even more impressive is the fact that he ranks second in opportunities gained, third in birdies or better gained, first in par five scoring, and first in easy scoring conditions. My numbers suggest that despite a recent slump, Finau is still the class of this field, and this is the perfect time to buy on an elite talent that is playing far better than his results would suggest.

Mark Hubbard (+10000) (Bet $100 to collect $10,100) Head to DraftKings for the best Mark Hubbard odds

While I know Mark Hubbard disappointed many as a trendy pick last week at the Travelers Championship, I would not be so quick to hop off. Hubbard missed the cut on the number at TPC River Highlands while still gaining three strokes on approach. The 34-year-old’s irons have been absolutely on fire of late, as he has now gained over three strokes on approach in four straight starts. I love the way that Hubbard is hitting the ball right now, and I do not particularly feel that his lack of driving ability is really going to hurt him much at this course. 

With so many approach shots inside 125 yards, Detroit Golf Club should fit Hubbard’s ideal proximity ranges even better than the recent courses he has been tearing up. He also ranks 10th in this field in easy scoring conditions, and with strong performances at TPC River Highlands and TPC Deere Run, I have very little concern about his ability to keep up in a Bent-grass birdie-fest. While he has missed his last two cuts here, Hubbard finished 12th at the Ross design on debut and has gained ball-striking strokes in all three appearances. Coming off a very misleading missed cut, this is a great time to hop on one of the hottest approach players in the field.

You can see the power of odds comparison. OddsChecker has flagged that Mark Hubbard is +800 at BetMGM and Bet365 but +10000 at DraftKings. Claim an additional $200 in profit just by betting your $2000 on DraftKings this week.

The PGA Tour gets back to its regularly scheduled programming this week as players head East for the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut. However, you’d expect a drop off in the field’s talent following the third Major of the year, this week’s elevated status, and the $20 million in prize money that’s involved.

With eight of the top 10 in the world scheduled to tee it up this week, let’s take a closer look at the five I have at the top of my 2023 Travelers Championship power rankings.

Before we get into our picks for the Travelers Championship power rankings, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. With the offers below, you can turn $6 into $350 worth of bonuses, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Travelers Championship selections this week.

Travelers Championship Odds

Travelers Championship Course - TPC River Highlands - Cromwell, CT

Coming in just over 7,400 yards, long hitters will have less of an advantage this week than they did last week at Los Angeles Country Club. Coming in as a Par-70, TPC River Highlands features just two Par 5s, with 10 of its 12 Par 4s coming in at less than 450 yards. Approach shots will be key, as will putting, as the best putters on Tour have a great shot this week. 

Travelers Championship Power Rankings

Scottie Scheffler (+650) Bet $100 to collect $750 Go to DraftKings for the best Scottie Scheffler odds

For Scottie Scheffler, when the putter is going, no one on Tour can beat him. We started seeing flashes of it again on Sunday at LACC, and I think he puts it all together this week. 

Jon Rahm (+1200) Bet $100 to collect $1,300 DraftKings has the best Jon Rahm odds

Jon Rahm has been awfully quiet as of late, by his own standards, and it should be just a matter of time before he pieces it all back together. With the playoffs approaching, expect that to be soon.

Rory McIlroy (+1200) Bet $100 to collect $1,300 For the best Rory McIlroy odds got to DraftKings

It became a two-man race on Sunday at the US Open with Rory McIlroy and eventual champ Wyndham Clark. Taking one step closer to his first Major since 2014, and Rory has plenty to build on in this one. 

Xander Schauffele (+1600) Bet $100 to collect $1,700 Head to DraftKings for the best Xander Schauffele odds

If it were not for a triple-bogey early on Sunday, Xander Schauffele could very well have been in the mix late. The game is there, and he’s firmly in the mix nearly every week at this point. 

Tommy Fleetwood (+3500) Bet $100 to collect $3,600 DraftKings has the best Tommy Fleetwood odds

While many don’t think he has a chance in this stacked field, as the odds suggest, Tommy Fleetwood has some of the best value on the board as I’m concerned. Back-to-back top 5s in even more stacked fields than this week, and Fleetwood should have all the confidence in the world to post some low numbers this week.

The PGA Tour heads to Toronto for the RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf and Country Club for the final tournament before the US Open.

One player who will be confident of heading into the Los Angeles Country Club Major on the back of a victory is Rory McIlroy. Not only is the Northern Irishman ranked third in the world, he is also the defending champion having beaten Tony Finau by two shots a year ago.

McIlroy, who also won the tournament in 2019, has bounced back well after disappointing performances in The Masters and Wells Fargo Championship with ties for seventh in his last two starts, albeit despite a disappointing final round in The Memorial Tournament.

Could he be finding his best form just the right time, before his penultimate attempt of 2023 to claim his fifth Major title? We’ll know more by Sunday night, but there’s every reason to suggest that he’ll produce another strong performance this week.

Another player in the world’s top 10 is in the field too, the man who won last year’s US Open, Matt Fitzpatrick. The Englishman, who is eighth in the world, also produced a creditable performance at Muirfield Village, with a tie for ninth. After winning April’s RBC Heritage, Fitzpatrick will be aiming head into next week’s tournament with plenty of momentum too.

Brandt Snedeker won the tournament in 2013. The American returned to action with a T41 at The Memorial Tournament following a nine-month injury layoff, and he’ll be hoping to make further progress this week.

Others who will be targeting a victory include three more players in the world’s top 20 – Sam Burns, Cameron Young and Tyrrell Hatton. World No.26 Shane Lowry will also fancy his chances, particularly after his runner-up finish to McIlroy four years ago.

The tournament offers another chance for club pro Michael Block to show more of the form that saw him tie for 15th in the PGA Championship. He followed that up with a disappointing performance in the Charles Schwab Challenge, when he finished last, and will be determined to get back on track here.

Another player who made a big impression in a Major this year is Sam Bennett. The US Amateur champion tied for 16th at Augusta National and has since turned professional, with his first outing in his new status finishing with 63rd at The Memorial Tournament. Thanks to his US Amateur success, Bennett will also play next week, and he’ll hope to go into that tournament on the back of an encouraging performance here.

Other players of note include Ludvig Aberg, who has recently earned his PGA Tour card, local favourite Corey Conners, Tommy Fleetwood, who is 23rd in the world, and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am champion Justin Rose.

Players will compete for a $9m purse, with the winner earning $1.62m.

Below is the full breakdown of the prize money and field for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.

RBC Canadian Open Prize Money Breakdown

RBC Canadian Open Field

• Alexander, Tyson
• An, Byeong Hun
• Armour, Ryan
• Baddeley, Aaron
• Barnes, Ricky
• Bateman, Wil
• Bennett, Sam
• Bhatia, Akshay
• Blair, Zac
• Block, Michael
• Bramlett, Joseph
• Brehm, Ryan
• Bryan, Wesley
• Burns, Sam
• Byrd, Jonathan
• Carey, David
• Carrera, Luis
• Champ, Cameron
• Chappell, Kevin
• Cockerill, Aaron
• Cole, Eric
• Cone, Trevor
• Conners, Corey
• Cook, Austin
• Creighton, Myles
• Daffue, MJ
• Dou, Zecheng
• Dufner, Jason
• Duncan, Tyler
• Durham, Taylor
• Endycott, Harrison
• Ernst, Derek
• Fitzpatrick, Matt
• Fleetwood, Tommy
• Garnett, Brice
• Gay, Brian
• Gerard, Ryan
• Ghim, Doug
• Gligic, Michael
• Glover, Lucas
• Gordon, Will
• Grant, Brent
• Gribble, Cody
• Griffin, Ben
• Griffin, Lanto
• Haas, Bill
• Hadley, Chesson
• Hadwin, Adam
• Hahn, James
• Haley II, Paul
• Hall, Harry
• Hall, Ryan
• Harrington, Scott
• Hatton, Tyrrell
• Hearn, David
• Herman, Jim
• Hickok, Kramer
• Higgo, Garrick
• Higgs, Harry
• Hodges, Lee
• Hoffman, Charley
• Hojgaard, Nicolai
• Hubbard, Mark
• Hughes, Mackenzie
• Kang, Sung
• Kim, Daniel
• Kim, Michael
• Kim, S.H.
• Kizzire, Patton
• Knapp, Jake
• Knox, Russell
• Kraft, Kelly
• Kuchar, Matt
• Kuest, Peter
• Laird, Martin
• Landry, Andrew
• Lashley, Nate
• Lebioda, Hank
• Lingmerth, David
• Lipsky, David
• List, Luke
• Long, Adam
• Lower, Justin
• Lowry, Shane
• Macdonald, Stuart
• Malnati, Peter
• Martin, Ben
• Matthews, Brandon
• McGirt, William
• McGreevy, Max
• McIlroy, Rory
• McNealy, Maverick
• Meronk, Adrian
• Mitchell, Keith
• Moore, Ryan
• Murray, Grayson
• Nesbitt, Drew
• Noh, S.Y.
• Norlander, Henrik
• Norrman, Vincent
• Novak, Andrew
• Núñez, Augusto
• O'Hair, Sean
• Ogilvy, Geoff
• Pan, C.T.
• Papineau, Étienne
• Pendrith, Taylor
• Percy, Cameron
• Piercy, Scott
• Rai, Aaron
• Ramey, Chad
• Reavie, Chez
• Redman, Doc
• Rose, Justin
• Roy, Kevin
• Ryder, Sam
• Schmid, Matti
• Schwab, Matthias
• Shelton, Robby
• Sigg, Greyson
• Silverman, Ben
• Simpson, Webb
• Sloan, Roger
• Smalley, Alex
• Smotherman, Austin
• Snedeker, Brandt
• Stevens, Sam
• Streb, Robert
• Stroud, Chris
• Stuard, Brian
• Svensson, Adam
• Szirmak, Sebastian
• Tarren, Callum
• Taylor, Nick
• Theegala, Sahith
• Thompson, Davis
• Thorbjornsen, Michael
• Todd, Brendon
• Trainer, Martin
• Travale, Johnny
• Tway, Kevin
• Van Rooyen, Erik
• Villegas, Camilo
• Watney, Nick
• Weir, Mike
• Werbylo, Trevor
• Werenski, Richy
• Westmoreland, Kyle
• Whaley, Vince
• Wise, Aaron
• Wu, Brandon
• Wu, Dylan
• Young, Cameron
• Young, Carson
• Yuan, Carl

The Memorial Tournament is one of the most recognized on the PGA Tour circuit, with 18-time Major winner, Jack Nicklaus playing host at Muirfield Village in Ohio.

With it being an elevated event, the field is stacked as the World's Top five of Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele head to the $20 million tournament. 

Last year, it was Billy Horschel who dominated the event, with the American claiming a four shot victory over Aaron Wise as he secured a seventh PGA Tour title. The previous year, Jon Rahm was infamously forced to withdraw from the tournament when, with a six shot lead going into the final day, he tested positive for Covid.

Following the withdrawal, Cantlay went on to defeat Collin Morikawa in a playoff for his second Memorial title and, what's more, in 2020, it was Rahm who came out on top as he picked up a three shot victory over Ryan Palmer.

Certainly it's a venue that suits the best players and, as it's one of the elevated tournaments, we are set to see the majority of the World's top 50 feature. However, because it is an elevated event, players are allowed to miss one week and, in the case of Tommy Fleetwood, Max Homa and Tony Finau, that is the case, with the trio deciding to skip the tournament.

After what became the Michael Block show late into Sunday, the second major of the year has now come and gone as we turn our attention to Fort Worth, Texas, for the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge. In what will be the 77th time the event has been played at Colonial Country Club, this event is the longest-standing on Tour and, as always, attracts big names despite being just after the PGA Championship. 

Let’s take a closer look at the course and the top five guys according to my PGA Power Rankings for the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge.

Before we get into our Charles Schwab Challenge power rankings, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. You can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge selections this week.

Charles Schwab Challenge Odds

Charles Schwab Challenge Course - Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, TX

While it might not be as long as last week’s challenge at Oak Hill Country Club, the Colonial CC still offers plenty of challenges as it is notoriously amongst the hardest these PGA Tour pros see every year.

Charles Schwab Challenge Power Rankings

Scottie Scheffler (+400) (Bet $100 to collect $500) The best Scottie Scheffler odds are at DraftKings

Even when he plays seemingly poorly, Scottie Scheffler finds a way to compete, finishing top 3 last week after a strong finish. The No. 2 player in the world behind only Jon Rahm, Scheffler is the heavy favorite this week for a good reason. 

Viktor Hovland (+1400) (Bet $100 to collect $1,500) Go to DraftKings for the best Viktor Hovland odds

If not for an errant shot that required a drop on 16 last week, Viktor Hovland very well could have been in, at the very least, a playoff with Brooks Koepka last week. With two top 25s here, Hovland has all the tools to compete.

Jordan Spieth (+1400) (Bet $100 to collect $1,500) Head to DraftKings for the best Jordan Spieth odds

Despite dealing with an injury, Jordan Spieth played admirably last week at Oak Hill, proving to most his injury isn’t as bad as many had thought. With nine top-15 finishes in 10 appearances here, look for another strong showing this week from Spieth.

Tony Finau (+1400) (Bet $100 to collect $1,500) For the best Tony Finau odds head over to DraftKings

In what will be his eighth time here, Tony Finau has never missed a cut and has finished as high as T4 (last year).

Collin Morikawa (+1600) Bet $100 to collect $1,700 DraftKings has the best Collin Morikawa odds

Collin Morikawa hasn’t been in the winner’s circle in quite some time, the 2021 Open Championship being the last. Even still, this is a two-time Major winner who is finally starting to strike the ball well again.

The 2023 PGA Championship heads back to Oak Hill Country Club this week for the first time since 2013, as 156 of the world’s best players will be teeing it up. It will also mark the second time this year that the PGA Tour’s best will meet LIV Golf’s best, as the outcast Tour’s players will be allowed to compete (if they qualified) in the 105th edition of the PGA Championship. Let’s take a closer look at my top five in the field this week with the potential to take home the top prize. 

Before we get into our PGA Championship power rankings, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. You can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 PGA Championship selections this week.

PGA Championship Odds

PGA Championship Course - Oak Hill Country Club, Pittsford, NY

Designed by legendary golf architect Donald Ross, Oak Hill Country Club outside of Rochester, New York is made for events like this one. Already having hosted a Ryder Cup, US Open, US Amateur, and major Senior events, this is the fourth time it’s hosted the PGA Championship. With greens featuring entirely bentgrass, they also come in smaller than average at just 4,500 square feet on average.

PGA Championship Power Rankings

Scottie Scheffler (+360) Bet $100 to collect $460 The best Scottie Scheffler odds are at DraftKings

Coming into the week as No. 1 on Tour in SG: Tee-to-Green, Scottie Scheffler plays best when the lights are brightest. In 13 events played this season, he has made all 13 cuts, finishing in the top 25 in all but one event, and in the top 10 nine times, including two outright wins. 

