It's the second and final leg of the Texas Swing this week as the PGA Tour heads about 31 miles down the road from last week's tournament at Colonial for the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Four Seasons-Las Colinas in Irving outside of Dallas.
This week's tournament presents an interesting matchup of opposite trends. On one side, four of the last five champions at TPC Four Seasons Resort-Las Colinas were first-time winners on the Tour. This includes Brendon Todd who defends this week. On the other, none of the last 12 winners this season are first-timers. It's the longest drought since non-winners rode an 0-for-13 skid in July-October of 2012.
At +0.546 strokes to par, TPC Four Seasons was the second-hardest par 70 of 13 in non-majors last season. It can stretch to 7,166 yards. Overall, it ranked T15 in par-4 scoring but T42 and 30th in par-3 and par-5 scoring. Todd polished off his two-stroke win slotted second in both par-3 and par-4 scoring, while finishing a pedestrian T47 in par-5 scoring.
Masters champion Jordan Spieth, who got his first Tour taste on a Nelson invite at age 16, and 2010 winner Jason Day top a lineup that includes 10 of the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Dallas resident and 2007 champion Scott Verplank is set for his 27th start in the event, tying Ben Crenshaw for third on the all-time list. Lanny Wadkins and Tom Watson have played in one more.
Nine of the past 15 winners, including Todd, have done it with all four rounds in the 60s. Last year, five of the top six broke 70 all four days.
Jason Day, the 2010 Nelson champion, withdrew Wednesday from the tournament. He is replaced by Tim Petrovic in the 156-player field.
Jordan Spieth (4/1): Spieth plays his hometown event for the first time as a major champion, hoping to regain the form that set records on the way to Augusta National’s green jacket. A pair of top-20s followed the Masters, but he missed the cut at the Players. His runner-up last week was his third this year in Texas, where Spieth badly wants to win because he hasn't yet as a pro.
Dustin Johnson (9/1): Johnson has cooled off since coming hot out of the gate from his six months away from the PGA Tour. However, a T-7 here last year in a nice indicator, and he's been in the top seven in three of his last four Nelson starts dating back to 2010.
Brandt Snedeker (18/1): Snedeker missed a putt to potentially win the tournament last week and finished one shot back after Chris Kirk made his 8-footer for par. "Sneds" has a win and a runner-up this year, but only one other top 10 (T10, Waste Management Phoenix Open).
Gary Woodland (25/1): Runner-up at Match Play and T4 at Quail Hollow. Five straight paydays at TPC Four Seasons; personal-best T7 last year.
Justin Thomas (25/1): The rookie has yet to win, but that drought could end sooner rather than later. Thomas has four straight top-25 finishes and 10 in 19 starts this season, and he will benefit from a friendly early-round tee time with Spieth.
Marc Leishman (25/1): The Aussie has cashed in his last four starts and his life has likely settled down some after his wife's health scare near the Masters. Has a very nice Nelson record: made five of six cuts and hasn't finished outside of the top 12 when he makes a check.
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Tag : at&t byron nelson championship , golf betting , jordan spieth , pga tour odds
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