Wyndham Championship

Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, North Carolina.  A throwback of sorts, this Donald Ross design is all about accuracy from the tee, a solid wedge game and Bermuda putting.

This isn't like the recent birdie fests on tour, although low scoring this is a much more intricate golf course that demands a neat long game and a silky putting touch.

Simpson, Stenson, Snedeker Kisner, Tom Kim and most recently Lucas Glover have won this event and this gives us a solid profile of what is needed for success around this golf course.

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.

Below is a look at the stats of the top performers of the last three editions of the Wyndham Championship.

 

Previous Winners / Winning Score:

  • 2023 - L.Glover (-20)
  • 2022 - T.Kim (-20)
  • 2021 - K.Kisner (-15)
  • 2020 - J.Herman (-21)
  • 2019 - JT Poston (-22)

 

Wyndham Championship Tips

 

Shane Lowry at 25/1 (Eight Places)

In the top quarter of the betting two appeal to me and I'll start with Shane Lowry. The Irishman has had a busy schedule and to be fair so have I writing about him and this will be the third time in four weeks I've put him up.

The Open will have taught him a few lessons and his recovery on the final day was admirable. He was a general 33/1 shot for the Open that week, whilst runner up Billy Horschel was triple figures.

Now we arrive at Sedgefield and although Horschel has the much superior record thsan Lowry around here I can't see much of a case for them both going off at the same odds.

There's no doubt in my mind who the better golfer is, both in the past and currently. Lowry currently sits 10th on tour this year in strokes gained approach whilst Horschel lies 120th.

I don't see much reason why Sungjae Im is 9pts shorter than Lowry either. Shane has the class to overcome a disappointing effort in France and he can improve upon his best finish here of 7th back in 2017.

2pts each-way S.Lowry  25/1  (1/5 8) Paddypower

Aaron Rai at 40/1 (Eight Places)

Similarly to the Lowry / Horschel argument, Aaron Rai was much shorter on the exchanges for the Open than what Billy Horschel and although these are totally different assignments, Sedgefield looks a perfect place for a much improved Rai to improve on two lacklustre efforts here before.

The Englishman arrives a much improved golfer than previous years, ranking 10th on tour this season in strokes gained tee to green.

The aforementioned Horschel lies 74th in the same category. This time around Horschel is 25/1 versus the 40/1 for Rai. This doesn't quite add up to me and although price is the main reason I'm backing Lowry this week, we've got the added bonus with Rai that this course should be perfect for him.

Sedgefield doesn't require distance from the tee, instead accuracy and precision which Rai is renowned for. From the tee shot onwards he has improved in every department this year and a victory is likelier to occur on tracks similar to this.

His name certainly would not look out of place on the roll call of winners as he has the complete profile for this Donald Ross design.

1.5pts each-way A.Rai  40/1  (1/5 8) Paddypower

Andrew Putnam at 110/1 (Eight Places)

The top 70 get through to the St Jude Championship next week and almost every year we see elevated performances from those in and around the bubble.

One to watch this year is Andrew Putnam and any 80/1 or above is enough for me here. Putnam won the Barracuda back in 2018 and to date that is his only PGA Tour victory.

Things are on the up though and his last two efforts are eye catching. Putnam ranked 2nd in strokes gained approach at the Barracuda last month then 7th in the same statistic at the 3M Open last time out.

A better effort with the putter would have seen him go close again at the Barracuda and his upturn in iron play in recent weeks could give him a big chance here.

He has finished inside the top 30 here the last two years on the trot. He normally struggles on the longer golf courses so Sedgefield gives him some grace and if he arrives with his irons in the same nick as what they were in Minnesota then he could find his way towards the top of this leaderboard and in turn onto Memphis.

1pt each-way A.Putnam  110/1  (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market

Ryan Fox at 80/1 (Six Places)

At 102nd in the Fedex rankings Ryan Fox needs a huge week but I believe he is capable. With power and length off the tee being one of his main assets you certainly wouldn't consider Sedgefield the perfect fit but we've yet to see a body of evidence that suggests otherwise on these types of tracks and for that reason I'm happy to get involved at 66/1.

The New Zealander has always promised of bigger and better things and they arrives last Autumn when he won the BMW PGA at Wentworth.

A fair debut at the Masters finishing 38th followed and a handful of top tens on the PGA tour as well. A closing 67 saw him enter the top 25 at the Open and in Fox we have someone here at a big price who has bags more talent than many ahead of him in the market.

The 66/1 or bigger is there partly because Sedgefield rewards accuracy and not length, but he's a special golfer and I'm happy to give him a chance here.

1pt each-way R.Fox 80/1  (1/5 6) Unibet, BetUK, Livescore

Kevin Kisner at 500/1 (Seven Places)

At eye watering odds I'm more than prepared to chance a former winner of this event in the shape of Kevin Kisner.

Kisner's fall off the face of the earth activity in the past couple of years has been surprising as he'd won and gone close in many of the games greatest events but has suffered the same plight as many before him and no doubt many more to come.

Whether Kisner recovers or not is up for debate but there have been signs of life in recent weeks. He made the cut at the ISCO Championship with only a 3rd round of 77 derailing a better finish than 64th, and last time out at the 3M Open he finished 33rd meaning five of his last eight rounds have been in the 60s.

The 3M performance was his best effort numbers wise in just short of two years. At 40 years old and a Presidents Cup vice Captain this year under Jim Furyk, Kisner's career is far from over.

With some positivity he now heads to a course that really suits his game and the scene of his last victory on the PGA Tour. Anything of 300/1 or above is worth chancing with many of the game's best players missing. 

0.75pt each-way K.Kisner  500/1  (1/5 7) Betway, 1/5 6 (Unibet, BetUK, Livescore)