Jon Rahm (+750) Bet $100 to collect $850 DraftKings has the best Jon Rahm odds

Just as we saw in his Masters win just last month, Rahmbo might just still be getting better. A threat to rattle off a run of birdies anywhere at any time, Jon Rahm is a real contender here.

Patrick Cantlay (+1600) Bet $100 to collect $1,700 Head to DraftKings for the best Patrick Cantlay odds

For me, Patrick Cantlay is the best guy playing every week yet to win a Major. He’s been dialed as of late as well, finishing top 25 or better in eight straight events, including four top 5s. 

Xander Schauffele (+1600) Bet $100 to collect $1,700 Go to DraftKings for the best Xander Schauffele odds

Seemingly always the bridesmaid and never the bride, Xander Schauffele knows how to score in majors, and this course fits his game even better than most. 

Tony Finau (+2200) Bet $100 to collect $2,300 For the best Tony Finau odds head over to DraftKings

Arguably the second-best player in the world without a Major, Tony “Big Tone” Finau has four outright wins in the past 12 months coming into this one. If he can get the putter going, anything can happen here.

Wells Fargo Championship 2023 Live Stream

The PGA Tour heads to the Wells Fargo Championship this week and it will take place once again at Quail Hollow Club, after a one-year hosting at TPC Potomac. This was due to Quail Hollow hosting the Presidents Cup in 2022.

This tournament is now a designated event and will feature a purse of $20 million as a result. Of course, as a result the field is of a high-quality, despite Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler skipping the event. Rory McIlroy returns to action for the first time since The Masters, Max Homa is the defending champion and Jordan Spieth will compete at the tournament for the first time since 2013. Then you have players like Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. 

The course was first laid out by George Cobb before getting upgraded by Tom Fazio before the 2017 PGA Championship. The last time it hosted the tournament it was ranked as the fifth-toughest golf course on the PGA Tour and its famed 'Green Mile' closing stretch will undoubtedly test the top players this week.

Below are all the broadcast and streaming details for the event.

Wells Fargo Championship Live Stream: How to watch from outside your country

There are loads of easy ways to watch golf in 2023 including in the US, UK and almost anywhere else in the world. Below we have a full list of options but anyone away from their home country can still watch the action by using VPNs.

VPNs allow you to get around any geo-blocking and and let you watch the same legal, high-quality golf live stream you would at home.

ExpressVPN is one of the best out there. It's easy to use, boasts strong security features, is very easy to setup and is compatible with most major streaming devices, including the  Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation.

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US TV Schedule - 2023 Wells Fargo Championship

All times EST

Thursday, May 4: 2pm-6pm (Golf Channel)

Friday, May 5: 2pm-6pm (Golf Channel)

Saturday, May 6: 1pm-3pm (Golf Channel), 3pm-6pm (CBS)

Sunday, May 7: 1pm-3pm (Golf Channel), 3pm-6pm (CBS)

NBC's Golf Channel will televise action during the week and CBS will takeover when the tournament heats up over the weekend. Bearing this in mind you can access the Golf Channel through streaming options such as AT&T TV Now and fuboTV.

AT&T TV Now starts at around $55 a month but does have a 7-day free trial. While fuboTV also offers the Golf Channel and 100+ other channels and also has a 7-day free trial.

We also recommend Sling TV in the US as well. At $51 per month, Sling Blue with the Sports add-on brings NBC and Golf Channel, and it is also half price for your first month.

UK TV Schedule - 2023 Wells Fargo Championship

Thursday, May 4: 6pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Friday, May 5: 6pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Saturday, May 6: 5pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Sunday, May 7: 5pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf)

In the UK, Sky Sports should be your first port of call as Sky Sports Golf will televise action from the event. At the moment Sky has some great deals on Sky Sports for those looking to upgrade and those looking sign up to Sky for the first time.

You can get all eight Sky Sports Channels in HD for just £25 a month which not only includes all the golf action, but you can also watch the football, cricket, Formula 1, NFL and a whole host of other sporting events.

Australia TV Schedule - 2023 Wells Fargo Championship

Thursday, May 4: 9.30pm-8am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Friday, May 5: 9.30pm-8am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Sunday, May 7: 3am-8am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Monday, May 8: 3am-8am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

The PGA Tour coverage in Australia obviously means getting something great to watch early in the morning. As ever in Australia the most comprehensive golf coverage is offered by Kayo Sports where you can watch Fox Sports that broadcasts the PGA Tour coverage. Not only can you watch the action from North Carolina here, it has all the PGA Tour, DP World Tour events and the Majors. It also has events on the LPGA as well.

It of course also offers access to over 50 sports live and on-demand, with some its big name channels including Fox Sports, ESPN, and beIN Sports.

It's also fantastic value at either $30 for Kayo Basic or $35 for Kayo Premium. Basic lets you stream sport on two devices at once, while Premium allows you to watch on up to three screens simultaneously, so it represents great value if your household has different sporting tastes or you're splitting the cost of the subscription. There's even a free 14-day trial.

As ever, Aussies out of the country can access their favorite streaming service just like they would at home can use a VPN to watch their PGA Tour live stream of choice.

Wells Fargo Championship Tee Times

(Selected)

• 7:23am - Max Homa, Patrick Cantlay, Sahith Theegala (10)
• 7:34am - Matt Fitzpatrick, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day (10)
• 7:45am - Tony Finau, Corey Conners, Harris English (10)
• 12:43pm - Tom Kim, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth (1)
• 12:54pm - Keegan Bradley, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler (1)
• 1:05pm - Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, Cameron Young (1)
• 1:16pm - Sam Burns, Adam Scott, Shane Lowry (1)
• 1:27pm - Si Woo Kim, Trey Mullinax, Tyrrell Hatton (1)

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The PGA Tour returns stateside following its second annual stop at the Mexico Open at Vidanta, where Tony Finau avenged his loss to Jon Rahm last season with a three-stroke victory over the Spaniard, finishing at -24-under-par for his first outright win of the season. Vidanta was a birdie fest, but this week’s newly designated event, the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship, will be a much more arduous test.

Quail Hollow Club is the course that will host the field of 156 players this weekend, returning here after the event was moved to TPC Potomac in 2022 due to the President’s Cup. Its location in Charlotte, North Carolina, promises to deliver good weather, which is a huge factor in a course that ranks as tough as Quail Hollow. We’ve only seen two winners during the previous three events, with Max Homa winning at Avenel Farm in 2022 and at Quail Hollow in 2019. The 2020 event was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic but returned here in 2021, where Rory McIlroy logged his third outright win of his career at this course, finishing at -10-under-par. 

DFS is always more fun when we get a designated event, attracting the sport’s best competitors for maximum lineup production. Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm won’t be in attendance. Still, virtually every other star golfer will be at the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship, including McIlroy, who hasn’t been on a course since missing the cut at The Masters with a final scorecard of +5. Other notable names include Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau, and Jordan Spieth. 

After analyzing Quail Hollow Club’s course difficulty and the players in attendance, I’ve identified six of my favorite prospects to invest in on DraftKings and FanDuel ahead of Thursday’s opening round tee times. Let’s find out why each golfer deserves to be prioritized in DFS lineups as they prepare to tee off at the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship.

Before we get into our Wells Fargo Championship DFS Picks and Targets, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. You can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Wells Fargo Championship selections this week.

DraftKings $50,000 Maximum Salary

Xander Schauffele ($10,700)

Xander Schauffele logged a T14 finish at Quail Hollow in 2021, so he’s comfortable playing on this difficult course, especially with his current form. The 29-year-old Californian has gone T19, T10, and fourth in his previous three solo stroke play events, delivering 15-19 birdies during each of these outings. It helps that Schauffele is ranked seventh in total strokes gained, including fourth approaching the green and ninth tee-to-green, combined with a confident putter. He’s a blue-chip prospect worth investing in despite the high salary on DraftKings. 

Jordan Spieth ($9,600)

While we haven’t seen Jordan Spieth compete in the Wells Fargo Championship in several years, he dominated the President’s Cup at this course last season. Combine that performance with his inability to close out Matt Fitzpatrick at the RBC Heritage sudden-death playoff during his last event played. We can expect an explosive performance from Spieth at Quail Hollow Club this weekend. Spieth is the definition of consistent, logging four T5 finishes in his past five events played. Don’t hesitate to pounce on Spieth’s value and get him locked into lineups.

Tommy Fleetwood ($8,000)

The last time we saw Tommy Fleetwood at Quail Hollow during this event, he logged a T14 finish alongside Schauffele. The 32-year-old Englishman has had a variety of finishes this season, with only two T10s through 10 events, but he’s among the best iron players on the PGA Tour. Fleetwood is ranked 10th in total strokes gained, including third around the green and 14th tee-to-green, while efficiently scrambling to either save par or deliver a par breaker, averaging 4.03 birdies per round this season. At $8,000, Fleetwood is a rock-solid value to acquire, so get him into lineups.

FanDuel $60,000 Maximum Salary

Viktor Hovland ($10,600)

Viktor Hovland is a great investment amongst the cheaper blue-chip options this week. The Norwegian golfer logged a T3 finish here at Quail Hollow during the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship, going -7-under-par across the final two rounds to surge up to a T3 finish alongside Keith Mitchell. Hovland has a few flaws in his game, and it’s just the consistency aspect that can burn us in DFS. He’s ranked seventh in strokes gained off-the-tee, fourth in total driving, and hits over 68 percent of greens in regulation, which makes Hovland a considerable asset that could win a few contests by inserting him into lineups this weekend.

Sahith Theegala ($9,800)

Sahith Theegala continues to improve each week on the PGA Tour. Since it’s only his second season, he missed out on Quail Hollow at this event back in 2021, but Theegala is built for this course. Plus, he’s a birdie machine, averaging 4.34 per round, ranked 14th on the PGA Tour. His metrics don’t pop as much as some other players that have been recommended, but Theegala has logged two consecutive T10 finishes, including a T5 at the RBC Heritage. A couple of weeks off to rest and practice should result in the 25-year-old Californian manufacturing another strong outing to collect his eighth T10 finish this season. Plug Theegala into FanDuel lineups at a relatively nice value.

Keith Mitchell ($9,600)

Surprisingly, Keith Mitchell has been consistently good at the Wells Fargo Championship throughout his recent appearances at the event. Mitchell logged a T3 finish at -8-under-par with Hovland at Quail Hollow during McIlroy’s win in 2021 while previously delivering a T8 finish during Max Homa’s outright win in 2019. Mitchell is ranked sixth in strokes gained off-the-tee, 30th tee-to-green, and first overall in total driving. Of course, a 4.1 birdie average also boosts his appeal in DFS, where birdies are king. At $9,600, we aren’t overpaying for Mitchell’s past success, so let’s lock him into FanDuel lineups with confidence. 

For most players, holding off the challenge of World No.1 Jon Rahm to claim victory in a PGA Tour event would be enough to leave them physically and emotionally drained.

However, that was clearly not the case for new Mexico Open champion Tony Finau following his sixth PGA Tour win at Vidanta Vallarta, which he claimed by three shots over the Spaniard. Just four hours after Finau won $1.386m, he was on the resort’s par 3 course, this time on caddying duties for his children.

Finau’s commitment to his family was most clearly demonstrated in episode six of the Netflix docu-series Full Swing, Don’t Get Bitter, Get Better. The series showed the American spending time with his family and his unhappiness at missing son Jraice’s appearance in the Junior Worlds because he was playing in the 150th Open at St Andrews.

Finau’s priorities were also made clear when, explaining the importance of his family, he said: “My career means a lot to me, and at times I think we can mistake that it means everything.”

On his children specifically, Finau also said: "My kids, they see the work that dad puts in, and it means everything that my kids can watch me not only fail but to win as well. And that's what it takes to be a champion."

Following Finau’s win, he also explained how important it was having his family with him at the tournament. He said: “We love this place. After coming here last year, we knew it was a place that our family really enjoyed and it was a golf course that I really liked.

"This is a very special win for me, very special to have my family here. Again, it's just such a cool resort, and amazing hospitality. We felt nothing but love being here and so it just makes it extremely special that I can win here. And I think I've mentioned this before, hopefully our family, this is a place that our family comes back to for many years."

While Finau clearly didn't rest for long after a victory that moved him up five places in the world rankings to World No.11, he doesn’t have long to recover until he's in action again. Finau is in the field for this week’s designated event, the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.

It has looked like an inevitability for some weeks, but following Jon Rahm’s runner-up finish in the Mexico Open, he has now surpassed the record for the most money earned in a PGA Tour season.

Rahm couldn’t quite do enough to secure his fifth win of the season and claim the $1.386m prize money at Vidanta Vallarta, with Tony Finau holding off the challenge of the Spaniard to claim his sixth PGA Tour win.

However, Rahm still earned a sizeable $839,300 for his efforts to push his earnings for the 2022/23 season to $14,462,840. That beats the record Scottie Scheffler set last year, who finished the season with $14,046,910.

As well as his incredible form, Rahm has also benefited from the introduction of designated events to the PGA Tour this season. For example, his win in the Genesis Invitational earned him $3.6m, while he also banked big money following his victories in the Sentry Tournament of Champions and The Masters. However, the speed with which Rahm has beat Scheffler’s record is breathtaking.

Last year, the American needed 25 events to secure his total, whereas Rahm has surpassed it after just 12. With more designated events to come and the World No.1’s form showing no sign of waning, he is surely still some way short of what will eventually be the final tally.

One of those events, the Wells Fargo Championship, takes place this week at Quail Hollow. However, while the likes of World No.3 Rory McIlroy will be making his first appearance since The Masters, neither Rahm nor Scheffler are playing as they have opted to make this the designated event they are entitled to skip.

Rahm, in particular, has spoken of his desire for a break in recent weeks after a packed schedule. Following his Augusta National victory, the 28-year-old played in the following week’s RBC Heritage, where he admitted he was doing so as he “made a commitment” despite suffering from fatigue after his exertions at the Major. Rahm then missed the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, but admitted before last week’s event that he was still tired after his Augusta win.

Following the Mexico Open, Rahm again stressed the importance of rest. He said: "Right now I've got a couple sponsor days coming up the next few days and after that I probably need a bit of time off, just a little bit of rest. Not too much, just mind, body and soul just need it. It's been a lot of golf. And again, I haven't had time to really sit back and rest after the Masters. I'm looking forward to do that."

However, it won’t be long until we see Rahm in action again, with the PGA Championship coming later this month. While Rahm will go into that tournament eager to secure back-to-back Major wins, he could also have his sights set on another milestone. After joining the PGA Tour in 2016, he is now within $1m of surpassing $50m in career earnings, at $49,486,883.

Going into the final day, viewers were treated to a thrilling finale that included World No.1, Jon Rahm, multiple-time PGA Tour winner, Tony Finau, and up-and-coming star, Akshay Bhatia.

Certainly, with 18 holes remaining, the Mexico Open title could have gone anywhere but, as the fourth round began, it was Finau who held a two shot advantage over Rahm, who had carded a course record 61 on Saturday to vault up the leaderboard. 

Out the gates though, it was Finau who looked destined to pick up the title, with birdies at the first and fifth extending his advantage. However, it was Brandon Wu, who began multiple shots back of his countryman, who made the move, as three birdies and an eagle in seven holes bought him alongside Finau.

