Wells Fargo Championship – Page 11

2021 Wells Fargo Championship live stream, start time, channel, live golf coverage, watch online

The 2021 Wells Fargo Championship opening round will take place on Thursday of this week from Quail Hollow Club.

The 2021 Wells Fargo Championship will take place this week from Quail Hollow Club. The opening round will get underway on Thursday and will feature ten of the top 15 players in the world all vying for a chance to take home the trophy.

The featured groups are stacked with Rory McIlroy playing with Patrick Reed and Stewart Cink as well as Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland. Bryson will team up with Joaquin Niemann and Xander Schauffele.

Check out the schedule below with everything you need to know to watch or stream the action online.

2021 Wells Fargo Championship

When: Thursday, May 6
Live TV coverage: 2-6 p.m. on Golf Channel
Live stream online: 2-6 p.m. on fuboTV (watch for free)

Featured Groups

Max Homa/Jon Rahm/Tim Wilkinson

Justin Thomas/Viktor Hovland/Patrick Cantlay

Bryson DeChambeau/Joaquin Niemann/Xander Schauffele

Stewart Cink/Patrick Reed/Rory McIlroy

Wells Fargo Championship Odds and Betting Lines

PGA Tour odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds last updated Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.

J. Thomas +650

B. DeChambeau +1000

R. McIlroy +1300

Want some action on the PGA Tour? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM.

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Tour Championship, even the Ryder Cup, not out of reach for Max Homa

The Tour Championship and even the Ryder Cup could be in the cards for Max Homa if he keeps his name near the top of leaderboards.

As Max Homa entered the locker room at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow, the memories of the last time he was there came flooding back.

That’s when he had to wait out a suspension of play during the final round of the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship as he chased his first PGA Tour title. A sudden queasiness hit his gut, just as it did on that day when he finally tasted victory after an arduous journey to being a Tour winner.

“I felt like I was going to throw up but my hands felt unbelievable on the club,” Homa said of his breakthrough.

Homa’s rise from some of the lowest of lows to a two-time Tour winner and in the midst of his best golf of his career should be the celebrated more than his ability to roast a golf swing on social media. Homa has a tattoo with the word relentless on his forearm, but his forgettable 2017 season when he earned $18,008 on the Tour, made just two cuts and played one Sunday are tattooed in his memory.

“I think that a lot of people would have either quit playing golf or gone into a serious like hole with not their game, like mentally, I think. My game was obviously already in the hole,” he said on the eve of his title defense two years later due to cancellation of last year’s tournament during the global pandemic.

Wells Fargo: Tee times, TV info | Field by the rankings | Fantasy picks

Homa delivered one of the most candid, soul-searching winner’s press conferences, plumbing the depths of his dive to No. 959 in the world at the end of 2017 and how he came out the better for it.

“I used to say when I hit rock bottom I found a shovel and kept digging,” Homa said. “I went to some low places and there would be times when I would wallow and honestly just hate my golf game, dislike what I was out there in what’s supposed to be my favorite place in the world is a golf course, and all of a sudden I started to hate it, hated going. All I’ve ever known is working as hard as humanly possible, and I realized in that year, year or two when I started to play bad, that my attitude was going to have to get a lot better because if my golf game was going to be that bad, my brain better be on point. I think that was a big turning point for me. I’m very proud I finally found a ladder and started climbing upwards because it was getting dark down there.”

Homa credits being “tough” with helping him find that ladder, and his mental strength was his biggest asset during his dark period but while he didn’t throw a pity party for himself that doesn’t mean there wasn’t pain along the way. Imagine feeling that your game was in such shambles that you didn’t want to play practice rounds with other golfers.

Max Homa reacts as he walks off the 12th green during the final round of the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club on May 5, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

“I felt like I was on an island and it was, you know, borderline embarrassing,” he said after his victory in 2019. “It was embarrassing at times. But it ain’t embarrassing anymore. It’s a cool story now.”

As he put it, he kept dusting himself off and got back to work at getting better bit by bit. When he arrived in Charlotte in 2019, Homa was ranked No. 413 in the world and improved more than 300 spots with the W. In the aftermath, he recorded a few top 10s, including a T-3 at the 3M Open last summer that lifted him to No. 68 in the world, but he also missed eight cuts in a span of 13 events. His game still lacked consistency. The feeling of victory was fleeting and he wondered why he couldn’t do it again.

“When you come up short or when you miss a cut, it feels like you’re so far away from what your potential, what you should be doing,” he explained. “Once you win, unless you keep winning every week like Tiger, it feels like you’re kind of going backwards.”

Backwards was unacceptable for Homa, whose game had come so far. He made a difficult decision and parted ways with his longtime instructor Les Johnson.

