Golf Winners – Syndication Server

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational

Analyzing the best fantasy golf picks for the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind.

Nine of the top 10 golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings are part of the 78-man field at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, this week for the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. We’ve looked at the best bets to win, and below is my Top 30 fantasy golf power rankings for the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind.

Also see:

2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Jul 19, 2020; Dublin, Ohio, USA; Sergio Garcia plays his shot from the fifth tee during the final round of The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Aaron Doster – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, July 27 at 5 p.m. ET.

30. Sergio Garcia (+7000)

Garcia is coming off back-to-back T-32 finishes in similar strengths of fields at the Travelers Championship and the Memorial Tournament. He’s second on Tour in the 2019-20 season in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.

29. Paul Casey (+6600)

Casey is coming off consecutive missed cuts, but he has performed well in two trips to TPC Southwind with an average of 1.10 total strokes gained per round across eight rounds, according to Data Golf.

28. Michael Thompson (+12500)

Thompson cruised through a much weaker field at last week’s 3M Open en route to his first PGA Tour win since the 2013 Honda Classic. He’ll need to be a little sharper off-the-tee and around the greens against the stiffer competition this week.

27. Shane Lowry (+12500)

The reigning Champion Golfer of the Year has missed three of five cuts since play resumed, but his lone other PGA Tour victory was at the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He didn’t play this event last year.

26. Jordan Spieth (+4500)

Spieth is a much better fantasy selection than he is for bettors. The no-cut nature of WGC events allows him a full 72 holes of scoring opportunities and doesn’t penalize him nearly as badly for his blow-up holes. He can take his risks here.

Jul 18, 2020; Dublin, Ohio, USA; Billy Horschel plays his shot from the fairway on the ninth hole during the third round of The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Aaron Doster – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Billy Horschel (+4500)

Horschel tied for ninth in this event last year, and he posted the same result at the WGC-Mexico Championship earlier this year. He’s averaging 0.79 SG: Tee-to-Green in 2020.

24. Corey Conners (+10000)

Conners held his own in the difficult conditions of the Memorial and finished T-22 for his fourth made cut in five events since play resumed. He tied for 27th last year in his first WGC event.

23. Marc Leishman (+7000)

Leishman finished alone in third at this event last year at minus-12 while averaging 1.63 SG: Approach per round. He tied for 40th at the Memorial for his best finish since the restart.

22. Dustin Johnson (+3300)

Johnson withdrew from the weak field at the 3M Open following an opening-round 78. It came on the heels of his 80-80 start and missed cut at the Memorial, but he is just a month removed from his Travelers Championship victory.

21. Abraham Ancer (+5000)

Ancer is in the top 25 of the Tour in SG: Approach; SG: Tee-to-Green; and Par 4 Performance. He tied for fourth at the WGC-HSBC Champions last fall and tied for 12th in the WGC-Mexico Championship this spring.

Looking to place a bet on the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

20. Tommy Fleetwood (+3300)

Fleetwood returned from his prolonged layoff to miss the cut last week as one of the top betting favorites. He was oddly poor with the irons and lost 0.87 strokes per round on approach.

19. Hideki Matsuyama (+3300)

Matsuyama typically excels among these stronger fields, but he missed the cut at both the RBC Heritage and the Memorial. He has two career WGC victories and a T-6 at this year’s Mexico Championship.

18. Jason Day (+3300)

Day has shown some of his best form in several years with a T-7 at the Workday Charity Open and a T-4 at the Memorial. He’ll try to transition to a course with which he’s less familiar than Muirfield Village GC.

17. Tony Finau (+3300)

It was disappointing to see Finau struggle late in Round 4 against a weak field at the 3M Open. He was eighth at the Memorial in a field stronger than this week and is consistently getting top results, even without victory.

Jul 23, 2020; Blaine, Minnesota, USA; Brooks Koepka walks with his caddie Ricky Elliott on the 9th hole during the first round of the 3M Open golf tournament at TPC Twin Cities. (Photo Credit: David Berding – USA TODAY Sports)

16. Brooks Koepka (+3300)

What to do with Brooks? He has two missed cuts and a T-62 in his last three events and was outperformed by brother Chase last week. Still, the PGA Championship is next week. He may repeat at both events despite entering this week outside the FedExCup Playoff picture.

15. Sungjae Im (+9000)

Im took a rare break while skipping the 3M Open last week. He has struggled mightily since a T-10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, and the oddsmakers have clearly soured on him.

14. Gary Woodland (+4500)

Woodland has been inconsistent off-the-tee and shaky around the greens of late, but he’s still averaging 0.95 strokes per round on approach. He finished just 55th here a year ago but sets up for better results this time.

13. Patrick Reed (+3300)

Reed, who has eight PGA Tour victories, won his first WGC event at the Mexico Championship in late February. He has been inconsistent since the midseason suspension of play, but he’s coming off a T-10 at the Memorial as he preps for the major season.

12. Viktor Hovland (+2800)

Hovland’s T-48 at Muirfield Village was his worst result since the restart, but he took last week off for his first break. He’ll be playing his first WGC event and ranks T-8 in SG: Approach; and 12th in SG: Tee-to-Green this season.

11. Matthew Fitzpatrick (+3000)

Fitzpatrick tied for fourth last year at minus-11 while gaining 1.26 strokes per round from tee-to-green. His third-place finish at the Memorial was his best PGA Tour result since coming second at the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

10. Xander Schauffele (+2200)

Schauffele hasn’t won a full-field PGA Tour event since the 2017 Greenbrier Classic, but he won the 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions and went to a playoff against Rory McIlroy last year in that same event. He tied for 27th in this tournament in 2019.

9. Patrick Cantlay (+2000)

Cantlay hasn’t finished worse than his T-32 at the Memorial since returning to tournament play. He tied for 12th in his first visit to TPC Southwind last year.

8. Daniel Berger (+2800)

Berger missed the cut at the Memorial after winning the Charles Schwab Challenge and finishing T-3 at the RBC Heritage. He’s gaining 1.14 strokes from tee-to-green in 2020.

7. Collin Morikawa (+2800)

Morikawa won last year’s Barracuda Championship as the alternate event to the WGC. He got his second career win at the Workday Charity Open and will play his second WGC event following a T-42 in Mexico.

6. Webb Simpson (+2200)

Simpson was the runner-up in Memphis last year, and he has since picked up two victories at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and RBC Heritage. He’s looking to move past a rare missed cut at the Memorial.

5. Justin Thomas (+1200)

Thomas, fourth in the Golfweek rankings, enters the week third by the betting odds to win in Memphis. He won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2018 and tied for 12th at TPC Southwind last year.

