We didn’t have a betting article for the Olympics last week, but what an incredible event that turned out to be. When money isn't the main motivator and everyone in the field is invested in themselves and their countries, the event naturally has a different feel. It’s the only event we see that actively awards second- and third-place finishes, which helped create an incredible atmosphere on the back nine on Sunday as Scottie Scheffler chased down the leaders after being six back with seven holes to play.
We now turn our attention to the final event before the FedExCup Playoffs. Most golfers in the field will be looking to improve their current place in the standings or potentially sneak into next week’s event. Only the top 70 in the FedExCup standings will tee it up at next week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.
The Wyndham Championship is held at Sedgefield Country Club, which is a par-70 that measures 7,131 yards. This is a course where any type of golfer can win. This is largely thanks to the fact that the narrow fairways and the number of short holes negate the need for driving distance. This is one of the few weeks where driving accuracy is much more important than driving distance.
The name of the game this week will be who can make the most birdies. Three of the last four winners of this event have finished with a score of at least 20-under par. While the fairways are narrow, they are still easy to hit on average (likely because many opt to club down off the tee). The greens are also easy to hit in regulation, which emphasizes both iron play and putting.
The greens themselves are large and feature bermudagrass. There are water hazards that come into play on 6 of the 18 holes. In terms of approach shot yardages, we have seen a pretty even distribution here over the years. There are just as many wedges as there are mid and long iron shots. With the course preview wrapped up, let’s dive into this week’s picks.
Derek Farnsworth's 2024 Wyndham Championship Picks for 3 PGA Tour Veterans
Starting bankroll: $1,000
Last week: -$100
Current bankroll: $420
Sungjae Im
Outright +1400 (DraftKings)
$20 to pay $300
Im is not only the class of the field, he’s in better form than anyone else teeing it up at Sedgefield Country Club. After a slow start to the season, he has finished T12 or better in eight of his last 10 starts. He doesn’t have a win during that stretch, but he continues to inch closer and closer to his first PGA TOUR win of the year (he did pick up a win in Korea). He’s accurate off the tee, his approach play is back to being well above TOUR average, and he has one of the best short games on tour.
Im has long played his best golf on short par-70 courses that feature bermudagrass green, so it’s no surprise that he’s had so much success here in the past. He’s made five appearances at this event and has never finished worse than T24.
Billy Horschel
Outright +2500 (BetMGM) | Top 5 +600 (bet365)
$15 to pay $400 | $25 to pay $175
I wasn’t originally planning to bet Horschel this week given the fact the last time we saw him, he narrowly missed out on winning The Open Championship. However, after withdrawing from the 3M Open, he’s had a full three weeks to rest up and prepare for the final stretch of the season. We know he’s one of the streakiest players on the PGA TOUR and is currently playing some great golf with a win and three more top-10 finishes in his last 10 starts.
When it comes to course history, Sedgefield is one of the more predictive venues on the PGA TOUR. In other words, golfers who have played well here in the past tend to play well here time and time again. Horschel might have the best course history of anyone in the field, as he’s finished T11 or better in five of his last seven starts here.
Brian Harman
Outright +3000 (BetMGM) | Top 5 +700 (bet365)
$15 to pay $465 | $25 to pay $200
I try not to bet on Harman when it comes to the outright market, but I’ll make a few exceptions each year. Typically, I want to target him on short courses and reward accuracy over distance. He’s an accurate driver of the ball, he’s elite around the greens, and he’s an excellent putter. He can always rely on those three skills.
The difference recently has been his approach play – he has quietly gained at least five strokes on approach in five of his last 14 starts. If the iron play shows up again, I see no reason why last year’s Open Championship winner can’t contend this week. While his history here has been far from consistent, he does have two top-six finishes on his resume.