“I felt like I was kind of going in a bit of a circle at times, and I was confused I guessed,” Homa said.

Time for a change

Homa’s caddie Joe Greiner had worked with Tour pro Kevin Chappell, who became a top-50 player in the world under the tutelage of Englishman Mark Blackburn. Greiner suggested Blackburn might be a good fit. They worked together for the first time at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in September, where Homa had missed the cut. Blackburn screened his body at a Marriott and then did a session at the course.

“I called Joe afterwards,” Blackburn recalled, “and said, ‘This kid is pretty special.’ Joe said, ‘I told you so.’ ”

“I was shocked how fast everything’s clicked,” said Homa, who notched his second Tour title at the Genesis Invitational in February and has climbed to No. 39 in the world.

When asked last week at the Valspar Championship, what he’s figured out, he gave a succinct and honest answer, “I’m just better at golf now.”

And coming off a T-6 finish in Tampa playing what he termed “one of the most all‑around good weeks of golf I’ve had as far as my game goes,” Homa is ranked No. 16 in the FedEx Cup and poised to make his first trip to the Tour Championship.

He’s even thinking the U.S. Ryder Cup team – he’s ranked 16^th in the points standing for that, too – could be in the cards if he keeps his name near the top of leaderboards. It’s quite a remarkable improvement from where he was just two years ago.

“I have a really cool perspective on this game because I’ve seen what pretty much the bottom looks like,” Homa said, “so anytime I’m playing OK I feel like I appreciate it more and I appreciate how easy it is.”

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2021 Wells Fargo Championship field by the rankings

Check out the PGA Tour’s 2021 Wells Fargo Championship field by the rankings.

After a forced break in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the PGA Tour is back at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina once again this week.

Now a two-time winner on Tour, Max Homa returns to defend his 2019 title alongside a strong field that features eight of the top-10 player in the Golfweek/Sagarin world ranking, including four top-five players: No. 1 Jon Rahm, No. 2 Xander Schauffele, No. 4 Viktor Hovland and No. 5 Webb Simpson (a Quail Hollow resident).

Take a closer look at the Wells Fargo Championship field, with both the Goflweek/Sagarin and Official World Golf Ranking positions.

Wells Fargo Championship: Tee times | Odds | Fantasy rankings

Player	GW/Sagarin	OWGR
Jon Rahm	1	3
Xander Schauffele	2	4
Viktor Hovland	4	11
Webb Simpson	5	9
Justin Thomas	6	2
Will Zalatoris	7	28
Bryson DeChambeau	8	5
Joaquin Niemann	10	30
Tony Finau	11	13
Brian Harman	12	48
Abraham Ancer	13	26
Cameron Tringale	15	65
Corey Conners	16	37
Patrick Cantlay	21	12
Patrick Reed	23	7
Rory McIlroy	25	15
Sungjae Im	28	19
Zach Johnson	29	121
Harris English	32	23
Russell Henley	33	53
Matt Jones	35	54
John Huh	43	315
Tommy Fleetwood	44	27
Brendan Steele	46	79
Brendon Todd	47	57
Keegan Bradley	49	74
Kevin Streelman	51	63
Patton Kizzire	54	188
Mackenzie Hughes	55	55
Emiliano Grillo	57	83
Ian Poulter	59	64
Stewart Cink	60	42
Max Homa	61	39
Bubba Watson	62	58
Michael Thompson	63	104
Cameron Davis	64	130
Lucas Glover	66	122
Matt Wallace	67	52
Shane Lowry	68	45
Sepp Straka	70	152
Denny McCarthy	72	153
Talor Gooch	75	73
Harold Varner III	76	81
Lanto Griffin	77	60
Jason Day	78	59
Adam Hadwin	81	102
Justin Suh	88	403
Sebastián Muñoz	91	67
Francesco Molinari	92	128
Erik van Rooyen	93	72
James Hahn	95	148
Matthew NeSmith	97	135
Rickie Fowler	98	116
Adam Schenk	102	224
Scott Stallings	104	279
Doc Redman	106	162
Carlos Ortiz	107	51
Jhonattan Vegas	108	187
Joel Dahmen	109	68
Rory Sabbatini	110	134
Mark Hubbard	111	171
J.T. Poston	112	86
Richy Werenski	113	117
Charl Schwartzel	115	177
Pat Perez	119	241
Wyndham Clark	121	149
Maverick McNealy	122	105
Scott Piercy	124	213
Gary Woodland	126	61
Kyle Stanley	127	204
Adam Long	128	80
Tyler Duncan	129	180
Troy Merritt	134	159
Tom Hoge	135	108
Brice Garnett	137	235
Henrik Norlander	139	118
Phil Mickelson	140	115
Ryan Moore	142	205
Kyoung-Hoon Lee	144	136
Luke List	146	175
Will Gordon	148	208
Roger Sloan	149	355
Tom Lewis	150	110
C.T. Pan	151	164
Jason Dufner	154	416
Vincent Whaley	161	421
Nate Lashley	165	147
Aaron Wise	167	154
Cameron Percy	168	294
Bronson Burgoon	175	312
Chez Reavie	176	109
Danny Lee	179	174
Joseph Bramlett	181	291
Harry Higgs	183	140
Nick Taylor	185	141
Andrew Putnam	186	142
Russell Knox	191	218
Hank Lebioda	192	336
Brian Stuard	196	211
Patrick Rodgers	201	223
Bo Hoag	202	240
Chase Seiffert	206	207
Austin Cook	207	229
Ben Martin	210	410
Chesson Hadley	211	289
Keith Mitchell	214	249
Ryan Armour	220	249
Seung-Yul Noh	227	730
Peter Malnati	229	165
Lucas Herbert	230	94
Akshay Bhatia	233	821
Byeong Hun An	236	114
Vaughn Taylor	240	193
Kris Ventura	242	267
Rafa Cabrera Bello	243	129
Kramer Hickok	249	341
Brandon Hagy	252	179
Robert Streb	256	123
Sam Ryder	261	195
Scott Harrington	278	358
Tyler McCumber	284	271
Scott Brown	300	276
J.B. Holmes	313	425
D.J. Trahan	314	545
Ryan Brehm	322	488
Beau Hossler	323	369
Michael Gligic	332	377
Satoshi Kodaira	335	485
Robby Shelton	339	225
Rob Oppenheim	350	420
Kelly Kraft	362	648
Jimmy Walker	363	496
Jamie Lovemark	366	451
Xinjun Zhang	374	316
Seamus Power	379	448
Rafael Campos	383	269
Bill Haas	384	640
Sung Kang	420	156
David Hearn	424	487
Ted Potter Jr.	425	344
K.J. Choi	445	560
Luke Donald	451	635
Bo Van Pelt	467	585
Kevin Tway	472	457
Johnson Wagner	475	953
Grayson Murray	478	361
Sebastian Cappelen	482	530
Sean O’Hair	499	809
Michael Kim	570	1406
Hunter Mahan	606	1833
Martin Trainer	639	1000
Jonas Blixt	659	845
D.A. Points	666	1859
Patrick Cover	N/R	1257
Keenan Huskey	N/R	1859
Cory Schneider	N/R	1859

