Christiaan Bezuidenhout is on a roll, widens lead at South African Open

Bezuidenhout posted his third consecutive 67 in this week’s South African Open to move to 15 under, widening his lead to five strokes.

If consistency is the key to capturing golf tournaments, Christiaan Bezuidenhout might just keep winning.

After winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship on last week’s Euro/Sunshine swing, Bezuidenhout posted his third consecutive 67 in this week’s South African Open to move to 15 under, widening his lead to five strokes heading into the final day.

If he does turn the trick, Bezuidenhout would be the first player to win consecutive European Tour events since Justin Rose did so in 2017.

Bezuidenhout posted just his second bogey of the week (again on the par-3 third hole), but didn’t drop another shot all day at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City. With other leaders fading a bit, the South African star made a total of six birdies including one on the day’s final hole.

Meanwhile, veteran Welshman Jamie Donaldson, who opened the day tied with Bezuidenhout atop the board, had a rough mid-round stretch, dropping shots on three of four holes from Nos. 8 to 11. Donaldson and Dylan Frittelli are 10 under with 18 holes to play.

South African Open: Leaderboard

The low round of the day went to South African JC Ritchie, who fired a 66 to get to 9 under for the week. Ritchie is tied with Dean Burmester for fourth.

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Christiaan Bezuidenhout maintains his roll, tied for lead at South African Open

Bezuidenhout is continuing to prove worthy of his top 50 ranking with his early play at this week’s South African Open.

With a victory in last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, Christian Bezuidenhout propelled himself back into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

He’s continuing to prove worthy of that ranking with his early play at this week’s South African Open. Bezuidenhout recorded five birdies through his first nine holes and is one of six players who finished the day at 5 under.

The event, which is facing European Tour competition from the Golf in Dubai Championship this week, is being held at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa, about three hours away from Bezuidenhout’s hometown of Delmas.

Others who finished with a 67 on the day were Jacques Kruyswijk, Dean Burmester, Matthias Schwab, Aron Zemmer and Ruan Korb.

Dylan Frittelli is just one off the pace, tied with Frenchman Matthieu Pavon.

Bezuidenhout, who is the highest-ranked player in the field at this event, has plenty to play for. He’s at No. 41 in the OWGR and No. 50 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. He’s also No. 9 in the Road to Dubai points standings.

His only slip-up on the day came on No. 3 as he missed an eight-foot par putt.

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Dylan Frittelli plans to go for it in Masters final round after Saturday 67

There won’t be any holding back for Dylan Frittelli in Sunday’s final round of the Masters Tournament.

There won’t be any holding back for Dylan Frittelli in Sunday’s final round of the Masters Tournament.

The 30-year-old Frittelli, who has never contended in a major championship before this week, is tied for fifth place after 54 holes. After opening with 7-under-par 65 that tied for the first-round lead and a second-round 73, he bounced back with 67 on Saturday and is 11 under for the tournament. He’s five shots behind leader Dustin Johnson and ready to put his game into overdrive.

“I’m going to have to go and get six or seven birdies out there if I want to compete,” he said. “It’s just a golf tournament, isn’t it? Luckily there are no fans out there. That plays into my side because DJ and all the guys that have been doing that for 15 years are more comfortable with that.”

MASTERSSunday tee times | Leaderboard | How to watch

This is the South African’s second Masters appearance; he missed the cut in 2018. Overall, he’s played in nine majors, with his best finish being a tie for 31st in the 2018 PGA Championship.

“Why not go for it?” Frittelli asked. “There’s going to be a few times in your career when you’re going to be in contention so it’s pointless laying up and trying for a top-five or something.”

After being tied for the first-round lead, his 73 dropped Frittelli three shots off the lead after 36 holes. He got his mind straight on Friday night and here he is.

“I just did a few mental drills at home yesterday evening and this morning,” he said. “And I saw a guy in the golf services building and he mentioned that no one has ever shot four rounds in the 60s so he kind of put it out there that, ‘Hey, you had one bad round, you can still get in it and do well.’ It was a nice little advice, I guess.”

He then went out and shot his first bogey-free round at Augusta National.

“I had clarity, I think my mind was pretty clear. I felt confident, felt calm. I didn’t feel any nerves,” he said. “If I can feel that way tomorrow on the tee and on the golf course, I like my chances.”

