OPEN champion Brian Harman will be back in the hunt for another huge prize as the FedEx Cup play-offs kick off in Memphis this week.
Harman, who received almost as much attention for his love of big game hunting at Hoylake as he did for winning the Open, is an eye-popping 40-1 to hit the target again at the FedEx St Jude Championship.
Considering he is high on confidence after snapping a six year win-less drought – and he showed a liking for the Memphis course when he finished in a share of third last year – the likeable left-hander deserves to be the headline pick.
Making the frame this time looks easier – on paper at least. The new format for the play-offs means there will be only seventy players in action this week, instead of the usual 125.
Who is favourite this week?
The top two in the world rankings – Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy – will welcome the fact that the smaller field for the St Jude means there will be no cut this year.
Both men failed to make it through to the weekend last year, although they have shown form in Memphis in the past, so the bookies are not giving anything away.
World No 1 Scheffler heads the market at a best priced 7-1, even though his long run of top 12 finishes finally came to an end with a T23 at Hoylake, while 8-1 shot McIlroy is on a run of seven successive top ten finishes, including a victory at the Scottish Open.
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How to bet on the golf
Betting on golf is easier than you'd image and there are a host of interesting markets you can pick from.
Here are five easy steps for beginners.
1. Choose Your Favourite Sportsbook – there are plenty to choose from and most have their own app or mobile site.
2. Make a Deposit – each sportsbook will walk you through how to connect your bank account to their system including providing a list of all the safeguards they have set up to ensure the safety of your transactions.
3. Claim Your Bonuses – most sportsbooks offers bonuses to first time bettors in the form of free bets.
4. Place Your Bet – now it’s time to navigate through your sportsbook’s odds where they will offer a variety of options including outright winners, or top finishing positions, such as top 10 or 20, or even to make the cut. For the event this week each way odds are generally paid on the top eight players.
5. Collect Your Winnings – If you're successful you will be able to withdraw your winnings once the bet is complete. Some bookmakers offer cashout options on certain bets as well, which is worth keeping an eye on.
Where to find the best odds for the golf?
Lots of bookmakers have different options for betting on the golf this week, including competitive odds and different place markets.
We like the markets on bet365, including the price boosts on offer pre-tournament.
But it is worth shopping around to get the best value with each way odds and different places available throughout the market.
This week you can Jon Rahm to win boosted to 9/1, Tommy Fleetwood to win boosted to 33/1 and Rory McIlroy to lead after round one and win at 50/1.
Bet on the golf with bet365 here
Golf tips for the FedEx St. Jude Championship
Jon Rahm – generally available at 8-1 – could be the best bet among the Big Three. He bounced back to form by finishing in a four way tie for second at the Open – and was also in a logjam for fifth in this event a year ago.
Will Zalatoris, who beat Sepp Straka in a play-off here a year ago, will not be defending his title after undergoing back surgery earlier this year.
But Straka deserves a second look at 55-1, especially after joining Rahm in that group sharing second place at Hoylake, which followed a victory at the John Deere.
A missed cut at the 3M Open a couple of weeks ago was understandable, but he should resume his Ryder Cup charge at a course that clearly suits his game.
Sam Burns, who won here two years ago, is another horses for courses pick at 40-1, while old favourite Adam Schenk looks best of the outsiders. You can get 200-1 if you shop around.
The player who tied Harman for third 12 months ago, Lucas Glover, also looks over-priced this week at around 55-1.
Glover was an impressive winner of the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, shooting twenty under par to win by two strokes from Russell Henley and Ben An.
That victory meant Glover was the only player from outside the top seventy to climb into the qualifying spots, storming up from 112th place to 49th.
And the former US Open champion was not winning out of turn. Before a blip at the 3M Open he had rattled off three top six finishes in a row.
It is notoriously difficult to follow up a victory with another top not performance. But Harman and Clark will both feel they are playing with house money this week.
With the pressure off, they could both make their presence felt on the leaderboard, although the opposition could hardly be hotter, with nine of the world’s top ten in action.
Only Cameron Smith is missing, as he will be in action at the latest LIV event in Bedminster – where Bryson DeChambeau understandably heads the market after his sensational final round 58 to win by six shots at Greenbrier last week.
I prefer Smith’s chances at 11-1, even though that is only a point better than Bryson’s odds. He couldn’t do something similar this week, could he?
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