Jun 21, 2020; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Tyrrell Hatton reacts on the tenth hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

4. Tyrrell Hatton (+2200)

Hatton tied for 43rd in this event a year ago while losing 1.37 strokes per round on the greens. Flip forward a year, and he leads the Tour in SG: Putting through 16 measured rounds in the 2019-20 season. Also, he has finished outside the top 20 in just one of his last 10 international events with two victories and two top 5’s.

3. Bryson DeChambeau (+1400)

DeChambeau’s run of four consecutive finishes of T-8 or better, including his victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, was snapped with a missed cut at the Memorial. He has lost 0.08 strokes per round over 10 trips around TPC Southwind, but his results prior to the 2020 midseason break aren’t worth much.

2. Rory McIlroy (+1100)

Since 2014, McIlroy has won three WGC events (including match play), with 11 other top-10s and seven top-5’s, including a fifth-place finish in Mexico in February. He’s second by the betting odds.

1. Jon Rahm (+1000)

Rahm’s the betting favorite following his dominant win over an even stronger field at the Memorial. He was seventh here last year and T-3 in Mexico.

Get some action on the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational 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 on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

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

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Charles Schwab Challenge odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.

The PGA Tour is back! The Charles Schwab Challenge will be the first tournament held since the cancelation of The Players Championship in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An expanded and star-studded field will be in attendance at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Below, we look at BetMGM‘s PGA Tour betting odds to win and make our Charles Schwab Challenge picks and best bets.

The first event to be held without fans permitted on the course will see four of the top five golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin world ranking, including No. 1 Webb Simpson, try to hold off the competition in a more level field.

The key stats for the 7,209-yard, par-70 Colonial Country Club:

Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
Strokes Gained: Short Game
Birdies or Better Gained
Strokes Gained: Scrambling
Par 4 Efficiency: 400-450 Yards
Proximity from 125-150 Yards

My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 50 rounds for each golfer in the field on courses with Bentgrass greens. We’ll also weigh long-term putting performance more heavily this week than usual as a result of the extended midseason interruption.

Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Picks – Tier 1

Feb 23, 2020; Mexico City, MEX; Jon Rahm reacts after missing a putt on the 15th green during the final 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 Wednesday, June 3 at 1 p.m. ET.

Jon Rahm (+1100)

Rahm, ranked fourth in the Golfweek world rankings, was in proper form as one of the best golfers in the world prior to the break. He has finishes of second, T-3, T-9 and 10th in five events in 2020.

He ranks 12th overall by my stat model over his last 50 rounds on Bentgrass greens. He’s seventh in the field in Ball Striking and fourth in Birdies or Better Gained. He missed the cut at Colonial last year, but he was T-5 in 2018 and T-2 in 2017. He offers adequate value when compared to Rory McIlroy (+700) as the tournament favorite.

Looking to place a bet on the Charles Schwab Challenge? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

Justin Rose (+5000)

Rose won this event in 2018 when it was known as the Fort Worth Invitational. His finish at 20-under par is the second-best winning score ever at Colonial.

The 22-time winner around the globe ranks second in the stat model. He was in poor form early this year, having missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Honda Classic and the Farmers Insurance Open. He’s well worth backing at an inflated price following the Tour’s hiatus.

Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Picks – Tier 2

Mar 5, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; Jason day hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. (Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)

Jason Day (+6600)

As noted above, these first few weeks of tournament play will be a good time to trust putters. No one has been better than Day over their last 100 rounds on Bentgrass greens. He hasn’t won since doing so twice in 2018, but the extended break has helped him to rest his lingering injuries.

Kevin Kisner (+9000)

Kisner ranks third in the field in SG: Putting on Bentgrass greens. The 2017 champion of Colonial followed it up with a T-52 in 2018 and a missed cut last year, but he was T-10 in 2016 and T-5 in 2015. He has gained an average of 1.53 strokes per round in Fort Worth over 20 career rounds, according to Data Golf.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Picks – Long shots

Mar 8, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; Danny Lee looks over his putt on the eighth green during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. (Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)

Danny Lee (+12500)

Lee has just one PGA Tour win, but he’s a strong long-shot bet without fan pressure. He has been a steady performer at Colonial CC, making the cut in each of his last five visits with a sixth-place finish in 2017 and a T-10 in 2015. He has gained an average of 1.31 strokes per round across 28 rounds at this venue.

Emiliano Grillo (+15000)

Grillo made the cut in each of his last four trips to Fort Worth, finishing third in 2018 and T-19 last year. His 1.57 strokes gained per round at Colonial rank sixth in the field among those with a minimum of 10 rounds played. The break and the fan-less competition could serve him well as he looks for his first PGA Tour win since the 2015 Frys.com Open.

Get some action on the Charles Schwab Challenge 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 on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

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

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

How to bet Rory McIlroy at The Players Championship: Outright odds & props

Looking at Rory McIlroy’s chances of success at the 2020 Players Championship, including PGA Tour betting options within the tournament.

Rory McIlroy looks to defend his title at the 2020 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass as the No. 1 golfer in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. McIlroy is the No. 1 betting favorite among the 144-man field at BetMGM this week. Below, we look at McIlroy’s outright and prop betting odds and look for the best value plays for the world’s top golfer at The Players Championship.

Rory McIlroy’s history at TPC Sawgrass

McIlroy ranks 11th in this week’s field in average strokes gained per round at TPC Sawgrass among those with at least 10 rounds played, according to Data Golf. He has gained 1.68 strokes per round across 32 career rounds on the Stadium Course. Last year, he led the field with 3.32 Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green per round while ranking third in SG: Off the Tee.

Last year’s victory followed a missed cut at the 2018 Players Championship. He previously finished T-8 in 2015, T-12 in 2016 and T-35 in 2017. His finishing score of 16-under par last year matched the second-lowest four-round score of the last decade.

ALSO SEE:

Rory McIlroy’s key stats for The Players Championship

Based on historical tournament data from Fantasy National, my key stats for the week are:

Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
Strokes Gained: Around the Green
Opportunities Gained
Greens in Regulation Gained
Proximity from 125-150 Yards

McIlroy leads my stat model, which measures the last 36 rounds for each golfer in the field on courses shorter than 7,200 yards. While he’s one of the longest hitters on Tour, much of his career success has come on these shorter tracks.

He’s second in the field in SG: Ball Striking, third in Opportunities Gained and fourth in SG: Around the Green. Each of the last 11 champions at TPC Sawgrass finished 10-under par or below, and nine of his 16 PGA Tour rounds in 2020 have been scored in the 60s.

Rory has been struggling with his putter of late, preventing him from reaching the winner’s circle, but he gained a total of just 0.7 strokes putting last year and needs to be little more than average with the flat stick at this venue. He putts best on the Bermuda greens featured here.

