How To Bet on Golf

Steve Rawlings Golf Previews

Golf Each-Way Tips

Long Odds Golf Tips

PGA Tour Golf Tips

Each-Way Calculator

WGC Dell Match Play Each-Way Tips: Reed can turn it on in Texas

Dave Tindall
20 March 2022
4:00 min read

Patrick Reed can show his prowess in this format

Join

View market

Twitter

Facebook

The PGA Tour heads to Texas and Dave Tindall has three each-way tips for the action at Austin Country Club...

"Imagine how you'd feel on Sunday night if Patrick Reed had won this event at 50/1 and you weren't on."

Main Bet: Patrick Reed each-way @ 51.050/1

After managing to pick the winner last year at 70/1 (thanks Billy Horschel!), it's certainly worth revisiting the preview from 2021 in the hope that my lucky numbers come in again.

Horschel made the staking plan due to having a previous win in Texas as well as other good recent form in the Lone Star State.

He also had some decent recent form having finished runner-up in the WGC-Workday Championship in Florida. That was one of three top sevens in his last eight events.

Horschel was the No.32 seed which highlighted how open this tournament has been.

Austin Country Club, a Pete Dye design measuring just over 7,000 yards, has now hosted five editions of this event so 40 players (5 x 8) have reached the quarter-finals.

Why the focus on the quarter-finals? Because, once more, Betfair are offering eight payout places so reaching that stage ensures an each-way return.

This is the breakdown of those 40 players in terms of seedings:

1-16 - 12 players
17-32 - 11 players
33-48 - 8 players
49-64 - 9 players

It's a pretty clear story and highlights why this is an obvious opportunity to look beyond the market leaders.

The top 16 seeds are really struggling to show any sort of dominance and last year Jon Rahm was the only player from that elite bunch to make the last eight.

That quarter-final target makes the event seem less daunting from a betting point of view so I'm going to go for three relatively high-priced picks.

Looking at the last 12 finalists in this gruelling event - don't forget that Wednesday start folks - nine hadn't played four rounds the week before so coming in with a bit of freshness helps.

Let's cut to the chase then. Imagine how you'd feel on Sunday night if Patrick Reed had won this event at 50/1 and you weren't on.

I don't want to entertain that thought so I'm happy to make him the headline pick.

Reed, who made his reputation as a ferocious match play opponent, hasn't quite caught fire in this event but he's twice emerged from the group at Austin.

He's been off the radar a little of late but really got his putter going when tied 26th at the Players Championship a fortnight ago. He had last week off.

Reed ranked 3rd for SG: Putting at Sawgrass and is 30th in that category this season.

This looks an ideal event for him to build on that Players performance and he'll be extra keen to prove a point having not made the last Ryder Cup team.

So to the draw. Yep, his group features No.1 seed Rahm which will put many off immediately. But you get the sense Reed (seeded 23rd) will absolutely relish the chance to topple the World No.1. Remember his Ryder Cup singles win over Rory in 2016 (see above photo!)?

Cameron Young and Sebastian Munoz are the other two members in the group and shouldn't be taken lightly.

But if Reed gets on a roll, he's capable of tearing through the group. Then it would need just one more win to get an each-way payout.

Let's put faith in Captain America at 50s.

Next Bet: Kevin Kisner each-way @ 51.050/1

I was looking at Alex Noren at the same price but, arguably (everything in this event is open to argument!), he has the tougher draw.

The Swede is ranked 50th so has to take on Louis Oosthuizen, Paul Casey and Corey Conners. An excellent course record and some fine form suggests he may well come through but I'm leaning more towards Kevin Kisner.

Kisner has enjoyed the last fortnight on the Florida Swing, shooting a pair of 68s on the weekend at Sawgrass (like this, a Pete Dye track) to finish fourth before he didn't put much stress on himself when tied 33rd at the Valspar last time.

He gained over five strokes on the field with his putter in both events and ranks 5th for SG: Putting this season.

Like Reed, Kisner has an obvious obstacle in his way in the shape of Justin Thomas.

But Thomas had a mentally sapping week at the Valspar when in contention for much of it and finishing third.

And, bottom, line, his record in this event just isn't as good as Kisner's.

Thomas made the semis one year but apart from that he's never emerged from the group.

By contrast, Kisner was champion in 2019, made the final in 2018 and also won two out of three matches in both 2017 and 2021. That's quite a body of work!

He said last year: "Obviously I love coming back to Austin Country Club. I love the golf course. I really enjoy playing in the match play format.

"I enjoy the difference in strategy, I enjoy playing one-on-one, not just playing the golf course, I enjoy changing up through the round how the match is unfolding, a lot of different variations throughout the day, and I enjoy having to make a few pressure-packed putts to keep the momentum on your side."

Kisner is seeded 29th so part of that 17-32 bracket that has a virtually identical record to the so-called 1-16 elite at this course.

Marc Leishman (37th) could be a tough opponent but he hasn't gone past the last 16 at Austin and has been cold in Florida so far (68-MC).

Luke List (53rd) scored a brilliant win at Torrey Pines but he's gone 53-MC-MC since and is outside the top 200 in SG: Putting this season.

A group win and one more victory and Kisner lands the each-way cash at 50s. And who knows after that? He's certainly got the pedigree.

Final Bet: Lucas Herbert each-way @ 126.0125/1

What's this?! Who? Yes, I really am going with Lucas Hebert as my third pick at 125/1.

Quite simply, the each-way return is too tempting given that he needs to just win four matches. And maybe not even that if the group is one of those when players take points off each other.

Let's build the case then.

For starters, Herbert has plenty of confidence having scored a breakthrough win at the Bermuda Championship just 10 starts ago.

More recently, earlier this month in fact, the Aussie played some fine golf to finish tied seventh in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

He ranked 1st for SG: Putting at Arnie's event and is 4th for SG: Putting this season so Herbert has the potential to get inside his opponents' minds if he can get out of jail or win holes with the flatstick.

This may be stretching it a bit but he was also within a whisker of making the World Super 6 Perth final a few years ago, eventually finishing third.

Yes, the match play portion of that European Tour event was only over six holes but it showed he could adapt to a different format and be a factor.

The draw has also played a part in my thinking. Herbert, the 39th seed, is up against Xander Schauffele (7th), Tony Finau (18th) and Takumi Kanaya (56th).

Finau's putter is stone cold and he's gone off the boil, Kanaya has no recent form in the States and Schauffele has never got out of the group.

True, it's a bit of a dart but there's some logic behind its launch and the prize could be a really healthy one.

Each-Way Golf Betting

Not sure about your each-way payout? Take a look at our brand new golf each-way calculator - simply enter your stake, the number of places on offer and the position of your player and it will give you the full lowdown...