Frittelli has been making plenty of birdies this week (15, including five on Saturday). He’s also made six bogeys and an eagle.

“The bogeys are going to stay away,” he joked. “I’m going to keep them as far away from me as possible.”

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COVID messes up tee sheet for third round of The Memorial

The COVID-19 global pandemic created an awkward situation Saturday for the third round of the Memorial.

DUBLIN, Ohio – The COVID-19 global pandemic created an awkward situation Saturday for the third round of the Memorial.

Not one, not two, not three, but four players went out as singles because of the PGA Tour’s clarification to its health and safety plan last week. The amplification now allows players who continue to test positive for COVID to compete if certain conditions are met.

According to the CDC’s protocols dealing with symptoms, a player who tested positive for the virus but then went into isolation for at least 10 days since they first had symptoms and then went 72 hours without any respiratory or fever issues could return to competition, even if they test positive for the coronavirus.

Three players – Dylan Frittelli, Harris English and Denny McCarthy – fall into this category. In the first two rounds, out of an abundance of caution, Frittelli played with Graeme McDowell because McDowell’s caddie fell into this category, too. English and McCarthy played together while all others played in threesomes.

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But when Frittelli, English and McCarthy weren’t tied after 36 holes, and out of fairness to them and the field, they went out for the third round at the same time as others with the same score. But they went out as singles – again out of an abundance of caution – with McCarthy starting at 9:20 a.m., English at 11:20 a.m. and Frittelli at 12:20 p.m.

All three played behind and in front of twosomes – which forced adjustments.

“It was strange,” English said after a 2-over-par 74. “I was trying to slow down as much as possible out there, and I still probably played in over 4 hours, 20 minutes as a onesome. The course was hard; gave me a little extra time to figure out. The wind was swirling a little bit. Obviously had some tough putts out here. It was OK. I did the best I could with the situation.


Leaderboard | How to watch | Photos


“It was fun. It would really suck if you didn’t get along with your caddie very well or you were on bad terms. But we had a good time out there. You’ve got a lot of time to talk out there and tell stories.”

He’ll have time to do it again Sunday. English tested positive Saturday morning and he’ll have to play as a onesome in the final round.

So, too, will Frittelli. He tested positive Saturday.

“I have a friend in Japan, I’ve mentioned it before, he’s been a month in and he still hasn’t tested negative,” Frittelli said. “I’m ready for the long haul here, and I’ll be playing next week. Hopefully I can get that test sooner rather than later. But I’m not worried, I’m keep testing and we’ll wait and see.

As for his round, Frittelli wasn’t thrown one bit.

“It was just like golf is Monday through Friday at my home golf club, just normal golf,” he said. “It was quite nice. I kept a nice pace. I didn’t really touch the guys in front of me, just managed to stay about a half a hole back and waited on a couple tee boxes, but it was actually quite nice pacing, to be honest.”

Reed also played solo

Patrick Reed, who has not tested positive for the coronavirus, also played as a single because of the alterations to the pairings. He was first off at Muirfield Village Golf Club at 7:30 a.m. local time. He played in three hours, five minutes.

“It was interesting today,” Reed said after his 70. “I thought it was going to kind of be hard to get into a rhythm because your caddie is getting the divots, cleaning the clubs, if you’re in a bunker, having to rake bunkers, getting flags, stuff like that, so you almost feel like your caddie is going to be behind and lagging all day.

“But I was able to sit down and talk with my coach and talk with Kessler (Karain, his caddie) kind of before going into today, all right, what’s our kind of game plan to keep us at a good rhythm where none of us are kind of lagging behind. And so we were able to figure that out. And it was weird; felt like a practice round out there. You’re out there being a single, no fans allowed, so it’s just you, your walking score, Kessler and that’s about it. It was kind of one of those when you hit a shot, maybe we’ll try this shot, you want to go and hit another golf ball, but you can’t. It was interesting.”

McCarthy did some fine work through 14 holes but then said he “stumbled” in with double bogeys on the 15 and 16 and a bogey on 17. He shot 76. But his spirits improved when he was told after the round his test from Friday came back negative and he can now play in a twosome on Sunday.

“It was good, especially since the doctor thought it could go on for a little while,” McCarthy said. “Obviously it was pretty odd today going out as a onesome. It’s been a weird couple weeks, but obviously glad to hear the news. Glad to get back to a somewhat normal atmosphere in this crazy time.