Going in search of his sixth PGA Tour title, Finau was using his experience wisely and, with birdies at the seventh and 11th, he found himself four shots ahead due to Wu's costly double bogey at the 10th.

Four holes remained, with Finau looking for a fifth title in just 18 months. However, World No.1, Rahm, wasn't done and, with a birdie at the 13th and 15th, he moved back to within three of the American.

As both parred the 16th, Finau remained three ahead as they came to the par 3 17th. Playing as one of the hardest holes on the course, it was the American who produced a par and, as Rahm bogeyed, Finau would have a comfortable four shot lead going down the 72nd hole. 

Despite Rahm making a birdie, Finau safely made par to secure a three shot victory and a sixth PGA Tour title. With the win, the 33-year-old now moves to just outside the World's Top 10, as he also vaults up to fourth in the FedEx Cup standings.

One theory heading into the Mexico Open at Vidanta was that with a lack of top-end talent, it might open the door for some lesser-known players to make a run at a victory. That certainly hasn’t been the case this weekend as the two top-ranked players competing in Tony Finau and Jon Rahm, sit atop the leaderboard. 

Finau currently holds down the lead at -19 while Rahm recorded a 10 under round on Saturday, moving into a share of second place at -17. Akshay Bhatia is the other top contender at -17 after he posted an eight-under round on Saturday. 

So, can Finau hang onto his lead over the final 18 holes? Let’s dive into my thoughts and where I’m placing my money!

Before we get into our Mexico Open Pick, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. You can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Mexico Open selections this week.

Mexico Open Pick - Live Pick

Jon Rahm To Win Outright (+180) (Bet $100 to collect $280) Head to DraftKings to get the best Jon Rahm odds

In honor of transparency, I feel it’s worth mentioning that prior to the Mexico Open, I locked in a ticket on Tony Finau at +850 to win the event. It wasn’t really going out on a limb as he placed runner-up last year to Jon Rahm (-17) in the inaugural year of the PGA recognizing the event. 

With all of that being said, I think this is an excellent opportunity to buy back in on Rahm with a plus-money payout. The Masters Winner has been on fire recently, and his long-drive capabilities make him a perfect candidate to repeat as the champion here. 

The Spaniard is clearly getting his feet underneath him as the tournament goes on, considering he broke the course record with his 10 under on Saturday. To put that into perspective, Bhatia’s eight under was the next closest, while nobody touched a seven underscore. Let’s ride with Rahm to erase the two-stroke deficit and win this thing!

Mexico Open Odds - Live Odds Entering Sunday

Mexico Open 2023 Live Stream

Reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm returns to action this week and will head to Mexico to defend his Mexico Open title from a year ago. Other well-known players in the field include Tony Finau, Francesco Molinari, Gary Woodland, Alex Noren and many more PGA Tour stalwarts. 

Opened in 2015, the course offers views of the Sierra Madres on every hole. There are large landing areas off the tee, with positioning being of paramount importance, while the large greens have huge bunkers. 

Below are all the broadcast and streaming details for the event.

Mexico Open Live Stream: How to watch from outside your country

There are loads of easy ways to watch golf in 2023 including in the US, UK and almost anywhere else in the world. Below we have a full list of options but anyone away from their home country can still watch the action by using VPNs.

VPNs allow you to get around any geo-blocking and and let you watch the same legal, high-quality golf live stream you would at home.

ExpressVPN is one of the best out there. It's easy to use, boasts strong security features, is very easy to setup and is compatible with most major streaming devices, including the  Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation.

Best of all, ExpressVPN comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. This is the #1 rated VPN in the world right now. You can try it out for a month for free or sign up for an annual plan and get 3 months absolutely free.

US TV Schedule - 2023 Mexico Open

All times EST

Thursday, April 27: 3.30pm-6.30pm (Golf Channel)

Friday, April 28: 3.30pm-6.30pm (Golf Channel)

Saturday, April 29: 1pm-3pm (Golf Channel), 3pm-6pm (CBS)

Sunday, April 30: 1pm-3pm (Golf Channel), 3pm-6pm (CBS)

NBC's Golf Channel will televise action during the week and CBS will takeover when the tournament heats up over the weekend. Bearing this in mind you can access the Golf Channel through streaming options such as AT&T TV Now and fuboTV.

AT&T TV Now starts at around $55 a month but does have a 7-day free trial. While fuboTV also offers the Golf Channel and 100+ other channels and also has a 7-day free trial.

We also recommend Sling TV in the US as well. At $51 per month, Sling Blue with the Sports add-on brings NBC and Golf Channel, and it is also half price for your first month.

UK TV Schedule - 2023 Mexico Open

Thursday, April 27: 1.45pm-11.30pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Friday, April 28: 1.45pm-11.30pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Saturday, April 29: 1.30pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Sunday, April 30: 1.30pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf)

In the UK, Sky Sports should be your first port of call as Sky Sports Golf will televise action from the event. At the moment Sky has some great deals on Sky Sports for those looking to upgrade and those looking sign up to Sky for the first time.

You can get all eight Sky Sports Channels in HD for just £25 a month which not only includes all the golf action, but you can also watch the football, cricket, Formula 1, NFL and a whole host of other sporting events.

Australia TV Schedule - 2023 Mexico Open

Thursday, April 27: 11.30pm-8.30am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Friday, April 28: 11.30pm-8.30am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Sunday, April 30: 3am-8am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Monday, May 1: 3am-8am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

The PGA Tour coverage in Australia obviously means getting something great to watch early in the morning. As ever in Australia the most comprehensive golf coverage is offered by Kayo Sports where you can watch Fox Sports that broadcasts the PGA Tour coverage. Not only can you watch the action from Mexico here, it has all the PGA Tour, DP World Tour events and the Majors. It also has events on the LPGA as well.

It of course also offers access to over 50 sports live and on-demand, with some its big name channels including Fox Sports, ESPN, and beIN Sports.

It's also fantastic value at either $30 for Kayo Basic or $35 for Kayo Premium. Basic lets you stream sport on two devices at once, while Premium allows you to watch on up to three screens simultaneously, so it represents great value if your household has different sporting tastes or you're splitting the cost of the subscription. There's even a free 14-day trial.

As ever, Aussies out of the country can access their favorite streaming service just like they would at home can use a VPN to watch their PGA Tour live stream of choice.

We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example

1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service) 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad

We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. 

Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing. 

The PGA Tour will return to its standard stroke play format for the second annual Mexico Open at Vidanta this week. However, players competing in the field will head south of the border to Vallarta, Mexico, to compete on the beautiful shores of the Vidanta Vallarta course. Last year, Jon Rahm earned his only outright win by one stroke at -17-under-par, holding off Tony Finau and Brandon Wu’s scorching -8-under-par closing rounds. It’s a lot different for the Spaniard in 2023, as Rahm has already earned four outright wins in just 11 events, including winning his first Green Jacket at The Masters earlier in the month. 

Of course, Rahm is priced the highest in DraftKings and FanDuel DFS contests this week, as the field is a bit lighter than the events we’ve seen recently, which means Rahm is now $12,000 on DraftKings and $12,600 on FanDuel. If you want the World’s No. 1 golfer, especially defending his title at a new event, you’re going to have to pay a premium to land him in your lineups. Other notable players include Tony Finau and Wyndham Clark, with a ton of value to acquire in the $8,000 - $9,600 range on DraftKings and the $9,000 - $10,000 range on FanDuel. 

After analyzing the Mexico Open slate, I’ve identified a few of my favorite players that can help us cash our DFS lineups at Vidanta. Let’s find out why each golfer should be prioritized in lineups ahead of Thursday’s opening tee times from the Western shores of Vallarta, Mexico. 

Before we get into our Mexico Open DFS Picks and Targets, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. You can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Mexico Open selections this week.

DraftKings $50,000 Maximum Salary

Tony Finau ($10.7K)

Jon Rahm is simply too expensive to roster in DFS on this slate. Instead, let’s opt for Tony Finau, who has flown under the radar for most of 2023 despite recording three T10 finishes and nine T25s in 12 events. Finau was dialed in on Sunday at Vidanta a year ago and went -3-under-par or lower after opening with an even round here last year. He’s ranked fourth in total strokes gained, including first approaching the green, and fifth tee-to-green, while his putter is an asset instead of a liability. I’m comfortable recommending Finau as the top blue-chip prospect to acquire on DraftKings.

Patrick Rodgers ($9.3K)

Another golfer who fared well during the inaugural Mexico Open event in 2022 was Patrick Rodgers. The 30-year-old American logged a tenth-place finish at -13-under-par in 2022. If he wouldn’t have had his highest scoring round (-1-under-par) during the final round at Vidanta, Rodgers would’ve been positioned to steal the win from Rahm. Alas, Rodgers is back in 2023, and he has all the makings of a quality prospect in DFS lineups. He’s ranked 33rd in total strokes gained, including 24th around the green, while performing well enough to rank 41st in strokes gained tee-to-green and off-the-tee. Plus, Rodgers is rounding into form lately, logging a fifth-place finish at Valero and a T19 finish at RBC Heritage, so tail his momentum and secure Rodgers as a quality addition in lineups this week.

Stephan Jaeger ($8.2K)

Stephen Jaeger is another golfer who had a nice outing at Vidanta in 2022. The 33-year-old German only has one T10 finish through 16 events this season on the PGA Tour, but his skill set aligns nicely with the rigors at Vidanta. Jaeger is ranked fourth in consecutive greens in regulation, 11th in Round 1 scoring average, and 14th in strokes gained around the green. A fast start at -2-under-par set the stage for Jaeger to make the cut last year, and he delivered a resounding -7-under-par performance in the third round to climb into the T15. At just $8.2K on DraftKings, we’re landing a ton of value with Jaeger, so plug him into lineups with confidence.

FanDuel $50,000 Maximum Salary

Byeong Hun An ($11.1K)

Byeong Hun An is set to make his debut at Vidanta this week, and he’s had plenty of time off to prepare for it. The 31-year-old South Korean is playing some of his best golf lately, logging a T6 finish at Valero during his last solo event while leaning on his iron play to stay near the top of the leaderboards. An is ranked first in strokes gained around the green, 34th tee-to-green, and eighth in driving distance. While An has difficulty finding the greens in regulation, he’s ranked 44th in scrambling, which is why he’s the best player on the Tour when it comes to gaining strokes around the green. He’s priced a bit higher than normal due to the lighter field, but I like his outlook ahead of Thursday’s opening round. 

Andrew Putnam ($10.5K)

Last year, Andrew Putnam failed to make the cut at Vidanta, but he’s been playing better lately, albeit still finishing outside of the top 25. Finishes of T28 and T59 at Valero and the RBC Heritage aren’t the best. Still, these were loaded fields in comparison to the depth at Vidanta, so Putnam stands a better chance of securing his fourth T10 finish in his 19th event played this season. Putnam is ranked seventh in bogey avoidance, eighth in scrambling, and performs nicely when on the greens, ranking 13th in strokes gained putting. He is ranked 56th around the green and 48th approaching the green, so he can rely on his irons to get him positioned for success. It’s a bit of a risk at $10.5K, but Putnam offers stability due to being the eighth-best scrambler on the PGA Tour. 

Akshay Bhatia ($9K)

Akshay Bhatia has cooled off after impressing at the Puerto Rico Open with a runner-up finish, but that won’t stop me from recommending him in DFS at Vidanta this week. The 21-year-old American missed the cut at RBC Heritage but had previous finishes of T24 at the Corales Puntacana Championship and a T46 at Valero, so it’ll be interesting to see how he performs during his debut at Vidanta. Bhatia specializes in strokes gained approaching the green, ranking 28th on the PGA Tour, while also ranking 29th in total driving, which accounts for accuracy and distance. He’s a wizard with his irons from 50-150 yards out, ranking top-ten in all approach metrics while averaging 4.21 birdies per round. This is the currency to chase in DFS due to the 6x value assigned to birdies compared to par scores, making Bhatia one of my favorite salary-saving prospects on the Mexico Open slate. 

The Mexico Open is the first national open on the 2023 schedule, and a very new event on the PGA Tour. First played 79 years ago in 1944 at the Club de Golf Chapultepec, the Mexico Open was a PGA Tour Latinoamerica event until last year, where it became an official event on the PGA Tour. The Mexico Open now offers a purse of 7.7 million dollars, with 500 FedEx Cup points up for grabs as well. 

It was held last year at Vidanta Vallarta, a Greg Norman course in Vallarta, Mexico that stretches to nearly 7,500 yards on the scorecard. Recent Masters champion Jon Rahm won the inaugural Tour event last year at 17 under par by one stroke over Tony Finau, Kurt Kitayama, and Brandon Wu. Rahm will graciously be back to defend his title, and although this is a natural rest week for many of the game’s top players, Wyndham Clark, Gary Woodland, and Tony Finau, amongst others will all look to challenge the Spaniard in his title defense.

Before we get into our picks for the Mexico Open, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. With the offers below, you can turn $6 into $350 worth of bonuses, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your Mexico Open selections this week.

Mexico Open: Course Preview

Vidanta Vallarta

Vidanta Vallarta is like many resort courses on the PGA Tour, but it has certainly been beefed up to provide some resistance to par. The Greg Norman design plays as a Par 73 for resort guests, but was changed to a par 71 for this event, with the fourth hole now playing as a 520 yard par four, and the 16th hole now playing as a 505 yard par four. Originally 7,287 yards on the scorecard for resort guests, Vidanta was tipped out to 7,457 yards last year. Despite the notable lengthening, Vidanta still played as the 11th easiest course on the PGA Tour last year. Distance, as well as the potential for wind is really the greatest defense that Vidanta has. Featuring 40-yard-wide fairways, Vidanta is one of the most wide open, driver heavy, and distance biased courses on the PGA Tour.

The rough is barely a concern, and while water comes into play often, there is still a ton of room for players to navigate off the tee and on their approach shots. The game plan at Vidanta is fairly simple, hit the ball as long as possible off the tee, and be able to control your long irons. The Paspalum greens are extremely slow, flat, and feature very little undulation. The greenside surrounds are incredibly benign as well. All things considered, it should not come as a surprise that bombers and elite long iron players such as Jon Rahm, Kurt Kitayama, Tony Finau, and Cameron Champ all found themselves in contention last year. This year, I will primarily be looking for players that similarly rate out highly in driving distance and long iron play, as well as have a history of success on easy, slow, tropical, Paspalum golf courses.

Mexico Open Key Stats

• Proximity 200 yards plus
• Driving Distance
• Birdies or Better Gained

Mexico Open: Outright Winner

Wyndham Clark (+2100) (Bet $100 to collect $2,200) Head to FanDuel to get the best Wyndham Clark odds

Wyndham Clark is in the midst of a career year on the PGA Tour, and he now travels to a course that fits his game to a tee. The 29-year-old is one of only four players in this field to rank top-10 in both driving distance and long iron proximity, the two most important skill sets at Vidanta Vallarta. He also ranks third in this entire field in birdies or better gained and first in par five scoring, which I also believe will come in handy at a wide-open resort course with four three-shotters. 