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World No. 2 Justin Thomas looks to get past putting disappointment at Quail Hollow

Thomas had 117 putts for the week at Valspar. The longest he made all week was 14 feet.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – En route to a tie for 13^th in last week’s Valspar Championship, world No. 2 Justin Thomas had most of his game spot on.

He ranked first in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, first in Strokes Gained: Approach to the Green, and first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.

As for his putting, he ranked 67^th in strokes gained.

Ouch.

His frustration on the greens reached a crescendo after Saturday’s third round when he said, “If I’m putting well this week, I’m winning this tournament without question.” While he had his best putting day in the final round – he needed just 26 putts – he had 117 putts for the week. The longest he made all week was 14 feet.

Thomas, the reigning Players champion, didn’t take out his disappointment by breaking his flat stick. Nor did he banish it to the trunk and find a new one. He didn’t go changing his grip, either.

Instead, he chalked up tournament as being one of those weeks where no matter what he did, no matter how good his stroke was, no matter how good the putts looked, they just would not fall.

“It wasn’t like something was really that off,” Thomas said Wednesday at Quail Hollow Club, home to the Wells Fargo Championship. “I hit a lot of really, really good putts, a lot of quality putts. Everything fundamentally was pretty good, just the ball wasn’t going in.

“You have weeks like that, but obviously it doesn’t get that bad very often and hopefully not ever. But it was just one of those weeks where I felt like I was stroking it well, I felt good over the putter on Thursday and Friday and just nothing went in.”

With his putter not cooperating heading into the weekend, Thomas fell into some old tendencies that did nothing to improve the situation.

“I was opening the putting face too much going back and then I have a tendency to drag it a little bit or have a hard time timing it up right to get the clubface square, putter face square,” he said. “That was something I was fighting a little bit maybe over the course of the week in terms of some misses, but overall as a whole I felt like they’re very difficult greens to read.

“You have a lot of grain that kind of goes opposite of the slopes and a lot of subtle ridges. Clearly Sam Burns (the winner) didn’t feel that way, and many others, but I felt like I was putting the ball actually pretty well, just nothing was going in.”

