Golf: PGA Tour – Workday Charity Open
Venue: Muirfield Village Golf Club, Ohio
Dates: Thursday 9th – Sunday 12th July 2020
Tournament Preview
With the COVID 19 pandemic taking hold on the PGA Tour, a reshuffle has been inevitable and the Workday Charity Open has been brought into the schedule to replace the John Deere Classic. The PGA Tour will stay here in Ohio for back to back weeks, at the Muirfield Village Golf Club that is synonymous with Jack Nicklaus. A whopping $6.25 million makes up the prize pot here in Ohio, with over $1 million on offer for the winner – meaning there is both plenty of prize money and ranking points to play for this week.
Betting Preview
Outright Winner
Most of the major players on the PGA Tour look to be finding their rhythm, which should set up an excellent week of golf here in Ohio:
Justin Thomas endured a tough week at the Travelers Championship a fortnight ago but has been in fine form all season and should return refreshed and ready for action here.
Enigmatic Spaniard Jon Rahm is always a man to watch in any field he plays and despite no real form to speak of recently, he cannot be overlooked at a course that should suit his game.
Following his injury hiatus last year, Brooks Koepka has struggled to find the form that saw him win 4 Grand Slams in just two seasons but if he can get his irons firing, he could be another to watch this week.
It has been a tough 18 months or so for Justin Rose on the course, but he showed signs of returning to form last month at both the Charles Schwab Challenge and the RBC Heritage.
World number 9 Patrick Reed has struggled for consistency in recent times, but he has a game made for the course here in Ohio and if he turns it on, he can be very hard to stop.
1st Round Leader
With players still trying to find momentum within their respective seasons, getting off to a fast start could be hugely important here in Ohio:
Young Norwegian Viktor Hovland has enjoyed four consecutive top 25 finishes since the season restart and his 12th place finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last weekend was particularly impressive.
Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth hasn’t been able to show his best form over the past couple of seasons, but he is a quality performer and can beat pretty much anybody on his day.
Emerging American produced some stellar golf to finish 2nd at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week and if he continues that form, he could get off to a flyer here in Ohio.
Top 10 Finish
With so many good players assembled here in Ohio, getting into the winning enclosure could be tough but there are plenty of candidates to finish in the top 10 come Sunday:
Young American Collin Morikawa has been in incredible form throughout 2019 & 2020, only missing one cut (at the Travelers Championship last month) so don’t bet against him bouncing back in style here.
Rickie Fowler showed signs of returning to form at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week and he should relish the course and the field he is up against here in Ohio.
Australian Marc Leishmann is one of the most consistent performers on the PGA Tour and he will be eager to put some ranking points and prize money on the board here at Muirfield.
BetXChange Best Bets:
Outright Winner: Justin Thomas – 10.00
1st Round Leader: Matthew Wolff – 66.00
Top Ten Finish: Collin Morikawa – 2.10
