Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Genesis Invitational, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.
The 2020 Genesis Invitational hosts a field of 120 golfers this week in Pacific Palisades Calif. Eight of the top-10 golfers from the Official World Golf Ranking are among them, making this the top PGA Tour event of the season thus far. Below, we’ll analyze the golf betting odds, while making our picks to win the 2020 Genesis Invitational.
The key stats for the 7,322-yard, par-71 Riviera Country Club are:
Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
Strokes Gained: Around the Green
Birdies Gained
Par 4 Scoring: 450-500 Yards
Driving Distance Gained
My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 50 rounds on courses between 7,200 and 7,400 yards.
Genesis Invitational – Tier 1
Aug 25, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka hug after the final round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports)
There isn’t likely to be anyone in the field this week more motivated than Koepka, who gave up the No. 1 spot in the OWGR to Rory McIlroy Monday morning. With the bump in the rankings, Koepka’s outright odds to win a tournament plummeted. By contrast, Koepka is +900 to win the Masters, +1000 to win the Open Championship, +800 for the US Open and +800 for the PGA Championship.
While he missed the cut in 2017 (his only appearance in the last five years), this is nearly a major-caliber field. Koepka remains second in the OWGR but he’s seventh by the odds this week.
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Adam Scott (+3000)
Scott ranks third in this field in Strokes Gained at Riviera among those with a minimum of 10 rounds played on the course. Ranked 14th in the world, he’s coming off a win at the Australian PGA Championship in late December and is well rested. He looks to become the third Aussie to win on the PGA Tour in 2020 behind Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith.
Genesis Invitational – Tier 2
Jan 24, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Collin Morikawa watches his shot from the fifth tee during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course – South Course. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
Collin Morikawa (+4500)
Morikawa has never participated in this event, but he offers adequate value after routinely being priced among the favorites in the weaker early-season events. He still hasn’t missed a cut as a professional, and he ranks 18th by the overall stat model as a great ball striker.
Kevin Na (+6600)
Na tied for 33rd last year following a co-runner-up finish in 2018 and a T-4 in 2017. He rebounded from a missed cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open to tie for 14th last week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He’s one of the best in the elite field in SG: Around the Green.
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Genesis Invitational – Longshots
Jan 16, 2020; La Quinta, California, USA; Francesco Molinari (R) and caddie Mark Fulcher look on from the fourth tee box during the first round of The American Express golf tournament at La Quinta Country Club. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
Jason Kokrak (+10000)
Though he lacks the winning pedigree of many of those in the field, Kokrak has done well at Riviera. He has made the cut each of the last five years at this event and was a co-runner-up in 2016. He ranks sixth in the field in total strokes gained over that those five appearances.
Francesco Molinari (+12500)
Yes, this is the same Francesco Molinari as the 2018 Open Champion. He enters the week ranked 24th by the OWGR, but he was inside the top 10 as recently as September. He’s coming off missed cuts at the Farmers Insurance Open and The American Express, but these odds are laughable for one of the best iron players in the world.
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Analyzing the best fantasy golf options for the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Dustin Johnson returns to PGA Tour action for this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am following a runner-up finish at the European Tour’s Saudi International last week. It will be his first event on the mainland of the 2020 season, as the No. 5 golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking seeks a third victory at Pebble Beach Golf Links. We break down the fantasy golf options for this week in a rather top-heavy field.
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Fantasy Golf Top 30
(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)
Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
30. Ted Potter Jr.
The 2018 champion won the event after entering the week at No. 243 in the OWGR. He followed it up with a missed cut last year, and he comes in off MCs at both the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the Farmers Insurance Open to slip to 315 in the world.
29. J.B. Holmes
Holmes has collected back-to-back T-16 results, but he has to feel disappointed with both results after falling down the leaderboard over the weekends. His overall game has been very strong, but he missed the cut at Pebble each of the last two years.
28. Daniel Berger
Berger tied for ninth last week for his first top-10 showing since a co-runner-up result at the Puerto Rico Open last February. He hasn’t played this event since a T-10 in 2015.
27. Cameron Champ
Already a winner this season at the Safeway Open, Champ debuted here last year with a T-28. He fares better on longer courses, but he can still create scoring opportunities and go low.
(Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports)
26. Alex Noren
Noren’s among the best in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green over everyone’s last 24 rounds on courses shorter than 7,200 yards, according to my model at Fantasy National. He’s coming off a two-week break and hasn’t missed a cut in 10 straight worldwide events.
25. Rafa Cabrera Bello
RCB makes his first professional appearance in America since last year’s BMW Championship. He finished T-26 in 2018 and T-22 last year and is a great scorer at short venues.
24. Lucas Glover
Glover hasn’t been playing too often early in the season, and he has slipped to No. 80 in the world as a result. He’s looking to follow up a T-7 last year.
23. Jimmy Walker
Walker missed the cut in 2019 after a T-8 finish in 2018. He made the cut each of the last two weeks and is an excellent scrambler at the shorter courses.
22. Max Homa
Homa’s looking to follow up at T-10 at this event in 2019 and he comes in off of consecutive top 10 results to vault inside the top 100 of the OWGR.
