The PGA Tour season continues with the CareerBuilder Challenge at The Club at PGA West courses in La Quinta, California this week. Less than one week after securing an exciting six-hole playoff win in last week’s Sony Open, Patton Kizzire is back in the field for this week’s tournament. After failing to pick up a single PGA Tour win throughout his first few years as a professional, Kizzire is the first two-time winner on the PGA Tour this season. Kizzire will look to extend his hot streak this week as a true breakout candidate to keep an eye on this week.
Event Details
Event: CareerBuilder Challenge
Category: PGA
Date: January 18th-21st, 2018
Location: The Club at PGA West, La Quinta, California
Kizzire’s recent success will have him among the sports betting favorites to continue his recent run at this week’s event. However, he won’t be the only golfer in the spotlight. Hudson Swafford returns to defend his title after winning here last year. 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge winner Jason Dufner also tees off this week. Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed are both set to make their first starts of the year at the CareerBuilder Challenge.
Past Five Winners
2017: Hudson Swafford -20
2016: Jason Dufner -25
2015: Bill Haas -22
2014: Patrick Reed -28
2013: Brian Gay -25 (Playoff)
What To Know About The Course
This tournament will be played on three courses at The Club at PGA West. The La Quinta Country Club, the Nicklaus Tournament Course and the Stadium Course, which is the host course, will all be played. This tournament has been known for its lower scoring over the years so the expectation is that there will be plenty of birdie opportunities this week. Putting statistics will be important this week as those that capitalize on their opportunities from the greens will have the best opportunity to win. Meanwhile, Driving Accuracy is another key statistic to consider when evaluating the field for this week’s event. Those that perform well in the DA and Putting categories should thrive at the CareerBuilder Challenge.
The Field
The defending champion Swafford will be a +5000 long shot at this week’s CareerBuilder Challenge. Meanwhile, Dufner is listed at +2800 odds to win this week. The sports betting favorite to win outright is Jon Rahm, who is listed at +900 odds. Meanwhile, Brian Harman is listed at +1400, while Reed, Kevin Kisner and Webb Simpson are each listed at +2000 odds. Mickelson will make his 2018 debut at +2200 odds. The red-hot Kizzire is listed at +3300 odds to pick up his third win of the year this week.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Phil Mickelson over Patton Kizzire
While Kizzire is a true breakout candidate following an impressive start to the calendar year, the odds are that he will suffer a slight letdown at the CareerBuilder Challenge this week. Kizzire has the talent to contend in a number of events this season but after registering a pair of wins we might expect a slight letdown. Meanwhile, Mickelson is fresh and looking to make a statement in his 2018 debut. Mickelson finished tied for third here last year and always seems to perform at a high level in Ryder Cup years. Mickelson should have a slight edge over Kizzire at this week’s tournament so take advantage of the similar odds for this event.
Top-Five Pick: Jon Rahm
Rahm is the sports betting favorite for this week’s tournament for a reason. The third-ranked golfer in the world has been incredibly consistent. The expectation is that he will continue to thrive this week. Rahm has been a staple in the top-five in his recent events, including a runner-up finish at the Tournament of Champions two weeks ago. Rahm should have an edge on the competition again in California this week. Even if he doesn’t win this tournament outright, Rahm should be a good bet to finish in the top-five at the CareerBuilder Challenge.
Player To Win
Jon Rahm +950
Brian Harman +1250
Patrick Reed +1650
Webb Simpson +1850
Kevin Kisner +1850
Phil Mickelson +2050
Zach Johnson +2550
Patton Kizzire +2850
Jason Dufner +2850
Charles Howell III +2850
Chez Reavie +3050
Brendan Steele +3250
Bud Cauley +3250
Brandt Snedeker +3550
Chesson Hadley +3250
Peter Uihlein +4050
Kevin Chappell +3550
Russell Knox +4050
Hudson Swafford +4550
Bubba Watson +4550
Bill Hass +4550
James Hahn +5050
Adam Hadwin +5500
Austin Cook +5500
Grayson Murray +5500
Chris Kirk +5500
Kevin Streelman +5500
Jimmy Walker +7050
Martin Laird +6550
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