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
(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
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.
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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.
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Arnold Palmer Invitational Betting Picks – Longshots
(Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
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.
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Analyzing the best fantasy golf options for the 2020 Honda Classic at PGA National.
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PGA National hosts The Honda Classic for a 14th straight year to begin the PGA Tour’s annual Florida swing. The 7,125-yard, par-70 venue has long been one of the most difficult courses on the Tour’s circuit. Below, we make our fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Honda Classic at PGA National.
Honda Classic: Fantasy Golf Top 30
Aug 25, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tommy Fleetwood chips on the third hole during the final round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports)
Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Honda Classic at PGA National.
30. Tom Hoge
Hoge has a great approach game, and he’s good from the sand, which all golfers need to be at PGA National. He has missed two straight cuts at this event, but he finished fifth at the Farmers Insurance Open a month ago.
29. Matthew NeSmith
NeSmith has been steadily improving over his last three events leading to a T-6 finish in Puerto Rico last week. He has been solid in all areas and has been putting extremely well.
Palmer tied for fourth last year after missing the cut in 2018. He plays well in the wind, and his best putting surface is the Bermuda grass featured at PGA National.
27. Vaughn Taylor
Taylor comes into 2020 with back-to-back T-59 finishes at PGA National. He scores low on these shorter courses and is another expert putter on Bermuda grass.
Aug 15, 2019; Medinah, IL, USA; Ian Poulter hits his tee shot on the first hole during the first round of the BMW Championship golf tournament at Medinah Country Club – No. 3. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)
26. Ian Poulter
Poulter will play his first event in North America since the fall’s BMW Championship, where he was eliminated from the FedExCup Playoffs. He tied for third here in 2015 but missed the cut in 2018 and skipped last year’s event.
25. Keith Mitchell
The 2019 champion of the Honda Classic won the event after missing the cut in 2018. He hasn’t played since a T-32 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and he doesn’t have a top-10 finish since last season’s Wells Fargo Championship.
24. Matthew Wolff
Wolff is coming off back-to-back missed cuts for the first time in his young career. His putter was one of his biggest weaknesses in those events, but he’s been much better on Bermuda grass as a pro.
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23. Jim Furyk
Furyk remains one of the best ball strikers and approach artists in the game when playing these shorter courses where he’s not penalized for his lack of distance. He tied for ninth last year.
22. Lucas Glover
Glover has had a good three-year stretch at this event with a T-21 in 2017, T-17 in 2018 and a T-4 last year.
January 11, 2020; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; Rory Sabbatini acknowledges the crowd after making his putt on the 13th hole during the third round of the Sony Open in Hawaii golf tournament at Waialae Country Club. (Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
21. Rory Sabbatini
The 2011 champion has made the cut in three of his last five appearances at PGA National with two top-20 results in that time. He’s good on par 4s and he has been playing great around the greens.
20. Kyle Stanley
Stanley is one of the best in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and Par 4 Efficiency on holes ranging from 400-450 yards.
19. Brian Harman
Harman is a great ball striker who can go low with his scores at shorter venues. He has made the cut in six-straight events dating back to last year’s Houston Open.
18. Luke List
Typically long off the tee but struggles closer to the greens, List doesn’t seem like a great course fit, but he has had success at PGA National with a runner-up finish in 2018 and a T-10 in 2016. He missed the cut last year, but he has played well while making three straight cuts coming into this week.
17. Corey Conners
The expert ball striker also ranks among the field’s best in SG: Approach. He sat out last year’s tournament following a T-59 finish in 2018.
16. Emiliano Grillo
Grillo is coming off a T-3 finish at the Puerto Rico Open to snap a spell of three straight missed cuts. He leads the field in SG: Ball Striking and SG: Approach on courses shorter than 7,200 yards, according to my model at Fantasy National.
15. Byeong Hun An
An tied for fifth here in 2018 before a T-36 result last year. Putting was again his lone weakness in a 29th-place finish at the WGC-Mexico Championship last week.
14. Sungjae Im
Im finished just T-51 last year, but he enters the week in top form on par 4s and in scoring on short courses. Bermuda grass is his best putting surface.
Jul 13, 2019; Silvis, IL, USA; Daniel Berger hits his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament at TPC Deere Run. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)
13. Daniel Berger
Berger is among the best in the field in both Sand Saves Gained and Strokes Gained: Scrambling. He also plays well in the wind, and the former PGA Tour Rookie of the Year is coming off back-to-back top-10 finishes.