Clark is coming off a third-place finish at the Zurich Classic, where he carried the brunt of the burden alongside Beau Hossler. Prior to that, he finished sixth at the Corales Punta Cana, another long, Paspalum resort course where birdies are the name of the game. I wish there was more value in his outright number, but sometimes when all the pieces fit together so perfectly, it’s important not to over-think it.

Gary Woodland (+3000) Bet $100 to collect $3,100 Go to Pointsbet for the best Gary Woodland odds

Gary Woodland has had a frustrating existence on the PGA Tour since winning the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach back in 2019. With that being said, he’s playing some of the best golf of his career, and from a ball-striking standpoint, Woodland has proven that he’s incredibly close to crossing the finish line. The 38-year-old is coming off a 31st at the Heritage, where he gained over two strokes both off the tee and on approach. What is even more encouraging is that he gained four strokes putting, which has been the missing piece for Woodland all season. 

The Kansas native has been absolutely flushing it all season, gaining over four strokes ball-striking in four straight starts, and that is not including the 12.5 strokes ball-striking that he gained at the Genesis Invitational, which had one of the strongest fields of the season. Woodland has emerged as one of the most reliable drivers of the ball in the world, gaining over a stroke off the tee in every single start this season. The upside with the irons is there, and now he finally gets to a golf course that accentuates long iron play, a skill in which Woodland ranks first in this entire field. Most importantly, the putter appears to be finally coming around. Similar to Clark, I wish there was more value in his outright number, but in such a weak field, it’s hard to envision a more perfect scenario for the trending Woodland.

The RBC Heritage is the next event to follow The Masters. It's newly minted as a designated event, which means most of the PGA Tour's best players will be in attendance, including Jon Rahm, who won his first Green Jacket at Augusta National with strong opening and closing rounds. Located at the heavily-frequented Hilton Head Island Resort on the coastal lowlands of South Carolina, players will need to adjust to a much different course layout than the one they navigated in Georgia this past weekend.

Rahm will be in attendance in a field of 143 golfers, which also includes Scottie Scheffler, who will be making his debut at Harbour Town Golf Links. Patrick Cantlay, who lost to Jordan Spieth in a sudden-death playoff here in 2022, has the third-highest odds to secure an outright win, while Collin Morikawa and Spieth round out the top-five outright winner odds. Ball striking is always an important piece toward winning at any PGA Tour course, however, Harbour Town takes it to another level with thin fairways and small greens.

Let's explore the opening tee times, current top ten odds, and the Harbour Town Golf Links layout before diving into my top five power rankings entering the 2023 RBC Heritage.

Before we get into our RBC Heritage power rankings, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. You can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 RBC Heritage selections this week.

RBC Heritage Odds

RBC Heritage Course

Harbour Town Golf Links is a Pete Dye-designed course that's been played for over 50 years. Jack Nicklaus worked with Dye to develop the property, which is known for its narrow fairways and tiny Bermudagrass greens. These greens average 3.700 square feet, which is half the size of what we saw at Augusta National, which is why precise irons are so critical to maintaining success. Water hazards do pop up from time to time, mostly on the par 3s, which are evenly distributed along the front and back nine.

Harbour Town is a par 71 that doesn't run long at just over 7,200 yards. Only one par 5 is on the back nine on the 15th hole, which is why it's a par 71, but most of the over-seeded Bermuda fairways run straight, with numerous trees blanketing the perimeter to create bad lies with errant tee shots. The Bermuda rough stands over three inches, but a new intermediate layer serves as a buffer between the long rough and the Bermuda fairways, which will measure closer to an inch. The Bermuda greens run a bit slower than the Bentgrass surfaces at Augusta, but the Stimpmeter still projects roughly 12.5 feet so that it won't be a drastic difference.

RBC Heritage Power Rankings

Scottie Scheffler (+850) (Bet $100 to collect $950) Get the best odds for Scottie Scheffler at DraftKings

The World No. 1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler, is set to make his debut at RBC Heritage. The 26-year-old already has two outright wins this season and is the top-ranked player in strokes gained tee-to-green, which is one of the top metrics to follow at Harbour Town Golf Links. Scheffler hasn't dropped outside of the T10 in any of his previous four events and hasn't dipped below T12 since October. Only the putter can stop Scheffler, but at a course designed to reward ball striking, the debutant can make his imprint with an outright win. It's why we're landing +850 odds on Scheffler as the betting favorite, but it's still good value compared to what we'll land after a strong opening round, so take his outright line with confidence.

Patrick Cantlay (+1200) (Bet $100 to collect $1,300) For the best odds for Patrick Cantlay go to DraftKings

Patrick Cantlay nearly won a year ago but wound up losing to Jordan Spieth in a playoff match at RBC Heritage. The 31-year-old Cantlay is seeking his first win of the 2022-23 PGA Tour season, recording six outright wins across the previous two seasons. He's equipped with the best par 5 scoring average, has incredibly precise irons, and ranked sixth in total strokes gained, and his putter tends to be an asset instead of a liability. It also helps to know that Cantlay is ranked second in total driving, meaning he's powerful and accurate, which helps create ample birdie opportunities for a player with three T7 finishes in his past four outings at Harbour Town. At 12/1, we're getting solid value for a blue-chip prospect, so invest in Cantlay accordingly.

Collin Morikawa (+1800) (Bet $100 to collect $1,900) Head to DraftKings to get the Collin Morikawa pick

Collin Morikawa is another fantastic iron player that we've seen flourish on the PGA Tour this season. The 26-year-old has previous finishes of T26 and T7 at RBC Heritage, and he's built to dominate the course during his third appearance at the newly designated event. Morikawa ranks second in strokes gained approaching the green, second in driving accuracy, and fourth in strokes gained tee-to-green. Simply put, he's an exceptional iron player, and while his putter tends to flare up from time to time, there's a reason he's cracking the top five outright betting odds this weekend. He's eighth at converting greens in regulation and 40th in scrambling, so he can save par or attempt birdies from nearly all lies. At 18/1, we're getting 2x the value betting on Morikawa compared to Scheffler, so I like laying a unit on these odds.

Viktor Hovland (+2200) (Bet $100 to collect $2,300) DraftKings has the best Viktor Hovland odds

Viktor Hovland captured everyone's attention with a seven-under-par start to The Masters, but he wound up deflating and pulling a T7 finish at Augusta. The 25-year-old Norwegian has all of the tools to secure an outright win, despite making his debut at Harbour Town. That's right. Hovland and Scheffler are among a list of notable players who have never competed here until it became a designated event, so expect them to have plenty of motivation after relatively disappointing results at the first Major of the season last weekend. Hovland is 15th in strokes gained tee-to-green, eighth in strokes gained off-the-tee, and first in approach shots from 100-175 yards while also averaging the lowest number of putts during the first round this season. He's not going to shy away despite making his debut, so at 22/1 odds, we are obligated to lay at least half a unit on the young Norwegian, who has an outright win in each of his previous three seasons on the PGA Tour.

Tyrrell Hatton (+4000) (Bet $100 to collect $4,100) The best Tyrrell Hatton odds are at DraftKings

It's been three years since Tyrrell Hatton's only outright win, which occurred at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 31-year-old Englishman is ranked seventh in total strokes gained, including ninth tee-to-green and off-the-tee, while also ranking 11th in approaching the green. Previous finishes go T26, T39, MC, and T29, so securing an outright win would be a massive step forward based on the slow improvement we've seen from Hatton. He also has a nice touch when putting on the green, ranking 35th in strokes gained putting, while also showing command of the driver when it comes to accuracy and distance. 40/1 is the best value we're landing amongst these five recommended plays, so betting a half-unit on Hatton will get it done here.

The RBC Heritage has been a staple on the PGA Tour since 1969, and outside of 2011 and 2020, it has always been held the week directly following the Masters. Many of the top players in the field at Augusta will make the short trip south down to Hilton Head, South Carolina, to compete at the iconic Pete Dye design, Harbour Town Golf Links. The Heritage has been granted elevated status this season, which means the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, and Xander Schauffele. Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, and Viktor Hovland, amongst others, will all be in attendance this week. 

Although conventional wisdom suggests there might be a bit of an emotional letdown following the Masters, 12 of the last 16 champions of the Heritage have actually competed in the Masters the preceding week. It will be interesting to see how the top players perform at Harbour Town, as it is a much different test than what they faced at Augusta National.

Before we get into our picks for the RBC Heritage, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. With the offers below, you can turn $6 into $350 worth of bonuses, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your RBC Heritage selections this week.

The RBC Heritage: Course Preview

Harbour Town Golf Links

Harbour Town Golf Links embodies a very specific style of golf that is a far cry from what players were tasked with last week at Augusta National. The par 71, which measures just a hair over 7,100 yards on the scorecard, features extremely narrow corridors off the tee, guarded by over-hanging tree limbs, and incredibly small greens, which measure just 3,700 square feet on average. Harbour Town is a golf course that takes the driver out of a player’s hands. The Pete Dye design is all about positioning oneself off the tee and setting up the right angle to approach these greens. I generally run my model a bit differently at the Heritage, as I am mainly concerned with identifying players that have a really strong track record both here and at other short, positional golf courses. 

Harbour Town is the type of track that actually levels the playing field between the Jon Rahms, Rory McIlroys, and Scottie Schefflers of the world with the Matt Kuchars, Kevin Kisners, and Webb Simpsons. There is a certain style of golf on the PGA Tour that we see every year at the Heritage, the Sony Open, the Wyndham Championship, the RSM Classic, etc., which are all events that feature less than driver courses with small greens where positioning off the tee and wedge play are the name of the game. 

Harbour Town is arguably the most exaggerated of this style of golf, as players are presented with options off the tee, and ultimately this tournament is often won by the player that does the best job of keeping the ball in play off the tee and is most precise with his short to middle irons. A hot putter is far from a pre-requisite, as Jordan Spieth won this event last year, losing over 2.5 strokes putting. I will primarily be looking to target players with the strongest history on corollary courses, who are also elite on approach.

The RBC Heritage Key Stats

• Course History/Corollary Course History
• Long-term Proximity 150-200 yards
• Strokes Gained Total: Short Courses

The RBC Heritage: Outright Winner

Collin Morikawa (+2100) (Bet $100 to collect $2,200) Get the best odds for this Collin Morikawa pick at FanDuel

I have long felt that Harbour Town was the perfect golf course for Collin Morikawa and that it was only a matter of time before he claimed victory at the iconic Pete Dye venue. The two-time major winner remains one of the most accurate drivers of the ball in the world, as well as, pound for pound, the best short-to-middle iron player in the world as well. These are two skill sets that are incredibly important at Harbor Town. Golf courses like Torrey Pines and Bay Hill accentuate what Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy do best, but golf courses like these are where Morikawa should really shine. 

He is coming off an extremely well-rounded 10th-place finish at the Masters, where he gained strokes in all four major categories. The ball-striking in both categories continues to improve, and he had another good short game and putting week, which had plagued him earlier this season. Morikawa is starting to clean up the around-the-green play, and he has now gained in that category in three straight starts. I found his performance at Augusta to be incredibly encouraging, and now he returns to a golf course that I actually believe is far better suited for his game than the task at hand last week.

Sungjae Im (+3700) (Bet $100 to collect $3,800) Head to FanDuel to get the best odds for Sungjae Im

Sungjae Im is quietly playing some incredible golf this season, and he is coming off a quiet 16th-place finish at the Masters, where he gained strokes in all major categories, including 3.4 on approach. Harbour Town is the type of golf course that should fit his skill set well, and Im is the number one player in this entire field off the tee on shorter golf courses. Due to elite accuracy off the tee, the two-time PGA Tour winner is one of the biggest risers when placed on more shorter, positional golf courses. 

He already boasts high-end finishes not just at Harbour Town but also at TPC Sawgrass, Colonial, Innisbrook, and Sedgefield, amongst others. The World No. 17 has already been knocking at the door this year with three top-six finishes at the Players Championship, Phoenix Open, and Farmer’s Insurance Open, all big-time events with elite fields. I expect Im to rise to the occasion this week and find himself firmly in the mix come Sunday afternoon in Hilton Head.

What Is Max Homa's Net Worth?

A man who has had a rollercoaster of a career as a professional golfer, Max Homa has risen up the world rankings and the hard work has clearly paid off as he has now won six times on the PGA Tour, and made a Presidents Cup appearance. As a result he has become a firm fixture in the world's top-20 male golfers, getting as high as 5th, and has a high-profile in the sport off the back of this stellar play, and his social media presence which is funny to say the least. But how much is he worth? Well estimates can vary on this but we have regularly seen the $4-5 million mark reported.

Homa's career earnings on the PGA Tour so far are just above $20 million. He has played in more than 160 PGA Tour events and as we mentioned above, won six of them. For his 1st PGA Tour title, at the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship he won $1,422,000, and he won the same event in 2022 winning $1,620,000. He won the Fortinet Championship in both 2021 and 2022 netting himself $1,260,000 and $1,440,000 respectively. 

In 2023 he won the Farmers Insurance Open with a cheque for $1,566,000 but his biggest win to date was at the 2021 Genesis Invitational. He beat Tony Finau in a playoff to win $1,674,000. It is worth stating that because of his play, Homa has all but assured himself a spot in the biggest PGA Tour events and Majors for years to come, so his earnings are definitely going to go up. His net worth should trend upwards as well if he continues to play as well as he has over the past few years.

Homa was also a beneficiary of the Player Impact Program which debuted in 2021 to reward players for boosting engagement and publicity of the PGA Tour. In 2022's list he earned $3m for coming 14th. 

As such a marketable and likeable player and person, Homa has a range of sponsors at the moment. Homa uses a full bag of Titleist clubs at the moment including Vokey wedges, Scotty Cameron putter, and a Titleist golf ball. He then wears FootJoy golf shoes and apparel as well. 

On this apparel he has several sponsors stitched onto the polo shirts. In March 2020, Homa signed a deal with the insurance company, Burns & Wilcox, and in 2022 he signed a partnership with Five9, a leading provider of the intelligent cloud contact center. He also has agreements with Fortinet, Wells Fargo, ADP and Mastercard.

With so many top-tier players competing at such a high level, the 87th Masters' Tournament has the potential to be one of the most exciting editions we've ever seen. The variety in possible results should be bigger than most of those prior 86 events with the 18 eligible players from LIV Golf included in the field as well. 

Add in some turbulent weather forecasted for later in the week at Augusta, and we're bound to see just about anything in the first major of the year. Let's take a look at a few players that could get off to hot starts.

Before you lock in these First Round Leader picks for the 2023 Masters, make sure you are signing up for the very best Masters betting promos below. You can win bigger than ever before with these huge welcome offers, that allow you to bet $1000's sweat-free, and in some cases even guarantee big returns!

The Masters First Round Leader Picks

Tony Finau +3300 (Bet $100 to collect $2,900 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

Picking Finau for a top-20 ranking in the past was the ultimate backhanded praise for a player who kept missing out on the winner's circle but kept getting near. I like him here not just for that, however, but for a fast start to get there as well.

