Written by @Matt_Cee for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
The Shell Houston Open | Thursday 03 April – Sunday 06 April | The Golf Club of Houston
The US PGA Tour remains in Texas this week for the Shell Houston Open, a tournament that punters the world over will be watching eagerly in the hope it gives some indication of who will perform in the Masters. The main reason for this is that the conditions at the Golf Club of Houston are similar to those found at Augusta and those who perform well here have a great chance of going far in the first Major of the year. This long par 72 features tight fairways and fast greens and these conditions, coupled with the difficult par 5s, make it a real test for any player. With these characteristics in mind, it seems as though players who rank highly in the driving accuracy and strokes gained putting stats will go far. Although it would seem that the established players have the best chance here, keep in mind that whoever wins this gains entry into the Masters and that incentive is enough to push everyone to bring their A game. So will a well-known name win this or is it time for the underdog to shine? Let’s have a look.
To Win Outright
Rory McIlroy 10/1
Dustin Johnson 14/1
Henrik Stenson 16/1
Keegan Bradley 22/1
Sergio Garcia 22/1
VALUE BETS
Keegan Bradley (22/1 a win, 48/10 a place)
If anyone can handle these tough conditions it will be well-known scrambler Keegan Bradley, who seems to be able to make impossible pars in pressure situations. Over the past few years he has done well here, a T10 in 2013 was preceded by a T4 in 2012, and he will come into this well rested after skipping last week’s Valero Texas Open. His course form is one thing but his current is another and that is equally impressive. He came close at Bay Hill and will arrive here confident and ready to compete. Each way on Bradley looks like a great bet.
Charles Howell (66/1 a win, 14/1 a place)
In a field packed with talented golfers it’s tough to find bigger prices to back but I’m going with Charles Howell to finish somewhere inside the Top 5. He hasn’t won on the Tour in years so I’ll avoid tipping the win but this is a course on which he has done well in times gone by and there’s no reason he can’t finish near the top this time around. A T10 here last year showed he has what it takes to compete on this tough track and I’m sure he’ll be eager to show it against the best in the game.
Graham DeLaet (33/1 a win, 73/10 a place)
Graham DeLaet is having an incredible run of form at the moment and his game should suit this course perfectly. Well known as one of the few players who can hit it long and straight, the Canadian also has very little trouble controlling his irons and if his putter is working he will make a lot of pars. Back in 2010 all those factors combined and he managed to finish third and this, coupled with a run of two second-place finishes in his last six starts, make him a real prospect here. It’s only a matter of time before he claims a win and he’ll be eager to do so right before the Masters. Each way on DeLaet is the bet for me.
TOP BET: Henrik Stenson (16/1 a win, 7/2 a place)
Henrik Stenson always seems to start the season off slowly and this year was no different. A missed cut at the Honda Classic was uncharacteristic but was possibly just the consequence of having not played much golf prior. The poor run of form does seem to be turning though as he managed to come in the Top 5 at Bay Hill, where he was driving the ball beautifully and playing his irons as well as he did all of last year. If this form continues he will be a real contender here. Each way on Stenson is my Top Bet for the week.