Thomas put in some extra work on the practice putting green on Tuesday and Wednesday and feels good heading in the first round. And he certainly fancies the track this week – he won the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

“I have a lot of great memories,” said Thomas, who tied for seventh in the Wells Fargo Championship in 2015, missed the cut in 2016 and finished in a tie for 21^st in 2018. “I love Charlotte, I love the fans here, I love the golf course. It’s a fun atmosphere and it’s a very good golf course, so it should be a good week.”

That is, if the putter is behaving, it should be.

Rory McIlroy’s familiar assets help craft a new strategy: ‘I’ve neglected my strengths a little’

McIlroy, who turned 32 Tuesday, hasn’t been himself since golf returned last June after a 13-week break due to COVID-19.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Rory McIlroy is close to being Rory McIlroy again.

The former world No. 1 and four-time major champion thinks he’s emerging from the fog of the past 11 months, a dreary stretch that prolonged a winless span nearing 550 days and had him making major swing changes that threw him off-kilter that eventually moved him to seek help.

McIlroy, who turned 32 Tuesday, hasn’t been himself since golf returned last June after a 13-week break due to COVID-19. He likened playing in front of vacant galleries to nothing more than playing practice rounds and was challenged to maintain focus and find the proper intensity to play well.

Then he started chasing Bryson DeChambeau, who bulked up and sped up to become of the one game’s longest hitters and the U.S. Open champion. McIlroy’s extra time spent on speed and power drills proved damaging, however.

Since golf’s return, McIlroy, who hasn’t won since the fall of 2019, has just six top-10s in 21 starts, missed the cut in the Masters and Players Championship, and fallen to No. 15 in the official world golf rankings, his lowest rank since 2009.

Thus, in March, the winner of 27 titles worldwide, including 18 on the PGA Tour, brought noted swing coach Pete Cowen on board while staying with longtime coach Michael Bannon to help him sort through issues.

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“I feel better about my game than I did flying home from Augusta on Friday night, put it that way,” McIlroy said Wednesday at Quail Hollow, home to the Wells Fargo Championship. “I’ve worked a little bit on it, sort of just tried to understand what I do well. I guess trying to sort of focus on my strengths.

“I think I’ve neglected my strengths a little bit the past couple of months and focusing more on those and focusing on what makes me a good golfer and how I swing the club and how I move the club. It’s just understanding my move a little bit more. So that’s sort of what I’ve been trying to do the last couple weeks.

“It feels good. It’s all familiar feelings.”

McIlroy is in a great spot to end his winless stretch. He won his first PGA Tour title in the 2010 Wells Fargo Championship and became the only two-time winner of the event in 2015, when he shot 61-69 on the weekend to win by seven shots. He also lost in a playoff in 2012 and has seven top-10s overall in nine starts.

“I’ve always liked coming back to Charlotte,” McIlroy said. “Hopefully that gives me a little bit of good mojo going into the week.”

Because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, McIlroy wasn’t able to spend enough time with Bannon, who is based in Northern Ireland, and when they did meet up, they rushed through practice sessions and worked on too many things.

Cowen is in the U.S. on a regular basis.

“Bringing Pete into the equation is a change, but it’s a familiar one,” McIlroy said. “It’s not as if it’s the first time Pete and I have really worked together. I’ve known Pete for a long, long time. But again, it’s just getting a slight, different opinion. Just getting someone’s opinion from the outside looking in can be a good thing. That’s really what Pete has been.

“I keep using this word ‘understanding,’ but it really is just me trying to understand my swing better and understand what I do well and focusing on that. My body movement and how I turn through the ball is probably one of my biggest attributes and neglected that a little bit by focusing on some other stuff.”

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2021 Wells Fargo Championship matchups and PGA Tour prop bet picks

Check out the matchups and prop bet picks for the PGA Tour’s 2021 Wells Fargo Championship.

Two weeks out from the 2021 PGA Championship, the PGA Tour stops at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the Wells Fargo Championship. Below, we’ll look for the best value prop bets in the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship odds, with matchups, placings and first-round leader picks and predictions.

The event returns to the PGA Tour schedule after it was canceled in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Max Homa returns as the defending champion from 2019. He’ll be challenged by a strong field featuring eight of the top-10 golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings.

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 8:45 a.m. ET.

Wells Fargo Championship: Odds | Tee times

Matchups

Xander Schauffele vs. Viktor Hovland (-105)

Schauffele and Hovland enter the week second and fourth, respectively, in the Golfweek rankings. As such, Hovland is a slight underdog in this 72-hole matchup as he makes his debut at Quail Hollow.

The Norwegian is coming off a T-3 finish at the difficult Copperheard for the Valspar Championship; Schauffele has been off of tournament play since his T-3 finish at the Masters.

Schauffele also has poor course history at Quail Hollow with a T-72 finish in 2018 and a missed cut at the 2017 PGA Championship played here.

