3 off the tee at Wells Fargo include sizzling debutant Thomas
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Quail Hollow is still the sole venue for the 13th edition of the Wells Fargo Championship and this uniquely-challenging course continues to attract the PGA Tour’s finest, including world number one Rory McIlroy.
As well as containing the notorious Green Mile, the name for one of the toughest three-hole stretches in golf, the North Carolina venue holds fond memories for McIlroy who recorded his breakthrough win here in 2010.
The Ulsterman broke the course record back then, which still stands at 62, and having tied for eighth at The Players following his WGC Matchplay win, his rather skinny odds of 3/1 for victory will still appeal to many a Ladbrokes customer.
However, it’s not our job here at news.ladbrokes to take such an easy approach, so instead we’re offering up three different players worthy of well-aimed each-way money.
The par 72, 7,563 yard track is one of the longest and consistently stingiest on the PGA Tour (not helped by 16, 17 and 18), where last season it was the site of most bogeys or worse outside of the majors.
Defending champion J.B Holmes echoes the trend of big-hitting winners here, although the 25/1-shot still carded nine bogeys en-route to victory.
The fact Holmes still ranked seventh in bogey avoidance shows the rigours involved. But where the course is inclined to yield strokes is the par 5s, where it only ranked 31st against all host tracks last season.
This immediately flags up the chances of 40/1 shot Justin Thomas, who set a Players Championship record on debut last week by racking up 10 birdies in the third round at TPC Sawgrass – to post a trio of top 25s coming in.
Although he’s new to Quail Hollow too, Thomas is second only to Bubba Watson in Par 5 birdie or better leaders on the Tour.
Meanwhile, 25/1 shot Bill Haas has a pair of fourth-place finishes at Quail Hollow and only missed a play-off spot at TPC Sawgrass by a single shot, so the American is in great nick at a course he’s enjoyed in the recent past.
Finally, due to a return to form second favourite Henrik Stenson gets a doff of the cap at 16s despite underwhelming showings here in previous years.
The Swede is sixth in bogey avoidance, a key stat at Quail Hollow, and second in both strokes gained and adjusted scoring this season.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