Outright odds for The Players Championship

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

As noted above, McIlroy is the No. 1 favorite to win the 2020 Players Championship at +700. He enters this week with seven consecutive top-five finishes with his first win of the 2019-20 PGA Tour season coming at the WGC-HSBC Champions in November. He has racked up three straight fifth-place results, nearly mirroring his form entering last year’s tournament:

EVENT	2019	2020
Farmers Insurance Open	T-5	T-3
Genesis Open/Invitational	T-4	T-5
WGC-Mexico Championship	2	5
Arnold Palmer Invitational	T-6	T-5
The Players	1	?

Rory is a very chalky golf bet as the No. 1 favorite in the field and the only player priced lower than +1200, but he has enjoyed a similar build-up as last year, and he already has his first win of the season under his belt. He’s worth a multi-unit wager in his quest to repeat.

Best Props on Rory McIlroy to win The Players Championship

Looking to place a bet on Rory McIlroy or this tournament? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Sign up and bet at BetMGM now!

Who’ll finish in the Top 10? (+100)

Even money for a top-10 result is an easy choice, as the odds for a top-5 finish are just +190. McIlroy hasn’t finished outside the top-10 in a PGA Tour event since his T-19 showing at last year’s BMW PGA Championship one week prior to his victory at the Tour Championship.

Lowest Score Over 72 Holes – Group A (+160)

PASS on this prop bet. If Rory is not going to win this week, it’s likely the winner will come from this group including Jon Rahm (+300), Justin Thomas (+400), Tommy Fleetwood (+700) and Bryson DeChambeau (+600). Take his more profitable outright odds, instead.

Top European Player (+225)

While Rory faces tough competition from Rahm (+350) and Fleetwood (+700) in this group, it does weed out the strong American contingent playing this week. It’s a good hedge against the outright bet.

Get some action on The Players 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.

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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1363]

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 Players Championship

Analyzing the best fantasy golf options for the 2020 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Can world No. 1 Rory McIlroy defend his title?

TPC Sawgrass welcomes the world’s best golfers for the 2020 Players Championship. The 144-man field is annually the strongest of the PGA Tour season, and Tiger Woods is one of just four golfers from the top 50 of the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings not in attendance this week. Here, we look at the top 30 fantasy golf options for The Players Championship.

TPC Sawgrass measures 7,189 yards and plays to a par of 72. Each of the last 11 winners finished 10-under par or better.

The Players Championship: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Mar 17, 2019; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Rory McIlroy lines up his putt on the 18th green during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass – Stadium Course. (Photo Credit: John David Mercer – USA TODAY Sports)

Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

30. Viktor Hovland

The Puerto Rico Open winner has struggled since what was expected to be an ice-breaking victory in the alternate event. He missed the cut at the difficult Honda Classic and tied for 42nd last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Also see: The Players Championship odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

29. Ian Poulter

Poulter ranks fifth in this field with 58 career rounds played at TPC Sawgrass, according to Data Golf. He has gained an average of 1.33 strokes per round in that time. He was a co-runner-up in 2017 but finished just T-56 last year.

28. Tyrrell Hatton

Hatton picked up his first career PGA Tour win last week while surviving difficult conditions at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, but he missed the cut at Sawgrass each of the last two years.

27. Shane Lowry

The reigning Open champion missed the cut here three of the past five years but will enter as a major champ for the first time. He’s among the best in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green.

26. Marc Leishman

The winner of the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open popped back up on the leaderboard last week and finished as the lone runner-up to Hatton. His putter is the only thing that can hold him back, and when it’s been on, he’s been a top finisher.

Mar 6, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. (Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Scottie Scheffler

The PGA Tour rookie debuts at TPC Sawgrass ranked No. 27 in the Golfweek rankings. He tied for 15th last week amid a horrible putting performance while his tee-to-green and approach games were nearly perfect.

24. Abraham Ancer

Ancer’s top finish of 2020 thus far was a runner-up result at The American Express, but he also tied for sixth in a strong field at the European Tour’s Saudi International. He ranks near the top of the field in Proximity from 125-150 Yards, a key distance for second shots at TPC Sawgrass.

23. Collin Morikawa

Morikawa had a disappointing weekend at Bay Hill, but he still finished inside the top 10 for the first time in a full-field event in 2020. He’s now up to 21 consecutively made cuts for the longest active streak on the PGA Tour.

22. Matt Kuchar

Kuch, the 2020 Players champ more recently tied for third in 2016. He hasn’t finished higher than T-17 in the three years since, but he has 50 career rounds played here to rank among the most experienced in the field.

21. Henrik Stenson

Stenson missed the cut last year and in 2016, but he has finishes of T-17 in 2015, T-16 in 2017 and T-23 in 2018. He ranks second in my stat model at Fantasy National in Greens in Regulation Gained over the last 36 rounds played by everyone in the field on courses shorter than 7,200 yards.

Looking to place a bet on this tournament? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

20. Justin Rose

Rose missed the cut at Bay Hill and PGA National in each of his last two events to slip to No. 28 in the Golfweek rankings. He struggled with the flat stick last week and would have at least made it to the weekend with an average putting performance.

19. Tony Finau

Finau missed the cut back-to-back in 2016 and 2017, but he has responded with a T-57 finish in 2018 and a T-22 result in 2019. He missed the cut last week at Bay Hill, but he hasn’t missed the cut in back-to-back weeks since missing three straight from last year’s Memorial Tournament through the Travelers Championship.

18. Gary Woodland

Woodland has strung together consecutive strong results. He tied for 12th at the WGC-Mexico Championship before a T-8 result at the Honda Classic. The US Open winner tied for 30th here last year.

17. Jason Day

Day would be higher in these rankings if not for the back injury which forced his withdrawal at Bay Hill last week. The Aussie won in 2016 and has a T-8 and T-5 finish the last two years. He remains among the best in any field in SG: Around the Green.

16. Sungjae Im

Yet another recent first-time winner in this year’s field, Im missed the cut in his TPC Sawgrass debut last year. His best putting performances have come on Bermuda greens over his career, and he has been extremely strong off the tee the last two weeks.

Mar 7, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; Rickie Fowler hits his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. (Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)

15. Rickie Fowler

Fowler bounced back from a missed cut at PGA National to finish T-18 last week. He won here in 2015, but he missed the cut two of the last four years.

14. Brooks Koepka

Betting Koepka right now means banking solely on pedigree, which is never a bad idea. His best finish in the last five years was a T-11 in 2018, and he finished just T-56 last year. He hasn’t finished inside the top 10 in any global event since the Tour Championship, but he is Brooks Koepka.

13. Xander Schauffele

Schauffele debuted with a T-2 in 2018 but missed the cut last year. He has made the cut in four of five events to open 2020, but he has a top finish of just T-14 in Mexico.