Justin Thomas vs. Jon Rahm (-110)

The top-two tournament betting favorites are pitted in a 72-hole matchup priced as a pick ’em. Rahm is No. 1 in the Golfweek rankings and Thomas enters the week sixth in the world. Neither played here in 2019 but Thomas tied for 21st in 2018.

Rahm leads the Tour with 2.28 total strokes gained on the field per round this season. Thomas leads in Strokes Gained: Approach, but Rahm is the longer hitter and that will provide the advantage at the 7,500-yard, par-71 venue.

Placings

Top 10: Doc Redman (+1600)

Redman tied for 18th at the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship with 1.20 SG: Off-the-Tee per round. His early 2021 form has been ugly with five missed cuts through nine events, but he tied for 39th at last week’s Valspar Championship with 0.79 SG: Off-the-Tee per round.

At his best, his game is well-suited to Quail Hollow. The venue could help him round back into form.

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Top South American: Joaquin Niemann (+110)

We cashed this ticket on Neimann last week with his T-8 finish at the Valspar. He only narrowly edged out Camilo Villegas (T-11), but a win is a win.

Double down this week with Niemann’s 1.38 SG: Tee-to-Green and 1.72 total strokes gained per round both easily ranked as the best in this four-man group.

First-round leader

Rory McIlroy (+2800)

McIlroy is my pick to win this week as the former world No. 1 looks to move past a missed cut at the Masters ahead of 2021’s second major. The recently-turned 32-year-old leads this field with 2.76 strokes gained per round at Quail Hollow and two Wells Fargo titles.

He offers a higher payout for the 18-hole lead than he does to win the event (+1800). He’ll receive a boost by playing his opening round with Ryder Cup rival Patrick Reed.

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2021 Wells Fargo Championship fantasy golf power rankings

Check out the fantasy golf power rankings for the PGA Tour’s 2021 Wells Fargo Championship.

The PGA Tour returns to Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the first time since 2019 for the Wells Fargo Championship. The 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Max Homa is the defending champion from 2019 and looks to become the first-ever back-to-back winner at Quail Hollow. Two-time champion Rory McIlroy and eight of the top-10 golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings will look to stop him. Justin Thomas has never won the Wells Fargo Championship, but he won the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club.

Below, we look at the fantasy golf power rankings and odds for the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship, with odds and predictions here. Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Monday at 7 p.m. ET.

Wells Fargo Championship: Odds | Tee times

Fantasy golf rankings

20. Stewart Cink (+6600)

The 47-year-old is one of two two-time winners on the 2020-21 PGA Tour season. He won the Safeway Open in the fall to snap an 11-year winless drought and most recently won the RBC Heritage against a much stronger field following an impressive T-12 showing at the Masters.

He has averaged 1.47 strokes gained on the field per round over 38 career rounds at Quail Hollow.

19. Tommy Fleetwood (+5500)

The Englishman is struggling with the driver this season, but his short game has been adequate and he’s still gaining strokes on approach to the green.

18. Jason Day (+4500)

The winner of the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship enters off a missed cut at the Masters. The familiar venue should improve his putting, and he’s still averaging 0.61 SG: Off-the-Tee for the season.

17. Brian Harman (+4500)

His 2017 Wells Fargo Championship title was at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, North Carolina, but he’s a strong fit for this venue, as well. He’s averaging 0.65 SG: Tee-to-Green per round for the 2020-21 season.

16. Abraham Ancer (+4000)

Finished alone in fifth at last week’s Valspar Championship and his odds rose this week against a stronger field. His putter ran hot last week, but he also averaged 0.91 SG: Off-the-Tee per round and will need to replicate that at the lengthy Quail Hollow.

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15. Corey Conners (+3300)

The Canadian has made the cut in six straight strokeplay events and had four top 10s in that stretch before a T-21 finish last week. He’s averaging 0.84 SG: Approach this season, and he was second among those to make the cut with 1.54 SG: Approach at the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship.

14. Sungjae Im (+4000)

Tied for 31st in his debut at Quail Hollow in 2019 with 0.77 SG: Around-the-Green per round. His short game is struggling this season, but he has been excellent off the tee and with his irons.

13. Max Homa (+4000)

The 2019 champion did so while leading the field with 2.47 SG: Putting per round. He earned his second PGA Tour win earlier this year and is coming off a T-6 at the Valspar, but he’ll face a much stronger field this week than he did two years ago.

12. Will Zalatoris (+3000)

Ranked 28th in the Official World Golf Ranking, the runner-up at the Masters is in this field on a sponsor’s exemption. He still needs a win to qualify for this season’s FedExCup Playoffs and remains highly motivated.

11. Joaquin Niemann (+3300)

His T-8 finish last week was his third top-10 showing through nine events this year, and he hasn’t missed a cut since The Northern Trust in August. His 1.38 SG: Tee-to-Green will play well here.

