The PGA TOUR's Fall Swing heads to Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda to play the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. The course is short and has favored fairway finders in the past who also have a strong short game. The difficulty of the event is weather dependent, and the past few editions have been a challenge with the winning score at -15.
This week features the weakest field thus far of the 2022-2023 PGA TOUR season and seems completely wide open. The event offers a massive opportunity for players trying to progress their career. The winner will earn an exemption through 2025 and spots in the Sentry Tournament of Champions, THE PLAYERS, Masters and the PGA Championship.
In the past three editions of the tournament, there have been four first-round leaders or co-leaders. Of the four, two have come from the morning wave and two from the afternoon wave.
The first-round leader at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship has come down to the weather draw in the past few years. As of now, it doesn't like either the AM or PM wave has a significant advantage this week.
Butterfield Bermuda Championship First-Round Leader Picks
Adam Long +5000 (BetRivers)
First-Round Tee Time: 6:46 a.m. ET
Adam Long is my highest rated golfer in my weekly statistical rankings, and that could make him a strong fit to get out of the gates hot. His makeup for Port Royal looks solid all around and ranks in the top 27 in Strokes Gained: Approach (22nd), Fairways Gained (27th), Strokes Gained: Short Game (24th) and Strokes Gained: Putting on Bermudagrass (fifth).
Long has the added benefit of being in one of the first groups off in the morning and gets to play the course with a quiet atmosphere and fresh greens.
Greyson Sigg +5000 (BetRivers)
First-Round Tee Time: 12:15 p.m. ET
Greyson Sigg is the type of golfer who should thrive on a short track. He's remarkably accurate off the tee, and his lack of driving distance shouldn't hurt him at Port Royal.
The 26-year-old is still improving as a player and has proven to be inconsistent but has more talent than most of the players in this weak field. He has two top-10 finishes in his past seven PGA TOUR starts and has a high ceiling in this type of field.
Sigg also gives us a birdie-maker with an afternoon starting time if some late weather rolls in and gives the afternoon wave an advantage.
Akshay Bhatia +15000 (BetMGM)
First-Round Tee Time: 8:14 a.m. ET
When backing a player at triple-digit odds in the outright market, it's never a bad idea to supplement that bet with a first-round leader bet as well. Longshots are typically much more likely to lead early in the tournament than they are late in the tournament. As the pressure of the event mounts late in the week, we often see these types of players falter down the stretch.
I believe Akshay Bhatia has the raw talent to win the event, but considering that he's only 20 years old and has made very few PGA TOUR starts, he most likely has a better shot at leading after Thursday than Sunday. The conditions look benign on Thursday, which should allow Bhatia to go out and play some stress-free golf.