“It wasn’t that different. Harris and I played as a twosome behind threesomes the last few days, so if anything I’d say it just gives us a little more time to slow down, relax, worry about my game a little more. I can spend an extra minute or two here and there on the green, and I can just go about my business.”

But it’s not business as usual. Frittelli, English and McCarthy said they’ve felt like outcasts on the PGA Tour since testing positive.

“Nobody really wants to get close to you or whatnot. I understand it,” English said. “This virus is still so new and I’m about three weeks out of a positive test in Detroit, so I feel like I’ve fully recovered. I haven’t played golf in a long time. Spent 10 days on the couch. The game was a little rusty but I feel like I’m fighting through it and in a pretty good spot to play this week.”

McCarthy said “it’s been tough.”

“Obviously guys not really wanting to be around me,” he said. “Not being able to be in the locker room, dining area, not being able to sit with guys, just kind of being by myself, making sure I’m doing everything right, not really going anywhere in public, getting a lot of takeout, getting food from here and bringing it back to my hotel, so it’s been a little lonely, but it is what it is.

“I felt like I’ve dealt with it just fine and I’ve done a good job of putting that aside and focusing on my golf game.”

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COVID positive group finishes above par at Workday Charity Open

A group of three COVID-19 positive but asymptomatic golfers played Thursday at the Workday Charity Open.

DUBLIN, Ohio – Call it quarantine, PGA style.

The PGA Tour this week adopted a policy in which asymptomatic golfers who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 can still play. Thus, on Wednesday night, Nick Watney, Dylan Frittelli and Denny McCarthy were placed in a threesome for the first two rounds of the Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

The three teed off starting on the back nine Thursday at 9:13 a.m., a tee time that hadn’t been on the schedule. All three finished above par on a hot, steamy day, with Frittelli and McCarthy posting 1-over-par 73s and Watney struggling to a 77 in a round that included three double-bogeys.

“Firstly, I’m happy to be playing golf again,” Frittelli said after the round. “I wasn’t sure how long it was going to take to get over everything and get back on the course, but I’m super happy to be playing again.


Tee times, TV | Scores | Field by the rankings | Photos | Leaderboard


“It’s been pretty boring the last five or six days just sitting around doing nothing. It was fun to get out there. Obviously, (I had) a few hoops to jump through yesterday. It was a little tricky situation. But that’s fine. Life is full of surprises, so we’ll move on from there and hopefully get everything cemented in the coming weeks.”

Watney became the first player to be sidelined by the virus after the PGA Tour resumed play after a 13-week break when he tested positive at the RBC Heritage. McCarthy tested positive at the Travelers Championship while Frittelli tested positive at thee Rocket Mortgage Classic. Other players who have tested positive are Cameron Champ, Chad Campbell and Harris English.

Frittelli, McCarthy and Watney also tested positive this week ahead of the start of the Workday Charity Open. But they were permitted to play because they passed the PGA Tour’s protocol for returning from the coronavirus.

The Tour clarified its policy for players and caddies who tested positive for COVID-19 and were asymptomatic in accordance with the CDC’s “Return to Work” guidelines. Golfers may compete if at least 72 hours have passed since their recovery (no fever without using fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms, and 10 days have passed since the symptoms began).

Frittelli said his symptoms were minor.

“Sunday night I had started basically getting some nasal congestion just like you would from an allergy, just had some kind of constriction in the tubes up there,” he said. “But then I had slight muscle ache for an hour that evening.

“I worked out Saturday morning, so those same muscle groups that I worked out were a little bit sore, and then I had two headaches in three days that lasted about maybe 20 or 30 minutes. Besides that, it was really nothing. I did feel a little lethargic and slow, but that’s normally the case when I don’t work out or I don’t get outside or I’m not busy.”

Watney and McCarthy did not talk to the media afterward.

But Frittelli said he wasn’t surprised he tested positive again this week.

“I spoke to my physician and quizzed him on how it works, and he said, ‘Oh, there’s a chance that you could be testing (positive) for up to a month,” Frittelli said. “I’ve got a friend in Japan who chatted to me, he said, ‘Dude, I’ve been testing for 28 days, I still haven’t got a negative.’ I knew that was a possibility.