12. Joaquin Niemann
Niemann scores low on short courses on the back of his ball-striking strength.
11. Erik Van Rooyen
Van Rooyen picked up a T-3 finish in the loaded WGC field last week in Mexico, as he hung around the leaderboard for the entire tournament. He’ll make his debut at this event and it comes at a great time.
10. Lee Westwood
No one has gained more strokes per round at PGA National than Westwood’s 1.93 over 24 career rounds. He’s little more than a month removed from his win at the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and he finished T-22 last week in Mexico.
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9. Viktor Hovland
Hovland rose to No. 22 in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings with his breakthrough win in Puerto Rico last week. While he struggles from the sand and can get into trouble with the water covering PGA National, his play from tee-to-green is nearly unrivaled right now.
Jan 31, 2020; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; Billy Horschel tees off on the ninth during the second round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament at TPC Scottsdale. (Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale – USA TODAY Sports)
8. Billy Horschel
Horschel missed the cut in two of his last five appearances at this event, but his other trips to PGA National resulted in finishes of T-8, T-4 and T-16. He tied for ninth in each of his last two events.
7. Shane Lowry
Lowry tied for 29th last week in his first North American appearance of the 2019-20 season. He’s a great sand player and one of the best in the field at scrambling.
6. Louis Oosthuizen
Another great sand player, Oosthuizen was lights out with the putter last week despite struggling desperately from tee-to-green and everywhere in between. He tied for 24th in 2018 and 21st in 2017.
5. Gary Woodland
Woodland has made four straight cuts at this event, including a co-runner-up finish in 2017.
4. Justin Rose
Rose hasn’t played the Honda Classic since missing the cut in 2015. He avoids trouble and can get out of it when he needs to. He trails only Westwood and Rickie Fowler in total strokes gained per round at PGA National.
February 13, 2020; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Brooks Koepka 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)
3. Brooks Koepka
Koepka skipped out on Mexico following a T-43 finish at the Genesis Invitational. He tied for second here last year and is the best in the field at Birdies or Better Gained on courses shorter than 7,200 yards.
2. Rickie Fowler
Fowler, the 2017 champion, tied with Koepka last year following a missed cut in 2018. He also tied for sixth in 2016 and trails only Westwood in strokes gained at this event.
1. Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood’s lone appearance here was a fourth-place result in 2018. He tied for 18th in Mexico last week and is the betting favorite at BetMGM.
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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)
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.
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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.
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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.
Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 WGC-Mexico Championship, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.
Eight of the top 10 golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings are in attendance for this week’s WGC-Mexico Championship at Club de Golf Chapultepec near Mexico City, Mexico. Below, we’ll analyze the golf betting odds, while making our picks to win the 2020 WGC-Mexico Championship.
The key stats for the 7,345-yard, par-71 Club de Golf Chapultepec are:
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Scrambling
Opportunities Gained
Bogeys Avoided
Proximity from 150-175 Yards
Par 4 Efficiency: 400-450 Yards
My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 24 rounds for each golfer in the field on courses shorter than 7,200 yards. It’s a more accurate depiction of Chapultepec’s length due to the elevation of nearly 1.5 miles above sea level.
WGC-Mexico Championship – Tier 1
Feb 16, 2020; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Adam Scott meets with Rory McIlroy following his victory in the final round of the The Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. (Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports)
McIlroy, the No. 1 golfer in the world, entered Sunday’s final round of last week’s Genesis Invitational as a co-leader but struggled to a T-5 finish with a final round of 2-over par 73. It was his worst finish in five worldwide events since a T-26 at the European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
He leads this week’s stat model in Bogeys Avoided and SG: Scrambling. He was the runner-up to Dustin Johnson last year (by five strokes), and he tied for seventh in 2017.
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Adam Scott (+2000)
Scott’s win last week was his second straight victory after winning the Australian PGA Championship to conclude his 2019 season. The 2013 Masters champion has won two WGC events in his career, including the 2016 Cadillac Championship, which was the former name of this event when played in Doral, Fla. He went back-to-back that year as well, winning the WGC the week after the Honda Classic.
WGC-Mexico Championship – Tier 2
Feb 1, 2020; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; Byeong-Hun An tees off on the first during the third round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament at TPC Scottsdale. (Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale – USA TODAY Sports)
Byeong Hun An (+6600)
An has played this event two of the last three years, finishing T-48 in 2017 and T-45 last year. He enters the week ranked 40th in the world, but he hasn’t competed since a T-9 finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
He’s one of the best in the field at scrambling and from the key proximity distance. An has lost strokes putting at five straight measured events and just needs to be average with the flat stick.