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10. Webb Simpson (+2200)

Has never won this event but was a co-runner-up in 2015 and has averaged 1.43 strokes gained per round over 38 rounds at Quail Hollow. He’s first on Tour in scrambling this season and his short game is very strong.

9. Viktor Hovland (+2000)

Made a valiant charge up the leaderboard Sunday with a round of 65 and finished eighth among those who made the cut with 1.23 SG: Approach per round at the Valspar Championship.

8. Rory McIlroy (+1800)

Won this event by four strokes in 2010 and by a record seven in 2015. His 2.76 strokes gained per round at Quail Hollow lead this field.

7. Patrick Reed (+3000)

The 13th-ranked player in the Golfweek rankings comes off a missed cut at the Valspar. He was undone by putting with 1.00 strokes lost per round on the greens, but he averaged 1.01 SG: Tee-to-Green over two rounds.

6. Xander Schauffele (+1800)

Hasn’t played competitively since a disappointing T-3 finish at the Masters. Has poor course history at Quail Hollow, but should be a much better fit with strong irons and solid putting.

5. Tony Finau (+2800)

Fifth among PGA Tour regulars with 0.96 SG: Approach through 38 measured rounds on the season. He’s 10th on Tour and fifth in this field in Birdie or Better Percentage.

4. Patrick Cantlay (+2500)

Missed the cut at both the RBC Heritage and the Masters, but is still ninth among qualified golfers with 1.57 SG: Tee-to-Green per round. Makes his debut at the Wells Fargo Championship; tied for 33rd at the 2017 PGA Championship.

3. Justin Thomas (+1000)

Has an average of 2.28 strokes gained on the field over 14 career rounds at Quail Hollow, including his major victory. He tied for 21st in this event in 2018 and leads the Tour in SG: Approach this season.

2. Bryson DeChambeau (+1400)

The only two-time winner this season other than Cink and leads qualified golfers with 1.21 SG: Off-the-Tee per round. He has just 10 rounds played at Quail Hollow to date and his recently-added distance will play well at the 7,521-yard venue.

1. Jon Rahm (+1000)

Rahm is the Tour leader with 2.28 total strokes gained on the field per round through 35 measured rounds and top-ranked golfer in the Golfweek rankings. He hasn’t played since a T-5 finish at the Masters and enters well-rested.

Get some action on the 2021 Wells Fargo 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. Please gamble responsibly.

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Wells Fargo Championship tee times, TV info for Thursday’s first round

From tee times to TV info, here’s everything you need to know for the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.

The PGA Tour makes its way up the East Coast this week, leaving Florida for Charlotte, North Carolina.

Quail Hollow plays host once again for the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship after the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Max Homa returns as defending champion from 2019 and is grouped with world No. 3 Jon Rahm and Webb Simpson, a Quail Hollow resident. Fellow featured groups include Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay; Stewart Cink, Patrick Reed, Rory McIlroy; Bryson DeChambeau, Joaquin Niemann and Xander Schauffele.

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the first round of the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship.

Wells Fargo Championship: Odds and predictions
More: Ian Poulter’s son to caddie at Wells Fargo

Tee times

1st tee

Tee Time	Players
6:50 a.m.	Bo Van Pelt, Denny McCarthy, Harry Higgs
7:01 a.m.	Seung-Yul Noh, Henrik Norlander, Doc Redman
7:12 a.m.	Brian Harman, Peter Malnati, Kyoung-Hoon Lee
7:23 a.m.	Sebastián Muñoz, J.T. Poston, Adam Long
7:34 a.m.	C.T. Pan, Jason Day, Pat Perez
7:45 a.m.	Michael Kim, Jimmy Walker, Tony Finau
7:56 a.m.	Robert Streb, Nate Lashley, Aaron Wise
8:07 a.m.	Tyler Duncan, Satoshi Kodaira, Zach Johnson
8:18 a.m.	Harris English, Rickie Fowler, Ted Potter, Jr.
8:29 a.m.	John Huh, Jamie Lovemark, Will Gordon
8:40 a.m.	Scott Brown, Abraham Ancer, Matthew NeSmith
8:51 a.m.	Scott Stallings, Wyndham Clark, Rafael Campos
9:02 a.m.	Joseph Bramlett, Ryan Brehm, Cory Schneider
12:10 p.m.	Hunter Mahan, David Hearn, Chase Seiffert
12:21 p.m.	Brian Stuard, Tommy Fleetwood, Beau Hossler
12:32 p.m.	Harold Varner III, Cameron Davis, Brandon Hagy
12:43 p.m.	Bryson DeChambeau, Joaquin Niemann, Xander Schauffele
12:54 p.m.	Stewart Cink, Patrick Reed, Rory McIlroy
1:05 p.m.	Nick Taylor, Gary Woodland, Corey Conners
1:16 p.m.	Kevin Tway, Andrew Putnam, Bubba Watson
1:27 p.m.	Matt Jones, Keegan Bradley, Austin Cook
1:38 p.m.	Jonas Blixt, Danny Lee, Xinjun Zhang
1:49 p.m.	Emiliano Grillo, Tom Hoge, Sam Ryder
2 p.m.	Jhonattan Vegas, Ryan Moore, Will Zalatoris
2:11 p.m.	Bill Haas, D.J. Trahan, Tyler McCumber
2:22 p.m.	Kris Ventura, Sebastian Cappelen, Keenan Huskey

