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Wyndham Championship betting preview: Iron play is everything at Sedgefield

Christian Petersen/PGA of America / PGA of America / Getty

New to golf betting? Check out theScore's PGA Tour wagering guide here. All odds listed are courtesy of theScore Bet.

The PGA Championship delivered in many ways. Most notably, it crowned a deserving champion in Collin Morikawa, who was highlighted in last week's preview but ultimately passed on due to his inexperience in majors. Let's not make that mistake again!

Thankfully, the PGA Tour continues with the Wyndham Championship, closing out the regular season. The event provides players with the opportunity to improve their position ahead of the FedEx Cup playoffs while presenting bettors with another chance to cash in on a winner.

The course

  • Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, North Carolina
  • 7,131 yards, par 70
  • Bermuda grass greens
  • Seven par 4s under 430 yards
  • Shorter track that benefits accuracy and iron play

Comparable venues: Hilton Head (RBC Heritage), Sea Island (RSM Classic), Colonial (Charles Schwab Challenge), Detroit Golf Club (Rocket Mortgage Classic)

Here's a notable trend that stresses the importance of iron play at Sedgefield.

Past champions

2019: J.T. Poston (-22) over Webb Simpson
2018: Brandt Snedeker (-21) over Webb Simpson, C.T. Pan
2017: Henrik Stenson (-22) over Ollie Schniederjans
2016: Si Woo Kim (-21) over Luke Donald
2015: Davis Love III (-17) over Jason Gore
2014: Camilo Villegas (-17) over Bill Haas, Fredrik Jacobson
2013: Patrick Reed (-14) over Jordan Spieth
2012: Sergio Garcia (-18) over Tim Clark
2011: Webb Simpson (-18) over George McNeill

The favorites

Player Odds
Brooks Koepka +800
Webb Simpson +800
Paul Casey +1500
Patrick Reed +1800
Tommy Fleetwood +1800

Brooks Koepka and Webb Simpson enter as the co-favorites at +800.

Let's start with Koepka. The biggest question: Why is he playing this week? He's coming off a disappointing final round at the PGA Championship while battling a knee issue. It's also his sixth straight tournament, with the playoffs right around the corner. It would be shocking to see Koepka give 100% effort, which makes him easy to pass on.

Next is Simpson, who historically dominates at Sedgefield. He won in 2011 and has back-to-back runner-up results. If you want to bet Simpson at +800 before the tournament, come back four days later to tune in on Sunday - you will likely have something to cheer for down the stretch.

As for Paul Casey, Patrick Reed, and Tommy Fleetwood, they are fine players but nothing to get excited about, considering this event feels like one that someone in the +4000 range might take.

The next tier

Player Odds
Justin Rose +2000
Harris English +2500
Billy Horschel +3000
Jordan Spieth +3000
Brendon Todd +3500
Ryan Moore +4000
Si Woo Kim +4000
Kevin Kisner +4500
Russell Henley +4500
Shane Lowry +4500
Sungjae Im +4500

Justin Rose stands out at +2000 for a few reasons. First, he easily could have been priced beside Casey - and no one would have thought twice - so Rose is definitely an option from a value perspective. Secondly, showing flashes of his iron game last week helped him play very well, and he has been successful at courses similar to Sedgefield in the past.

Ryan Moore (+4000) won on this course in 2009 and is striking the ball beautifully over his past few starts. He gained 7.3 strokes on approach shots at the 3M Open and turned in three sub-70 rounds at the Barracuda Championship two weeks ago.

You could make a case for Kevin Kisner, Russell Henley, and Sungjae Im, who all have odds of +4500.

Kisner gained 4.9 strokes on approach shots at the PGA Championship and has two career wins at comparable venues to Sedgefield. Henley leads the field in strokes gained: tee to green over his last 12 and 24 rounds, so one week of putting will put him in contention. And Im is an elite talent who is currently struggling but is being mispriced compared to the field.

The long shots

The talent gap between players priced at +3000 and those in the +5000 and higher range is essentially nonexistent.

Joaquin Niemann (+5000) is one of those players who is far better than his odds suggest. The 21-year-old ranks third in the field in strokes gained: approach over his past 24 rounds. Six starts ago, he was also in the mix at the RBC Heritage on a course that's similar in style to Sedgefield.

Here are a few other long shots to consider:

Doc Redman (+7500): The North Carolina native should feel right at home this week. He's been playing some great golf since the break with a stellar approach game, and it's encouraging to know his best career finish came at a Donald Ross course.

Henrik Norlander (+10000): The 33-year-old Swede was garnering a lot of buzz before the WGC-FedEx St. Jude and PGA Championship - tournaments he did not play in - because he gained over four strokes through approach shots in three of his last four events. Additionally, his two best results on Tour came at the RSM Classic, which is a comparable venue, and he finished 2013's Wyndham tied for 16th.

Sam Burns (+17500): This price is flat-out wrong. Burns is a fantastic young talent who should be more like +10000. His best performances tend to come on Bermuda grass, and he's gained at least four strokes tee to green in three of his last five starts.

Will Gordon (+20000): The 24-year-old North Carolina native grew up an hour west of the country club and should be comfortable playing in his home state. He also proved he could make a ton of birdies with his top-five finish at the Travelers Championship. A few weeks ago, Gordon's price was around +8000, so +20000 is a steal.

Picks to win

Justin Rose (+2000)

Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty

This selection is more of a play on long-term record over recent success. With that said, Rose showed flashes of rounding into form with his match play at TPC Harding Park last week. He skipped the WGC-FedEx St. Jude after three straight missed cuts and returned at the major, recording his best strokes gained-approach number in over a year.

He's also a former winner at Colonial - another tight, tree-lined course that doesn't emphasize distance off the tee. If Rose truly is about to peak and contend, his +2000 number is fantastic value considering this week's field.

Sungjae Im (+4500)

Jamie Squire / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Im isn't nearly the same player he was before the break when he claimed his first Tour title at the Honda Classic. However, +4500 are long odds for the seventh highest-ranked player in the field.

He also tends to perform better on Bermuda grass, sharing sixth place at last year's Wyndham. Additionally, he gained 1.5 strokes off the tee and almost shot through his approach game in Round 2 of the PGA Championship last week, even though he ended up missing the cut. If Im plays close to the level he's shown this season, +4500 is a bargain.

Joaquin Niemann (+5000)

Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Niemann shouldn't be +5000 in this field. He won at the Greenbrier in September of 2019, which shares some characteristics with Sedgefield. Also, you better believe Niemann took notes as he watched fellow young gun Morikawa hoist the Wanamaker Trophy last week. He'll surely be motivated to rejoin the conversation surrounding the best players under the age of 25.

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