(Photo credit score: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports)
The decreased FedEx Cup Playoff area this season has confirmed to be a windfall for the Wyndham Championship.
With solely 70 gamers qualifying for subsequent week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship, the regular-season finale has heightened drama this 12 months. Previously an occasion most of the marquee gamers skippedto relaxation up for a playoff run, there are a number of big-name gamers on this week’s area making a last-ditch try and maintain their seasons alive.
Former main champions and No. 1-ranked gamers on this planet Justin Thomas and Adam Scott are in Greensboro, N.C., as is 2019 Open Championship winner Shane Lowry. They are in a featured pairing the primary two rounds, with every needing robust weeks to punch their tickets to Memphis for the primary playoff leg.
Our golf consultants break down the Wyndham Championship, which begins Thursday at Sedgefield Country Club, and supply their favourite prop picks together with greatest bets to win this week.
WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Greensboro, N.C., Aug. 3-6
Course: Sedgefield Country Club (Par 70, 7,131 yards)
Purse: $7.6M (Winner: $1.368M)
Defending Champion: Tom Kim
FedEx Cup chief: Jon Rahm
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming (ESPN): Thursday-Friday, 6:45 a.m.-6 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m.
Twitter: @WyndhamChamp
PROP PICKS
–Adam Scott to Beat Justin Thomas Round 1 (-110 at DraftKings): Both gamers have their playoff backs firmly towards the wall and wish 4 strong rounds to advance to subsequent week. That has been an issue for Thomas and Scott, who every have one sub-70 opening spherical of their previous 5 occasions. It has been even rougher for Thomas, whose first-round scoring common has been 75 within the 5 cuts he has missed in his previous seven begins. Scott did play at Sedgefield final 12 months, the place he opened and closed with rounds of 68 regardless of scuffling to a T76.
–Denny McCarthy to Finish Top 20 (110 at BetMGM): McCarthy appears like he has been knocking on the door of his first profession PGA Tour victory nearly weekly this 12 months. Along with a runner-up on the Memorial, he has three different prime 10s in his previous eight begins. McCarthy is coming off a missed reduce at The Open in his final begin and hasn’t but proven the flexibility to shut on Sunday, so we’re hedging our wager a bit by not taking the bait of the 220 odds for one more top-10.
–J.T. Poston to Beat Chris Kirk (-120 at DraftKings): Kirk produced one of many prime feel-good tales of the 12 months along with his win on the Honda Classic. However, he has just one top-10 in 14 begins since whereas lacking 5 cuts – together with 4 of his previous six. Poston is coming off a T2 final week and completed a strong T21 ultimately 12 months’s Wyndham. The final time Poston completed runner-up in an occasion, he went on to win the next week on the 2022 Travelers.
2023 Prop Picks Record: 35-45-2
BEST BETS
–Hideki Matsuyama (2000 at BetMGM) is coming off a T30 on the 3M Open as he seeks his first victory for the reason that 2022 Sony Open. He missed the reduce in his most up-to-date begin on the Wyndham in 2021. Matsuyama is second within the area with 6.6 p.c of the full bets and seven.9 p.c of the cash backing him to win, making the Japanese star the guide’s third greatest legal responsibility.
–Si Woo Kim (2000) is the highest participant within the FedEx Cup standings within the area at No. 18. Despite lacking his previous two cuts, Kim has been the most well-liked participant within the area, drawing 6.7 and 11.1 p.c of the motion, respecitively, since opening at 3300 at BetMGM. He’s the guide’s greatest legal responsibility.
–Russell Henley (2000) is among the many pre-tournament favorites regardless of his final top-10 coming on the Masters in April. He can also be 2000 at DraftKings, the place Henley is second within the area with 8 p.c of the cash backing him to win. Henley did tie for fifth right here final 12 months.
–Denny McCarthy (2500) missed the reduce final 12 months however enters a career-high thirty second on this planet rankings with three top-7s in his previous 5 begins. He has been the most well-liked participant with the identical odds at DraftKings, the place he has been backed by 9 p.c of the bets and 13 p.c of the cash to assert his first PGA Tour victory this week.
–Sam Burns (2500) has 5 top-10 finishes this 12 months as he seeks his sixth profession PGA Tour victory.
–J.T. Poston (2800) is coming off a runner-up on the 3M Open. He is BetMGM’s second greatest legal responsibility, having been backed by 5.4 p.c of the bets and seven.6 p.c of the cash since opening at 3000.
–Justin Thomas (3300) has missed his previous two cuts and his three top-10s so far are his fewest in any season as a professional.
NOTES
–This is the ultimate regular-season occasion, with solely the highest 70 within the FedEx Cup standings after this occasion qualifying for the primary leg of the playoffs. Austin Eckroat at present occupies the No. 70 spot. Notable names which are at present exterior of the Top 70 embody Lowry (76), Thomas (79) and Scott (81).
–Lowry wants at the very least a tie for twenty third this week to stay eligible for the playoffs. Thomas, who has reached the playoffs each season of his profession, wants a solo 18th or higher to have an opportunity to increase that streak to 9 and a three-way tie for fourth to safe his spot within the Top 70. Scott and Matt Kuchar are the one gamers to qualify for the playoffs yearly since their inception. Scott wants at the very least a tie for ninth to stay eligible for the playoffs.
–Akshay Bhatia earned full PGA Tour membership along with his win on the Barracuda Championship, however he stays 99th within the FedEx Cup standings.
–Wesley Bryan outlasted his brother, George, within the Monday Qualifier playoff to earn a spot within the area.
–Field Level Media