Despite less-than-stellar fields, he showed last year that he had what it takes to win more frequently. Based on his performance thus far this year, it appears that he still has what it takes to be a genuine contender. He has had eight official starts this year and has not placed higher than T-7 or worse than T-24 in any of them.

I think Finau's consistent but not complete results are going to catch up to his productivity very soon, and a hot start might be in order at Augusta.

As you can see above, it pays to shop around for Tony Finau's First Round Leader odds. You can win as much as $3400 on betting $100 on him at Caesars, or $500 less if you settle for the +2800 elsewhere. Make sure to use the odds comparison grid to get the best odds.

Joohyung “Tom” Kim +6000 (Bet $100 to collect $6,100 at DraftKings)

The South Korean golfer, who jokingly goes by "Tom" in honor of Thomas the Tank Engine, is competing in his first Masters, but the Augusta National course is a good fit for his style of play. He has top-20 rankings for both SG: APP and GIR %, so he ought to be able to make the crucial second shot.

Kim has consistently performed well since joining the PGA Tour in 2022 and is a reliable tee-to-green player, ranking 58th in SG: OTT. Although his ranking of 77th in putts made inside of 10 feet might be improved, this shouldn't stop him from perhaps contending for a top-10 berth at Augusta.

He's also a player known to start hot, and at these odds, I think is worth a flyer to do just that here.

Chris Kirk +8000 (Bet $100 to collect $8,100 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

Kirk will participate in the Masters for the fourth time in his career and will make his first appearance there since 2016. With his victory at the Honda Classic in February—his third top-three result in a stretch of four starts—Kirk is playing some of his sharpest golf in a very long time. One of the few players who chose to compete in the Valero Texas Open last week, when he placed T-10, that momentum could roll over early here.

Anticipation is at fever pitch ahead of the first men's Major of the year. The Masters tee times have been announced, with some star-studded groupings set to descend upon Augusta National.

Also announced were the four three-balls that would be included in the featured group coverage for round one, and they were perhaps most notable for those who weren't included.

It could be coincidence, of course, as the green jackets have remained fairly quiet on the ongoing divide in the men's game, but the four groups on Thursday are bereft of a single LIV Golf player.

Instead, they are made up of PGA Tour stalwarts, led by Tiger Woods as he makes his second start of the year alongside Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele at 10.18am local time (3.18pm BST)

Thursday's featured groups are:

10.18am EDT/3.18pm BST: Tiger Woods, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele
10.42am EDT/3.42pm BST: Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Cameron Young
1.36pm EDT/6.36pm BST: Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa, Sam Bennett
2.00pm EDT/6.00pm BST: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Tony Finau

As picked up on by No Laying Up, in each of the last three Masters tournaments, multiple players who since went on to join the breakaway circuit have been part of the featured group coverage from the famous Georgia venue.

In 2022, LIV's Louis Oosthuizen, Joaquin Niemann, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and James Piot all made the grade, while in previous years, the likes of Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Cameron Smith have also been included.

Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley confirmed members of the Greg Norman-fronted tour who qualified for The Masters would be allowed to tee it up at the men's season-opening Major, but added he was "disappointed" by recent developments.

"Regrettably, recent actions have divided men's professional golf by diminishing the virtues of the game and the meaningful legacies of those who built it" Ridley said. "Although we are disappointed in these developments, our focus is to honour the tradition of bringing together a pre-eminent field of golfers this coming April."

Open champion Smith was given a press conference slot and it remains to be seen whether he or any of his colleagues form part of Friday's featured group coverage.

Matchplay enthusiasts should enjoy this week's event because it is the last one that will be scheduled for the foreseeable future, as the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play as we know it won't be held again in 2024. The tournament is being held at Austin Country Club once more, and group play will begin on Wednesday with the field of 64 players hitting the course.

Following his victory at The Players Tournament, Scottie Scheffler will attempt to defend his championship at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. He'll compete against some of the top golfers, like Max Homa, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm.

The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship Odds

The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship Course - Copperhead Course at Austin Country Club, Austin, TX

The front and back 9-hole sections of Austin Country Club are quite distinct from one another, making it the ideal course for a match play competition. It's a par 71 course that only measures 7,108 yards, so it's hardly long. Due to the elevation fluctuations on the course, this puts the shorter hitters in the running, especially compared to most weeks. 

The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Power Rankings

Scottie Scheffler (+800) Bet $100 to collect $800 Best odds for this Scottie Scheffler pick are at DraftKings

The returning champ returns to Austin looking to defend his title here at Austin Country Club. At the current pace at which Scottie Scheffler is playing, even at these short odds, it’s hard to go against him. 

Rory McIlroy (+1100) Bet $100 to collect $1,100 The best odds for this Rory McIlroy pick are at DraftKings

Despite coming off his first missed cut of the year at the Players, you have to think Rory McIlroy bounced back in a stacked field with the Masters around the corner. 

Jon Rahm (+1100) Bet $100 to collect $1,100 Head to DraftKings for the best odds for this Jon Rahm pick.

Withdrawing from The Players with an illness, it’s easy to forget just how good Jon Rahm played to start the season. With three wins already this season, expect him to compete here. 

Patrick Cantlay (+1800) Bet $100 to collect $1,800 Get the best odds for this Patrick Cantlay pick at DraftKings

Arguably the best iron player on Tour, Patrick Cantlay can compete any week, and this course fits his eye well. 

Viktor Hovland (+2500) Bet $100 to collect $2,500 DraftKings has the best odds for Viktor Hovland to win this week

Following a third-place showing at the Players Championship, where he gained 1.9 strokes off the tee and 7.3 strokes on the approach, Viktor Hovland enters the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play playing some great golf.

The WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Championship remains the only match-play tournament on the PGA Tour schedule. The top-ranked 64 players in the World will head to Austin, Texas, and be split into 16 groups of four for a round-robin style tournament across Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. 

One player will emerge from each group and advance to the knockout stage, as the round of 16 and quarter-finals will be held on Saturday, and the semi-finals and finals match will be held on Sunday. 

Fresh off a win at the Players Championship, Scottie Scheffler will return to defend his title. He will be joined by Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Will Zalatoris, Max Homa, and Xander Schauffele. 

A change of pace on the PGA Tour is always welcome, and this format continues to deliver an exciting finish year after year.

Before we get into our picks for the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Championship, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. You can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Championship selections this week.

WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Course Preview

Austin Country Club

Austin Country Club was designed in 1984 by legendary golf course architect Pete Dye. The iconic Dye design fits the mold of much of his previous work. Playing as a par 71 and tipping out to just 7,108 yards, it is far from over-imposing in length and is defined by its strategic and positional nature. 

In preparation for the 2016 event, the golf course underwent a massive renovation. The greens were re-laid with a Poa Trivialis over-seed that we have grown accustomed to over the last couple of weeks at TPC Sawgrass and Innisbrook. 

Austin Country Club is an excellent match-play course with several risk/reward holes, a healthy mix of reachable par fours and fives, and challenging par threes. The name of the game in any match-play format is generating birdie opportunities, and I will be primarily looking for players that rate out highly in opportunities gained and birdies or better gained. I will also look at how players have performed on other shorter Pete Dye courses, such as TPC Sawgrass, Harbour Town, TPC River Highlands, and the Stadium Course at PGA West. 

It should not come as a surprise that there is a strong correlation between leaderboards at other Pete Dye courses and those who have found success at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Championship.

Austin Country Club Key Stats

• Birdies or Better Gained
• Course History/Comp Course History
• Opportunities Gained

WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Championship Predictions: Outright Winner

Viktor Hovland (+2200) (Get the Best Odds for This Hovland Pick at DraftKings Sportsbook)

Viktor Hovland enters the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Championship on the heels of a third-place finish at the Players Championship, in which he gained 1.9 strokes off the tee and 7.3 strokes on approach. 

Back-to-back top-10 finishes at TPC Sawgrass prove that the young Norwegian is more than comfortable on short, positional Pete Dye courses. Hovland has also found previous success at Harbour Town, Colonial, and TPC River Highlands. 

The World No. 9 is starting to get back to his peak ball-striking levels, as he has now gained over five strokes ball-striking in four straight starts and over nine strokes ball-striking in back-to-back starts. Long overdue for a breakthrough performance, this week is as primed as ever for the 25-year-old to pick up his first career victory on U.S. soil.

Viktor Hovland's odds are pretty consistent across the board, but there is $200 extra to be made, betting Hovland at any other sportsbook other than FanDuel, who rate him a +2000 shot compared to the consesus +2200. Make sure to compare the WGC Match Play odds, before taking the first price you see this week.

Collin Morikawa (+2500) (Get the Best Odds for This Collin Morikawa Pick at DraftKings Sportsbook)

This is a pure number play, as an in-form Collin Morikawa should never have a three next to his name in the outright betting market! 

The World No. 11 is coming off a 13th-place finish at the Players Championship in which his irons returned to peak Morikawa levels. The 25-year-old gained 9.4 strokes on approach at TPC Sawgrass, good for his best iron week since his winning performance at the WGC Workday Championship. It’s encouraging to see that Morikawa has his greatest weapon back, and he’s already recorded three top-six finishes in six starts this year. 

Yet to find the winner’s circle since his win at the Open Championship, Collin Morikawa returns to another short, positional, second shot Pete Dye course, in which his mid iron play should shine. This number is far too high to be passed up.

Once again, FanDuel Sportsbook rate Collin Morikawa higher than the market consesus, just like they have with Viktor Hovland. You can secure $500 in additional profit, betting Morikawa at DraftKings this week instead. Compare the best odds here.

A message from the editor, Mike Harris:

The Netflix Full Swing docuseries is a big deal for golf. When it was announced, the hope was it would attract new fans to our sport, as the Drive to Survive series did for Formula 1. But the fear in the industry was that it wouldn’t be as emotive and exciting as Drive to Survive; that golf and the golfers would look one-dimensional and a little dull. We needn’t have worried. 

Full Swing is a brilliant, behind-the-scenes look at a world of pressure, rivalry, dedication, perseverance, success and failure. Yes, the timing was good with the emergence of LIV Golf, but aside from that, the producers and directors at Netflix have done a tremendous job of focusing on different characters with very different stories. They cover superstars at the top of the pile, like Rory, DJ and JT, to those lower in the pecking order like Joel Dahmen, whose self-deprecation and bantering with his caddie, together with his honesty about off-course adversities, makes for a captivating episode.

The other episode that particularly struck me focuses on Tony Finau – his journey to the top has been a remarkable and emotional rollercoaster ride. His story shows there is more than one way to succeed as a professional golfer. Finau is the main interview in our Masters preview in this issue. The 33-year-old talks about his career, his family, his game, his goals and his chances at Augusta. He’s one of the most naturally talented golfers in the game, and with three wins on the PGA Tour in 2022 to add to two previous titles, he heads into the year’s first Major with confidence. He has already notched three top-ten finishes at Augusta National and I predict  he will be there or thereabouts come Masters Sunday. 

The Magic Of The Masters

With the 87th Masters Tournament just around the corner, Fergus Bisset gives us the lowdown on all things Augusta National. From course updates to the main contenders, we look at what you can expect from this year's first Major.

Driving Made Easy

There are few better feelings than having complete control and confidence in your driver. It won’t happen every time you play – sadly that’s not how this game works – but we can help you produce your best off the tee more often. We've employed Top 50 Coach Alex Elliott to reveal his keys to better all-round driving.

Best 2023 Drivers

Every February sees a wave of new drivers hitting the market in the UK promising longer, straighter tee shots. To find out what you can expect from the class of 2023, we’ve tested 22 different models from ten different brands using the Foresight Sports GC Quad launch monitor. 

46-Page Travel Special

If you’ve never been on a golf break abroad, either with friends or your other half, then it’s absolutely the right time to break your duck; if you have, and it’s a regular in your annual golfing calendar, then you’ll know how many great destinations there are out there – many of which feature in this travel special.

Tony Finau Exclusive

Five-time PGA Tour winner Tony Finau believes the right attitude and a game seemingly built for Augusta will one day lead to a Green Jacket. 

Jose Maria Olazabal

Jose Maria Olazabal has played in 33 Masters. Here, he discusses the magic of Augusta National and explains why the tournament is so special.

Seamus Power

Seamus Power has gone from being outside the top 400 in the world to two-time PGA Tour winner, Major regular and potential Ryder Cup player in just under two years.

Know The Rules

Our regular section explains rules you may not know and features our popular quiz so you won't be caught out on the course this season.

A second season of Netflix's 'Full Swing' docuseries following the PGA Tour has been confirmed.

The first season debuted in February with eight episodes following some of the sport's biggest names throughout 2022. The show documented all four of the men's Majors and culminated with the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs.

The PGA Tour has confirmed season 2 will be launching next year, so we'd presume it will be a February, or similar, release date once again. Filming has already begun for the second series, although nothing has been confirmed yet as to which golfers will be featuring. "A new cast of featured golfers," is all we currently know.

Reports have stated that Max Homa was being filmed during the WM Phoenix Open so he seems to be a likely contender for season 2.

The docuseries is produced by Vox Media and Box to Box Films, the people behind the hugely successful F1: Drive to Survive series that is now in its fifth season.

Netflix confirmed the news of a second season along with the tennis series 'Break Point'.

“These shows quickly appealed to core fans of golf and tennis, and also recruited brand new fans from all around the world,” said Brandon Riegg, Vice President, Unscripted and Documentary Series, Netflix.

“Like so much of our growing sports slate, the compelling characters, competitive stakes, and vibrant storytelling reveal sides of the game you've never seen before, and we're excited to follow the unpredictable turns of the year ahead.”

Which golfers were in the first season of Full Swing?

• Joel Dahmen
• Tony Finau
• Matthew Fitzpatrick
• Rickie Fowler
• Max Homa
• Dustin Johnson
• Brooks Koepka
• Rory McIlroy
• Collin Morikawa
• Joaquin Niemann
• Mito Pereira
• Ian Poulter
• Scottie Scheffler
• Xander Schauffele
• Jordan Spieth
• Sahith Theegala
• Justin Thomas

Kurt Kitayama enjoyed a 27-place jump in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) following his enthralling victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

However, while the American’s maiden PGA Tour win now finds him at a career-high World No.19, in the alternative ranking produced by Sports Illustrated, he’s faring even better. Kitayama began last week’s tournament at World No.44 on the Sports Illustrated World Golf Rankings (SIWGR), but now sits in the final place in the top 10.

The huge leap is partly down to course difficulty, and Bay Hill ranks third on the PGA Tour’s toughest courses list behind Spyglass Hill and Torrey Pines. However, strength of field is also taken into consideration, and the tournament was one of the PGA Tour’s designated events, meaning it had plenty of quality. Therefore, it wasn’t unexpected that Katayama would enjoy a sizeable leap up the ranking following his victory.

Still, a 34-place rise is considerable, particularly taking into account the winner of the tournament that preceded the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Chris Kirk, only rose seven places to World No.17 following his Honda Classic win, perhaps highlighting the effect of performing well in designated events.