12. Paul Casey

Casey is one of the top statistical fits by my stat model, but the veteran Englishman has struggled at TPC Sawgrass over his career. He has gained just 0.39 strokes per round across 29 rounds, and he missed the cut last year.

11. Patrick Cantlay

Cantlay returns from an injury absence to play for the first time since a T-17 result at the Genesis Invitational. He missed the cut last year following T-22 and T-23 finishes in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

10. Patrick Reed

Reed has had a pedestrian run at TPC Sawgrass. While he has made the cut four of the last five years, his top finish was a T-22 in 2017. He’s the most recent winner of a WGC event in a comparable strength of field.

9. Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau has strung together three straight top-five finishes in 2020. He’s played here each of the last two years with a T-37 in 2018 and a T-20 last year.

8. Webb Simpson

The 2018 champ has 15 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour since, including his 2020 win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

7. Adam Scott

Scott won here in 2004. He already claimed victory at the Genesis Invitational to start his 2020 campaign, after closing out his 2019 season with a win in the Australian PGA Championship.

6. Hideki Matsuyama

Matsuyama does well in the stadium setting of TPC Sawgrass and TPC Scottsdale. He has a T-7 and T-8 finish in the last four years.

Mar 5, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; Tommy Fleetwood hits his drive on the 15th hole during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. (Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)

5. Tommy Fleetwood

Fleetwood has gained more strokes per round at TPC Sawgrass than anyone else in the field with at least 10 rounds played at 2.34 strokes per round. He tied for fifth last year after a T-7 in 2018 and needs his breakthrough win.

4. Jon Rahm

Rahm tied for 12th last year for his best result in three trips to TPC Sawgrass. He took the last two weeks off for rest following a T-3 in Mexico and T-17 at the Genesis Invitational.

3. Dustin Johnson

Johnson picked up his best result in The Players Championship last year with a T-5. He has been largely unimpressive early in 2020, but he remains an elite scorer on these shorter courses.

2. Justin Thomas

Since finishing T-3 in 2016, Thomas has finished T-75, T-11 and T-35 the last three years. His putter has been shaky early in the year, though he’s a contender anytime it doesn’t cost him strokes.

1. Rory McIlroy

The defending champ has seven straight top-five results in global events and five straight fifth-place finishes on the PGA Tour. His putter cost him again last week; however, he gained 0.7 strokes on these greens last year and he only needs to be average with the flat stick.

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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

The Players Championship odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

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

The top names in golf are in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., this week for the 2020 Players Championship. Below, we break down the 2020 Players Championship outright odds to win, with betting picks, tips and best bets.

Tiger Woods is one of just four players from the top 50 of the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings not part of the 144-man field. He’ll finalize his preparations for his Masters defense next month, while world No. 1 Rory McIlroy attempts to hold off the strongest field in golf for the second straight year at TPC Sawgrass.

The key stats for the 7,189-yard, par-72 TPC Sawgrass:

Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
Strokes Gained: Around the Green
Opportunities Gained
Greens in Regulation Gained
Proximity from 120-150 Yards

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.

The Players Championship Betting Picks – Tier 1

(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 7 p.m. ET.

Dustin Johnson (+2500)

One of many former world No. 1’s in the field, Johnson enters the week ranked ninth by the Golfweek rankings, but he shares the sixth-best odds at BetMGM. He tied for fifth last year, following a T-17 in 2018 and a T-12 in 2017.

Johnson leads the field in Opportunities Gained while ranking fourth in SG: Ball Striking and eighth in Greens in Regulation Gained. He won at least twice internationally in each of the last four years and won’t often carry these lofty odds.

Looking to place a bet on this tournament? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

Adam Scott (+3300)

Scott hasn’t finished worse than T-12 in any of the last four years at TPC Sawgrass. His 1.95 strokes gained per round across 66 career rounds on the Stadium Course ranks third in the field, according to Data Golf. He has two worldwide wins since late December after not winning since 2016.

The Players Championship Betting Picks – Tier 2

(Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)

Jason Day (+6000)

Day withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week due to a back injury, but he remains in the field for an event he has won and dominated in recent years. The 2016 Players champ tied for fifth in 2018 and tied for eighth last year.

He’s one of the best in the field/world around the greens and his odds are inflated solely by last week’s injury. If he’s healthy, he’s an incredible bargain.

Scottie Scheffler (+9000)

Scheffler has climbed all the way to No. 27 early in his rookie season on the PGA Tour. He finished T-15 in a strong field at the API last week and has shown he can be a regular contender. He ranks 18th in the field in Opportunities Gained and has the ability to score low on these shorter courses.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

The Players Championship Betting Picks – Longshots

Corey Conners (+15000)

Conners tied for 41st last year ahead of his breakout win at the Valero Texas Open. He missed the cut in three of his last four events and each of his past two, but he’s an expert ball striker and low scorer. He gained 7.8 strokes tee-to-green and 4.4 strokes on approach here last year and just needs a decent putting week.

Jim Furyk (+15000)

Furyk will be eligible for the PGA Tour Champions circuit in May, but will give it another go at TPC Sawgrass following his runner-up finish last year. It was his second second-place result since 2014, losing both times by just a single stroke. He entered in better form last year, but he’s well-versed on a course designed by Pete Dye to level the playing field.

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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1363]

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the Arnold Palmer Invitational

Analyzing the best fantasy golf options for the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Fla., hosts a field of 121 golfers for this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. Rory McIlroy, the 2018 champion, highlights those in attendance as the No. 1 golfer in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. Below, we look at the top fantasy golf options for the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Also see: Arnold Palmer Invitational odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Bay Hill measures 7,454 yards and plays to a par of 72. Each of the last eight winners finished 11-under par or better.

Arnold Palmer Invitational: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Mar 1, 2020; Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA; Tommy Fleetwood lines up his drive on the ninth hole during the final round of the 2020 Honda Classic golf tournament at PGA National (Champion). (Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)

Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

30. Vijay Singh

Vijay ranks second to Davis Love III in this week’s field with 94 career rounds played at Bay Hill and he has gained an average of 1.79 strokes per round to lead all golfers with a minimum of 70 rounds played, according to Data Golf. He missed the cut each of the last four years, but he was a three-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions circuit in 2018.

29. Brendan Steele

Steele is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Honda Classic at PGA National. He had a dominant tee-to-green game at the more difficult course. He tied for 17th here last year.

28. Sebastian Munoz

Munoz leads this field in opportunities gained over everyone’s last 36 rounds. He’s also fifth in the field in scoring on long par 3s ranging from 200-225 yards which are featured at Bay Hill.

27. Joaquin Niemann

Niemann is coming off missed cuts at the Genesis Invitational and the Honda Classic. He’s now six months removed from his first career win at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in September. He’s still giving himself scoring opportunities but has suffered from some awful putting performances.