10th tee

Tee Time	Players
6:50 a.m.	Russell Henley, Byeong Hun An, Mark Hubbard
7:01 a.m.	Johnson Wagner, Maverick McNealy, Scott Harrington
7:12 a.m.	Cameron Tringale, J.J. Spaun, Erik van Rooyen
7:23 a.m.	Max Homa, Jon Rahm, Webb Simpson
7:34 a.m.	Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay
7:45 a.m.	Chez Reavie, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald
7:56 a.m.	Carlos Ortiz, Sungjae Im, Troy Merritt
8:07 a.m.	Francesco Molinari, J.B. Holmes, Patton Kizzire
8:18 a.m.	Richy Werenski, Grayson Murray, Mackenzie Hughes
8:29 a.m.	Vaughn Taylor, Kelly Kraft, Sepp Straka
8:40 a.m.	Cameron Percy, Adam Schenk, Bo Hoag
8:51 a.m.	Rafa Cabrera Bello, Tom Lewis, Michael Gligic
9:02 a.m.	Vincent Whaley, Lucas Herbert, Akshay Bhatia
12:10 p.m.	Talor Gooch, Matt Wallace, Robby Shelton
12:21 p.m.	James Hahn, Luke List, Bronson Burgoon
12:32 p.m.	Kevin Streelman, Lucas Glover, Rory Sabbatini
12:43 p.m.	Michael Thompson, Scott Piercy, Ryan Armour
12:54 p.m.	Joel Dahmen, Lanto Griffin, Phil Mickelson
1:05 p.m.	Shane Lowry, Keith Mitchell, Jason Dufner
1:16 p.m.	Martin Trainer, Brice Garnett, Russell Knox
1:27 p.m.	Sung Kang, Brendan Steele, D.A. Points
1:38 p.m.	Adam Hadwin, Ben Martin, K.J. Choi
1:49 p.m.	Charl Schwartzel, Chesson Hadley, Patrick Rodgers
2 p.m.	Kyle Stanley, Sean O’Hair, Seamus Power
2:11 p.m.	Roger Sloan, Hank Lebioda, Kramer Hickok
2:22 p.m.	Rob Oppenheim, Justin Suh, Patrick Cover

TV, streaming, radio information

Thursday, May 6

TV

Golf Channel (Watch for free on fuboTV): 2-6 p.m.

STREAMING

PGA Tour Live: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (featured groups)

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 12-6 p.m.

Friday, May 7

TV

Golf Channel (Watch for free on fuboTV): 2-6 p.m.

STREAMING

PGA Tour Live: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (featured groups)

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 12-6 p.m.

Saturday, May 8

TV

Golf Channel (Watch for free on fuboTV): 1-3 p.m.
CBS: 3-6 p.m.

STREAMING

PGA Tour Live: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 1-6 p.m.

Sunday, May 9

TV

Golf Channel (Watch for free on fuboTV): 1-3 p.m.
CBS: 3-6 p.m.

STREAMING

PGA Tour Live: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 1-6 p.m.

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Webb Simpson hopes to find comfort at home at Wells Fargo Championship

Webb Simpson is hoping to find some comfort at home this week at the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Webb Simpson is playing a home game this week.

Or is he?

Yes, the world No. 9 lives by the seventh tee at Quail Hollow, home to this week’s Wells Fargo Championship. And he is a member at Quail Hollow. Yet Simpson said the course he’ll tackle starting Thursday is almost foreign to him.

“I think people assume like if it’s your home course, you should play well. I think what people don’t realize is the golf course I’m going to play this week is very different than the course I played most of the year,” Simpson said Tuesday.

For instance, during practice rounds last week, he hit four tee shots on most every hole because his sight lines will be different considering the course will play much firmer and faster than the other 51 weeks of the year.

“I relearn the course a little bit every year,” Simpson said. “I think I have a tiny advantage. I think guys do such a great job in their prep work here Tuesday, Wednesday to get ready that there’s not really such thing as local knowledge.