The SIWGR also takes into account players' last 12 months instead of the OWGR's 24-month outlook. To that end, Katayama was already making inroads into the upper echelons of the ranking thanks to his three runner-up places in that period – last May’s tie for second in the Mexico Open, and outright runner-up finishes in July’s Genesis Scottish Open and October’s CJ Cup at Congaree.

Another big mover this week was Harris English, who now stands at World No.32 in the SIWGR, a rise of 80 from last week’s World No.112. His tie for runner-up with Rory McIlroy last week followed a tie for 12th in the previous designated event, the Genesis Invitational.

Going the other way, Tony Finau, who began the tournament in the position Kitayama now holds, has slipped to 13th after finishing tied for 24th, while Sam Burns falls six places to 20th after beginning the tournament in 14th.

With no LIV Golf tournament last weekend, the best placed player from the circuit on the list, Dustin Johnson, fell from World No.15 to World No.18. Meanwhile, like the OWGR, Jon Rahm remains World No.1 despite his disappointing tie for 39th.

This week's Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge will again draw a star-studded field.

The current trajectory of sanctioned events feels front-loaded, but that is how the schedule is at this point in the season, just before majors begin ramping up next month with The Masters.

Moving forward, it will be difficult to find many consecutive weeks without at least one elevated event, as the PGA Tour is now in serious competition with LIV Golf in terms of retaining the world's best golfers. As usual, the lowest 65 golfers and ties from this week's small field of 120 players will advance after 36 holes.

Let's take a look at who sits atop the odds leaderboard pre-flop.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational Odds

The Arnold Palmer Invitational Course - Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, FL

From this event's first iteration in 1979,  Bay Hill Club and Lodge have been the hosts, as golf legend Arnold Palmer has played MC.  Palmer redesigned this Dick Wilson creation in 2009 after it had been first put out in the early 1960s.

Looking at the scorecard, we see that the par 72 course is 7,466 yards long, well above the Tour average of 7,200 yards. Big numbers are prevalent on this course, as one might anticipate from one in Florida. 

The Arnold Palmer Invitational Power Rankings

Until I see otherwise, Rahm is the best player in the world. Coming into this week, he has gained an astounding 3.25 strokes per round over the course of his last 36 rounds. The score is by far the highest in this field and one of the best we've ever seen. 

Even though McIlroy hasn't performed at his best in his last two starts, he hasn't finished lower than T32, which serves to highlight his greatness and the bar we set for him.

The winner here last year at -5, Scheffler, is again starting to heat up at exactly the right time this season. Coming into the week, he is +20.1 in Strokes Gained: OTT over his past 24 rounds. 

Second, only behind Tom Hoge, Schauffele is +25.4 in SG: Approach over his past 24 rounds, a critical metric for success here. Unlike Hoge, Schauffele can win on any given week. 

Morikawa recently finished in a T-6 at Riviera, where he earned 8.25 strokes from the tee to the green. Having participated in four tournaments this year, missing the cut in Phoenix but winning the runner-up prize, placing third, and placing sixth in his other three starts.

The Sunshine State will continue to be the site for the upcoming Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Florida. After witnessing the first sudden-death playoff in several months on the PGA Tour at the Honda Classic this past weekend, expect more fireworks and dramatic finishes at Bay Hill. If not due to the challenging course, then certainly because of the improved field. 

Scottie Scheffler returns to defend his title after winning the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational but he’s not the outright betting favorite. That accolade goes to Jon Rahm, who is playing unconsciously this season, winning three of six events outright, including his last performance at The Genesis Invitational a couple of weeks ago. Rahm is +650, followed by Rory McIlroy at +800, who previously won at Bay Hill in 2018. McIlroy hasn’t looked nearly as dominant in the two PGA Tour events he’s competed at since mid-February, drawing T32 and T29 finishes at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and Genesis. However, he did win The CJ Cup back in October, before going on to win more on the DP World Tour, so McIlroy definitely still packs a punch and holds his own in a highly competitive field. Max Homa is another budding superstar, winning twice outright in seven events this season while losing as the runner-up to Rahm at Genesis in his last appearance. 

Let’s check out the top-ten betting odds, course layout, and a few players who warrant serious consideration to win outright ahead of Thursday’s opening round at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

Arnold Palmer Invitational Betting Odds

Sportsbooks and oddsmakers have a lot of confidence in Jon Rahm as the outright betting favorite. It’s no surprise, however, it’s important to remember the Spaniard’s meltdown at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January, where he went +2 in the final round, allowing Homa to climb the leaderboard and secure the sixth win of his ten-year career. While +650 odds is a hefty payout in a vacuum, it’s relatively low for PGA betting value, so there are other more tempting players to invest in ahead of Thursday’s opening round at Bay Hill. 

McIlroy is due for a big outing but he’s still sitting high at 8/1 odds, which doesn’t offer us quite the satisfactory payout that other big-time players have been designated. Nearly all of the players with top-ten odds entering the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational are elite ball-strikers who either possess a strong driver or great putting ability. Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion and he’s getting overshadowed, despite proving that he’s capable of repeating at an event during his outright win at the WMPO a few weeks ago. 10/1 odds is solid and we’ve seen Scheffler stay poised in the big moments numerous times throughout the past two seasons, plus he ranks inside the top ten for strokes gained tee-to-green, off-the-tee, and greens in regulation with a 75 percent conversion rate. There are a lot of players with much lower odds and higher value that also catch my eye, including Will Zalatoris (22/1), Sam Burns (40/1), and Keith Mitchell (60/1). 

Let’s explore the course layout more, along with previous winners, relevant betting stats, and a few of my favorite golfers to bet on as outright winners ahead of the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

Arnold Palmer Invitational Betting Preview

Previous Winners

• 2022 - Scottie Scheffler (-5)
• 2021 - Bryson DeChambeau (-11)
• 2020 - Tyrrell Hatton (-4)
• 2019 - Francesco Molinari (-12)
• 2018 - Rory McIlroy (-18)

Relevant Betting Stats

• Driving Accuracy
• Sand save percentage
• Greens in Regulation percentage
• Scrambling
• Strokes Gained: Putting

Course Layout

Bay Hill Club & Lodge has been on the PGA Tour circuit since it was officially opened in 1979. Under the vision of owner and renowned late golfer, Arnold Palmer, who was among the first to install Tifway Bermudagrass. It’s a par 72 that tips at 7,381 yards, while featuring more par 5s than PGA National last weekend during the Honda Classic, creating more birdie opportunities.

Conversely, there are numerous water hazards, strategically placed sand bunkers, and doglegged fairways that are lined with trees and plenty of surrounding rough to avoid. The greens are fairly small like they were at PGA National, while the par 3s average 215 yards, making them a bit longer than traditional par 3 holes. The par 5 holes average over 550 yards in length, so while there is room for an errant shot, distance, and accuracy remain pivotal in conquering Bay Hill. Of course, it also helps to have a red-hot putter to create an edge at a course that has only scored lower than -14-under-par on a handful of events since 2007. Suffice it to say there won’t be a lot of red scorecards at Bay Hill this weekend.  

Top Players to Bet for Outright Winner at Arnold Palmer Invitational

Scottie Scheffler (+1000) (Bet $100 to collect $1,100) Get the best Scottie Scheffler odds at DraftKings

The defending champion at Bay Hill is getting slightly disrespected by sportsbooks and oddsmakers. Yes, Scottie Scheffler has started a bit slower than he did in 2022, but that was an absurd pace that should not be expected every season. Plus, Jon Rahm has won half of the events that he’s competed in thus far, stealing a lot of the shine from Scheffler, who quietly goes about his business. Whether it’s hitting the greens in regulation on 75 percent of his attempts, or ranking 28th in driving distance and accuracy, Scheffler is a poised, cerebral player with a lot of confidence and skill to successfully defend his title for the second time this season. 10/1 is a solid payout based on these opening odds ahead of Thursday’s first round, so go ahead and sprinkle accordingly. 

Max Homa (+1800) (Bet $100 to collect $1,900) The best odds for this pick are at DraftKings

Max Homa nearly pulled off his third win of the season at The Genesis Invitational but couldn’t keep up with Jon Rahm despite outplaying him for the outright win at the Farmers Insurance Open a few weeks beforehand. The 32-year-old California native is ranked second in overall putting average, first in par 3 birdies, and has a powerful driver that is well-equipped to keep Homa in the mix near the top of the leaderboard. T17, T10, and T24 are Homa’s three previous finishes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, so with the way he’s trending to start 2023, landing 18/1 odds is incredible value to acquire. 

Will Zalatoris (+2400) (Bet $100 to collect $2,500) Head to FanDuel to get the best Will Zalatoris odds

A back injury has kept Will Zalatoris from competing in only four PGA Tour events this season. However, the 26-year-old native of California is one of the more talented ball strikers, and he typically saves his best round for Sunday, averaging 65.3 in Round 4 this year. Zalatoris is ranked seventh for greens in regulation at 73.4 percent, averages 306 yards per drive, and is ranked 27th in strokes gained putting, which is an area he’s markedly improved. Previous finishes of T38 and T10 at Bay Hill should have bettors feeling confident about backing Zalatoris despite the highly competitive field he’ll be joining in Orlando. 

Keith Mitchell (+5500) (Bet $100 to collect $5,600) Looking for Keith Mitchell odds head over to DraftKings

Keith Mitchell has been lingering near the top of leaderboards for the past few events but hasn’t quite pieced it all together yet this season. The 31-year-old American has two T5 finishes in his last three events, while only falling outside of the T25 once since missing the cut at the Sony Open in mid-January. Most importantly, Mitchell’s only outright win came in Florida at the Honda Classic back in 2019, so he’s comfortable playing Bay Hill’s rigorous course. Mitchell has logged T5 and T6 finishes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational back in 2019 and 2020, while regressing outside of the T25 in his most recent two appearances. His odds to win outright have already begun to climb, so get in while the value is still massive at +5500, especially with an extra week of rest and practice to properly prepare.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational was founded in 1979 as the successor to the Florida Citrus Open Invitational, and since 1979 the event has been hosted at the iconic Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

It is one of only five tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule that has an invitational status, which basically just means a smaller field. Yet with the event being granted elevated status, which has essentially just come to mean that all of the best players in the world will be in attendance competing for a $20 million dollar purse, the field has been raised to 136 players.

Once again, all of the best players in the world will be in attendance, including Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa, Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Sungjae Im, Will Zalatoris, as well as former winners like Jason Day, Francesco Molinari, and Tyrrell Hatton.

With the PLAYERS Championship right on deck, the Tour is now reaching the meat and potatoes of the Florida Swing, and while we always miss champions walking off the 18th for congratulations from Arnold Palmer, his presence lives on at one of the premier events of the year.

Before we get into our picks for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. With the offers below, you can turn $6 into $350 guaranteed, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers, to wager with more confidence on your Arnold Palmer Invitational selections this week.

Arnold Palmer Invitational Course Preview

Bay Hill Golf Club & Lodge

The Florida Swing gets off to an incredibly difficult start, and if you thought PGA National was hard, just wait until you see the task at hand at the iconic Dick Wilson venue.

Bay Hill Club plays as a par 72, tipping out to 7,466 yards, and last year, it played as the third toughest course on the PGA Tour. Bay Hill has always been challenging, but in 2019 they hired a new superintendent who actually made the fairways a touch wider, but shaved off a great deal of rough surrounding the water and bunkers, making it far easier for balls to roll into hazards.

He also made the existing rough far thicker, and Bay Hill definitively features the thickest rough on the PGA Tour outside of the U.S. Open. Since Flynn took over in 2019, the winning scores have been -12, -4, -11, and -5. Last year, it featured the hardest set of par threes on the PGA Tour and the second-hardest set of par fours on the schedule as well.

For this reason, it is absolutely essential for players to score on the four par fives, which have historically ranked as the four easiest holes on the course. Ultimately, Bay Hill requires an extremely balanced attack of powerful driving, par-five scoring, elite long iron play, and a deft touch around the greens. Over the years, every single winner has been near the top of the field in either driving distance, par-five scoring, proximity to the hole, or scrambling. Any player that is non-elite in at least one of those three skill sets is an easy cross-off for me, and I am extremely excited to watch the best in the world take on such a difficult test.

Arnold Palmer Invitational Key Stats

• Long-term Proximity 200 yards plus
• Strokes Gained Around the Green: Bermuda-grass courses
• Strokes Gained Off the Tee: Long golf courses

Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks and Predictions: Outright Winner

Will Zalatoris (+2500) (Bet $100 to collect $2,600) The best odds for this Will Zalatoris pick are at FanDuel

While typically one of the most popular selections in the betting market week in and out, Will Zalatoris has not been a player I have invested much in over the past couple of years. That changes this week for me, as I believe this is an ideal spot for the rising star.

Zalatoris answered all questions about his lingering injury history with a fourth-place finish at the Genesis where he gained 3.9 strokes off the tee, four strokes on approach, 2.4 strokes around the green, and 2.4 strokes putting. I love buying in on players that are coming off a week where they gained strokes in all four major categories, which is the exact type of well-rounded approach that is extremely necessary at a course like Bay Hill.

The Wake Forest alumnus remains one of the best drivers of the ball on long golf courses, as well as the best long iron players in the field. My only concern is the short game, but even that has been trending in the right direction. Will Zalatoris will be the first to admit that his favorite style of golf is U.S. Open conditions, and with the rock-hard greens and extremely thick rough, Bay Hill is as about as close to a U.S.-Open-like set up that players will see on the PGA Tour all season.

As you can see above, Will Zalatoris is as long as +2500 to win this week, and as short as +1800. This is a $700 difference in payout, so ensure you are comparing the odds this week, before placing your outright wager on Will Zalatoris to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Hideki Matsuyama (+6600) (Bet $100 to collect $6,700) PointsBet has the best odds to Hideki Matsuyama to win this week

At this current moment, there’s nothing really jumping off the page about Hideki Matsuyama, but that is of course reflected in his number. In terms of pure value, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better bet on the board than the former Masters champion. I love to pounce on players that are coming off a missed cut in which they gained strokes in both ball-striking categories, which was certainly the case for Matsuyama at Riviera. Last week, he gained 0.7 strokes off the tee and 1.6 strokes on approach.

Of course, he fell victim to a faulty putter but on the whole, Hideki has been much better of late, and he’s actually gained strokes putting in his last four appearances on Bermuda grass. Grabbing a player of Hideki’s caliber at this high of a number provides a great deal of flexibility in creating a card with multiple elite players this week, and I would not be the least surprised if the Japanese superstar reminded us that he is still a top-20 player in the world and picked up PGA Tour victory number nine in Orlando. 

As you can see, Hideki Matsuyama is as big as +6600 to win this week, and even at +5500, he looks like a big price to win. With that said, ensure you are taking advantage of PointsBet or BetMGM Sportsbook's odds, so that you can win $6,700, rather than $5,500!

One of the world’s exclusive tournaments, the Seminole Pro-Member, takes place in its traditional slot the Monday after the Honda Classic, and, like last year, it features more big-name players than the PGA Tour event.