(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
21. Matthew NeSmith
NeSmith has made five consecutive cuts since missing the weekend at the Houston Open in the fall. The PGA Tour rookie struggles a little around the greens, but he’s strong on approach and can scramble with the best in the field.
20. Russell Knox
Knox has one of the best approach games of those in attendance this week. He finished inside the top 15 each of the last two years here and he’s riding a streak of 11 straight made cuts this season.
19. Kevin Na
Na has had surprisingly little success at this event for a short hitter who has four career PGA Tour wins. He excels on the shorter par 4s.
18. Patrick Rodgers
Rodgers is the best Poa Annua putter in the field. He’s coming off a T-16 result last week and a T-9 at the Farmers to climb to No. 278 in the world.
17. Tom Hoge
Hoge enters with four straight made cuts including a T-6 at The American Express and a solo fifth at the Farmers. He has been great on approach of late and he’s dialed in from this week’s key proximity distance of 125-150 yards.
16. Scott Piercy
Piercy finished tied for sixth last week in Phoenix. He looks to improve on a T-10 result last year which followed a steady trend of improvement over his last three appearances at this event.
(Photo Credit: Thomas J. Russo – USA TODAY Sports)
15. Adam Hadwin
Hadwin tied for 40th last week in his return to professional play following the birth of his child. He’s an excellent putter on all surfaces and has a great approach game.
14. Branden Grace
Grace tied for ninth last week for a second straight top finish at the WMPO. He gained 1.24 strokes per round on approach, according to Data Golf, to rank seventh among those who played all four rounds.
13. Chez Reavie
Reavie has missed the cut in three straight events after failing to play all four rounds in just seven of 29 events last year. He followed up a co-runner-up finish at Pebble Beach in 2018 with a T-38 last year.
12. Jim Furyk
Furyk leads the week’s stat model in SG: Approach on courses shorter than 7,200 yards. He has played here three of the last five years with finishes of T-7, T-66 and T-14 last year. This is his first event since a T-23 finish at The RSM Classic.
11. Kevin Kisner
Generally a better performer on longer courses where he can use his added distance to his advantage, Kisner has an underrated approach game. He’ll still be able to take advantage of the shorter par 4s.
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10. Graeme McDowell
McDowell is coming off a win at last week’s Saudi International to jump all the way from 104 to 47 in the OWGR. He returns to the site of his 2010 US Open win, and while the conditions will be much different than back then, he finished T-18 last year and is in top form after besting a much stronger field last week.
9. Viktor Hovland
Hovland has the best approach game in the field on these shorter courses and he’s an excellent scorer on par 4s ranging from 350-400 yards.
8. Jason Day
Day is one of the best putters in the field on the difficult Poa surface. He’s a good scrambler who can dominate short par 4s. He has three straight top 10 results in this event.
(Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports)
7. Matthew Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick missed the cut here last year. He has been in strong form on the European Tour with five top 10s in seven events since late September.
6. Matt Kuchar
Kuchar leads the field in SG: Scrambling on the short courses and he excels at the 125-150-yard shot. He tied for 16th last week in his first event on the mainland this year.
5. Patrick Cantlay
Cantlay finished fourth at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and tied for 34th at the Euro Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He’ll play his first full-field PGA Tour event since the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. At No. 8 in the OWGR, he’s the second-best golfer in attendance, behind Johnson.
4. Phil Mickelson
Last year’s champ preps for his defense off of a T-3 last week which was his best result since the win. He has finished T-2 or better in three of his last four tries at this event.
3. Paul Casey
Casey was the runner-up to Mickelson last year following a T-8 finish in 2018. He’s among the best in the field in creating scoring chances at shorter venues, and he ranks eighth in SG: Approach.
2. Brandt Snedeker
Snedeker, the 2013 & ’15 champ here, also finished fourth in 2017. He’s one of the best Poa putters in attendance and the best at avoiding three-putts on the unpredictable surface. He tied for third at Torrey Pines, but he has a further advantage on a short course to neutralize the longer hitters.
1. Dustin Johnson
The 2009 & ’10 champ comes in off a runner-up finish last week at the Saudi International. Once thought of mainly as a long hitter, he’s second in this week’s field in Birdies Gained on courses shorter than 7,200 yards.
Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.
[jwplayer Mr8Fu9mp]
The PGA Tour shifts back to the West Coast for this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Dustin Johnson, ranked fifth by the Official World Golf Ranking, leads the field as he’ll tee it up on the mainland for the first time since August’s Tour Championship.
The key stats for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which will cycle through Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Monterey Peninsula Country Club, are:
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Around the Green
Strokes Gained: Scrambling
Birdies Gained
Par 4 Scoring: 350-400 Yards
Proximity from 125-150 Yards
My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 24 rounds on courses shorter than 7,200 yards.
Johnson returns to the USA following a runner-up finish at the European Tour’s Saudi International. He’s back in form following a lengthy injury layoff and a T-7 result at the 30-man Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii to open 2020. He’s a two-time winner of this event and leads the week’s stat model. He scores particularly well on the shorter courses and ranks second in birdies gained.
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Brandt Snedeker (+2200)
Snedeker, the 2015 champ, suffered a rare missed cut at least week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open following a T-3 at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He’s one of the best in the field at putting on the difficult Poa Annua greens, and he’ll benefit from playing the shorter venue.
