Niall Lyons has six tips for the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina.
2023 Wyndham Championship Winner
Play off season is nearly upon us and for punters the annual jaunt to Sedgefield for the Wyndham Championship is a welcome one. A throwback of sorts, this Donald Ross design is all about accuracy from the tee, a solid wedge game and Bermuda putting.
Wyndham Championship Tips | Niall Lyons Golf Betting Tips
In stark contrast to last week where bombers often dominate this course has been tamed by the likes of Snedeker, Simpson, Kisner, Tom and Si Woo Kim and clearly suits those who putt well and have a tidy long game. Powerful sorts don't often make the frame here as this is a track almost impossible to bully from the tee.
Other Ross designs such as Detroit and East Lake are worthy of note as well performances on similar courses like Harbour Town, Waialae, Deere Run and Sea Island. There have been four triple figure priced winners of this in the last nine renewals so attention further down the betting board is well advised here.
Adam Scott at 28/1 (Eight Places)
Adam Scott has been trending in the right direction and looks capable of a bold bid here this week at Sedgefield. It paid to concentrate on the bubble mark last week at Twin Cities and with Scott currently lying 81st on that list he needs a good week here to jump into the St Jude. He can slay the demons here having gone mighty close back in 2021.
On the first play off hole he hit a superb approach to four feet and missed the putt for the victory - the rest is history. This time he arrives having played very well lately with three top tens in his last eight appearances in much stronger fields.
He shot 71-69 over the final two days of the Open producing two striking performances off the tee that weekend. His putter remains a huge strength these days and it's answers on a postcard as to how the Australian remains winless over three and a half years. This is the time he needs to produce the goods or else he faces an early season exit and I expect the former Masters winner to rise to the challenge.
2.5pts each-way A.Scott 28/1 (1/5 8) Bet365, Skybet
Chris Kirk at 50/1 (Eight Places)
Bar the front 3, and Lowry little separates those in the 25/1-50/1 price bracket and I'm more than happy to head to the bottom of that list for my next bet in the shape of this years Honda Classic winner Chris Kirk. The aim of the game is stay away from the trouble at PGA National and although that same danger doesn't await at Sedgefield, a similar tidy long game is certainly needed.
Kirk has a great record on similar tracks with numerous close finishes and top tens across Waialae, Deere Run, Sea Island and Detroit. 11th is the best he could muster here to date but I feel he has more to offer on this track and looks a much better betting option than the likes of Jaeger, Hossler, Rai and An at shorter prices.
Prior to the Open Championship where he has only made the cut twice, he finished 21st at the John Deere and 14th at the Rocket Mortgage. Both of those are decent correlating courses but his accuracy from the tee should hold a bigger advantage here this week at Sedgefield.
2pts each-way C.Kirk 50/1 (1/5 8) Bet365, Sky Bet, Paddy Power
Thomas Detry at 60/1 (Eight Places)
Taylor Moore looks at home on these types of tracks and it would be no surprise should he build upon a good record on Ross designs. Five missed cuts from his last six outings though is enough to temper enthusiasm. Sam Bennett is another who could benefit from a return to a much shorter course but my preference is for Thomas Detry to add his name to a list of European winners of this event this century that includes Carl Pettersson, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson.
Detry will not have given up hope on the Ryder Cup yet and currently sitting 51st in the Fedex rankings gives him further motivation to play well in the next two weeks. The Belgian star has had a largely successful debut season on the pga tour with a runner up in Bermuda, a further three top 10 finishes and four top 20s.
His recent 13th placed finish at the Open where he gained shots through the bag was his best effort stats wise since his runner up finish at the Scottish back in 2021. He is yet to put his best foot forward in stronger field events in the States, but this is the weaker of the upcoming events and he could capitalise with plenty to play for.
2pts each-way T.Detry 60/1 (1/5 8) Paddypower, Betfair Sportsbook
Matt Kuchar at 80/1 (Eight Places)
Davis Love won this in the winter of his career and another old timer who fits the bill here and is more than capable is Matt Kuchar. Surprisingly Kuchar has mostly skipped this event throughout his career, a decision which certainly looks strange given how well he has played on similar courses and how impressively his colleagues have played on these tracks also with the same strengths. Whilst Webb Simpson has found a spiritual home at this course, Kuchar found his at a similar track at Harbour Town.
Kuchar's only appearance here resulted in a top 30 finish but there's every reason to suggest he could go better this time at nice odds. He lies 59th in the Fedex rankings so needs to climb nine spots in the next two weeks to secure entry into the BMW Championship. That will be his aim and whilst a 43rd placed finish last week may look ordinary, he ranked 10th on approach play and his game should translate much better to Sedgefield should he carry that same form with the irons.
1.25pts each-way M.Kuchar 80/1 (1/5 8) Skybet
Justin Lower at 200/1 (Eight Places)
Justin Lower looks to be trending in the right direction and at 200/1 looks worthy of support in an event that has thrown up a few surprises. Good putters have always gone well here and that is certainly Lower's strongest asset. After a very dull season to date things have been picking up lately having made six of his last nine cuts.
25th in Canada was a solid effort whilst a recent top 10 in Detroit on a Ross design is a fair positive also. 12th on approach last week is indicative of how good his irons have been for the last few months and a return to a course that demands accuracy from the tee should further boost his chances at Sedgefield.
His only appearance here last year yielded a top 40 finish shooting 66-66-69 over the final three days after posting an opening 72 on first look. Recent golf suggests he could improve upon that and looks a tasty proposition at 200/1.
1pt each-way J.Lower 200/1 (1/5 8) Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook
Doc Redman at 200/1 (Eight Places)
I'm keen to get a few dark horses on side at big odds this week at Doc Redman is another who looks worthy of a second glance at 200/1. The Doc has picked up the pace a little lately starting a few weeks ago with a 65-67 weekend at the Barbasol to notch his first solo top 10 on tour in over two years.
30th last week was another solid effort given he didn't putt very well but gained strokes on the field in all other departments. A 66 to start on Monday and a 65 to finish on Sunday means four of his last eight rounds of golf have included two 65s, a 66 and 67. He has a 3rd placed finish here as well as a runner up in Detroit so looks one of the likelier sorts around this price to get a run out of.
1pt each-way D.Redman 200/1 (1/5 8) Skybet