26. Abraham Ancer

Ancer missed the cut here in his debut last year. He enters the week ranked 37th in the Golfweek rankings, and he had a strong 12th-place finish at the WGC-Mexico Championship two weeks ago. He can compete in these elevated status fields.

25. Billy Horschel

Horschel has made the cut here each of the last seven years, albeit with a top finish of T-13 in 2017. He’s a good putter on Bermuda greens and tee-to-green play has been a strength in his last three events.

Feb 23, 2020; Mexico City, MEX; Rafa Cabrera Bello plays his shot from the 16th tee during the final round of the WGC – Mexico Championship golf tournament at Club de Golf Chapultepec. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)

24. Rafa Cabrera Bello

Bello tied for third last year in his Bay Hill debut. He tied for 17th in a strong field at the Genesis Invitational and tied for 16th in Mexico.

23. Bubba Watson

Watson has made the cut here each of the last three years but without a considerable amount of success. His best finish in that time was a T-17 showing last year. He opened 2020 with two top 10s but has slipped in his last two outings.

22. Tyrrell Hatton

Hatton tied for fourth in 2017 but has had more middling finishes the last two years. He tied for sixth in Mexico and will play his first event in the USA of 2020.

21. Francesco Molinari

The defending champ is one of my favorite betting picks this week at inflated odds of +9000. He has been horribly out of form with three straight missed cuts leading into a T-53 result in Mexico, but the former Open champion can turn it around at any time and he has the course history.

Looking to place a bet on this tournament? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

20. Matthew Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick was the lone runner-up here a year ago following a missed cut in 2018. He’s one of the top putters on Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting on Bermuda grass, and he has been dominant from tee-to-green since this time last year.

19. Viktor Hovland

The Puerto Rico Open champ missed the cut last week, but he’s statistically a much better fit to Bay Hill than PGA National. He shares the field lead in Opportunities Gained and ranks sixth in the class in SG: Tee-to-Green.

Mar 1, 2020; Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA; Lee Westwood hits his drive on the first hole during the final round of the 2020 Honda Classic golf tournament at PGA National (Champion). (Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)

18. Lee Westwood

Westwood gave it a go at PGA National last week and gained 7.0 strokes putting. He has gained an average of 0.87 total strokes per round at Bay Hill for his career, but he hasn’t played here any of the last five years.

17. Justin Rose

Rose finished as the runner-up to Tiger Woods in 2013 for his best career finish at Bay Hill. He tied for ninth in 2016 and finished alone in third in 2018 before a T-63 result last year. He can score, and he’s good from the sand.

16. Marc Leishman

The 2017 champ of Bay Hill picked up his first win of 2020 at the Farmers Insurance Open. He struggled at the Genesis Invitational and the WGC event, but he’s a much better putter on Bermuda grass and could return to form.

15. Tony Finau

Finau skipped this event each of the last two years, but he’s a good fit with a strong tee-to-green game. He has been off since a 51st-place result at the Genesis, but he has two top 10s already this season at the Farmers and Waste Management Phoenix Open.

14. Henrik Stenson

Stenson is one of four golfers in this field averaging at least 2.15 strokes gained per round at Bay Hill for their career. He has plenty of experience here, with 42 career rounds under his belt near his North American home. He has three top-five results in the last five years.

13. Rickie Fowler

Fowler was one of the many notable names to miss the cut last week at PGA National. It was his second MC in his last three events, now matching his number of top-10 showings in 2020.

February 13, 2020; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Jason Day hits from the fourth hole tee box during the first round of the The Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. (Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports)

12. Jason Day

Day continues to play sporadically. He’s coming off a missed cut at the Genesis on the heels of a fourth-place result at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The 2016 champion was forced to withdraw last year.

11. Collin Morikawa

Morikawa remains the safest bet on Tour to make the cut, always propping up his fantasy value. He’s fifth in this field in SG: Tee-to-Green, and he enters the week seventh in the Golfweek world rankings.

10. Sungjae Im

Last week’s winner captured his first PGA Tour title while gaining just a single stroke on the greens. He led the field with 3.07 strokes gained per round tee-to-green and can rely on that strength once again at Bay Hill.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

9. Byeong Hun An

An tied for fourth last week to continue what has been a strong season to date. He remains in search of his first PGA Tour win, but he has made the cut in four straight events, all in strong fields. Like Im, his tee-to-green game has been doing the heavy lifting, and he’s one of the best on Tour around the greens, except for putting.

8. Patrick Reed

The WGC-Mexico champ tied for seventh at Bay Hill in 2018 before a T-50 result last year. Putting was his main reason for success in Mexico, and he’s much worse on Bermuda grass than Poa Annua.

7. Brooks Koepka

Having slipped to No. 17 in the Golfweek rankings, it’s tough to remember Koepka being in as poor of form as he’s been in since finishing fourth at the Tour Championship. He has two missed cuts and a withdrawal in his last six events, and he has poor course history here. Still, he can turn it on whenever he wants.

6. Adam Scott

The Genesis Invitational champ followed it up with a 26th-place result in Mexico before taking last week off. His best showing here in the last five years was a T-12 in 2016, but he’ll look to follow the prior success of fellow Aussies Leishman and Day.

Feb 23, 2020; Mexico City, MEX; Bryson DeChambeau walks to the 17th green during the final round of the WGC – Mexico Championship golf tournament at Club de Golf Chapultepec. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)

5. Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau was the runner-up in Mexico following a T-5 showing at the Genesis. Tee-to-Green has been the best part of his game, but he’s also a great sand player and can escape the trouble of Bay Hill.

4. Hideki Matsuyama

Matsuyama ranks second in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green over everyone’s last 36 rounds, and he’s fourth in Opportunities Gained. His best result here was a T-6 in 2016.

3. Xander Schauffele

Schauffele has surprisingly not played here as a professional. He’s a natural course fit, however, with a strong tee-to-green game and he was excellent on approach while finishing T-14 in Mexico.

2. Tommy Fleetwood

Fleetwood again came close to his first career PGA Tour win last week, as he finished solo third at PGA National. He tied for third at Bay Hill last year, and he gained 9.0 strokes tee-to-green last week.

1. Rory McIlroy

McIlroy’s 2.78 strokes gained per round are more than anyone else in the field with a minimum of five rounds played at Bay Hill. He hasn’t finished worse than last year’s T-6 in the last three years at this event and he has finished in the top five at each of his last six worldwide events.

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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Arnold Palmer Invitational odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.