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – Tier 2
(Photo Credit: Mark Konezny – USA TODAY Sports)
Kevin Na (+6600)
Na has played this event just one of the last three years when he finished T-20 in 2018. He missed the cut last week to fall to 28th in the OWGR, but he remains a strong value play in a weaker field. He’s an expert scrambler, and his lack of distance will be mitigated here with none of the three courses topping 7,000 yards.
Kurt Kitayama (+6600)
Kitayama, ranked 68th in the world, will play his first PGA Tour event since the WGC-HSBC Champions in early November. The European Tour regular is coming off a T-6 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. His last professional victory was last year’s Oman Open after he won twice in 2018.
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AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – Longshots
(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
Matthew NeSmith (+12500)
NeSmith, 26, will make his debut at this event. He sat out last week’s tournament after a three-event stretch composed of a T-32 at the Sony Open, T-17 at The American Express and a T-30 at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Brian Stuard (+17500)
Stuard ranks 10th by the week’s stat model. He has been strong on approach and around the greens. He’s also fourth in the field in three-putt avoidance on Poa Annua greens. He comes into the week ranked 145th in the world following a missed cut in Phoenix, but this event routinely produces longshot champs.
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Analyzing the best fantasy golf options for the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Fantasy golf players are in for a solid week as Rickie Fowler prepares to defend his 2019 victory at the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, AZ ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl LIV matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.
He’ll take on a loaded field fronted by Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Webb Simpson and Tony Finau. Recent champs Gary Woodland and Hideki Matsuyama are also in attendance, and Bryson DeChambeau makes his 2020 PGA Tour debut. In other words, fantasy golf players have plenty of options to consider for this week’s event.
Waste Management Phoenix Open: Fantasy Golf Top 30
(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
Horschel is a regular at this event and he hasn’t finished worse than T-43 in his last five appearances. He hasn’t finished better than two T-24 showings in that time, but he’s a safe option to make the cut.
29. Brandt Snedeker
Snedeker made a run at the Farmers Insurance Open last week at one of his favorite courses. He hasn’t had the same success at TPC Scottsdale, but he made the cut in each of his last four appearances with a top result of T-10 in 2015. He was the runner-up to Phil Mickelson in 2013.
28. Martin Laird
Another course horse, Laird has five straight made cuts at TPC Scottsdale with three top-10 results in that time. He finished T-55 last week in California.
27. Kyle Stanley
Stanley missed the cut in each of his last three events dating back to the Sony Open in Hawaii. He also missed the weekend each of his last two years here, but he remains strong off the tee and avoids bad holes.
(Photo Credit: Thomas J. Russo – USA TODAY Sports)
26. Adam Hadwin
Hadwin has played this tournament each of the last four years with a top result of T-12 in 2017. He returns to professional play for the first time since The RSM Classic following the birth of his first child.
25. Russell Knox
Knox missed the cut in back-to-back appearances in Scottsdale before a T-10 in 2019. He’s very good at avoiding positive scores and can do enough on the easier holes in order to contend.
Poston took last week off following a T-37 at The American Express to wrap up a stretch of three straight events. His driver is in excellent form, and he’s setting himself up well for the approach.
23. Corey Conners
Conners has been off since a T-12 at the Sony Open. He hasn’t played in this event before, but his driving and ball striking are well suited to TPC Scottsdale. He’ll also be able to take advantage of the three short par 5s.
22. Ryan Palmer
Palmer is coming off an ugly closing round of 77 at Torrey Pines after firing a 62 Friday. It was his worst finish in his last five events, as he has become a steady cut-maker early this season.
21. Cameron Smith
Smith followed up his Sony Open victory with a T-64 showing last week. He ranks fifth on Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting on the season, and it’s contributed to a good scrambling performance.
20. Brendan Steele
The runner-up at the Sony Open, Steele hasn’t fared as well on the mainland. He tied for 43rd at The American Express before missing the cut last week. He tied for third here in 2018 but missed the cut last year.
(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
19. J.B. Holmes
Holmes is a two-time winner of this event in 2006 and 2008, but his last PGA Tour victory was at last year’s Genesis Open and he’ll defend that title in two weeks. He tied for 16th last week and the familiar venue will provide an added boost.
18. Jason Kokrak
Kokrak is one of the best ball strikers in the field over everyone’s last 24 rounds on courses with Bermuda greens, according to Fantasy National. He tied for 20th last year and 21st last week.
17. Chez Reavie
Reavie followed up a runner-up result in 2018 with a T-4 last year. He enters this week off of back-to-back missed cuts.
16. Branden Grace
Last year’s runner-up has missed the cut in three of four PGA Tour events this season, but he more recently won the South African Open. He tied for 17th in a strong field in Abu Dhabi and seems to be back in form ahead of his return.
15. Viktor Hovland
Hovland will be a name to watch every week up until the Masters in April, as the young Tour sophomore still needs a victory to gain entry to the year’s first major. He has been putting very well and is always a strong ball striker.
14. Sungjae Im
Im hasn’t missed a cut in 14 straight events dating back to the 2019 Open Championship. He still needs a PGA Tour victory, but he’s 35th in the Official World Golf Ranking and is always a safe pick to play all four rounds.