Tyrrell Hatton (+6600)
Hatton is a strong value play with three straight top-20 finishes at this event in Mexico. He finished alone in 10th in 2017, tied for third in 2018 and tied for 19th last year. He enters the week well-rested, after last appearing at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in late November. He won the Turkish Airlines Open in his second-to-last event for his fourth professional win.
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WGC-Mexico Championship – Longshots
Aug 24, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Chez Reavie plays his shot from the third tee during the third round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports)
Chez Reavie (+10000)
Reavie has rebounded from a horrid stretch of three straight missed cuts to finish T-25 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and T-10 at last week’s Genesis Invitational. He doesn’t have a strong history at this event with a T-52 finish in 2018 and T-65 last year, but he enters this year’s tournament 13th in the stat model while leaning on a strong approach game.
Sebastian Munoz (+15000)
Munoz opened the Genesis Invitational 69-69 before slipping down the leaderboard over the weekend en route to a T-26 finish. The native of Colombia will make his professional debut at Chapultepec. He already has a win in the 2019-20 PGA Tour season, but only 12 members of the 72-man field have worse odds to win.
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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)
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.
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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.
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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.
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Looking at Tiger Woods’ chances of success at the 2020 Genesis Invitational, including PGA Tour betting options within the tournament.
Tiger Woods will take his second attempt at breaking the PGA Tour’s all-time wins records this week when he tees it up at the 2020 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. He’ll be competing against the strongest PGA Tour field of the year to date.
We look at Tiger’s chances of claiming his 83rd career victory, with PGA Tour betting odds and picks for the 2020 Genesis Invitational.
Tiger Woods’ history at Riviera Country Club
Woods, the tournament host, has never won at Riviera Country Club, which has hosted an annual event since 1999. He was a co-runner-up in ’99, finishing two strokes behind Ernie Els in a tie with Davis Love III and Ted Tryba. He didn’t play in the 1995 PGA Championship held at Riviera.
Tiger finished in a tie for 15th last year, two months before his Masters win, but he missed the cut in 2018 in his first appearance since withdrawing from the 2006 Nissan Open. He has made 12 career appearances at Riviera without a win.
Tiger Woods’ key stats for the Genesis Invitational
Based on historical tournament data from Fantasy National, my key stats for the week are:
Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
Strokes Gained: Around the Green
Birdies Gained
Driving Distance Gained
Par 4 Efficiency 450-500 Yards
The model looks at the last 50 rounds on courses between 7,200 and 7,400 yards.
Tiger ranks eighth by the overall stat model with a top rank of 10th in Birdies Gained. He’s one spot behind Adam Scott and a spot ahead of Jon Rahm. His worst field rank is a 48th in Par 4 Efficiency on the longer holes.
Woods is +1600 to win the 2020 Genesis Invitational, entering the week as the fifth favorite. While it’s a better number than he had at the Farmers Insurance Open (+1100) for his 2020 debut at Torrey Pines (a course which he’s had much more success at) there are better options with more enticing odds. Brooks Koepka, ranked No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking, is +2000 to win outright. Three-time Riviera champ Bubba Watson is +2200.
I would rather back Woods at +175 to finish in the Top 10. This is a loaded 120-man field featuring eight of the top 10 golfers in the world, and there are other values with better course history. It’s a good week to play it a little safer with Tiger as he ramps up his preparation for the 2020 Masters Tournament.
Best Props on Tiger Woods to win the Genesis Invitational
Woods, ranked eighth in the OWGR to begin the week, is in a group with Rory McIlroy (1), Jon Rahm (3), Justin Thomas (4) and Dustin Johnson (5). Accordingly, he has the longest odds of the five golfers in Group A at +500. I like this number less than the outright odds, as the winner is most likely to come from this group. PASS.
For head-to-head betting, Tiger (+100) is paired against Johnson (-125), who won the then-Genesis Open by a five-stroke margin at 17-under par in 2017. There is value in backing the two to tie at +1600. It’s my favorite play for Tiger this week.
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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
(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
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.
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.
(Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
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.
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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.
(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
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.
Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Genesis Invitational, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.
The 2020 Genesis Invitational hosts a field of 120 golfers this week in Pacific Palisades Calif. Eight of the top-10 golfers from the Official World Golf Ranking are among them, making this the top PGA Tour event of the season thus far. Below, we’ll analyze the golf betting odds, while making our picks to win the 2020 Genesis Invitational.