Five of the top 10 golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings are in the field this week at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Fla., for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Eight-time champion and 11th-ranked golfer Tiger Woods won’t be on hand, as he ensures his body is in peak shape for next month’s Masters. Below, we look at the golf betting odds and make our picks to win the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The key stats for the 7,454-yard, par-72 Bay Hill Club and Lodge are:

Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
Opportunities Gained
Sand Saves Gained
Par 3 Efficiency: 200-225 Yards
Proximity from 200-plus Yards

My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 36 rounds for each golfer in the field.

Arnold Palmer Invitational Betting Picks – Tier 1

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 4:15 a.m. ET.

Rory McIlroy (+500)

No one in the field with a minimum of 10 rounds played at Bay Hill has gained more strokes per round than McIlroy’s 2.78, according to Data Golf. The 2018 champ followed it up with a T-6 finish last year, and he tied for fourth in 2017.

He has finished in the top five in each of his last six worldwide events, including a win at the WGC-HSBC Champions. He’ll defend his 2019 Players Championship crown next week.

Looking to place a bet on this tournament? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

Brooks Koepka (+2800)

The books seem to be toying with us by continuing to offer these lofty odds on the former world No. 1. He missed the cut at last week’s Honda Classic following a T-43 at the Genesis Invitational, and has had poor results here with a missed cut in 2017 and 2019. Auto-betting him at these odds is just a good overall strategy because as soon as he wins again, he’s back down to less than 10/1.

Arnold Palmer Invitational Betting Picks – Tier 2

(Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)

Joaquin Niemann (+8000)

Niemann ranks second to only McIlroy in my stat model. He’s fifth in the field in opportunities gained and 11th in Proximity from the key distance. He tied for 46th last year, but has since picked up his first PGA Tour win.

Francesco Molinari (+9000)

A $10 bet on the defending champ would return a profit of $900 if he were to go back-to-back. The last golfer to win at Bay Hill in consecutive years was Matt Every in 2014 and 2015, and needless to say, Molinari is the far more accomplished golfer. He ranks second to McIlroy with 2.21 strokes gained per round at this venue in 28 career rounds played.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

Arnold Palmer Invitational Betting Picks – Longshots

Charles Howell III (+10000)

Howell has played 72 career rounds at Bay Hill to rank fourth in the field. He’s coming off a T-53 finish at the WGC-Mexico Championship following a T-59 at the Genesis Invitational, but his experience is worth a shot at these long odds.

Sebastian Munoz (+10000)

Like Niemann, Munoz has a win already in the 2019-20 PGA Tour season. He comes into the week ranked third in my stat model and 76th in the Golfweek rankings. He leads the field in Opportunities Gained and ranks fifth in scoring on the long par 3s.

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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1363]

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the WGC-Mexico Championship

Analyzing the best fantasy golf options for the 2020 WGC-Mexico Championship at Club de Golf Chapultepec.

Club de Golf Chapultepec hosts the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship for the fourth straight year and eight of the top-10 golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings are in attendance. All 72 members of the field will play all four rounds, barring withdrawal, at the no-cut event. Here, we break down the best fantasy golf picks for the WGC-Mexico Championship.

WGC-Mexico Championship: Fantasy Golf Top 30

February 13, 2020; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Dustin Johnson hits from the fourth hole tee box during the first round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. (Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports)

Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 WGC-Mexico Championship at Club de Golf Chapultepec.

30. Jordan Spieth

Spieth was T-12 in 2017 and T-14 in 2018 before slipping to T-54 last year. He was coming off a great all-around performance at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am before a dismal tee-to-green display at the Genesis Invitational resulted in a T-59th-place finish.

29. Cameron Smith

Six weeks removed from his win at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Smith returns to Mexico following a T-6 last year. He has missed the cut in each of his last two events, but he at least gained 1.9 strokes on approach last week.

28. Danny Willett

Ignore Willett’s T-3 at “this event” in 2016, as it came at Doral Golf Resort in Florida when the tournament was known as the WGC-Cadillac Championship. He also missed the cut last week, but he won the BMW PGA Championship in September to remind people he can still compete in strong fields.

27. Rafa Cabrera Bello

RCB tied for third in 2018 and 19th last year. He had a strong T-17 showing last week after missing the cut at Pebble Beach in his 2020 North American debut.

26. Sungjae Im

Im’s missed cut last week snapped a worldwide streak of 15 straight events in which he played all four rounds dating back to the Open Championship. He’s assured four rounds this week.

Jan 19, 2020; La Quinta, California, USA; Abraham Ancer gestures after finishing his final round of The American Express golf tournament at Stadium course at PGA West. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Abraham Ancer

The top golfer in the field from Mexico, Ancer has disappointing results of a T-52 and T-39 in the last two years at this event. He’s coming off of back-to-back strong putting performances, and he has a great approach game.

24. Byeong Hun An

An has been off since a ninth-place finish at the Waste Manage Phoenix Open. Putting, like usual, was his problem, as he ranked among the best in the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and SG: Around-the-Green. He’s a great scrambler and is well-equipped for the tight fairways of Chapultepec.

23. Bubba Watson

Watson picked up second- and third-place finishes in the last two years this event was held at Doral. His best showing in three years in Mexico was a T-9 in 2018. He’s coming off a rare missed cut at the Genesis, but it was almost entirely the result of a horrid and uncharacteristic putting performance.

22. Chez Reavie

Reavie is one of the best in the field on SG: Approach, and he’s good from this week’s key proximity distance of 150-175 yards. He has put together back-to-back strong performances to snap a skid of three straight missed cuts.

21. Corey Conners

Conners will make his debut in Mexico following his win at last year’s Valero Texas Open. He’s second in the field in Opportunities Gained and is an expert ball-striker.

20. Kevin Kisner

Kisner’s lone career WGC win was at the 2019 Match Play. He has finished outside the top 25 each of the last two years here following an 11th-place finish in Mexico in 2017.

19. Brandt Snedeker

Snedeker has skipped this event each of the last two years following a T-7 finish in 2017. He missed the cut at Pebble Beach and Phoenix following a third-place result at the Farmers Insurance Open. His approach game and play around the greens has remained strong.

Jul 19, 2019; Portrush, IRL; Tyrrell Hatton reacts to his tee shot on the 11th hole during the second round of The Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Portrush Golf Club – Dunluce Course. (Photo Credit: Ian Rutherford – USA TODAY Sports)

18. Tyrrell Hatton

Hatton will play an event in North America for the first time since The Northern Trust in mid-August. He has since won the Turkish Airlines Open for his fourth career victory and he’ll return to competitive play for the first time since late November.

17. Collin Morikawa

Morikawa has made the cut in all 18 of his PGA Tour events as a professional. He’ll participate in his first WGC event this week, after his first career win came at the alternate Barracuda Championship running the same week as the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

16. Sergio Garcia

Sergio tied for sixth last year following a T-7 in 2018 and a T-12 in 2017. The 2017 Masters champion has never won a WGC event, but he has been a frequent top-10 finisher in no-cut tournaments.

