Wyndham Championship: Champ can contend again
The PGA Tour pitches up in North Carolina for the last event before the FedEx Cup playoff series starts and our man's here with his comprehensive preview...
Steve Rawlings says: "The last seven winners here, starting with Davis Love III in 2015, have ranked 32nd, 51st, 71st, 25th, 51st, 51st and 65th for Driving Distance. This is not a bombers track, this is a course for the accurate types.
"Brand Snedeker won here four years ago with some bizarre stats and there were none more bizarre than his 51st for Driving Accuracy as finding the fairways at Sedgefield is very often the key to victory. The rough is awkward to play from and getting within birdie range is nigh on impossible if you stray from the cut and prepared.
"Last year's winner, Kevin Kisner, only ranked 31st for Driving Accuracy but the first six players home in 2020 ranked fourth, fifth, first, eighth, 13th and 17th for DA.
"In 2019, the first and second, J.T Poston and course-specialist, Webb Simpson, ranked second and first for DA and other than Kisner and Snedeker, in the 14 renewals since the event returned to Sedgefield, 16th (Patrick Reed) is the worst any other winner has ranked for Driving Accuracy."
Steve's bet: Back Cameron Champ @ 85.084/1
Wyndham Championship Each-Way Tips: Kim for the win at Sedgefield
Dave Tindall has three each-way tips for the action at Sedgefield Country Club...
Dave says: "Si-Woo Kim was a somehwat surprise challenger in the Open Championship at St Andrews last month, sharing fifth place after 54 holes before finishing tied 15th, easily his best finish in the event.
"But there will be no scratching of heads to see his name high on the leaderboard this week; in fact, it will be fully expected. Kim won this event in 2016 - his first PGA Tour victory - and has finished fifth (2019), third (2020) and second (2021) in the last three editions.
"That sensational course form at Sedgefield includes closing 64s in 2019 and 2021 and a third-round 62 in 2020. When he won in 2016, Kim fired an incredible 60 on day two..."
Dave's bet: Back Si-Woo Kim each-way @ 23.022/1
Find Me a 100 Winner: Resurgent Spaun can go in again
Steve continues his quest to land a winner at huge odds with three massive outsiders to back at the Wyndham...
Steve Rawlings says: "The one I like most this week, and the one I'm really surprised to see trading at as big as 160.0159/1, is the Texas Open winner, JJ Spaun.
"Getting off the mark on the PGA Tour is a big deal and it was no surprise to see Spaun's form falter following his impressive maiden success but he really caught the eye last week in the Rocket Mortgage Classic where he putted very nicely to finish eighth.
"Spaun has disappointing form figures around Sedgefield reading 16-69-MC-MC but he signed off his first appearance here with an eight-under-par 63 and last week's performance also shows that a Donald Ross designed track may suit is eye."
Steve's bet: Back JJ Spaun @ 160.0159/1
Wyndham Championship: Course guide and form stats
Andy Swales has all the key info on the course for the Wyndham, the players' form and his four to follow...
Andy says: "Sedgefield Country Club is situated around six miles south-west of Greensboro city centre. This lush, well-wooded parkland course has a rich history which dates back to 1926.
"Designed by Donald Ross, the course underwent a $3m revamp ahead of its return to the PGA Tour schedule in 2008. Sedgefield had been out of the spotlight for over three decades, having previously hosted a Tour event in 1976. The course is generally known as a birdie-fest...
"Russell Henley is one of those golfers you can never rule out, especially on low-scoring courses where the birdies arrive thick and fast. At times he can be a streak player."
Andy's Player to Watch: Russell Henley @ 25.024/1
Cazoo Open: Pepperell poised to win again
The DP World Tour moves from Scotland to Wales this week for the Cazoo Open at Celtic Manor. Steve Rawlings previews the tournament...
Steve says: "Looking back at the 2020 Celtic Challenge and the nine editions of the Cazoo Open staged here, length off the tee is fairly irrelevant. Alex Noren ranked first for Driving Distance when he won here in 2011 and Romain Langasque ranked ninth in 2020 but every other winner has ranked 33rd or worse.