The key stats for the 7,322-yard, par-71 Riviera Country Club are:
Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
Strokes Gained: Around the Green
Birdies Gained
Par 4 Scoring: 450-500 Yards
Driving Distance Gained
My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 50 rounds on courses between 7,200 and 7,400 yards.
Genesis Invitational – Tier 1
Aug 25, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka hug after the final round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports)
There isn’t likely to be anyone in the field this week more motivated than Koepka, who gave up the No. 1 spot in the OWGR to Rory McIlroy Monday morning. With the bump in the rankings, Koepka’s outright odds to win a tournament plummeted. By contrast, Koepka is +900 to win the Masters, +1000 to win the Open Championship, +800 for the US Open and +800 for the PGA Championship.
While he missed the cut in 2017 (his only appearance in the last five years), this is nearly a major-caliber field. Koepka remains second in the OWGR but he’s seventh by the odds this week.
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Adam Scott (+3000)
Scott ranks third in this field in Strokes Gained at Riviera among those with a minimum of 10 rounds played on the course. Ranked 14th in the world, he’s coming off a win at the Australian PGA Championship in late December and is well rested. He looks to become the third Aussie to win on the PGA Tour in 2020 behind Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith.
Genesis Invitational – Tier 2
Jan 24, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Collin Morikawa watches his shot from the fifth tee during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course – South Course. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
Collin Morikawa (+4500)
Morikawa has never participated in this event, but he offers adequate value after routinely being priced among the favorites in the weaker early-season events. He still hasn’t missed a cut as a professional, and he ranks 18th by the overall stat model as a great ball striker.
Kevin Na (+6600)
Na tied for 33rd last year following a co-runner-up finish in 2018 and a T-4 in 2017. He rebounded from a missed cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open to tie for 14th last week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He’s one of the best in the elite field in SG: Around the Green.
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Genesis Invitational – Longshots
Jan 16, 2020; La Quinta, California, USA; Francesco Molinari (R) and caddie Mark Fulcher look on from the fourth tee box during the first round of The American Express golf tournament at La Quinta Country Club. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
Jason Kokrak (+10000)
Though he lacks the winning pedigree of many of those in the field, Kokrak has done well at Riviera. He has made the cut each of the last five years at this event and was a co-runner-up in 2016. He ranks sixth in the field in total strokes gained over that those five appearances.
Francesco Molinari (+12500)
Yes, this is the same Francesco Molinari as the 2018 Open Champion. He enters the week ranked 24th by the OWGR, but he was inside the top 10 as recently as September. He’s coming off missed cuts at the Farmers Insurance Open and The American Express, but these odds are laughable for one of the best iron players in the world.
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Analyzing the best fantasy golf options for the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Dustin Johnson returns to PGA Tour action for this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am following a runner-up finish at the European Tour’s Saudi International last week. It will be his first event on the mainland of the 2020 season, as the No. 5 golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking seeks a third victory at Pebble Beach Golf Links. We break down the fantasy golf options for this week in a rather top-heavy field.
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Fantasy Golf Top 30
(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)
Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
30. Ted Potter Jr.
The 2018 champion won the event after entering the week at No. 243 in the OWGR. He followed it up with a missed cut last year, and he comes in off MCs at both the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the Farmers Insurance Open to slip to 315 in the world.
29. J.B. Holmes
Holmes has collected back-to-back T-16 results, but he has to feel disappointed with both results after falling down the leaderboard over the weekends. His overall game has been very strong, but he missed the cut at Pebble each of the last two years.
28. Daniel Berger
Berger tied for ninth last week for his first top-10 showing since a co-runner-up result at the Puerto Rico Open last February. He hasn’t played this event since a T-10 in 2015.
27. Cameron Champ
Already a winner this season at the Safeway Open, Champ debuted here last year with a T-28. He fares better on longer courses, but he can still create scoring opportunities and go low.
(Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports)
26. Alex Noren
Noren’s among the best in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green over everyone’s last 24 rounds on courses shorter than 7,200 yards, according to my model at Fantasy National. He’s coming off a two-week break and hasn’t missed a cut in 10 straight worldwide events.
25. Rafa Cabrera Bello
RCB makes his first professional appearance in America since last year’s BMW Championship. He finished T-26 in 2018 and T-22 last year and is a great scorer at short venues.
24. Lucas Glover
Glover hasn’t been playing too often early in the season, and he has slipped to No. 80 in the world as a result. He’s looking to follow up a T-7 last year.