Popular Twitter account The Fried Egg shared the field for this year’s tournament, taking place at Florida’s Seminole Golf Club, one of the best golf courses in Florida. It includes 12 the world’s top 20 male players. That’s nine more than this week’s tournament at PGA National.

World No.4 Patrick Cantlay returns to defend the trophy he won last year. Meanwhile, there is also an appearance from Jon Rahm, who reclaimed the World No.1 position following his win in the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club last week. World No.3 Rory McIlroy is competing too, alongside his dad, Gerry, while other members of the world’s top 10 are Xander Schauffele, Max Homa and Justin Thomas.

That's not all, though. More notable names in the field include World No.12 Tony Finau and US Open champion, World No.13 Matt Fitzpatrick, while the three members of the world’s top 20 appearing in this week’s Honda Classic also appear – Sungjae Im, Billy Horschel and Shane Lowry. Cameron Young completes the list of players in the world's top 20 competing.

As well as some of the best present-day players, veterans including Ernie Els, Jim Furyk and captain of the 2022 Presidents Cup International team, Trevor Immelman, participate too.

It’s not just the world’s best men’s players that are represented either. The Honda LPGA Thailand boasted a field with nine of the world top-10 players, with the only absentee being World No.6 Lexi Thompson. After skipping the event at Siam Country Club, she instead tees it up in Florida the day after the LPGA Tour event concluded.

Away from golf, other high-profile figures in the field include businessman Stan Drunkenmiller and NFL legend Tom Brady.

Notable absentees include LIV Golf players, who have not been invited to the two-person team event. So, there’s no room for the likes of Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen, who all competed in 2022.

For the PGA Tour players, the one-day tournament will act as the perfect preparation for another elevated event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which starts on Thursday at Bay Hill.

The PGA and LPGA Tours have unveiled a new co-sanctioned team event to take place in December to replace the QBE Shootout.

The QBE Shootout was originally the Shark Shootout, founded by LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, so it's no surprise to see the PGA Tour looking to replace it. Its new guise will be the 32-person Grant Thornton Invitational, which will feature 16 teams made up of PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players.

The purse for the mixed event will be $4m and it will take place over 54 holes at Tiburón Golf Club and The Ritz-Carlton Naples.

The last time the PGA and LPGA Tours combined for an annual mixed-team competition was in 1999, when John Daly and Laura Davies won the final edition of the JCPenney Classic.

It seems that both Tony Finau and Nelly Korda, who are Grant Thornton ambassadors, will be playing in the event with the other 30 players yet to be announced.

Other Grant Thornton ambassadors who will most likely play include Rickie Fowler, Jessica Korda, Mel Reid and Cameron Champ.

Korda and Lexi Thompson played in the most recent QBE Shootout, which was won by Tom Hoge and Sahith Theegala. The event had run since 1989. Norman was controversially not invited to QBE Shootout last year after his involvement with LIV Golf.

"Sadly, after 33 consecutive years of playing in and hosting every Shootout tournament—a co-sanctioned PGA Tour event—since I founded it in 1989, this year I have been asked not to attend,” Norman wrote in an Instagram post.

“PGA Tour athletes playing alongside the best athletes from the LPGA Tour is going to be incredible for our fans,” Tony Finau said. “They’ve been wanting something like this for a long time. Our fans deserve it, and seeing Grant Thornton stepping up to help the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour put together this tournament, I think is very special.”

“The Grant Thornton Invitational really is about being inclusive and showing people that golf can be accessible for everyone, no matter what way you play,” Nelly Korda said. “This is going to be the perfect opportunity for me to do something important in helping to grow the game and inspire the next generation.”

The debut season of Full Swing follows an unprecedented time in the world of golf as the emergence of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf rocked the PGA Tour and led to some of the sport's biggest names defecting to the new circuit.

Full Swing comprises eight episodes and focusses on huge names from both the PGA Tour and LIV, taking in all four men's Majors, LIV's inaugural event and the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

The likes of Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau, Matt Fitzpatrick and Ian Poulter are among the stars to feature in the series' first season, but will there be a second one on the way?

As of yet, nothing has been confirmed but the signs so far point to there being a season 2 in the works.

Full Swing is made by Vox Media and Box to Box Studios, the same organisations that make the hugely successful F1: Drive to Survive series that is now in its fifth season. It's hard to imagine they'd stop at just one series of Full Swing given the longevity of its F1 counterpart.

Journalist Dan Rapaport, who features prominently throughout the first season of Full Swing, has also given a couple of hinters on Twitter that a season 2 might be coming.

At the WM Phoenix Open, he revealed the there were some "pretty fancy cameras" following Max Homa, with series producer Chad Mumm acknowledging the tweet without refuting it.

Rapaport also tweeted in January that he had heard "producers for the upcoming Netflix golf show have begun contacting players about Season 2."

So whilst there's no official confirmation just yet, it appears that fans probably can expect a season 2, where we'd get a behind-the-scenes look of the 'new' PGA Tour as it continues to fight against the threat of the LIV Golf League.

However, nothing has been confirmed as of yet and producers along with the PGA Tour may wait to see how well season 1 does before confirming a follow-up or making any announcements.

Episode six of Full Swing focusses on Americans Tony Finau and Collin Morikawa. Stop reading now if you want to avoid spoilers for the Netflix series!

The episode gets its name from a famous Tiger Woods quote, where he said "Don't get bitter, get better."

Woods, the greatest player of his era and one of the best sports stars of all-time, has inspired today's generation of players including both Finau and Morikawa.

THE TIGER EFFECT

"I think a big motivation for me I would say is a guy that we all know by the name of Tiger Woods," Finau is heard saying at a clinic at the start of the episode.

"I started playing golf in the summer of 1997. You guys know what happened in April of 1997? Did anybody remember that?

"The '97 Masters was so inspiring to me. I just remember everybody watching in complete awe of this Tiger Woods guy. And then I also recognised that this guy is the same skin color as I am.

"1997 Masters Tiger won, I watched that with my dad and I was like 'you know what, I want to be like that guy.'"

It's similar for Collin Morikawa.

"The reason why I play golf is because of Tiger," he says. "He opened up a pathway for so many more kids that never would have thought that golf was for them."

The episode touches on how Finau went from watching Tiger win the Masters as a child to then playing with him in the final round of the 2019 tournament and get a front row seat to see him win the Green Jacket again 22 years later.

Finau shared a funny story of how he finally managed to speak to Woods on the 7th hole in the final round, asking him how his kids were doing and simply getting the response of - "they're fine." He got the gist that Woods was too focussed on the job at hand to talk.

Tony is constantly questioned in the episode of not winning enough and being too much of a family man to be one of the world's elite players. He's "not consumed by golf like the greatest players" a quote is heard.

FINAU THE FAMILY MAN

Full Swing gives a very intimate look into the life of Tony Finau and his family, who get the lion's share of this episode. He and wife Alayna have five children and are travelling on the PGA Tour together in 2022 following the loss of Alayna's father.

Is Tony's big family, all travelling together, a distraction away from his golf? That's a question posed and a constant narrative of this episode but it's clear that nothing comes before family for Tony and he's trying to be there for his wife and kids.

"This year was a year I knew I needed to be there for my wife and I will say a lot of my focus was there to make sure she was there mentally, emotionally," Tony says in the episode. "I know what it's like to lose a parent."

Later in the episode Finau opens up on the death of his mother, who died in a car crash when he was just 21-years-old. He breaks down in tears and most viewers will too. It's a heartbreaking story and a quick reminder that golf is just a game.

His mother Ravena died on the spot in a car accident on 27th November 2011, and his first child Jraice was born the next day. Jraice is obsessed with golf and his favorite color is green, like his dad who wears green on Sundays in honor of his mom.

We get to see Tony and Jraice practising their putting drills and it's clear that Finau senior is challenging his son and needling him to get better. Tony then travels alone to the 150th Open and missed Jraice's appearance in the Junior Worlds, which he won when he was a kid. All parents will understand the pain Tony felt at St Andrews in missing his son's big tournament.

Finau's humble beginnings

Full Swing also takes a look at Finau's route into the game of golf, with he and his brother Gipper learning to play the game by hitting balls into a mattress in their garage. The cameras follow him and his father Kelepi as they take a look at the old garage door and there's dents everywhere from golf balls. Finau learnt to hit balls in his garage, went to the course to putt and chip for free and then the driving range once a week, as it was all the family could afford.

"People thought it was normal to hear like a shotgun because the neighbourhood was shooting too," Kelepi jokes about the noise made by golf ball after golf ball being struck in the family's garage, right after explaining how golf was a way of keeping Tony out of trouble. "A stupid game" he calls golf, saying "tennis is much easier." His smile is infectious, just like Tony's.

Tony was one of eight siblings growing up in Salt Lake City, in a rough area surrounded by violence. How he managed to get out and become one of the world's best golfers, and a true family man, is a beautiful story and one of the best stories told in the Full Swing series.

"A golden child. A big time superstar."

The episode then turns to Morikawa and Zhu travelling to The Masters along with their dog. A big contrast to how Tony Finau and his family travel.

It cuts to a clip as Tony Finau drives down Magnolia Lane and shares a story of how he accidentally parked in the past champion's parking lot. "I'll be back next year," he says he joked to the member.

Morikawa, eight years Finau's junior, comes across as much less of a family man and seems to much prefer a quieter space.

"I hate when things are not in place. If I was coming around with 10 people and I didn't know what's going on, I'm getting like the antsy shakes like trying to figure things out thinking about that," Morikawa explains when asked if he could travel like Finau.

"A golden child. A big time superstar," is how Morikawa is described. "One of the most impressive players on the PGA Tour. He possesses something different."

He's also described as extension of the success of Tiger Woods" by Brandel Chamblee and the "heir" to Tiger's throne.

It's not the year Morikawa would have been hoping for in 2021, when he captured his second Major title in just two years at the 149th Open.

He seems very happy with his top five finish at The Masters, where his and playing partner Rory McIlroy's incredible holed bunker shots are shown. He describes his best ever Masters finish as a "confidence boost" before saying: "let's go play some great golf the rest of the season"

Morikawa takes the cameras behind the scenes at an adidas Apparel Meeting where he pushes back on wearing green trousers with a particular orange/white pattern. It will surely make all golfers jealous of the pros and their apparel deals. He also describes the need for himself as an elite golfer to be selfish in taking care of himself and what's best for him, managing his time and his health to perform the best. 

The 150th Open

The scene then sets to the Old Course at St Andrews and the 150th Open.

Tony Finau is there alone for the first time all year. He's unhappy about missing Jraice at the Junior Worlds and the chance to caddie for him but says he has "business to attend to myself."

Finau get an update from Jraice's round and hears that "he kind of gave up, which I don't like to hear."

He went on to make a 10 footer to make the cut and took it as a small victory despite a run-of-the-mill top 30 finish. "One of the small victories was that I made a big putt when it counted," he says later in the episode. "To me that's a big deal."

Morikawa is at St Andrews for the first time and he's there as defending champion. We see an amusing clip from his arrival as he hands over the Claret Jug to R&A chief Martin Slumbers. The photographers wanted him to do it again for more photos but once he let go of the trophy, he wasn't touching it again due to his superstitions.

"Maybe we're a little too much for him"

The episode constantly hints that Tony Finau is distracted by his family and perhaps even too nice to be a serial Major winner.

"Maybe we're a little too much for him," his wife Alayna questions.

Amanda Renner says it must be annoying to be asked all the time 'what is separating you from becoming a champion?'

"It's a narrative, it's a thing. Why isn't he just winning? Are you distracted by your kids?"

Finau's response: "You don't really know someone until you've walked in their shoes.

"My career means a lot to me, and at times I think we can mistake that it means everything"

"My career means a lot to me, and at times I think we can mistake that it means everything," Finau says in response to questions about him, explaining that his family, and his wife's grief, is far more important than golf.

"I knew what my wife was going through. I knew what she was dealing with. Could my game have taken a back seat? Maybe, potentially. But that's not nearly as important to me as my wife was as making sure I was there for her as the strength she's been for me for years."

The episode closes with Finau's back-to-back wins at the 3M Open and Rocket Mortgage Classic - his third and fourth PGA Tour victories.

We see Scott Piercy fall away badly at the 3M Open and Finau walk through the open door and win for the first time with his family watching. Despite his win, he still knew he had doubters due to the event not being one of the PGA Tour's strongest.

"I had a sour taste in my mouth after the win honestly, I still thought that I had something to prove," he says. "Silence some of the doubters if they had any doubt the week before on the weak field or whatever the naysayers had to say."

Finau then goes and wins in Detroit at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and has some more beautiful words before he arrives back home to his wider family, friends and supporters who are waiting for him at the airport with signs and posters to celebrate and dance.

"My kids they see the work that dad puts in, and it means everything that my kids can watch me not only fail but to win as well," he says with his trophy. "And that's what it takes to be a champion."

"A winner is just a loser that never gave up. If you don't win, you learn."

Full Swing Season 1 Episode 6: Don't Get Bitter, Get Better

• Episode length: 44 minutes
• Synopsis: Tony Finau and Collin Morikawa take different approaches to the game heading into The Masters Tournament and the Open Championship.
• Main cast: Tony Finau, Alayna Finau, Collin Morikawa, Katherine Zhu
• Tournaments featured: The Masters, 150th Open, 3M Open, Rocket Mortgage Classic

The PGA Tour is fully underway as the Tour travels to Southern California for the Riviera Country Club's 2023 Genesis Invitational from Thursday, February 16th - Sunday, February 19th. Between Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Xander Schauffele, the Genesis Invitational will be an action-packed event. While Jon Rahm is currently listed as the favorite to win the tournament, do bettors, and the public agree? Below, we will dive into the latest Genesis Invitational odds and see where the oddsmakers stand.

While we have just two more days before the Genesis Invitational begins, a decent amount of movement can still occur when it comes to the odds. We've seen plenty of movement thus far with some rising and some getting lesser value. The lowest odds for a golfer to win the event outright sit at +750, which means you could bet $100 and win $850, which is a tremendous value. Outside of the top three, Rahm, McIlroy, and Scheffler, the Genesis Invitational odds are all over +1600. The golfers with the best odds to win the Genesis Invitational are almost the exact same as the odds from the WM Phoenix Open. Scottie Scheffler ended up winning the WM Phoenix with +1300 odds. A 100-dollar bet would've paid out $1,400. Let's take a look at the table below featuring the Genesis Invitational odds.

Before diving into the Genesis Invitational odds, make sure to take a moment to look at this jaw-dropping DraftKings promo code. With this unbelievable welcome offer, new users will bet $5, get $150 guaranteed on this event, effectively locking in a 40-1 winner before the event even starts. Just CLICK HERE or on the "Win $150" button below to unlock this exciting $150 bonus, just for betting $5 on your favorite Genesis Invitational prop picks!

