Weekly PGA Tour Tips

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Jordan Spieth – 30/1 – 2pts each-way

Harris English – 50/1 – 1.25pts each-way

Joaquin Niemann – 66/1 – 1pt each-way

Danny Lee – 80/1 – 0.75pts each-way

Brian Harman – 90/1 – 0.75pts each-way

Charley Hoffman – 125/1 – 0.5pts each-way

Kevin Tway – 150/1 – 0.5pts each-way

Josh Teater – 300/1 – 0.25pts each-way

After a three month absence due to the horrific COVID-19 pandemic, PGA Tour golf is back. There may be no fans and no grandstands, but we have 18 of the world's top-20 players for the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country club. This will have an almost major championship-strength field and everyone is delighted to back playing competitive golf. It is great to back trying to pick a winner. As World Number One, Rory is an obvious favourite at 7/1. He is followed by Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau. Colonial is an old-style classical and relatively short par-70 course, so it doesn’t readily favour the power players who are towards the top of the betting market. Big-hitting ball-strikers have won here before (Adam Scott in 2014 and Justin Rose in 2018), but short-straight hitters who putt well probably do better (Zach Johnson (twice), Steve Stricker (twice), Kevin Kisner). Kevin Na is the defending champion and has great form here. Experienced pros with course form tend to do best here. But, given the times we live in, players that play well after a break need focus. Bets should be kept to a minimum after such a long break as form will be difficult to gauge, but the likes of Paddy Power are playing 10 places to make things more attractive. Maybe waiting until the cut is made or Sunday before making a bet might be better also.

The headline selection for our first week back is a player with impeccable Colonial pedigree. Jordan Spieth won here in 2016 and was tied-2nd in 2015 and 2017, along with two other top-10’s. Admittedly, Spieth has struggled in the last couple of years but a tournament at Colonial can fire him back to life. He is also comes from Dallas which is just down the road. He also goes well fresh if his form at Kapalua at the start of the year is anything to go by.

Harris English is a player who has turned his game around and was one of the most in-form players on the tour before the pandemic break. Crucial to his strong form this season is a history of good performances at the course. English has two top-5 finishes, including a runner-up finish to Spieth in 2016. He should go well this week.

A player who goes well after a break is the young Chilean sensation, Joaquin Niemann, who won the first tour event of the season at the Greenbrier. He also has a top-10 finish here in 2018 and that win at the Greenbrier was on bentgrass greens which is what will be encountered at Colonial.

Danny Lee seems to have a liking for Colonial having never missed a cut here. His sixth-place finish in 2017 was his best showing and his pre-pandemic form was solid and might prefer having no fans onsite.

Brian Harman is another player who has shown solid form this season after a dip in performance last year. There are form line links at Colonial to the John Deere Classic and Harman is a previous winner there. He hasn’t missed a cut at Colonial in the last six years and was tied-7th in 2017.

Another players who has not missed a cut at Colonial in the last decade is Charley Hoffman. Hoffman has been erratic in his form the last couple of years, but plays well in Texas and likes to shoot low rounds at Colonial – he shot 63’s here last year and in 2018.

Kevin Tway can perform well after a layoff, as his win at the season-opening Safeway Open in 2018 demonstrates. He also has three top-20 finishes in the last three renewals at Colonial, including a tied-5th in 2018.

Our long shot this week is Josh Teater who has a number of strong showings at Colonial over the last decade. He has a top-10 finish here and just finished runner-up at the Puerto Rico Open in late Febraury.