The PGA Tour heads to Texas for the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch, a new Tom Weiskopf designed course in McKinney, with three of the top ten players in the world in the field after a late withdrawal by number one Dustin Johnson. The tournament was canceled last year as a result of Covid-19 and the 2019 winner, Sung Kang, is still the defending champion.
The tournament makes a move to TPC Craig Ranch after two unspectacular years at Trinity Fields, a quirky Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design that never really caught on with players, spectators, and apparently the organizers of the event. The AT&T Byron Nelson has a five year agreement with TPC Craig Ranch, so the players should have an opportunity to get familiar with the layout.
Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, ranked third and fifth in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), respectively, sit atop the futures odds list at +800.
Last Week in Charlotte
Rory McIlroy broke an 18 month victory drought, the second longest of his PGA Tour career, with his win in the Wells Fargo Championship, the 32 year old’s third in the event, and the site of his first Tour title. He began the final round two shots behind 54 hole leader Keith Mitchell, but shot a three under par 68, finishing at ten under to defeat Abraham Ancer, who fired a five under 66, by a shot.
McIlroy entered the week at +1800 odds and finally appeared to regain the form that had been eluding him since the Tour ended its Covid-19 induced pause last summer. The four time major championship winner, including the PGA at next week’s Ocean Course on the Kiawah Island site, jumped from 51st to 17th in the FedEx Cup standings.
Betting Odds at the Byron Nelson
Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, ranked third and fifth in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), respectively, sit atop the futures odds list at +800. Rahm is coming off a disappointing missed cut after making sloppy bogeys on his final two holes to knock him out of the field for the weekend.
DeChambeau thought he had missed the cut and flew back to Dallas Friday afternoon, but ended up qualifying for the weekend on the number and returned early Saturday morning, shooting a pair of 68’s on the weekend to finish in a tie for ninth place. At +1200 is Jordan Spieth, already a winner in Texas earlier this year where he broke his own three and a half year winless streak and who is making his first start since a third place finish in the Masters.
Daniel Berger, winner at Pebble Beach in February for his fourth on Tour, is at +1800 but has only one top ten finish since his victory. At +2000 is Masters champion Hideku Matsuyama who will be playing for the first time since his historic major championship victory.
Joining Matsuyama at the same odds are Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick, who is due to break through with a victory on the PGA Tour, and Brooks Koepka, tenth in the OWGR and still trying to battle back from yet another injury. Rounding out the top ten are PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Scottie Scheffler, who at +2500 is still searching for his first win on Tour, with always dangerous Marc Leishman, Valspar Championship winner Sam Burns and rookie sensation Will Zalatoris at +2800.
