The PGA Tour heads to Wilmington, North Carolina and the Eagles Point Golf Club for the Wells Fargo Championship this week. The Wells Fargo Championship has only been in existence since 2003 but it has already been established as one of the most prestigious events on the PGA Tour. The big news this week is the return of world No. 1 Dustin Johnson. Johnson’s string of consecutive wins was temporarily put on hold when he was forced to the sidelines with a fluke back injury suffered the day before the 2017 Masters was set to begin. After taking nearly a month off, Johnson is healthy and ready to contend for another trophy this week.
Event Details
Event: Wells Fargo Championship
Category: PGA
Date: May 4-7
Location: Eagles Point Golf Club, Wilmington, North Carolina
This tournament has always been held at Quail Hollow in Charlotte. However, with that venue being used for this year’s USPGA Championship the event will move to the Eagles Point Golf Club. While the move shouldn’t create too much of a shakeup it’s important to keep in mind when evaluating this year’s field based on past success at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Past Five Winners
2016: James Hahn -9 (Playoff)
2015: Rory McIlroy -21
2014: J.B. Holmes -14
2013: Derek Ernst -8 (Playoff)
2012: Rickie Fowler -14 (Playoff)
What To Know About The Course
It’s a little more difficult to evaluate what it will take to win at a different course than past years but we can work with what we do know. There has been quite a bit of rain in the area over the past couple of days so the course should still be soft. With little run on the fairways, Driving Distance should be an important factor. Wind will also impact performance this week with the Eagles Point Golf Club situated within a mile of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Field
Johnson will undoubtedly return as the sports betting favorite to win outright this week as he is listed at +500 odds. Johnson will have some tough competition though including Jon Rahm, Adam Scott and Paul Casey among the notable betting favorites. Rahm won this event last year but at a different course. Still, Rahm is listed right behind Johnson at +1100 odds to win outright. Kevin Kisner should be in the mix as well. Phil Mickelson is available at decent value as he is listed at +2500 odds to win this event outright. The 2015 winner McIlroy and the 2012 winner Fowler are among the notables that will not compete this week.
Taking a look at the points standings through the Zurich Classic, Dustin Johnson is our leader. He’s followed by Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm and Canadian Adam Hadwin, who has been one of the surprise players this year.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Webb Simpson over Kevin Kisner
Kisner isn’t a terrible pick this week but considering his status among the sports betting favorites he is also a smart play to fade versus Simpson. Kisner is listed at +2200 odds to win this event straight up while Simpson is listed at +3300 odds, so there is definitely value there. Most of this week’s field will not be too familiar with the course but that is definitely not true with Simpson. The Raleigh, North Carolina native is a member of this course and should be among the more comfortable golfers in this week’s field.
Top Five Pick: Dustin Johnson
The fluke back injury that prevented D.J. from competing in the Masters is in the past and that should be a warning to every golfer in this week’s field. Johnson is coming off back-to-back wins at the Genesis Open and the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. He has finished in the top-six in five of his last six starts. Johnson is the sports betting favorite to win this event outright for a reason and he is definitely the smart pick to finish in the top-five at this week’s Wells Fargo Championship.
Odds To Win The 2017 Wells Fargo Championship
Dustin Johnson +450
Jon Rahm +1150
Adam Scott +1650
Paul Casey +1650
Phil Mickelson +2050
Kevin Kisner +2550
Daniel Berger +3250
Wesley Bryan +3250
Bill Haas +3250
William McGirt +3250
Webb Simpson +3240
JB Holmes +4050
Patrick Reed +3550
Francesco Molinari +4550
Cameron Smith +4550
Emiliano Grillo +5500
Kevin Na +5500
Alex Noren +5500
Graeme McDowell +6550
Zach Johnson +6550
Hudson Swafford +6550
Pat Perez +6550
Byeong Hun An +6550
Martin Laird +6550
Luke List +7050
Brian Harman +7050
Jim Furyk +7050
Lucas Glover +7550
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