Truist Championship 2026: Dave Tindall's each-way picks from 25/1 to 40/1

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Introduction to the Truist Championship

After pitching up at Philadelphia Cricket Club for one year, the Truist Championship (formerly Wells Fargo Championship) returns to its usual home: Quail Hollow.

The North Carolina venue is where Scottie Scheffler won last year's PGA Championship and is also the scene of four of Rory McIlroy's PGA Tour wins (including the first in 2010).

Scheffler doesn't tee it up this week but McIlroy does as both take different approaches to preparing for next week's PGA Championship at Aronimink in Pennsylvania.

This being a Signature Event - yep, I've lost count too - it's another star-packed field although the appeal of that diminishes every time we have one of these and, at times, it feels like every week!

Quail Hollow is a par 71 with Tif Eagle Bermudagrass greens that measures in at a lengthy 7,583 yards.

The final three holes are known as the 'Green Mile' and make the home straight particularly tough to navigate. 

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Sam Burns w/o McIlroy/Fitzpatrick/Schauffele/Young@ 25/126.00

It's been hard for an each-way preview like this to get any recent winners as week after week the first two or three in the betting keep lifting the trophy.

And, most likely, a very top name wins here. Rory McIlroy (four wins) and Xander Schauffele (runner-up in the last two editions of this event at Quail Hollow) would be the logical choices while Cam Young and Matt Fitzpatrick are both in sensational form.

However, this week we have a winner without Crosby/Stills/Nash/Young McIlroy/Fitzpatrick/Schauffele/Young market.

It pays 1/4 Odds, 5 Places and the prices aren't cut too much from the main Winner market (1/5 Odds, 5 Places).

So let's take the first four out of the equation and shrug if one of them wins.

In a beautiful world, those four occupy the top four places and one of our picks comes solo fifth and we get paid out as a winner. If nothing else, playing this market likely increases the number of each-way places we have running for us as surely at least a couple of the big four will be right up there.

Anyway, let's begin...

Sam Burns will be on the radar for many punters at next week's US PGA Championship. Indeed, I tipped him ante-post for Aronimink at 80s. That preview also has Cam Young at 80s... which is nice.

But while he's really upped his game in the majors in recent years - three top 10s in the last five held on American soil - nothing could prepare him better than banking another PGA Tour win.

He picked off five between May 2021 and March 2023 although it's gone dry since. But he's too good a player not to grab another win soon and this lengthy, majors quality course gives him a decent opportunity.

The 29-year-old closed with a 67 here at Quail Hollow to finish 19th when it staged the 2025 US PGA.

And the last time it hosted this event, Burns was sixth with a round to go before dropping to 13th.

Length is definitely a key weapon here and the man from Louisana ranks 20th for Driving Distance on the PGA Tour this season.

What also stands out when looking at recent winners at Quail Hollow is their Strokes Gained: Putting stats. The last five winners ranked 8th, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd and 1st.

Again, that bodes well for Burns, one of the best putters around (10th for SG: Putting this season).

Sixth at Pebble Beach, seventh at the US Masters and 13th at The Players Championship, he's building a bank of form from which he can spring to a win.

While 38th at the Cadillac Championship last week looks average, his 4-under 68s in rounds two and four were pretty decent in an event where the runner-up shot 13-under.

As for playing well with a major on the horizon, Burns ticks that box too.

He lost a playoff at the Canadian Open the week before last year's US Open. And although not the week prior, he won his final warm-up event ahead of the US Masters in both 2022 and 2023.

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Bet 2: Alex Smalley w/o McIlroy/Fitzpatrick/Schauffele/Young @ 40/141.00

Quail Hollow requires strength throughout the bag and that's why I like in-form Alex Smalley this week.

The 29-year-old is 16th for All-Around this season which gives him immediate appeal. He's positive in all the Strokes Gained metrics so there just isn't a weakness.

Starting with the Players Championship, Smalley has reeled off five top 25s in his last six starts and the last two were the most notable.

First, he finished runner-up in the Zurich Classic pairs event with Hayden Springer and then he followed that up with seventh in last week's Cadillac Championship.

Iron play counts for plenty at Quail Hollow and Smalley ranked 4th for SG: Approach at Doral. He's 16th in that category for the season.

In addition, he's also had two encouraging knocks at this week's course.

On his only start in this event in 2023, the American finished 18th, really hitting his straps with middle rounds of 65-68.

And when it staged the US PGA last year, he was seventh at halfway before finishing 28th. Not bad in just your third start in a major, especially as he only got in as first alternate.

Part of the reason for such a comfort level is that he's a North Carolina resident.

At last year's US PGA, he said: "Yeah, I live about an hour and a half from here in Greensboro. I grew up just north of Raleigh. To have a major championship in your home state is awesome. I like the course and like the property."

Smalley talked last week about his short-game improvements and that he was swinging it well.

He gives it a good biff off the tee so has the tools to have a big week.

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Bet 3: Rickie Fowler w/o McIlroy/Fitzpatrick/Schauffele/Young @ 25/126.00

I did look at Aldrich Potgieter this week as he'll be able to fly tee shots over bunkers and corners and arrives on the back of 25th at Hilton Head and 14th at the Cadillac.

He's also got form on two courses that correlate, Torrey Pines and Riviera. However, his short game may just get found out.

So after a near-miss ninth last week, I'll include Rickie Fowler in the staking plan once more.

The Californian has some wonderful history here: a win, two fourths, a fifth and a sixth.

It's going back a bit but he's playing well enough to be a factor again.

Fowler was ninth on a tough course at Bay Hill last month and, after not qualifying for the US Masters, he's returned with top 10s at both the RBC Heritage and the Cadillac Championship.

He ranked in the top 10 for SG: Approach in both and gained strokes with the putter each time.

Clad in his all-orange again at Doral on Sunday, Fowler reminded us of those early days when he once made the top five in all four majors in the same season.

Tied 14th in the last major he played - last summer's Open at Royal Portrush - Fowler will be keen to find some more spark ahead of next week's US PGA and this looks an ideal venue.

One important stat here is putting inside 10 feet and Fowler ranks 4th in that category this season so he's been taking his chances.

Back at the scene of his first Tour win, let's back Fowler to follow up eighth and ninth in his last two Signature events with an even better finish here.

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Now read Steve Rawlings' Truist Championship preview

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*You can follow me on Twitter @DaveTindallgolf

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