The Punter's De-brief: Novak and Griffin claim the spoils

• Odds-on pairing fall short

• Penge gets off the mark in China

• Read my CJ Cup Byron Nelson preview here

Just seven days after he was matched at as low as 1.491/2 to win the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, Andrew Novak, together with his partner, Ben Griffin, got off the mark on the PGA Tour at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Having been nicely backed before the off, from around 34.033/1 to 30.029/1, and having been trading at 7/24.50 at halfway when they trailed the early pacesetters, Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo, by just one, Novak and Griffin were a shade of odds-on with just 18 to play when they led by three.

It was a commanding lead, which they still held after seven holes. But after an hour-and-half's weather delay, the leaders returned to the course to made back-to-back bogeys at eight and nine, before pre-event 230.0229/1 chances, Jake Knapp and Frankie Capan, drew alongside Novak and Griffin with a birdie at 10.

The two pairings remained locked together as they parred the next six holes before the event turned on its head at the penultimate hole.

Capan had looked nervous on the back nine, taking an age to play his shots and after another lengthy preparation on the par three 17^th tee, he hit his shot straight into the water.  

Capan and Knapp had been matched at as low as 1.84/5 on the back nine but they went to the 72^nd tee trailing by two after Griffin had holed his birdie putt at 17. Although the Hojgaard twins, playing in the penultimate group, birdied the 18^th to get within one, Novak and Griffin played the final hole sensibly to record a par five to take the title.

WHAT A TIME TO BIRDIE @BenGriffinGolf and @AndrewNovakGolf take the lead on 17!

CBS pic.twitter.com/AyNl78UbRI

-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 27, 2025

Both Novak and Griffin had had chances to get off the mark on the PGA Tour in individual events so it will it be interesting to see how they kick on from here.

Penge gets off the mark in China

Over on the DP World Tour, the inaugural edition of the Hainan Classic was won by Marco Penge and it was a very frustrating outcome.

I backed the 26-year-old Englishman in the Indian Open at 70.069/1 at the end of March but disappointing rounds of 73 and 78 saw him comfortably miss the cut.

The main reason why I backed him in India was his prestigious length off the tee, so he was always going to be at the top of my shortlist around a new course measuring over 7,700 yards.

After the poor performance in India, Penge had finished a respectable tied for 26^th in the Volvo China Open, but that wasn't enough to convince me that he was value at less than 50/151.00.

In search of his first victory on the DP World Tour, Penge went off at around 44.043/1 and that was just too short for my liking. To make the result even more irritating, my 200.0199/1 Find me a 100 Winner fancy, Kristoffer Reitan, finished tied for second, despite playing his first 12 holes of round two in five-over-par late on Friday afternoon.

Being matched at as low as 6.05/1, Reitan did at least trade low enough to make it a profitable week, but it was a frustrating outcome all the same.

Penge had begun the final round tied for the lead with 800.0799/1 chance, Bowen Xiao, and trading at around 3.7511/4 but he was matched in-running in round four at as a high as 8.27/1 after a slow start.

The Englishman played his first six holes in one-over-par, and he may well have traded a bit bigger had the event been on TV and not in the early hours in the UK.

It was a slow start that saw him lose the initiative, but he bounced back brilliantly, birdying four of his next five holes.

A bogey at the par three 11^th momentarily halted his progress but he responded in style again, birdying 12, 13 and 14 to put the event to bed and it was an impressive effort for someone in search of their first title.

The Hainan Classic concluded the Asian Swing, won by Keita Nakajima, and the DP World Tour is taking a break this week before the Turkish Airlines Open kicks off the European Swing a week on Thursday.

The CJ Cup Byron Nelson on the PGA Tour, which I've previewed here, is the only event this week and Scotties Sceffler, is the early strong favourite at 3/14.00.

Now read more golf previews and tips here

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