It was a bit of a slow start for tournament leaders Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay on Saturday, but an eagle from the latter on the par-5 seventh jump started the round. The duo would go on to make birdie on eight of its final nine holes to move to 29-under on the week and stretch its lead to five shots going into the final round.
While alternate shot can present some problems and there is potential for some disruptive winds on Sunday, it's hard to imagine these stars folding in the final round. They have been steady throughout the week and have taken advantage of the best ball days to put themselves in a really comfortable position. South Africans Branden Grace and Garrick Higgo will join them in the final group and will look to cut the deficit early in the round to at least put some pressure on the Americans.
Anything can happen with the pressure up on Sunday, but I don't have a lot of interest in sinking funds into chasing these guys. I'll put my focus down the board as we look for value in the placement markets and matchups for my final day of best bets for the Zurich Classic.
Best Bets
Shane Lowry/Ian Poulter — Top 10 +115 (DraftKings)
This European Ryder Cup contingent had my eye to start the week and even as they have slipped out of contention, the duo of Lowry and Poulter is still positioned for a potential top-10 finish. It's encouraging to see the scoring from Poulter in particular on Saturday as he has been a bit hit or miss with his ball striking in 2022. He seems to be finding some form, which will complement the hot Lowry well as they roll into the final round on Sunday.
I really like the plus money odds available for a team currently inside the top 10 and showing some good play from both players. They are also well equipped to handle the potential winds on Sunday afternoon, which should keep them in position for a solid finish.
Scottie Scheffler/Ryan Palmer — Top 10 +300 (DraftKings)
If you are looking for a team a little further back and at longer odds to finish in the top 10, my pick is the Texas duo of Scheffler and Palmer. They got off to a bit of a sluggish start early in the week, but made it through to the weekend and found a bit of a groove in their Saturday round. Both players contributed well during their 9-under best ball third round and I expect them to roll that momentum into Sunday. Similar to Lowry and Poulter, these two are good wind players who shouldn't have their ball striking effected by the weather in the final round. They are just two shots short of the top 10 as things currently stand and would be my pick from down the board to make a move up.
Fade Doc Redman/Sam Ryder in Matchups
When matchups are released for the final round, I'll be looking to fade Sam Ryder and Doc Redman. They really struggled to score on Saturday in the easier format and may be set to tumble down the board when they transition to alternate shot.
It's hard to say without much data available if it was the pressure of being in contention or the winds that got to their play, but two professional golfers should never be posting three bogeys in a round of best ball. They look to be grouped with Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele on Sunday, who would be a great team — coming in hot off a 9-under best ball round — to play against Ryder and Redman in the final round.