The Genesis Invitational Odds

As we can see from the Genesis Invitational odds, Rahm, McIlroy, and Scheffler are the only three that sportsbooks seem confident in. It's crazy to see that Tiger Woods is not listed as one of the favorites to win the Genesis Invitational. Although Tiger is not listed as a favorite, now would be the perfect time to place bets on players such as Tony Finau, Max Homa, and Collin Morikawa because of how amazing their value is set currently. If it were me placing my money on one of these guys, I would take Scheffler at +1000 odds because he's coming off of a WM Phoenix win from just last week.

My longshot pick for the Genesis Invitational would be Will Zalatoris at +4000 odds. Zalatoris thrives in fast competition. When competing at Augusta National and Torrey Pines, Will finished as the runner-up in both tournaments. As long as the American is fully healed from his back injury, his iron play should be improved, and he'll have a real shot at winning this tournament. By placing just a $10 bet on Zalatoris to win outright, the payout would be a whopping $410. 

Genesis Invitational Public Betting

The public betting data is intriguing as the public doesn't seem to agree with oddsmakers. Bettors are currently favoring Collin Morikawa to win the event with 7.1% of bets on him in the past seven days. Collin is seen as the seventh favorite with +2200 odds, so it's interesting that bettors are choosing him as the winner. What's most surprising is Tiger Woods.

Tiger announced last Friday that he would be playing at the Genesis Invitational. This tournament will also be hosted by Woods, which led to many golfers and fans being completely shocked. Although Tiger has never won at Riviera, the 47-year-old has notched 82 all-time PGA TOUR victories. This will be Woods' first non-major start since the 2020 Zozo Championship. So what should we expect from Tiger? After he suffered severe injuries to both legs in a single-car accident in February 2021, Woods' comeback has been shaky. His last top-35 finish was over three years ago, and he has lost strokes to the field in nine consecutive starts. Fellow golfers are ecstatic to see the five-time Masters Tournament winner take the field this weekend.

Ever since the emergence of LIV Golf, there have been questions over whether there is any animosity between players who opted to join circuit and those on other tours.

It was a subject that came into even greater focus in the build-up to January’s Dubai Desert Classic, where Rory McIlroy admitted his friendship with Sergio Garcia can’t be rekindled.

One player who doesn’t have any hard feelings, though is Tony Finau. The American spoke to TMZ Sports while he was competing in last week WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale and was asked: “Tony, are you still cool with the LIV guys?” He responsed: “Yeah, oh yeah.”

Finau was then asked who he misses the most, and he replied: “A lot of the international guys I miss – Carlos Ortiz, Abraham Ancer." Then he revealed: "Brooks Koepka’s one of my closest guys on Tour,“ before saying: “I haven’t seen them in literally, like, a year.” When the reporter responded: “Damn, that sucks,” Finau simply admitted: “I know, it does.”

Over a year ago, Finau admitted he'd had an approach from the Saudi-backed organisation, and seemed open-minded about his future at the time, saying: “I mean, yeah, I've been approached just like I think most top guys, as you would expect. I don't have a stance on it yet. I think we're just like everyone, don't really know what's going on with that. But I'm grateful to be on the PGA Tour, it's been an honour for me to have an opportunity to play and display my talent in front of the world on a tour like the PGA Tour, so much history there.”

In the end, he stayed with the PGA Tour and enjoyed a remarkable 2022, where he claimed three victories. This year has not started badly for the 33-year-old either, with two top-10 finishes from his four appearances as his PGA Tour career continues to flourish.

Thankfully for Finau, he shouldn’t have too long to wait until he runs into some of his friends from the PGA Tour's rival. Augusta National announced in December that it will allow LIV Golf players to compete in The Masters. Two of the players Finau mentioned he misses – Ancer and Koepka – qualified, meaning a long overdue catch-up is now less than two months away.

For the second week in a row, the best players in the world will be competing for a $20 million-dollar purse at one of the most iconic venues on the PGA Tour schedule. This week, 23 of the top-25 players in the world travel back to California for the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Formerly known as the Los Angeles Open, this event has been a staple on the PGA Tour since its first iteration in 1927. The tournament moved around across multiple different courses in the greater Los Angeles area before settling on its current host site of Riviera. The event is sponsored by Genesis but also organized by the Tiger Woods Foundation, and the massive news of the week is that Woods will not only be helping present the tournament, but he will also be competing.

This will be the first time we’ve seen Woods in professional competition since the Open Championship at St. Andrew’s last July, and he will be tasked with taking down the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Tom Kim, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Max Homa, Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland, and Matt Fitzpatrick, among others. However Tiger performs this week, golf fans are in for a treat.  

Looking for the best betting offers for this week's Genesis Invitational? Then sign-up using the offers below, for your chance to secure guaranteed money on your favorite PGA Tour golfers. Alternatively, claim one of our HUGE first bet offers which will allow you to increase your stakes stress-free and provide you with an opportunity to win bigger on this event!

Genesis Invitational Course Preview

Riviera Country Club

Riviera Country Club has been a staple on the PGA Tour since 1973 and is consistently discussed by players as one of the most honest tests on the schedule. Riviera was designed in 1926 by the great George C. Thomas, and while the course has undergone a number of renovations to account for modern technology, the golden age design still tips out to just a hair over 7,300 yards, while consistently ranking as one of the hardest courses on Tour year in year and out.

There are a number of reasons that contribute to the challenge of the Thomas' design. For starters, Riviera consistently features one of the lowest driving accuracy percentages on the PGA Tour. Last year, players hit a comically low 49.2% of their fairways. The second shot is nearly just as much of a challenge, as last year, Riviera featured the fifth lowest greens in regulation percentage on Tour.

Even the best ball-strikers in the world will be forced to rely on their short game heavily, and they will be tasked with navigating some of the deepest bunkers on the PGA Tour.

Finally, Riviera arguably features the most challenging greens on the PGA Tour. Each of the last eight years, it has ranked inside the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Putting difficulty.

Like all Poa courses, short putting is an incredible challenge, as each of the last eight years, Riviera has ranked inside the top six in putting difficulty inside five feet. Yet Riviera separates itself from other Poa courses such as Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines because it is such a challenging lag-putting course as well, ranking inside the top-eight in putting difficulty from greater than 15 feet each of the last eight years.

Ultimately, I will be looking this week for players with extremely balanced skill sets. Riviera is the type of course that will expose weaknesses quickly, and it is simply not enough to be elite in one singular area of your game. The ideal player is a powerful driver of the ball, who excels on approach, specifically between 150 and 200 yards, with a trustable short game and a proven track record of success on Poa greens.

Genesis Invitational Key Stats

• Long-term Proximity 150-200 yards
• Strokes Gained Around the Green and Sand Save Percentage
• Long-term Poa Putting and Putting Inside 10 feet

Genesis Invitational Picks and Predictions: Outright Winner

Justin Thomas (+1600) (Bet $100 to collect $1,700) BetMGM has the best odds on Justin Thomas to win this week

Justin Thomas is one of the rare players in this field that checks every single box that I am looking for this week. He packs plenty of punch off the tee, is one of the best middle iron players in the world, features one of the most underrated short games on Tour, and has a proven track record of success putting on Poa greens.

While the reigning PGA Championship winner remains the number one long-term player in proximity from 150-175, a range where over a quarter of approach shots at Riviera come from, Thomas’ iron play of late hasn’t been up to his usual standards. Yet that is beginning to finally change, as Thomas has now gained over three strokes on approach in back-to-back events for the first time since June.

Everything finally seemed to click for him on Sunday in Phoenix, as the World No. 7 gained 2.78 strokes on approach in the final round, good for the best out of anyone in the field. While Thomas has always been known for his iron play, the 15-time PGA Tour winner actually ranks number one out of all players in this field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green over his last 50 rounds. Now he returns to a course where middle iron play and short game are paramount, and it should not come as a surprise that Thomas already boasts two top-six finishes at this course, including a solo second in 2019. Uncoincidentally, my strongest comp course to Riviera is Southern Hills, the site of Thomas’ last victory.

Patrick Cantlay (+3000) (Bet $100 to collect $3,100) The best odds for this Patrick Cantlay pick are at FanDuel

While last week’s missed cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open was extremely disappointing, this is the perfect bounce-back spot for the UCLA product. Similar to Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay is one of the most well-rounded players in the game. The World No. 5 is one of only three players in the world to rank top-25 in all four major statistical categories.

With so many elite players showing up last week in Phoenix, those who failed to make the weekend are sure to fall victim to recency bias and see their number drop in the betting markets. Now is the time to pounce on the World No. 5, who ranks above average in every statistical metric that I am looking at this week, and particularly shines as one of the most trustable players in the world inside 10 feet. Cantlay is already on record that Riviera is one of his favorite golf courses on the planet, and I expect him to be firmly in the mix come Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.

The PGA Tour is fully underway, and the WM Phoenix Open is next up on February 9, 2023. It will be another great event that has most of the top golfers in the world going at it. From Jon Rahm, Rory Mcilroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Xander Shauffele, the Phoenix Open will be just as exciting as it typically is. The question now, however, is who's the favorite to win the event. Do sportsbooks think Tony Finau or Justin Thomas can take down Rahm or Scheffler? Below, we will dive into the latest WM Phoenix Open odds and see where the oddsmakers stand.

Odds movement will continue, even with just two days leading up to the event. The odds have already seen movement throughout the week, with some rising and some getting lesser value. Still, the lowest odds for a golfer to win the event sits at +750. You could bet $100 and win $850, which is insane value. Outside of the top two, Rahm and Mcilroy, the Phoenix Open odds are all over +1300. There's so much value on this board and that's what bettors need to realize. Justin Rose recently won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am with +2400 odds. A $100 dollar bet would've paid out $2500. Do we see something similar happen here? Take a look at the table below featuring the WM Phoenix Open odds.

Before diving into the Phoenix Open odds, make sure to take a moment to look at this jaw-dropping DraftKings promo code. With this unbelievable welcome offer, new users will bet $5, get $200 guaranteed on this event, effectively locking in a 40-1 winner before the event even starts. Just CLICK HERE or on the "Win $200" button below to unlock this exciting $200 bonus, just for betting $5 on your favorite WM Phoenix Open prop picks!

WM Phoenix Open Odds

As we can see from the Phoenix Open odds, oddsmakers are all over the place after Rahm and Mcilroy. We see insane value In Scheffler, Schauffele, Finau, and even Matt Fitzpatrick. These odds continue to shift as bettors are starting to put money on them.  If I had to pick a few guys, I would put .2u on Scheffler, Finau, and Fitzpatrick. Considering I would return a profit if any of them won, I would have to go with one of those guys.

My longshot pick for the Phoenix Open would be Jordan Spieth. Spieth has struggled some recently, going +1 during the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. However, with his history of winning, the value of +4500 is way too good to pass up. A $20 bet would payout $920. We can't ask for much more there. 

Phoenix Open Public Betting

The Phoenix Open public betting data is interesting, just as most public betting data is. Bettors are currently favoring Collin Morikawa to win the event with 8.83% of bets on him in the past 24 hours. This is a bit interesting to me just because his odds are only +1800. I say +1800 like that isn't insane value, but the public loves to go for these insane longshot bets in golf a lot of the time.

What's even more surprising is Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm getting that many bets. Sure, they're arguably the two best golfers in the tournament, but this also doesn't fit to the publics betting history. Remember, the public doesn't get things right very often, so fading these bets and picking someone else could be a profitable strategy. The Phoenix Open public betting data could help us make money by going against what the public is saying.

Always known for its raucous atmosphere, the PGA Tour travels south to Scottsdale, Arizona for the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The most notable change this year in the desert is the event’s promotion to an elevated status tournament. The field of 132 will now be competing for a $20-million dollar purse, with a whopping $3.6 million going to the winner.

While this tournament always delivers a strong field, this year features its best yet as 22 of the top-25 players in the world will be in attendance at TPC Scottsdale on Super Bowl weekend. Scottie Scheffler returns to defend his title, and he is joined by the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Tom Kim, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland, and Matt Fitzpatrick, among others. The Waste Management Phoenix Open is the first full-field event of the year where we have all of game’s best competing in the same tournament, and it is sure to provide plenty of fireworks.

Waste Management Phoenix Open Course Preview

TPC Scottsdale

While TPC Scottsdale is most known for a singular hole, the par-three stadium-style 16th, the entire course provides plenty of drama at every turn. Designed in 1986 by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, TPC Scottsdale plays as a par 71, tipping out to 7,261 yards on the scorecard. Situated at an approximate elevation of 1,530 feet above sea level, the course plays far shorter than the scorecard suggests.

Last year, players averaged 311.3 yards off the tee, good for the longest driving distance on par fours and par fives on the entire PGA Tour. Despite featuring its fair share of trouble off the tee, aggressive play is rewarded here, and we will see players bomb away with driver often. It should not come as a surprise that elite drivers of the ball, such as Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Gary Woodland, and Bubba Watson, among others, have experienced so much success at the Weiskopf and Morrish design.

While power always helps, accuracy is of far more importance at TPC Scottsdale, and it will be essential to keep the ball in play off the tee at a course that ranked fifth out of 38 courses last year in penalty strokes per round. A ball-striker’s track through and through, I will be looking to identify elite drivers of the ball, who can generate scoring opportunities at a high clip and have experienced their fair share of success at other TPC style venues.

Waste Management Phoenix Open Key Stats

• Opportunities Gained
• Good Drive Percentage
• Strokes Gained Total: TPC Scottsdale (Course History) list

Waste Management Phoenix Open Picks and Predictions: Outright Winner

Tony Finau (+2500) (Bet $100 to collect $2,600) Back Tony Finau at DraftKings now to get the best odds

I was extremely surprised to see Tony Finau open up at such a high number given his recent play. The World No. 12 will be going for his fourth win in 10 starts. Finau rates out as the No. 1 overall player in this field in the key metrics that I am looking at.

Pound for pound, he remains one of the best drivers of the ball in the world, and I trust his ability to keep the ball out of the desert. His iron play is just as strong, as the 33-year-old ranks sixth in this field in strokes gained approach across his last 36 rounds of play. Coming off a 9th-place finish at the Farmers Insurance Open where he gained 3.6 strokes both off the tee and on approach through three rounds at Torrey Pines South Course, I expect the six-time PGA Tour winner to find himself firmly in the mix come Super Bowl Sunday in Scottsdale.

Sungjae Im (+3500) (Bet $100 to collect $3,600) Follow this WM Phoenix Open pick and get the best odds at DraftKings

Despite failing to find the winner’s circle, Sungjae Im is playing some of the best golf of his young career. The World No. 18 is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Farmers Insurance Open where he gained seven strokes on approach, two strokes around the green, and 5.5 strokes with the flat-stick through 3 rounds at Torrey Pines South Course. This was the best approach week of Im’s career, and he now travels to a course where he has already recorded two top-20 finishes in three starts.

While the sample size is limited, the 24-year-old has never gained less than 1.5 strokes ball-striking, nor lost strokes putting at TPC Scottsdale. The two-time PGA Tour winner features the exact well-rounded skillset that I am looking for this week, and his most recent PGA Tour victory came at another desert TPC course where keeping the ball in play off the tee and short to middle iron play is of great importance. This will be the week that Im announces himself as one of the best players in the world.