15. Marc Leishman

The Farmers Insurance Open champ returned to competitive play last week and again dominated on approach, gaining 5.3 strokes. He has lost strokes putting in two of his last three events but needs just to be average for a top finish.

14. Matt Kuchar

A co-leader entering Sunday’s final round of the Genesis, Kuch finished as a co-runner-up and enters this week 24th in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. He hasn’t had much success in Mexico, however, finishing 50th last year and T-58 in 2018 after a T-20 debut in 2017.

Aug 22, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louis Oosthuizen hits his tee shot on the 2nd hole during the first round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Adam Hagy – USA TODAY Sports)

13. Louis Oosthuizen

Oosthuizen has been playing very well on the European and Australasian Tours and will play in North America for the first time since the 2019 Tour Championship. He finished T-25 last year for his best result in three appearances in Mexico.

12. Patrick Reed

Reed’s best result at Chapultepec also came last year with a T-14 result. He’s an average putter on the Poa Annua surface, but his approach game has been excellent of late.

11. Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau’s debut at this event last year ended with a T-56 result. He tied for fifth last week while gaining 10.6 strokes from tee-to-green and 3.5 strokes on approach.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

10. Paul Casey

Casey tied for third here in 2019 for his best result in this event. He’s generally a poor putter on Poa Annua, but it hasn’t held him back here, and he gained 5.6 strokes on approach last week.

9. Tommy Fleetwood

Fleetwood was the runner-up at this event in 2017, but he slipped to T-14 and T-19 in each of the last two years, respectively. He’ll participate in his first PGA Tour event since a T-53 result at the WGC-HSBC Champions. He has since won the Nedbank Golf Challenge and finished second at both the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

February 13, 2020; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Xander Schauffele hits from the tenth hole tee box during the first round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. (Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports)

8. Xander Schauffele

Schauffele improved on a T-18 result in 2018 to finish T-14 in 2019. His best putting surface has historically been Poa Annua, and he has gained strokes off the tee in seven straight measured events.

7. Hideki Matsuyama

Matsuyama enters the week ninth in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. He has two career wins in WGC events and finished T-19 here last year in his second appearance in Mexico.

6. Webb Simpson

Simpson benefits from the elevation of Chapultepec making it play much shorter than its 7,345-yard measurement. He has finished outside the top 35 each of the last two years, but he hasn’t finished worse than T-30 in 17 stroke-play events since missing the cut at last year’s Valspar Championship.

5. Justin Thomas

Thomas has strangely missed the cut in two of his last three events, but he still has more wins (3) than missed cuts since the US Open. He has finished inside the top 10 in all three years this event has been held in Mexico.

Feb 16, 2020; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Adam Scott poses with the winner’s trophy following his victory of the The Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. (Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports)

4. Adam Scott

Scott’s lone Mexico appearance was a T-45 in 2017. He’ll return this week off his win at the Genesis Invitational. His last WGC win – the 2016 Cadillac Championship – came the week after he claimed victory at the Honda Classic.

3. Jon Rahm

Rahm tied for third in 2017, but he slipped to T-20 in 2018 and T-45 last year. He’s a great putter on Poa Annua, but he has struggled around the greens in each of his last two events.

2. Rory McIlroy

McIlroy was the runner-up last year, and he tied for seventh in 2017 but skipped the 2018 event. He’s a top scrambler and is able to escape the trouble of the tight fairways.

1. Dustin Johnson

Johnson has won this event two of the last three years since it moved to Mexico. He has six career WGC titles, including the 2017 Match Play.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Puerto Rico Open odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Puerto Rico Open, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.

With many of the world’s top golfers in Mexico for this week’s WGC-Mexico Championship, an alternate field of up-and-comers led by Viktor Hovland are participating in the 2020 Puerto Rico Open at Coco Beach Golf and Country Club. Below, we’ll analyze the golf betting odds, while making our picks to win the 2020 Puerto Rico Open.

This week’s winner will not receive an invitation to the 2020 Masters Tournament.

The key stats for the 7,506-yard, par-72 Coco Beach Golf and Country Club are:

Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee
Strokes Gained: Approach
Birdies or Better Gained
Good Drives Gained

Puerto Rico Open – Tier 1

Aug 4, 2019; Greensboro, NC, USA; Viktor Hovland studies a putt on the first green during the final round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club. (Photo Credit: Rob Kinnan – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 1:15 p.m. ET.

Viktor Hovland (+1100)

At No. 25 in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings, Hovland is the top golfer in attendance. While the win won’t get him to Augusta National, it could propel him to better play, as was the case with Collin Morikawa‘s victory at the 2019 Barracuda Championship. That ran as the alternate event to the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

Hovland is No. 1 in my stat model this week at Fantasy National. He missed the cut in three of his last five events against stiffer competition on the PGA and European Tours, but he tied for 38th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and is definitely the class of this field. He’ll look to follow suit of Tony Finau and his breakout win in 2016.

Looking to place a bet on this tournament? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

Patrick Rodgers (+2200)

Rodgers tied for ninth at the star-studded Farmers Insurance Open for his best result since 2018. He followed it up with a T-16 at the Waste Management Open before missing the cut at Pebble Beach, but he rebounded for a quality T-30 showing at last week’s Genesis Invitational. He’s playing his best golf right now, and could finally break through against weaker competition.

Puerto Rico Open – Tier 2

Jul 18, 2019; Portrush, IRL; Kiradech Aphibarnrat after hitting his tee shot on the 5th hole during the first round of The Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Portrush Golf Club – Dunluce Course. Mandatory Credit: Ian Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (+5000)

Aphibarnrat will make his debut at this event following a stretch of three straight missed cuts against stronger fields. He has been struggling around the greens, but he has the length to be able to handle Coco Beach.

Roger Sloan (+8000)

Sloan tied for second in 2019 in his first appearance since a missed cut in 2015. The Canadian has missed the cut in six straight events dating back to November’s Bermuda Championship, but his co-runner-up finish last year came on the heels of two missed cuts at Pebble Beach and the Farmers. He’s typically great around the greens and strong off the tee.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

Puerto Rico Open – Longshots

Jan 18, 2020; La Quinta, California, USA; Robbie Shelton plays his shot from the eighth tee during the third round of The American Express golf tournament on the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)

Robby Shelton (+10000)

Shelton skipped last year’s tournament following a missed cut in 2017 – the 2018 tournament was held as a team fundraiser event. He has struggled of late against strong fields, but he has two top 10s in the 2019-20 season: at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier and the Mayakoba Golf Classic. Those are much are more comparable to his competition this week.