23. Jimmy Walker
Walker missed the cut in 2019 after a T-8 finish in 2018. He made the cut each of the last two weeks and is an excellent scrambler at the shorter courses.
22. Max Homa
Homa’s looking to follow up at T-10 at this event in 2019 and he comes in off of consecutive top 10 results to vault inside the top 100 of the OWGR.
(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
21. Matthew NeSmith
NeSmith has made five consecutive cuts since missing the weekend at the Houston Open in the fall. The PGA Tour rookie struggles a little around the greens, but he’s strong on approach and can scramble with the best in the field.
20. Russell Knox
Knox has one of the best approach games of those in attendance this week. He finished inside the top 15 each of the last two years here and he’s riding a streak of 11 straight made cuts this season.
19. Kevin Na
Na has had surprisingly little success at this event for a short hitter who has four career PGA Tour wins. He excels on the shorter par 4s.
18. Patrick Rodgers
Rodgers is the best Poa Annua putter in the field. He’s coming off a T-16 result last week and a T-9 at the Farmers to climb to No. 278 in the world.
17. Tom Hoge
Hoge enters with four straight made cuts including a T-6 at The American Express and a solo fifth at the Farmers. He has been great on approach of late and he’s dialed in from this week’s key proximity distance of 125-150 yards.
16. Scott Piercy
Piercy finished tied for sixth last week in Phoenix. He looks to improve on a T-10 result last year which followed a steady trend of improvement over his last three appearances at this event.
(Photo Credit: Thomas J. Russo – USA TODAY Sports)
15. Adam Hadwin
Hadwin tied for 40th last week in his return to professional play following the birth of his child. He’s an excellent putter on all surfaces and has a great approach game.
14. Branden Grace
Grace tied for ninth last week for a second straight top finish at the WMPO. He gained 1.24 strokes per round on approach, according to Data Golf, to rank seventh among those who played all four rounds.
13. Chez Reavie
Reavie has missed the cut in three straight events after failing to play all four rounds in just seven of 29 events last year. He followed up a co-runner-up finish at Pebble Beach in 2018 with a T-38 last year.
12. Jim Furyk
Furyk leads the week’s stat model in SG: Approach on courses shorter than 7,200 yards. He has played here three of the last five years with finishes of T-7, T-66 and T-14 last year. This is his first event since a T-23 finish at The RSM Classic.
11. Kevin Kisner
Generally a better performer on longer courses where he can use his added distance to his advantage, Kisner has an underrated approach game. He’ll still be able to take advantage of the shorter par 4s.
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10. Graeme McDowell
McDowell is coming off a win at last week’s Saudi International to jump all the way from 104 to 47 in the OWGR. He returns to the site of his 2010 US Open win, and while the conditions will be much different than back then, he finished T-18 last year and is in top form after besting a much stronger field last week.
9. Viktor Hovland
Hovland has the best approach game in the field on these shorter courses and he’s an excellent scorer on par 4s ranging from 350-400 yards.
8. Jason Day
Day is one of the best putters in the field on the difficult Poa surface. He’s a good scrambler who can dominate short par 4s. He has three straight top 10 results in this event.
(Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports)
7. Matthew Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick missed the cut here last year. He has been in strong form on the European Tour with five top 10s in seven events since late September.
6. Matt Kuchar
Kuchar leads the field in SG: Scrambling on the short courses and he excels at the 125-150-yard shot. He tied for 16th last week in his first event on the mainland this year.
5. Patrick Cantlay
Cantlay finished fourth at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and tied for 34th at the Euro Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He’ll play his first full-field PGA Tour event since the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. At No. 8 in the OWGR, he’s the second-best golfer in attendance, behind Johnson.
4. Phil Mickelson
Last year’s champ preps for his defense off of a T-3 last week which was his best result since the win. He has finished T-2 or better in three of his last four tries at this event.
3. Paul Casey
Casey was the runner-up to Mickelson last year following a T-8 finish in 2018. He’s among the best in the field in creating scoring chances at shorter venues, and he ranks eighth in SG: Approach.
2. Brandt Snedeker
Snedeker, the 2013 & ’15 champ here, also finished fourth in 2017. He’s one of the best Poa putters in attendance and the best at avoiding three-putts on the unpredictable surface. He tied for third at Torrey Pines, but he has a further advantage on a short course to neutralize the longer hitters.
1. Dustin Johnson
The 2009 & ’10 champ comes in off a runner-up finish last week at the Saudi International. Once thought of mainly as a long hitter, he’s second in this week’s field in Birdies Gained on courses shorter than 7,200 yards.