(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
13. Bubba Watson
Watson finally resurfaced last week, as he finished T-6 in a strong field. He has two top-5 results in his last five appearances in Scottsdale.
12. Gary Woodland
Woodland had a very disappointing missed cut last week, but he’s just two years removed from a win at this event, and he followed it up with a T-7 last year.
11. Matt Kuchar
Kuchar has strung together three straight top-10 showings at this event. He’s a very strong early-season performer, and he’s coming off a win at the SMBC Singapore Open as he returns to mainland USA for the first time since The RSM Classic.
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10. Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler struggled in a strong field last week, as he missed the cut for the first time in nine events this season. This week’s field is a little bit weaker, and he’ll be looking to start strong with a third-ranked first-round scoring average.
9. Byeong Hun An
Only three members of this week’s field with a minimum of five rounds played at TPC Scottsdale average more strokes gained per round than An.
8. Bryson DeChambeau
DeChambeau makes his 2020 PGA Tour debut ranked 17th in the world following a T-8 result at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. He’ll be looking to continue his strong play in a different desert.
7. Tony Finau
After a solo fifth-place finish at the Hong Kong Open, Finau has returned to America with a T-14 at The American Express and a T-6 last week. He’s back to No. 13 in the world and is in good form ahead of an event where he has oddly missed the cut in each of the last four years. He should be a much better course fit.
(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
6. Collin Morikawa
Morikawa was finally able to prove his worth in a strong field, as he finished T-21 last week alongside Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. He’s one of the best in the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.
5. Webb Simpson
Simpson was the runner-up at The RSM Classic before a third-place showing at the Sony Open. He has been up-and-down at this event, having finished second in 2017, missing the cut in 2018 and tying for 20th last year.
4. Rickie Fowler
The defending champ enters in poor form off of a missed cut last week. He had previously tied for fifth in Hawaii and tied for 10th at The American Express. He tied for 66th at the Farmers before his victory at the WMPO last year, so form isn’t everything for him.
3. Hideki Matsuyama
Another two-time winner in the field, Matsuyama claimed both of his titles in playoffs in 2016 and 2017. He withdrew in 2018 but bounced back to tie for 15th last year. He’s able to cut out the distractions of one of the Tour’s biggest crowds.
(Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
2. Justin Thomas
It’s odd to not have Thomas ranked No. 1, but the fourth-best golfer in the world is coming off an extremely rare missed cut at the Sony Open and will make his 2020 debut on the mainland. He has three wins since August and there are no flaws in his game. He finished in solo third last year.
1. Jon Rahm
Rahm may be the only golfer in the world in better form than Thomas right now. After collecting two wins on the European Tour, he placed second at the Hero World Challenge, 10th at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Plus he made a late Sunday charge to finish as the runner-up last week. He hasn’t finished worse than T-16 in his last four appearances in Scottsdale.
Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.
The PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open will bring us right up to kickoff of Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs Sunday evening at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. First, Rickie Fowler returns to TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, AZ to battle another loaded field led by world No. 3 Jon Rahm.
The key stats for the Waste Management Phoenix Open are:
Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
Bogey Avoidance
Good Drives Gained
Strokes Gained: Scrambling
My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 24 rounds on courses featuring Bermuda Greens.
Waste Management Phoenix Open – Tier 1
(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
Rahm is the betting favorite at BetMGM, and for good reason. Not only is he the top-ranked golfer from the Official World Golf Ranking, but he’s coming off a runner-up finish to Marc Leishman at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open. He hasn’t finished worse than 10th in his last five worldwide events.
Xander Schauffele (+1800)
Schauffele was one of the biggest disappointments of the week at Torrey Pines, as he missed the cut for the first time since The Northern Trust in August. He returns to TPC Scottsdale having tied for 10th last year (with Rahm). He also tied for 17th in 2018. Schauffele ranks ninth in the stat model, ranking in the top 10 of four-of-the-five key stats (Good Drives Gained).
Waste Management Phoenix Open – Tier 2
(Photo Credit: Rob Kinnan – USA TODAY Sports)
Byeong Hun An (+6600)
An is the leader of the stat model; the 49th-ranked golfer in the world ranks fourth in the field among those with at least five rounds played at TPC Scottsdale in total strokes gained per round, according to Data Golf. He’s still seeking a PGA Tour win, but he hasn’t finished worse than T-23 in three appearances at this event.
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Ryan Moore (+6600)
Moore missed the cut at this event each of the last two years. He enters this year’s tournament ranked eighth by the stat model, and he’s coming off a T-6 at The American Express. His ball-striking and play off the tee are well suited to this venue.
Waste Management Phoenix Open – Longshots
(Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
Rory Sabbatini (+10000)
Sabbatini slipped to 88th by the OWGR with last week’s missed cut at the Farmers Insurance Open. It snapped a streak of seven straight made cuts dating back to the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He’s second-best in the field in Bogey Avoidance, and he’ll be able to capitalize on the many scoring chances at TPC Scottsdale.
Adam Hadwin (+11000)
Hadwin has made the cut here each of last four years with a top finish of T-12 in 2017. The Canadian hasn’t participated in an event since finishing in a tie for 68th at The RSM Classic while attending to the birth of his first child. He has slipped to 52nd in the world in his time off and now has fresh motivation at a familiar venue.