“And especially I don’t play here a ton. This is my home track, but it’s not like I’m busting 100 rounds a year. I’m probably playing once a month. There’s expectation that I should play well because it’s my home course, but it’s hard. It’s a hard golf course. I’ve still got to go out and hit the shots, make the putts.”

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In 10 starts at Quail Hollow, Simpson has just two top 10s – a tie for second in 2015 and a fourth-place finish in 2012. He’s missed the cut four times.

“I haven’t had great results here,” Simpson said. “The one year I finished second, Rory (McIlroy) went nuts on the weekend, kicked everybody’s tail. I would love more opportunities to win. I don’t think it’s really anything I’m doing wrong; it’s just I’ve got to give myself chances to win on Sunday that I haven’t really done in the past few years.”

He could say the same about his season, too. While he has five top 10s in 13 starts – his most recent coming at the RBC Heritage, where he finished in a tie for ninth in his most recent start – he hasn’t been overly pleased with his play since winning his seventh PGA Tour title in last year’s RBC Heritage.

But the winner of the 2012 U.S. Open and 2018 Players Championship said he felt he turned the corner in the Masters last month, where he tied for 12^th.

“I feel like it’s been a bit up and down since last fall, but I feel like we had a little turn at Augusta on the weekend,” he said. “Changed a little something in my golf swing and hit it great for four days at RBC Heritage.

“Confidence‑wise, I’m more confident than I’ve been all season, but still looking to have a couple higher finishes, have a few more chances to win Sunday. I think I’ve only had one or two chances this year to win and that’s what it’s all about. That’s what I think made last year so special is I had plenty of chances to win Sunday, and eventually you’re going to get it done.”

He’d love nothing more than to get it done here.

“This is kind of the one tournament for me that I want to win more than any other maybe besides the other majors,” he said. “I love being here for the obvious reasons. It was Sunday night and I was getting in my bed and I’m like, man, it’s nice to not be staring at a suitcase across the room, leaving this week to get on an airplane. So I look forward to this week every year.

“I’ve had two weeks off, so I feel like I’ve got a lot of good work done around here. The golf course hadn’t been too crowded. I love competing here. It’s hard, it’s a hard golf course. Super challenging all week, but super nice to have support from Charlotte, friends and family. I’m looking forward to Thursday getting it going.”

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Ian Poulter’s son, Luke, to caddie for him at Wells Fargo Championship

When Luke Poulter watched Stewart Cink win the RBC Heritage with son Reagan on the bag, he asked his father when he could caddie for him.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – When Luke Poulter watched Stewart Cink win the RBC Heritage with son Reagan on the bag, he asked his father when he could caddie for him at a PGA Tour event. Turns out it would be sooner than even he expected.

Ian Poulter announced on his Instagram that Luke, who is 16 and home-schooled, will be on his bag at the Wells Fargo Championship this week. Poulter’s steady sidekick, James Walton, is turning 40 this week and his wife is planning a celebration.

“He’ll be relaxing somewhere on a beach,” Poulter said.

That left an opening for Luke to fill in for the first time at a professional event. Ian recalled caddying for his son at a U.S. Kids event at Walt Disney World in Orlando in 2014, but this will be the first time that roles are reversed.

“It will be nice for him to get a real inside look at what goes on inside between these silly ears and inside the ropes and give him a little look,” Poulter said at the Valspar Championship. “It will be great for his learning experience to become a Tour player himself.”

Luke is ranked No. 141 in the AJGA Rolex Rankings and finished T-6 in his most recent tournament at the Sergio and Angela Garcia Foundation Junior Championship in March (71-73-71). (He’s ranked No. 275 in the Golfweek Junior Rankings.)

“He wants to do what I do. It’s the only thing going on in his brain,” Ian said. “He fully believes in his mind if he continues to work hard and keeps improving, he’s going to have an opportunity. I believe that because of what I see. He is way further advanced than where I was, but yet I wasn’t that advanced at 16.”

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Luke enjoyed a learning experience last week attempting local qualifying for the U.S. Open. He was 1 under coming up the last hole, which wasn’t going to be enough to advance, before hitting two drives out of bounds and made a quadruple bogey.

“He’s got me for distance, he’s got me on club speed and ball speed. That crossover has happened and it’s only going to grow,” Ian said. “Where he doesn’t have me beat is on the golf course. We rarely play but when we do play, he hasn’t beaten me. I’m going to make him earn that. I want him to earn it and to reward him when it does.”

Ian said he grinds harder to beat his son than he does to make a cut on the PGA Tour.

Ian famously turned pro as a 4 handicap and worked as an assistant pro back home in England, but he said Luke will benefit greatly from four years in college.

When asked to pick Luke’s biggest victory, he said, “It will be when he puts pen to paper and signs for college. In my opinion that will be his biggest victory so far because I was never in that position.”

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