Three winners for the team of so-called experts last week, as well as a runner-up. Can they keep this impressive form going in Detroit, Ireland and Texas?
Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor
Hard to tip against the defending champion BRYSON DECHAMBEAU, who reached 23 under in victory last year.
His win came at the end of a four tournament run where DeChambeau’s worst score was 70 and had 14 rounds from 16 in the 60s.
Word coming out of Detroit is the rough will be a little juicier than last year, but this will be of little concern to ‘Bison’ who will bomb and gouge it to another win.
Sportsbet odds: $8
JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy Editor
I don’t tip favourites that often, but I simply can’t go past BRYSON DECHAMBEAU this week in Detroit.
The defending champion showed what a combination of long, albeit slightly inaccurate, driving and good putting can do in this event last year and it is fair to expect much of the same this week.
DeChambeau hasn’t been in glistening form, but his play has been solid enough and he was right in the US Open two weeks ago until the final nine holes. Donald Ross’ design suits bombers and no one bombs it like Bryson.
Sportsbet odds: $8
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Michael Jones – Golf Australia writer
Three-time PGA Tour winner KEVIN KISNER returned to form in Connecticut last week – sharing fifth place – and finished third here last year.
The 37-year-old American mightn’t have lifted silverware since 2019 when he claimed the WGC-Match Play title, but I like his chances of ending that drought in Detroit this week.
Sportsbet odds: $29
Rod Morri – Golf Australia magazine contributor and The Thing About Golf podcast host
Coming off a bad run mid-season KEVIN KISNER found something in finishing T5 at The Travelers last week and given he was third at this event last year he will be comfortable come Thursday.
Two rounds of 63 at TPC River Highlands suggest there is a lot going right with his game and he won’t have to tidy up much to be at the business end again this Sunday.
Sportsbet odds: $29
Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor
RORY MCILROY on home soil, on a course that is more PGA Tour than most places in Ireland, makes him a lock to contend this week.
Strong opposition will come from the likes of Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry, but McIlroy’s game is coming along nicely – as we saw at the US Open – and he’ll gain a win and plenty of confidence leading into The Open at Royal St. George’s in a few weeks.
Sportsbet odds: $5.50
JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy Editor
Iron play is going to be the key to victory around this very un-Irish host of the Irish Open, and this field is stacked with players well equipped with quality approach play.
I like Lucas Herbert and Takumi Kanaya for a little bit of value, but I am going to instead go with German major winner MARTIN KAYMER.
The former World No.1 has shown some really positive signs this year, and I watched most of his final round last week in his homeland and he appeared on the precipice of some seriously good play.
Kaymer is an absolute flusher and the parkland style of golf course, while a bit of a shame for the viewers, plays right into his hands.
Sportsbet odds: $19
Michael Jones – Golf Australia writer
The list of players who have won at Mount Juliet is certainly impressive and each of them were world-class ball-strikers.
So, for that reason, I’m fairly confident TOMMY FLEETWOOD will feature over the weekend in Kilkenny and hopefully end his 18-month winless streak.
Go on Tommy lad!
Sportsbet odds: $19
Rod Morri – Golf Australia magazine contributor and The Thing About Golf podcast host
Many of the game’s biggest names have headed to the UK for the run up to The Open at Royal St George’s and it’s hard to look past RORY MCILROY this week after some promising play at the US Open.
The host course this week – Mt Juliet – more closely resembles Florida than Dublin and McIlroy will be particularly comfortable with the style of play required. Combine that with the motivation of it being his home Open and he is the man to beat.
Sportsbet odds: $5.50
Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor
World No.2 JIN YOUNG KO remains winless in 2021 but that drought will end this week.
Her form has been patchy in recent weeks but this post-PGA championship field is slightly weaker and the course is well-suited to her superior tee-to-green game. If she makes some putts early in the week, her renewed confidence on the greens could see her leave the field eating her dust.
Sportsbet odds: $7.50
JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy Editor
Understandably after a couple of majors in a short period, there is a large number of bigger names giving this one a miss, but that won’t matter to JEONGEUN LEE6 who I think will go very close.
Lee6 hasn’t put many good results on the board this year, typically mixing one or two really low rounds with some mid to high 70s over the course of the week, but the major winner will turn it around eventually and it could be this week.
Lee6’s ball striking has been the problem with her game in 2021, ranking outside the top-100 for greens in regulation, a stat that is so key to success on the LPGA Tour, however, her putting has been great.
This layout should give her a chance to hit a few more greens as she looks to find her swing and if she can, expect her to lift on Sunday and challenge for a second Tour win.
Sportsbet odds: $17
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Michael Jones – Golf Australia writer
JIN YOUNG KO spent 100 consecutive weeks as the world’s highest-ranked player, only to be leapfrogged by Nelly Korda who has been playing lights-out golf lately.
There’s no Korda at Old American GC this week and I think Ko will be far too good for this weaker-than-usual field.
Sportsbet odds: $7.50
Rod Morri – Golf Australia magazine contributor and The Thing About Golf podcast host
She’s a 12 time winner on the LPGA but we haven’t seen the best of SEI YOUNG KIM in 2021. That is due to change this week.
An opening 76 at the Women’s PGA was costly but Kim climbed steadily up the leaderboard the rest of the week and ultimately finished T12, an impressive performance after a poor start.
She's played well in the Volunteers of America tournament previously and she’s in the right frame of mind to add victory number 13.
Sportsbet odds: $5.50
2021 RESULTS
So far our so-called experts have combined to tip 16 winners in 2021, with 81 of their picks recording top-10 finishes that week and a best return of $61 for Max Homa to win the Genesis Invitational (tipped by Rod Morri).
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