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Previewing the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open and looking at the best fantasy golf selections for the tournament.
The 2020 Farmers Insurance Open boasts the PGA Tour’s strongest field of the calendar year to date. Justin Rose is back to defend his 2019 title at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, but he’ll need to hold off a group led by Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Tiger Woods. Woods is competing for a ninth career win at Torrey Pines and a record-setting 83rd career win on the PGA Tour.
The entire field will split their first two rounds between Torrey Pines’ North and South Courses. Those who survive the 36-hole cut will move to the South Course for their final 36 holes over the weekend.
Farmers Insurance Open: Top 30
(Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports)
Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Farmers Insurance at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
30. Luke List
List missed the cut at both the Sony Open in Hawaii and The American Express, but he tied for 12th here in 2018 and followed it up with a T-40 last year. He’s very strong tee-to-green and typically performs well at these longer courses.
29. Matthew Wolff
The Tour sophomore finished just T-61 last week coming off a T-11 result at the 30-man Sentry Tournament of Champions. He’s not a true contender here, but he’s a safe pick to make it to the weekend.
28. J.B. Holmes
Holmes missed the cut in 2019 after picking up three top-10 results in his previous four appearances. He’s been in poor form since last year’s Genesis Open win, but his best golf typically comes early in the calendar year.
27. Brendan Steele
The Sony Open runner-up finished just T-43 last week. He has been very strong off the tee of late and will be well-equipped to handle the length of the South Course.
26. Joaquin Niemann
Niemann made the cut in his Farmers Insurance Open debut last year. He’s a quality ball-striker who can get hot with the putter to compensate for a lack of distance off the tee.
25. Jason Kokrak
The 65th-ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking tied for 20th here last year. He’s coming off of a rare missed cut after failing to make the weekend just twice last season.
24. Lucas Glover
Not known as a particularly long hitter, Glover is able to position himself well off the tee and it will help give him good approach angles to the greens. He’s also a strong sand player and will be able to survive the 54 bunkers scattered throughout the course.
(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
23. Phil Mickelson
Mickelson missed the cut as the host of last week’s American Express. He has 70 career rounds played on Torrey Pines’ South Course and is among the most experienced in the field at the venue. He can still score on the long holes.
22. Bubba Watson
The 2011 champion hasn’t played here in the last five years. His length off the tee gives him an edge over most of the field, as he remains in search of his 2018 form which saw him win three times on Tour.
21. Byeong Hun An
An made his 2020 debut with a missed cut last week after going T-6, T-8 and T-14 over the Tour’s three-event swing through Asia to conclude the 2019 calendar year. He’s great tee-to-green and on approach, but putting remains an issue.
20. Ryan Palmer
Palmer’s a favorite of the key stats for Torrey Pines. He’s a great ball-striker with a strong tee-to-green game. He followed up a co-runner-up finish in 2018 with a T-13 last year.
19. Brandt Snedeker
The 2016 winner of this event has made the cut each of the three preceding years. He lacks the distance of the long hitters and top contenders, but if the California weather turns south, it plays to his advantage.
18. Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler will be put to the test in the strongest field in which he’s played against since the 2019 US Open. He finished third last week, but the strength of the field has risen considerably.
17. Sungjae Im
Im collected another top-10 result last week for his third of the PGA Tour season. Like Scheffler (and the entire field) he faces much stiffer competition this week, but he regularly works his way into contention.
16. Billy Horschel
Horschel has two 8th-place finishes here in his last four appearances. He’s not in good form right now, but the familiar venue can get him back on track.
(Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
15. Collin Morikawa
Morikawa has steadily risen up the OWGR since turning pro last year, as he’s yet to miss a cut. He’s a safe pick to play a full 72 holes each week.
14. Cameron Smith
Smith took last week off after winning the Sony Open in Hawaii. He tied for ninth here last year after making the cut in his third straight trip to Torrey Pines.
13. Tony Finau
Finau has been a regular contender here with four straight top-20 finishes, including two top 10s. He tied for 14th last week and can make up strokes on the longer holes.
12. Patrick Reed
Ranked 12th in the world entering this week, Reed missed the cut last week but returns to a venue where he tied for 13th last year.
11. Jason Day
Already a two-time winner over his last four appearances at Torrey Pines, Day picked up a T-5 in 2019. He’s the top sand player in the field. The only concern is his return from an injury which forced him to withdraw from the Presidents Cup.
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10. Rickie Fowler
Fowler had a stretch of three straight missed cuts here from 2016-18 before tying for 66th last year. He tied for 10th last week and will be preparing to defend his 2019 win at the Waste Management Open next week.
9. Francesco Molinari
Molinari makes his return to Torrey Pines after skipping last year’s event. He’s coming off a missed cut last week, but he positions himself well off the tee and gains his strokes tee to green at longer venues.
8. Marc Leishman
Leish has made the cut four of the last five years with a top finish of T-8 in 2018. He enters the week ranked 28th in the world and typically steps up in stronger fields.
(Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
7. Gary Woodland
The 2019 US Open champ will be taking an advanced look at the 2021 US Open venue. It’s considerably longer than Pebble Beach Golf Links, at which he won last year’s third major, but he has a strong history here, including a T-9 in 2019.
6. Xander Schauffele
Schauffele bucked a trend of three consecutively missed cuts here to finish T-25 last year. He can struggle off the tee at times, but he can score low if the conditions allow.
5. Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama tied for third a year ago. His strengths are positioning off the tee and his play from tee to green.
4. Jon Rahm
The 2017 champion finished just T-29 in 2018 before rebounding with a T-5 last year. He has three worldwide wins since July.
3. Justin Rose
The defending champ and former world No. 1 is coming off a runner-up finish at the Asian Tour’s SMBC Singapore Open.
(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)
2. Tiger Woods
As noted above, there’s plenty on the line for Tiger this week at one of his favorite courses. He’s three months away from his defense of the Masters, but his hand-picked schedule before then includes only tournaments he plans on winning.
1. Rory McIlroy
The reigning PGA Tour Player of the Year is having his 2020 debut overshadowed by Tiger’s hunt for history. He hasn’t played this even often, but he tied for fifth a year ago.
Looking at Tiger Woods’ chances of success at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open, including PGA Tour betting options within the tournament.
Tiger Woods is shooting for solo control of the PGA Tour’s all-time wins record this week at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course, as he competes against many of the world’s top golfers in his 2020 debut. Below, we’ll look at Tiger’s betting odds to win the Farmers Insurance Open outright and on the various prop bets available within the tournament.
Torrey Pines is well known as a favorite course of Tiger’s. He has won this event a record seven times, as well as the 2008 US Open, also held at this venue. Per Data Golf, no member of this week’s field has gained more strokes per round at Torrey Pines (South) than Tiger’s 3.12 across 47 rounds.
He has played here each of the last three years. After a rare missed cut in 2017, he finished T-23 in 2018 and T-20 last year, three months ahead of his fifth career win at the Masters.
Tiger Woods’ key stats for the Farmers Insurance Open
Based on historical tournament data from Fantasy National, my key stats for the week are:
Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
Birdies or Better Gained
Good Drives Gained
Proximity from 150-175 Yards
Sand Saves Gained
The model looks at the last 36 rounds on courses longer than 7,400 yards.
Tiger ranks 28th in the field by the model with a top rank of sixth in Birdies or Better Gained. His play from the sand has been the weakest part of his game of late, and he struggles relative to the field from the key proximity distance.
With a win already under his belt early in the 2019-20 PGA Tour season (Zozo Championship) and a record 83rd career win in sight, I’m betting Tiger to win the Farmers Insurance Open. At +1100 at BetMGM, he’s the sportsbook’s No. 3 favorite behind Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, who rank No. 2 and 3, respectively, in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Tiger enters the week ranked sixth in the world. His lighter schedule of late makes the stat model less representative of his current play. He is a contender whenever he’s in the field, and that’s doubly true at Torrey Pines. These odds are tolerable early in the season with a $10 bet on Tiger to win the tournament returning a profit of $110.
Best Props on Tiger Woods to win the Farmers Insurance Open
I’m looking to bet Tiger only to win the tournament outright. Due to his already low odds there, he’s lacking the necessary value on any other wager.
A top-5 finish is paying out at just +275. A top-10 result is only +125. In group betting, Tiger is lumped in with Rahm, McIlroy, Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele. Those are his four top competitors, by the OWGR measure and the betting odds. Take the higher odds at +1100 for the outright win with the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open champion most likely to come from within this group.
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Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.
Tiger Woods‘ hunt for a record 83rd career PGA Tour victory is the story of the week heading into the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Tiger makes his 2020 debut in San Diego, Calif., at a course where he already has eight professional victories, as he tries to surpass Sam Snead. Below, we assess the field and make our PGA Tour betting picks for the Farmers Insurance Open.
The key stats for the Farmers Insurance Open are:
Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
Birdies or Better Gained
Good Drives Gained
Proximity from 150-175 Yards
Sand Saves Gained
My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 36 rounds for each golfer in the field on courses longer than 7,400 yards.
McIlroy’s a heavy betting favorite in his first event of 2020. He won his second-last worldwide event of 2019, the WGC-HSBC Champions in early November. It followed up his 2019 Tour Championship win en route to being named the PGA Tour Player of the Year.
He finished T-5 at this event last year, and enters this week ranked first in the field in both SG: T2G and SG: BS to lead the stat model. Four of the last five winners here came from inside the top 25 of the Official World Golf Ranking. McIlroy ranks second.
Tiger Woods (+1100)
Tiger has owned this course, winning this event seven times along with the 2008 US Open. He’ll be looking to tie Jack Nicklaus’ record of six Masters Tournament wins in April, but first, he can break the tie with Snead. He was T-20 here last year and T-23 in 2018.
Gary Woodland (+2200)
Woodland is discounted among those at the top of the board. The 2019 US Open champ enters the week rank 15th by the OWGR. This venue is much longer than Pebble Beach Golf Links, where he won last year, but it is a US Open course and distance has never been an issue for him. He picked up a T-9 here last year, five months before his major win.
