How about a collection of 18 of the finest golfers in the world competing against each other for $3.5 million in prize money? That’s what we have this week at the Hero World Challenge when the invitation-only field tees it up at the Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas. The field is reserved for the defending champion, major winners since the last playing, the top-11 on the OWGR from last season and two sponsor exemptions. Fresh off his DP World Tour Championship title and Race to Dubai win, defending champion Jon Rahm opened as the betting favorite at online sportbooks. Tournament host Tiger Woods makes an appearance and we made the mistake of fading him a few weeks ago, which proved costly. The event was moved up a day to accommodate travel to the Presidents Cup and all 12 members of the U.S. team qualified. However, Dustin Johnson withdrew for additional rest, leaving a spot open for Chez Reavie. With only 18 golfers competing there is no cut line and everyone is guaranteed to play 72 holes. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds and to place your wager.
Odds to Win Hero World Challenge at BookMaker.eu
Jon Rahm +440
Justin Thomas +680
Patrick Cantlay +875
Tiger Woods +905
Xander Schauffele +925
Webb Simpson +1250
Rickie Fowler +1350
Justin Rose +1650
Patrick Reed +1650
Gary Woodland +2050
Bryson Dechambeau +2250
Tony Finau +2550
Jordan Spieth +2550
Henrik Stenson +3050
Matt Kuchar +3550
Bubba Watson +4050
Kevin Kisner +5050
Chez Reavie +7050
Odds Analysis
Jon Rahm +440
It’s hard to look the other way when it comes to Rahm despite the short odds. He teed it up at the DP World Championship and won the event after not playing for six weeks. Oh, and his last start before that was a win at his own Spanish Open. That was enough to lift him to the Race to Dubai title playing in just 13 Euro Tour events. And let’s not forget he won here last year by four swings shooting 20-under in his debut. We typically don’t see players win a bunch of events in a row, but the field is so small that Rahm is just likely to do it again.
Tiger Woods +905
I faded the Big Cat at the ZOZO Championship and look what happened. Can I make the same mistake again? As much as I want to see Tiger succeed the upcoming weeks are going to be hell on him. He has the dual role of competitor and host in the Bahamas and then he’s off to Royal Melbourne to play for and captain the U.S. team at the Presidents Cup. That a lot to ask even for Tiger. So, I have to fade him again this week and look for bigger things the following week.
Rickie Fowler +1350
Fowler hasn’t played competitively since the TOUR Championship some three months ago so you have to wonder how the delay is going affect him. Of course it could be another Rahm move where he shows up and smokes the competition. Fowler needs to get greased up for the Presidents Cup and some questioned his Captain’s pick to the team, giving him added incentive to perform well. Also, a win here in 2017 and three other top-5s in four appearances should make him feel at home.
Jordan Spieth +2550
Does anyone have more to prove than Spieth? If there is a player that needs to get back in a groove more than this dude I sure as heck don’t know who it is. This could be the venue that uplifts his game, though. Spieth missed last year’s edition and snagged a late invite, he can also help his ranking with a strong showing. He should benefit from the wide fairways and as long as he doesn’t psyche himself out the chances, and the payout, are good. He’s also been no worse than T6 in three starts at Albany.
Tony Finau +2550
Another player with the tools to go low on this layout, Finau needs a good showing just to get some confidence back in his game. He opened the season with a T9 at the Shriners but fell quickly and missed the cut his last start at the Mayakoba Classic. He was runner-up in his tournament debut last year and blistered the par-5s at 12-under. Now if he can only get the rest of his game to catch up he’d be a steal.
Course: Albany Golf Club – 7,302-yards, Par-72
The AGC plays host for the fifth straight year. At over 7,300 yards, the layout is a relatively long par 72, but by no means is it a difficult play for some of the best in the world. Scoring on the par-5 holes is a must to be in contention and there are a total of five, which gives players plenty of opportunities. And the ones that take advantage have the upper hand. We’ve seen some outrageous scores at Albany with Rahm going 20-under last year while Fowler and Hideki Matsuyama were at -18 to win the previous two editions. Bubba Watson captured the hardware in 2015 with a 25-under showing. The course is more of a resort venue with generous fairways and few hazards. High coastal winds are always a factor and the elements will be more of an issue for the field than the course itself.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel, NBC
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu.
