Ryder Cup star poised to kick new PGA season off with a win
Published:Billy Horschel has barely had time to recover from the mammoth hangover that winning $10m in the FedEx Cup gives you and yet the points have been reset and the world’s best club-swingers will soon be on the course trying to claim his title.
A little over three weeks have passed since the PGA Tour’s showpiece, but the new season of golfing action comes hot on its heels with the Frys.com Open.
As you’d expect, not many of the sport’s higher-ranked players are out in force given the quick turnaround in proceedings and the recent Ryder Cup, but there’s enough quality clubmen to make a few confident punts.
The tournament has switched course for the first time since 2010, significantly levelling the playing field as most of last season’s qualifying school graduates join the tour.
The north course at the Silverado Resort and Spa hasn’t seen a PGA Tour event since 1980, but that shouldn’t stop Jimmy Walker, who recently impressed on Tom Watson’s beleaguered Ryder Cup team, from figuring come the final round.
At 16/1, Walker is the event’s second favourite behind Gleneagles teammate Matt Kuchar. However, the 35-year-old gets our seal of approval thanks to his sheer consistency.
The reigning Frys.com champion, Walker had 10 top-10 finishes last year and backed it up with a further six top 20s. Kuchar managed 11 top 10s but managed just one win, while Walker fired in three.
As an outside bet, Florida-born rookie Brooks Koepka should be sided with at 25/1. He led this tournament, albeit at the CordeValle Golf Club, through the second and third rounds last time before finishing tied for third.
He booked his place on the PGA Tour this year with a tied-fourth finish at the US Open and has been no worse than T11 in his last three starts.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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