“According to the CDC guidelines, if you don’t have any symptoms on day 10 and you’re perfectly healthy and you’re not showing any declining conditions, then you’re free to go back to work.”

Frittelli said he drive straight from his housing to the golf course – with his golf shoes on – and went straight from his car to the practice ground.

“I stretched at home. I ate breakfast in my hotel room and then straight to the parking lot and felt like Walter Hagen, just walked straight on to the driving range,” he said with a smile.

Frittelli said he’s talked to a few players about the situation.

“A lot of guys were intrigued, they were all asking me questions,” he said. “I told them the truth. I told them what happened and I tried to give them my best biology lesson that I could. But it spread like wildfire, and when it goes to a third, fourth, fifth source, then you hear some funny stories, so I think that’s what happened yesterday and guys started freaking out, obviously, but I guess that’s all been quelled now by the Tour.”

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COVID positives Dylan Frittelli, Denny McCarthy, Nick Watney moved to same Workday group

Nick Watney, Denny McCarthy and Dylan Frittelli, who tested positive for COVID, have been grouped for the first two rounds at the Workday.

Nick Watney, Denny McCarthy and Dylan Frittelli, who all tested positive for COVID during the PGA Tour’s restart and who the Tour says continue to test positive, are in the field at this week’s Workday Charity Open and, after a late change to the tee times, will play in the same group for the first two rounds.

After releasing initial tee times on Tuesday, the Tour announced on Wednesday night that the tee times were adjusted so that those three golfers could be grouped together.

They will now go off the 10th tee on Thursday at 9:13 a.m., a tee time that previously wasn’t on the schedule.


Tee times, TV info | Fantasy | Betting odds | Field by the rankings


On June 19, Watney withdrew from the RBC Heritage prior to the second round after testing positive for COVID-19, the first PGA Tour player to test positive.

On June 26, McCarthy tested positive for coronavirus and he subsequently withdrew from the Travelers Championship before the second round.

On June 28, the Tour announced that Frittelli tested positive for COVID-19 in screening ahead of a charter flight from Hartford, Connecticut – where he missed the cut at the Travelers – to Detroit, where he withdrew from the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

The Tour said it is following the CDC’s symptom-based model for those three golfers, as they have continued to return positive tests but they all meet the CDC guidelines for Return to Work.

Part of the Tour’s statement reads:

For clarity regarding players and caddies who tested positive for COVID-19 and were symptomatic – in accordance with CDC “Return to Work” guidelines and in consultation with the PGA Tour Medical Advisor and infectious disease experts – cases in which a player or caddie tested positive and continues to test positive, the Tour follows a symptom-based model, as outlined by the CDC, allowing for him to return to competition if:
• At least three days (72 hours) have passed since recovery, which is defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and,
• At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.

Watney was initially grouped with Seung-Yul Noh and Bo Van Pelt; Frittelli was originally with Nick Taylor and Hideki Matsuyama; McCarthy was with Fabian Gomez and Scott Stallings. Those golfers will remain in their slots as pairs.

Also, the Tour, in accordance with those CDC guidelines, is using a “test-based model for asymptomatic cases in which a player or caddie who tests positive but has not had any symptoms may return to competition if he returns two negative tests results, a minimum of 24 hours apart.”

That’s how Cameron Champ, who also initially tested positive for COVID, was able to play in last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic.

This week, Champ is grouped with Nate Lashley and Keegan Bradley for the first two rounds at the Workday Charity Open.

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2020 Travelers Championship odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Travelers Championship, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Travelers Championship begins Thursday at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., as the PGA Tour’s best move on from Webb Simpson’s victory at last week’s RBC Heritage. Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds and make our best bets for the Travelers Championship.

Another loaded field is in attendance as Patrick Cantlay, who ranks sixth in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings, makes his first appearance out of the midseason break. Defending champ Chez Reavie and three-time winner Bubba Watson are also in attendance. Charles Schwab Challenge champ Daniel Berger withdrew from the field Sunday night following his T-3 finish at the RBC Heritage.

TPC River Highlands measures just 6,841 yards and plays to a par of 70 with Bentgrass greens.

2020 Travelers Championship Betting Picks – Tier 1

(Photo Credit: Adam Hagy – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, June 22 at 3:10 p.m. ET.