"Noren and last year's winner, Elvira, who both ranked ninth, are the only two course winners to rank inside the top-ten for Driving Accuracy and the two men to win here in 2020 ranked only 41st and 54th so driving straight isn't imperative either.
"Denmark's Jeppe Huldahl was a strange winner at a huge price in 2009, ranking 37th for DD, 53rd for DA, and only 17th for Greens In Regulation. Gregory Bourdy, who ranked 27th for GIR, and Langasque, who ranked 13th, are the only other Cazoo Open winners not to rank inside the top-10 for GIR and Horsfield ranked 12th for GIR in the Celtic Challenge so that's been a key stat...
"I'm happy to take a chance on Eddie Pepperell here at 38.037/1. The Englishman has been in the doldrums for a few years now but he followed his 11th in the Cazoo Classic two weeks ago with a second-place finish in Scotland last week, where he ranked second for Scrambling and fourth for both Putting Average and Strokes Gained Putting. He was fourth here back in 2014 so he has course form to boot."
Steve's bet: Back Eddie Pepperell @ 38.037/1
Cazoo Open First-Round Leader Tips: Fisher to fly out of blocks
Dave Tindall has three picks to make a strong start on Thursday and be First-Round Leader at Celtic Manor Resort...
Dave says: "Ross Fisher started 65-66 in last week's Hero Open, his 7-under opener putting him seventh on the round one leaderboard. He didn't quite go through with his effort but once again he produced strong Strokes Gained: Approach numbers and that's key at Celtic Manor.
"Fisher has a couple of top 10s on this course and hopefully last week hinted at a return to the early-season form that saw him finish runner-up at the Ras al Khaimah Classic and follow it with a top six in the MyGolfLife Open.
"In the latter he opened with a 62 which secured a piece of the first-round lead while he was also eighth after 18 holes at the Dutch Open in May. The Englishman has twice been in the top two at halfway on this course so let's back him at 50/1 to start fast again."
Dave's bet: Back Ross Fisher each-way at 51.050/1
Cazoo Open Each-Way Tips: Campillo is a freaky DNA fit
Matt Cooper has three selections with the Betfair Sportsbook paying seven places for this week's action at Celtic Manor...
Matt says: "What's piqued my interest (in Jorge Campillo) is the extent to which he and last year's Cazoo Open winner Nacho Elvira seem to share golfing DNA. In fact, if you take a look at where Elvira has made a top three finish and then check on how Campillo has performed there the results are almost preposterous.
"Two of Elvira's second tier wins came on courses Campillo has never played on, but a third was Geneve CC where Campillo was second in his only start.
"Elvira has finished second three times on the DP World Tour. At Doha (Campillo also has a second there), at Saujana (ditto) and at Dar es Salam (Campillo is a winner there).
"Elvira has three times finished third. At Al Mouj (Campillo has a second and a fourth there), at Milano (where Campillo has a seventh) and at Centro Nacional de Golf (Campillo has finished 10th and fifth)."
Matt's bet: Back Jorge Campillo each-way @ 41.040/1
Cazoo Open: Course guide and form stats
Andy Swales has all the key info on the course for the Cazoo Open, the players' form and his four to follow...
Andy says: "The TwentyTen course, named in honour of the year it hosted the Ryder Cup, is located close to Junction 24 on the M4. Situated around three miles east of Newport city centre, the course is laid out along the scenic Usk Valley.
"TwentyTen is largely a flat parkland course with a handful of undulating holes towards the end of the round. There is a good quantity of sand, plenty of subtle changes in direction, while water comes into play on eight holes...
"Thomas Detry is remarkably a nine-time podium finisher on the DP World Tour but still no victory. Was runner-up at Celtic Manor on his only previous appearance in 2020."
Andy's Player to Watch: Thomas Detry @ 21.020/1