Farmers Insurance Open – Tier 2
(Photo Credit: Matt Roberts – USA TODAY Sports)
Jason Day (+4000)
Day enters the week off of an injury, which forced him to pull out of the Presidents Cup. Before that, he missed the cut at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, and he hasn’t won since the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. Two of his 12 career victories have come at Torrey Pines, though, and he managed to finish in a tie for fifth last year. He leads the field in Sand Saves Gained.
Leish is a bargain in an event where they’re hard to find due to the influx of talent this week. He’s ranked 28th by the OWGR but is only 19th by BetMGM‘s odds. He’s ranked 10th in the field in SG: BS, and he tied for eighth in 2018.
Farmers Insurance Open – Longshots
(Photo Credit: Joe Maiorana – USA TODAY Sports)
Keith Mitchell (+20000)
If you absolutely hate betting favorites, shoot your shot with Mitchell. One of the longest hitters on Tour, he’s more than up to the task of taming Torrey Pines. He’s third in the field in SG: BS and BoB Gained.
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Previewing the 2020 American Express and looking at the best fantasy golf selections for the tournament.
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The PGA Tour returns to mainland USA this week for The American Express in La Quinta, Calif. The tournament (formerly the Desert Classic) is played over three courses — TPC Stadium Course at PGA West, PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course and La Quinta Country Club. It runs as a pro-am with a 54-hole cut before the remaining professionals tee it up on the Stadium Course for Sunday’s final round.
The American Express Fantasy Golf Rankings: Top 30
Sungjae Im. (Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 American Express in La Quinta, Calif.
30. Jason Dufner
The 2016 champion missed the cut last year, and he has slipped all the way to No. 265 in the Official World Golf Ranking, but he has fared very well on Pete Dye courses over his career.
29. Sebastian Munoz
Munoz missed the cut last week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. It came just two events after his third-place finish at The RSM Classic. He had another strong putting performance last week and his weaker tee-to-green game will be mitigated here with all three courses shorter than 7,200 yards.
28. Brendon Todd
Already a two-time winner in 2019-20, Todd continued his climb up the OWGR with a T-21 result last week and now sits at No. 58. He hasn’t played this event since back-to-back missed cuts in 2015 and ’16.
27. Nick Taylor
Taylor always has a strong approach game, as seen in his 1.27 Strokes Gained: Approach per round last week, according to Data Golf. He lost nearly a half-stroke per round putting, and an average performance would allow him to contend.
Cameron Davis. (Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
26. Cameron Davis
Davis was the 36-hole co-leader last week in Hawaii en route to a T-9 result. His driver was a big part of his performance, but it won’t be as valuable at the shorter courses this week.
25. Brendan Steele
Last week’s runner-up, Steele gained 1.49 strokes per round putting. That sort of success on the greens is rarely replicated week-to-week, but he also gained 1.61 strokes on approach and is worth a shot while he’s hot.
24. Jason Kokrak
Kokrak finished T-8 in 2018 and T-18 last year. The 64th-ranked golfer in the world missed just two cuts in 24 events last year and is a safe pick with a guaranteed 54 holes of play.
23. Alex Noren
Noren has made nine straight cuts in worldwide events. He’s coming off a T-32 finish last week despite losing 0.95 strokes per round with the flat stick.
22. Rory Sabbatini
Sabbatini has made three straight cuts in La Quinta, with last year’s T-57 finish his best result in that span. He missed the cut just once since last July.
21. Bud Cauley
Cauley has averaged 2.01 strokes gained per round on the Stadium Course, more than anyone else in this week’s field. He missed the cut last year but a T-3 result in 2017 was sandwiched by T-14 showings in 2016 and ’18.
20. Billy Horschel
Horschel hasn’t played here since missing the cut in 2016. He already has two top 10s early in the 2019-20 PGA Tour season and has one of the best resumes in this week’s weaker field.
19. Cameron Champ
Champ took last week off after a T-14 finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions the week before. The Safeway Open champ makes his debut at this event.
18. Brian Harman
Harman ranks second to Cauley in Strokes Gained at the Stadium Course among those in the field with a minimum of six rounds played. He used a well-balanced game to pick up a T-32 finish last week.
17. J.T. Poston
The Postman missed the cut last week, as he lost 1.26 strokes per round on approach. He’ll look to rebound at an event where he finished T-7 in 2019.
16. Kevin Na
Na skipped last year’s tournament, but he hadn’t missed the cut in any of his previous four appearances. He had a top showing of T-3 in 2016. He’s incredibly strong in proximity to the pin on approach shots from 100-125 yards. With many of the par 4s on all three courses ranging between 350-400 yards, he’ll have plenty of his favorite shots.
Russell Knox. (Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
15. Russell Knox
Knox was third among those to make the cut last week with 1.47 strokes gained per round on approach. He was T-18 here last year following a T-29 in 2018.
14. Lucas Glover
Glover’s a regular contender in La Quinta with three top-20 showings in his last five appearances. His strong approach game sets up plenty of scoring chances at these shorter venues.
13. Phil Mickelson
The new co-host of this event, Lefty was a co-runner-up last year. He has slipped to No. 79 in the world entering this week, but he’s still a safe choice at these familiar courses.
12. Chez Reavie
Reavie had a rare missed cut last week. He has gained 1.45 strokes per round over eight career rounds on the Stadium Course, and he can create scoring chances.