Paul Casey (+2800)

Casey will tee it up for the first time since The Players Championship was canceled. He has three top-5 finishes here in the last three years and another runner-up result in 2015. No one with at least five rounds played at TPC River Highlands averages more than Casey’s 2.46 strokes gained per round on the field, according to Data Golf.


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Marc Leishman (+4500)

Leishman took last week off following a missed cut at the Charles Schwab Challenge. The Farmers Insurance Open champ was the runner-up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational ahead of the break. He ranks first in this field in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and Par 4 Efficiency: 400-450 Yards on courses shorter than 7,200 yards and featuring Bentgrass greens, according to Fantasy National.

2020 Travelers Championship Betting Picks – Tier 2

(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

Ian Poulter (+7000)

Poulter has scored in the 60s in six of his last eight rounds, including all four at Harbour Town Golf Links last week. His minus-16 resulted in just a T-14 finish last week in what turned out to be a shootout at the RBC Heritage. He hasn’t played here since a 43rd-place finish in 2013, but he’s a value at these odds due to his current form.


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Jason Kokrak (+9000)

Kokrak disappointed a lot of bettors last week with a missed cut following a T-3 finish in the Tour’s return to play. He has struggled in 19 career rounds here, including missed cuts in each of the last two years, but he’s regained value at this price and excels in proximity to the pin from this week’s key approach distance of 150-175 yards.

2020 Travelers Championship Betting Picks – Long shots

(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

Dylan Frittelli (+15000)

Frittelli grabbed attention Sunday while taking the early lead with a closing 62 before the leaders teed off. He has broken 70 just three times in his last 12 rounds, but the odds don’t reflect his most recent performance.

Doc Redman (+22500)

Redman ranks in the top 10 of the field in all three of SG: Ball Striking, Good Drives Gained and Proximity from 150-175 Yards on short courses with Bentgrass greens. The 22-year-old makes his debut at TPC River Highlands off of a T-21 finish last week.

Get some action on the 2020 Travelers Championship by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Justin Thomas, Dylan Frittelli torch Harbour Town, but it’s too little, too late

Dylan Frittelli and Justin Thomas went low on Sunday, but neither were hanging around to see if they’d be in the the RBC Heritagetrophy hunt.

Dylan Frittelli and Justin Thomas went low on Sunday, but neither were hanging around to see if they’d be in the trophy hunt at the RBC Heritage.

Frittelli went out early Sunday and shot a career-low 9-under 62 in benign conditions at Harbour Town Golf Links before a lengthy weather delay.

“There’s going to be someone that’s going to shoot 4 or 5 under,” Fritelli said of the leaders who hadn’t even teed off by the time he finished. “I’m going to go home and pack my bags. I’ll have a spare set of clothes on stand by in case I need to rush back for a playoff. I’ll probably be sipping something cold by the time they’re finishing.”

Thomas was 8 under on the day through 16 holes when play was suspended due to lightning, but he missed birdie putts at his final two holes and settled for a bogey-free 8-under 63, his Tour-leading 14th round of 63 or better since 2015.

“I didn’t look at the leaderboard once today, so I didn’t know exactly where I stood. I had a pretty good idea. I knew I needed to birdie the last two to have a chance, at least that’s what it felt like,” Thomas said.

Thomas made a valiant effort after a slow start out of the gate, posting 1-over 72 Thursday and needing to rally with 66 on Friday to make the 36-hole cut on the number. He set a target to play 10 under on the weekend, but did that and three better.


Leaderboard | Photos | How to watch | Tee times | Updates


“I would have thought 17 under would have a pretty good chance at the start of the week, for sure, but it doesn’t look like it how the course is playing right now,” he said. “To be honest, if I had putted worth a crap the last three days, I would have been about 30 under.”

Frittelli’s putter let him down on Saturday when he shot 71, but his stroke came to life on Sunday. It didn’t hurt that he stuck five approaches inside 4 feet or less. He birdied the last two holes, including a 12-footer at 18, to shoot 29 coming home.

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“I shouted, ‘Go!’ because I thought it was short into the grain, and I almost had to like check myself. ‘Whoa, why did I scream so loud?’ No background noise at all,” Frittelli said of his birdie at 18.

“The winners over the next few weeks with all this COVID stuff going on are going to have mixed emotions coming down the stretch and tapping it in for the win, I guess.”