Martin Trainer (+12500)

Trainer snapped a skid of five straight missed cuts with a T-47th-place finish at the Genesis Invitational last week. These odds represent far too great of value for the defending champion, despite his current form. He missed the cut of five of seven PGA Tour events in the build-up to his win last year.

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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1363]

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the Genesis Invitational

Analyzing the best fantasy golf options for the 2020 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.

Riviera Country Club hosts the PGA Tour’s best event of the season thus far in this week’s Genesis Invitational. Eight of the top-10 golfers from the Official World Golf Ranking are part of the 120-man field. Below, we rank the best fantasy golf options for the 2020 Genesis Invitational.

Genesis Invitational: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.

30. Marc Leishman

The Farmers Insurance Open champion has had mixed results over his last five appearances at Riviera CC, with three missed cuts and two top-5 results. He has been erratic with the driver of late and won’t have much room for error here.

29. Jordan Spieth

Typically reliant on his putter, Spieth gained 7.8 strokes from tee-to-green at last week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am en route to a ninth-place finish. He’ll need to stay in control of his driver.

28. Jason Kokrak

Still looking for his first PGA Tour victory, Kokrak was a co-runner-up here in 2016, and he hasn’t missed the cut in any of his last five appearances. He’s coming off a week of rest, as he returns to one of his favorite courses.

27. Joaquin Niemann

Niemann opened the 2019-20 season with a victory at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier. His only top-10 result since was a T-5 at the 30-man Sentry Tournament of Champions, but the expert ball striker is a strong fit for his second attempt at Riviera.

(Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports)

26. Matthew Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick will play on the PGA Tour for the second week in a row after a T-60 finish at Pebble Beach. The five-time winner on the European Tour makes his debut at this event.

25. Kevin Na

Na was a co-runner-up in 2018 following a T-4 in 2017. He tied for 14th last week for his best finish since winning the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He’s one of the best in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green.

24. J.B. Holmes

The defending champ has ramped up his play coming into the week with three straight top-20 finishes. He has been excellent off the tee and with the driver, and he has been starting strong before fading over the weekend.

Also see: Genesis Invitational odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

23. Sungjae Im

Im missed the cut in his debut at this event last year, but he won the Korean Tour’s Genesis Championship in mid-October for his third pro victory.

22. Abraham Ancer

The little-known 29th-ranked golfer in the OWGR is coming off a T-6 finish at the Saudi International following his runner-up result at The American Express. He finished T-44 here last year and T-68 in 2018.

21. Matt Kuchar

Kuchar isn’t a great course fit as a shorter hitter, but he’s strong around the greens and on par 4s. His best result at this event in the last five years was a T-8 in 2016.

20. Phil Mickelson

Lefty made a great run at defending his title at Pebble Beach, before ultimately falling behind eventual winner Nick Taylor. He won this event back-to-back in 2008 and 2009, and more recently finished T-6 in 2018.

19. Patrick Reed

Reed makes his first appearance here since a T-59 result in 2017. He’s one of the best on Tour around the greens, but he’ll need to improve off the tee this week.

18. Collin Morikawa

The star sophomore will compete in one of the strongest fields of his pro career. He enters the week ranked 53rd by the OWGR. He just needs to be average around the greens and with his putter in order to compete.

17. Paul Casey

Casey was a co-runner-up in 2015, but while he made the cut each of the last four years, he hasn’t finished better than last year’s T-25. He can score low at these longer venues and there are eagle opportunities on this course.

16. Jason Day

Day finished T-64 in his only trip to Riviera in the last five years (2017). He finished fourth last week and seemed to recapture his expert play around the greens.

(Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale – USA TODAY Sports)

15. Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau tied for 15th last year for his best result in three appearances. He finished just 52nd at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, but he excelled off the tee, and it will shine through much more at Riviera.

14. Sergio Garcia

Sergio tied for sixth at the Saudi International and will participate in a PGA Tour event for the first time since the WGC-HSBC Champions. He ranks eighth in the field in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking over everyone’s last 50 rounds on courses measuring 7,200 to 7,400 yards, per my stat model at Fantasy National.

13. Tony Finau

Finau has the ability to overpower the long par 4s (450-500 yards), which are a common theme at Riviera. He’ll need to overcome another Sunday collapse at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

12. Hideki Matsuyama

Matsuyama tied for ninth last year after skipping the 2018 event following a missed cut in 2017. He was previously T-4 in 2015 and T-11 in 2016 and clearly a fan of the course.

11. Xander Schauffele

Schauffele debuted with a T-9 result in 2018 and followed it up with a T-15 last year. He missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open but bounced back with a T-16 at the Waste Management Open before taking last week off.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

10. Justin Rose

Rose enters the week 10th in the OWGR after a missed cut at the Farmers. He skipped this event the last two years following a T-4 in 2017 and T-16 in 2016.

9. Tiger Woods

Tiger will take his second try at his record-breaking 83rd career PGA Tour victory. He hasn’t done particularly well at this event since back-to-back runner-up finishes in 1998 (at Valencia Country Club) and 1999, but he can score low and is in top form with his irons.

8. Bubba Watson

Watson has three wins here since 2014. He’s coming off a T-3 in Phoenix following his T-6 at the Farmers to open his 2020 season. He has the driving distance, and he has been putting very well through those two events.

7. Adam Scott

Scott has gained more strokes per round at Riviera than all but two others in this field among those with at least 10 rounds played, according to Data Golf. He’ll tee it up for the first time since his win at the Australian PGA Championship.

6. Patrick Cantlay

Cantlay tied for fourth in his debut at Riviera in 2018 and followed it up with a T-15 last year. He’s one of the top ball strikers in the field and he excels on the long par 4s.

(Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports)

5. Brooks Koepka

Koepka will participate in his first event ranked something other than first in the OWGR since the 2019 PGA Championship, after he gave way to Rory McIlroy Monday morning. He missed the cut in his lone appearance here over the last five years (2015), but he certainly has the motivation this time around.

4. Dustin Johnson

Johnson won this event by five strokes at 17-under par in 2017. He has two other top 5s, another top 10 and a T-16 in his other four visits to Riviera in the last five years. No one in the field has averaged more strokes gained per round at this venue.

3. Rory McIlroy

McIlroy, the new world No. 1, ranks second to Johnson in strokes gained at Riviera over his 12 rounds played. He tied for fourth last year after finishing T-20 in 2018 and 2016.

2. Jon Rahm

Rahm hasn’t missed the cut in a PGA Tour event since last year’s Charles Schwab Challenge, and he hasn’t finished worse than T-13 in that time, either. He has been as steady as they come, and he shines in these fields.

1. Justin Thomas

Thomas gave this tournament away to Holmes last year with a Sunday round of 75 in poor weather. He has finished in the top 10 each of the last two years and has already won twice in the 2019-20 season.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]