The Charles Schwab Challenge kicks off this week in Fort Worth, Texas. That means I'm stoked to have more golf bets. Last week didn't go as planned and we had our first losing week on the course in a little while. Let's turn that around and ball out with my placement bets.
Charles Schwab Challenge Derivative Bets
Viktor Hovland Top 20 (-110) 2-units – Caesars Sportsbook*
Luckily for Viktor Hovland, he gets to play courses in back-to-back weeks where his skillset gives him a massive upper hand. Hovland is such a great driver of the ball. His great ball striking fueled his T2 finish at the PGA Championship. Despite only gaining +0.3 strokes off the tee, his ability to stay out of the rough enabled him to attack pins. He gained an impressive +10.6 strokes on approach last week.
I'm counting on him to shake off the disappointment he might have felt from not winning his first major championship and stay focused on the task at hand. During his run at the PGA Championship, a video resurfaced of him where he talks about setting goals. It's evident that Hovland has grown on Tour, and it's only a matter of time before he's winning regularly.
Max Homa Top 20 (+125) – Caesars Sportsbook*
Unlike Hovland, Max Homa had a PGA Championship week to forget. He played well at times, but ultimately it was just another major championship where he underperformed. Even with how good of a golfer Homa is and how many wins he has, it's hard to perform in majors. Good news: he birdied the 18th at Oak Hill and is entering the week with some momentum.
Homa is another golfer who should benefit from playing at Colonial Country Club this week. Homa is strong off the tee, but more importantly, he's the best golfer in the field on par 4s 450-500. He's also seventh on approach. He thrives with a wedge in his hand on approach, which is precisely what he will see this week.
Ryan Palmer Top 40 (+100) 0.5 units – BetMGM
This one can be a shorter write-up. Play Ryan Palmer in Texas. It's simple as that. There may only be two golfers on Tour better than when they play in Texas, and that's Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler.
Justin Rose Top 20 (+100) – BetMGM
I'm betting on Justin Rose not only in the placement market but also in the outright market. If you'd like to read as to why I'm interested him in both markets. Please click here to read my outrights article.
Tommy Fleetwood Top 20 (+100)
I'm not sure to whose surprise Tommy Fleetwood is inside the top 10 in my primary model. Fleetwood being sixth on my model is mainly in part to how great he is off the tee and on approach. He's gaining +1.8 strokes off the tee per tournament over his last five tournaments and has gained over +2.5 strokes off the tee in his previous three tournaments. Because of his excellent ball striking, he finished top 20 in four of his last five events. With how well he's been playing, backing him inside the top 20 at even odds has value.
*Denotes deadheat for all ties