It didn’t look as if Frittelli would need to dress in his playoff outfit he’d left out of his luggage. As the likes of Tyrrell Hatton, Abraham Ancer, Webb Simpson and Brooks Koepka reached 17 under and zoomed by Thomas and Frittelli, Thomas made post-golf plans of his own. He was going to take his dad, Mike, fishing for Father’s Day.

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Honda Classic odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Honda Classic, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.

The PGA Tour begins its four-event Florida swing with this week’s Honda Classic. Just three of the top 10 players in the world, according to the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings are in the field this week. Many of the world’s top golfers are taking the week off ahead of next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship the following week.

The key stats for the 7,125-yard, par-70 PGA National are:

  • Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
  • SG: Approach
  • Birdies or Better Gained
  • Sand Saves Gained
  • Par 4 Efficiency: 400-450 Yards
  • Strokes Gained: Scrambling

My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 36 rounds for each golfer in the field on courses shorter than 7,200 yards.

Honda Classic – Tier 1

Feb 20, 2020; Mexico City, MEX; Tommy Fleetwood reacts after playing his shot from the 14th tee during the first round of the WGC – Mexico Championship golf tournament at Club de Golf Chapultepec. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 12:30 a.m. ET.

Tommy Fleetwood (+1000)

At No. 5 in the Golfweek rankings, Fleetwood is the top golfer in attendance. He also leads my stat model for the week on his strengths in SG: Ball Striking and Par 4 Efficiency. He finished fourth here in 2018 before skipping last year’s event.

Fleetwood is one of the more precise and accurate golfers in the world, and the forced layups off the tees at PGA National will play to his advantage as golfers need to navigate their way around the course. He’s a chalky play as the tournament favorite, but it worked for us last week with Viktor Hovland at the Puerto Rico Open.


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Billy Horschel (+2800)

Horschel has finished T-9 at each of his last two events – last week’s WGC-Mexico Championship and the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He tied for 16th at last year’s tournament following a missed cut in 2018. He finished T-4 and T-8 in 2017 and 2016, respectively. Like Fleetwood, he’s a great irons player.

Honda Classic – Tier 2

Jan 24, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Matthew Wolff plays his shot from the 18th tee during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course – North Course. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)

Matthew Wolff (+8000)

Wolff took last week off following a missed cut at the Genesis Invitational. He had previously missed the cut at the WMPO. While he ranks just 72nd overall by the stat model, he’s 18th in Birdies or Better Gained on shorter courses.

Luke List (+9000)

List’s advantage in length is largely negated at PGA National due to the forced layups off the tee. He was the runner-up to Rickie Fowler in 2018 and he tied for 10th in 2016. He’s on a streak of three straight made cuts.


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Honda Classic – Longshots

Apr 21, 2019; Hilton Head, SC, USA; Sam Burns tees off on the second hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links. (Photo Credit: Joshua S. Kelly – USA TODAY Sports)

Sam Burns (+10000)

Burns’ odds are attractive following a T-8 finish in 2018. He followed it up with a T-73 last year, but he’s coming off a T-23 result in a much stronger field at the Genesis Invitational. He can score low on shorter courses.

Dylan Frittelli (+15000)

Frittelli excels on par 4’s ranging from 400-450 yards. He missed the cut last year on the heels of an 11th-place finish in 2018. He hasn’t found top form since his breakthrough win at last year’s John Deere Classic, but he picked up top-10 finishes at the Sanderson Farms Championship and Safeway Open earlier in the 2019-20 season. These odds are far too high for someone with a Masters invite already secured.

Get some action on this tournament by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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What are PGA Tour pros doing this off-season? We asked

A seemingly endless PGA Tour schedule is finally in the books for 2019. How do Tour pros plan to spend their “off-season” and the holidays?

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — A seemingly endless PGA Tour schedule is finally in the books for 2019 with the conclusion of the RSM Classic, the last official event of the decade (let the Silly Season begin!).

How do Tour pros plan to spend their “off-season” and the holidays? We asked 18 pros after the RSM Classic.

Weddings, surgeries, pulled wisdom teeth, hunting and fishing, and — shocker — more golf are on the agenda.

(Photo: Eric Bolte/USA TODAY Sports)

Scott Brown

“If you’re looking for me, I’ll be hunting. I went deer hunting 20 of the last 25 days before going to Mayakoba. It’s fun to try to kill something bigger than you.”