HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCHUP below is for 72 holes:
H2H
Talor Gooch +100 over Doug Ghim (available at BET365)
Over the past few months, Talor Gooch has recorded a T5 at TPC Sawgrass, T12 at Riviera and opened with a round of 66 at Torrey Pines. There’s a great chance that this track will actually suit a young man who is solid off the tee and excellent with irons in hand. With his second start in the PGA Championship looming and without a break in four weeks, the commitment to the AT&T Byron Nelson for Talor Gooch cannot be overstated. Gooch is entrenched in that sturdy seam of talent between the elite and the rank and file. It’s an extension of the pedigree he brought when he broke onto the PGA TOUR in 2017-18 and we get him at this track at a steal of a price over Doug Ghim. To further emphasize the value, Pinnacle Sports has Gooch as -148 over Keith Mitchell and -114 over Carlos Ortiz while Ghim is -112 over Jonathan Vegas (Risking 2 units).
Patton Kizzire +111 over Erik Van Rooyen
We discussed Patton Kizzire above as another player who is enjoying a low-key return to better form. Ranking third for GIR at the Texas Open, he banked a top-10 there which franked a much-improved ball striking performance at TPC Sawgrass just prior. A winner of the Sony Open and the Mayakoba Classic, Kizzire is very capable of a decent showing here but this one is more about fading Van Rooyen. Erik Van Rooyen has been trying desperately to fit in with the big boys but it’s been a no-go since he left the European Tour for the Main Tour. Dude ranks 169th in GIR, 142nd in Driving Accuracy and 119th in SG; Putting. He’s just as likely to miss the cut as he is to make it, as his six cuts in his last 12 events on the Main Tour will attest to. Dude is a European talent that is way overpriced here against a better golfer than he is. Van Rooyen’s confidence must be short these days, as he’s coming off back-to-back missed cuts as well (Risking 2 units to win 2.22).
Will Zalatoris -114 over Brooks Koepka
Steal of a price here on Zalatoris, who now has the weight of expectations off his shoulders after a great performance at the Masters that put him on the map. Now that the hyperbole has diminished dramatically, Will can get back to just playing golf without reporters wanting to talk to him. A month removed from finishing second at the most prestigious golf tournament on the planet, Will missed the cut last week at the Wells Fargo. Expect a much stronger showing this week.One cannot just flip a switch in this sport. Given Brooks Koepka’s latest setback (surgery for a dislocated right kneecap with ligament damage), not to mention a missed cut at the Masters, this is nothing more than a glorified practice for Koepka. Why is he playing? Well, the promise of at least two rounds is better than none in advance of the PGA Championship (Risking 2.28 units to win 2).