11. Abraham Ancer
Ancer tied for 18th last year after finishing 76th in 2018. He gained 0.93 strokes per round on approach last week on his way to a T-38 finish.
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10. Matthew Wolff
Wolff played just the first of the two events in Hawaii, picking up a T-11 result in his first Tournament of Champions. The PGA Tour sophomore has been struggling on his approach shots, but he’s very strong off the tee and on the greens.
Francesco Molinari. (Photo Credit: Ian Rutherford – USA TODAY Sports)
9. Francesco Molinari
The odds may be stacked against the Italian Stallion, as only five non-Americans have won this event. He strung together a stretch of T-10, T-62 and T-12 from 2015 through ’17 before skipping the event the last two years.
8. Charles Howell III
Howell’s yet another course horse very familiar with all three tracks. He has collected three top-20 showings in his last five appearances, and he’s coming off a solid T-12 result last week.
7. Tony Finau
Finau’s the top golfer in the field from the OWGR (15), but he’s playing his first full-field PGA Tour event since the Mayakoba Golf Classic. He was fifth in last week’s Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour.
6. Byeong Hun An
An makes his debut at the event formerly known as the Desert Classic and CareerBuilder Challenge. He hasn’t participated in a tournament since early November’s WGC-HSBC Champions, but he already has three top 10s on the 2019-20 season.
5. Paul Casey
Similarly to Molinari, Finau and some of the other top-ranked golfers in the field, Casey may struggle to get up for this event as he looks ahead to next week’s Farmers Insurance Open. He hasn’t played in La Quinta since a T-58 result in 2017.
Scottie Scheffler. (Photo Credit: Ray Carlin – USA TODAY Sports)
4. Scottie Scheffler
We haven’t seen Scheffler, a recent Korn Ferry Tour graduate, since a T-5 showing at The RSM Classic. He has three top 10s and two top 5s early in his PGA Tour season.
3. Rickie Fowler
Fowler skipped last week’s event following a T-5 finish at the TOC. He’s well worth backing ahead of his defense of the Waste Management Phoenix Open during Super Bowl week.
2. Kevin Kisner
Kis made the cut here each of the last three years but with a top showing of just T-25 in 2017. He finished T-4 last week while gaining 1.32 strokes per round on approach and losing 0.23 strokes putting. Nine of the last 10 champions here played in Hawaii the week before.
1. Sungjae Im
Im finished T-21 last week while picking up 0.84 strokes per round on the putting surfaces. He was T-12 in his La Quinta debut last year and is still looking for his first PGA Tour win.
Analyzing the sports betting odds to win the 2020 American Express, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.
The PGA Tour is in La Quinta, Calif. this week for The American Express. Tony Finau, Paul Casey, Francesco Molinari and Rickie Fowler highlight those in the field for the event hosted by Phil Mickelson.Below, we look at the best PGA Tour bets to win the 2020 American Express
The event is played on three courses and features a 54-hole cut. All three tracks were designed by Pete Dye and play to a par of 72. The key stats for the week are:
Strokes Gained: Approach
Par 4 Efficiency: 350-400 Yards
Opportunities Gained
Proximity: 100-125 Yards
Pay added attention to golfer success on Dye-designed courses with Bermuda greens.
Im debuted at this event with a T-12 result last year. He enters the week 35th in the Official World Golf Ranking following last week’s T-21 finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He’s still looking for his first PGA Tour victory and will be one of the more motivated golfers in a rather weak early-season field.
Kevin Kisner (+2800)
Kisner enters the week as the sixth-best golfer in the field by the OWGR measure, but he’s seventh by the odds at BetMGM, representing moderate value for the three-time PGA Tour champ. He made the cut here each of the previous three years, but with a top finish of T-25 (2017). Only four golfers who made the cut last week gained more strokes per round on approach than Kisner’s 0.85.
The American Express – Tier 2
(Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports)
Chez Reavie (+6000)
Reavie’s coming off a missed cut last week in Hawaii, but he made the weekend each of the last four years in La Quinta. His best finish was a T-12 in 2017. The 37th-ranked golfer in the world ranks third in the field in Opportunities Gained on Pete Dye courses with Bermuda greens.
Cauley leads this week’s field with 2.01 strokes gained per round over seven rounds played on the Stadium Course in La Quinta, according to Data Golf. He missed the cut last week in his first event since a T-9 finish at the Houston Open. He was T-3 here in 2017 with T-14 finishes in 2016 and 2018 before missing the weekend last year.
The American Express – Longshots
(Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
Cameron Davis (+10000)
Davis finished T-9 at 7-under par in Hawaii last week. It was a Saturday round of 71 which was the difference for the 36-hole co-leader. He averaged 0.85 strokes gained per round on approach, but it was his 2.00 SG per round tee-to-green which had him contending. Davis finished T-28 here a year ago.
Doc Redman (+12500)
Redman’s worth a roll of the dice as our deepest shot for the week with a $10 bet returning a profit of $1,250 with a tournament win. He missed the cut last week for his third MC in nine events to begin the 2019-20 PGA Tour season, but his runner-up finish at last year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic was in a much stronger field than the one slated to tee off this week.
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