FedEx St Jude Championship: Fitzpatrick fancied to kick series off in style
We're off to Memphis on Thursday for the first of three FedEx Cup playoff events and Steve Rawlings is here with his comprehensive preview of the high quality renewal.
Steve Rawlings says: "Matt Fitzpatrick is bidding to become the third US Open winner to win at TPC Southwind in the last five years, following wins by Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson and at 25/1 in the Sportsbook's Enhanced Win Only market, he's a fair price to emulate the pair.
"Fitzpatrick has ticked over nicely since his brilliant win at Brookline, finishing sixth in the Scottish Open and tied 21st in the Open and he has already shown a liking to the venue."
"Fitzpatrick led by two at halfway on debut in 2019 before slipping to fourth and he finished sixth 12 months later. He finished only 57th 12 months ago but he clearly wasn't at his best at the time. He'd finished down the filed on the DP World Tour (52nd in the Cazoo Open) prior to playing here and he missed his two subsequent cuts.
"Fitzpatrick currently ranks second and 24th for the key traditional stats - Scrambling and Par 4 Performance - and he also tops the SG: Tee-to Green stats on the PGA Tour so he's a great fit statistically too."
Steve's bet: Back Matt Fitzpatrick @ 25/1 - Enhanced Win Only (Sportsbook)
FedEx St. Jude Championship Each-Way Tips: Stallings can surprise
It's the first event of the playoffs and Dave Tindall has three each-way tips for the action at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
Dave says: "On current form, Scott Stallings is certainly worth a look. Fourth at Colonial (short par 70) in late May, his last four finishes read: 8-4-10-13.
"The latest came at the Wyndham Championship where he closed 67-65 on the weekend. Stalling was positive for SG: Tee To Green in all four rounds. Talking of which, although his overall season Tee To Green position of 64th is good rather than great, he ranks 8th in the field if narrowing the TTG study period to just the last eight weeks.
"Looking at the numbers, he's ranked 12th or better for TTG in each of his last four starts, picking up a combined 29 strokes on the field. Two of the four were played on par 70s: Sedgefield Country Club and TPC River Highlands which has to bode well.
"That brings us to Par 4 Scoring and Stallings is a healthy 24th this season so that's another box ticked.
"Finally, does he have any course form? You'd think so and a scroll through the history books shows him finishing runner-up in 2013."
Dave's bet: Back Scott Stallings each-way @ 100/1
FedEx St Jude Championship First-Round Leader Tips: Wise to take Thursday prize
It's the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and Dave Tindall has three picks to be First-Round Leader at TPC Southwind.
Dave says: "Aaron Wise comes in off a tied 13th in last week's Wyndham Championship and that included an opening 65 which put him fifth after 18 holes.
"It was no surprise to see him go low and a check of the PGA Tour's Early R1 Scoring Average shows him ranked 4th. That's relevant as he's been given a first-round tee-time of 08.21.
"Wise also started with a 65 at the Mexico Open while he was seventh after day one of the US Open.
"The Memorial runner-up is 50/1 to be first-round leader in this field of 125 and that's worth a bet given that he has a good record of starting strongly in elite fields (also second after R1 of the 2021 US PGA).
Dave's bet: Back Aaron Wise each-way at 50/1
Find Me a 100 Winner: Kevin can kick on again
Our man has outsiders to trade at both events of this week's events, including a headline pick at the St Jude...
Steve Rawlings says: "Having never been in contention, Kevin Kisner withdrew from last week's Wyndham Championship with one hole to play of round two when rain stopped play. He was six-over-par at the time and heading for a weekend off anyway.
"That was Kisner's sixth weekend off in eight starts but that doesn't unduly put me off. He provided profits when matched at 6.05/1 when a pick for the column at 200.0199/1 at the Travelers Championship , where he finished sixth having missed his last four cuts, and he played superbly in spells at the Open Championship where he finished 21st after shooting 65 on Saturday.
"Kisner has form at all the right correlating courses (see preview) and although his form figures at TPC Southwind aren't spectacular, reading 38-13-50-27-25-63, he sat second and third after the opening rounds back in 2011 and 2014."
Steve's bet: Back Kevin Kisner @ 350.0349/1
Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.35/4
FedEx St Jude Championship: Course and current form stats
The opening tournament of this year's FedEx Cup Play-Offs begins in Memphis on Thursday. Words and stats supplied by Andy Swales.
Andy says: "The greens at TPC Southwind are smaller than the PGA Tour average, which is why accuracy will be a more important currency than power this week.
"Precision driving and accurate iron play is certainly the key to success these next few days.
"Water comes into play on nine holes, with tricky dog-legs a particular feature of this parkland course.
"Patrick Cantlay = Consistency during 2022 as he searches for his maiden title of the season which has so far yielded a trio of runner-up finishes."
Andy's Player to Watch: Patrick Cantlay @ 19.018/1
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ISPS Handa World Invitational: Guido chanced at Galgorm
The DP World Tour hops from Wales to Northern Ireland this week for the ISPS Handa World Invitational and Steve Rawlings has the lowdown ahead of Thursday's start.
Steve says: "Santiago Tarrio and Marcus Helligkilde were both carefully considered and one of Matt Cooper's fancies, Renato Paratore, will be one of my Find Me a 100 Winner picks but I'm going to go into the event with just one other selection - the mercurial Guido Migliozzi.
"The 25-year-old Italian is in search of his third DP World Tour title having bagged two in 2019 and one could easily argue he's not making the most of his obvious talent given he's finished fourth and 14th in each of the last two US Opens.
"That's extraordinarily strong form in the context of this event and I was happy to throw a few pounds in his direction at 55.054/1 in the hope he can get the juices flowing this week."
Steve's bet: Back Guido Migliozzi @ 55.054/1
ISPS Handa World Invitational Each-Way Tips: Saving love for Renato
Matt Cooper has three each-way selections for this week's DP World Tour event with the Betfair Sportsbook paying seven places.
Matt says: "There's no arguing that Renato Paratore's case is not straightforward. Put simply, he has been in appalling form.
"Since tagging three top 25s together last October he has made just three cuts in 18 starts and has not one top 30. But he made the cut in the Irish Open and he was third last week at Celtic Manor.
"He also found more fairways last week than he has in a long time, it helped him find more greens and he putted exceptionally well.
"He's never played the course but he has won at Barseback and has multiple top 10s at Dar es Salam and Crans sur Sierre so trees don't bother him. He also has a win on parkland in GB&I when the British Masters winner in 2020 at Close House."
Matt's bet: Back Renato Paratore each-way @ 100/1
ISPS Handa World Invitational: Course and current form stats
We're off to County Antrim for this week's DP World Tour event at Galgorm Castle. Words and form stats are supplied by Andy Swales.
Andy says: "Designed by Simon Gidman and opened in 1997, this parkland course is laid out close to the rivers of Maine and Braid, and located around 25 miles north of Belfast.
"The venue has five lakes, with water coming into play on 13 holes.
"John Catlin is a three-time winner on the DP World Tour, with one of his victories arriving at Galgorm two years ago. His best finish of 2022, so far, was at the Irish Open in early July when he tied-for-fourth."
Andy's Player to Watch: John Catlin @ 14/1