Finau – Golfing Agency

Tony Finau poised for exciting run in 2023 as five-time PGA Tour winner continues to gather confidence

detlef32 — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 23:31:04 +0000

How many golfers have engendered more excitement about this upcoming year than Tony Finau? The list is not long, especially following Finau’s victory at the Houston Open over the weekend where he defeated Tyson Alexander by four to cash his third win in his last seven PGA Tour starts.

This is not the level success many envisioned Finau enjoying this year. Finau finished T19 at the small field Tournament of Champions in January but didn’t notch a single top 25 until the Mexico Open the first week in May where he finished T2. Since then, he’s been on the tear of his career, at least in terms of victories.

“Yeah, this is definitely the most all parts of my game have been clicking, but I would say I’ve played a lot of good golf for a while,” said Finau after his win in Houston. “I didn’t have a lot of wins to show for it, but I’ve pieced together a game, and that’s what you have to do out here. You know, with my experience, again as I alluded to, trying to be more of a precision player, because I don’t lack speed, so learning how to drive it in the fairway, working on my wedge game, working on my putter, those are all things that I worked extremely hard on.

“And I feel like I’ve been a very solid player for a long time, but it’s exciting for me that I’m getting better, and that’s all I can ask of myself is try and get better in the areas that I really need to. And then remember why you are where you are. I think I don’t go too far away from the DNA of my game, and how I see the game and I think I’m kind of bearing the fruits of how I see the game now and I’m able to hit the shots that I can see, which is pretty cool.”

Including that Mexico Open, Finau has seven top-five finishes in 15 starts, including three of his five career PGA Tour victories. It runs deeper than that; with an improved short game, Finau is one of just eight golfers who has been averaging over 2.0 strokes gained per round — top-five level in the world — since June 1, and he’s closer to No. 1 than he is to No. 8.

Rory McIlroy: 3.0 SG/round
Tony Finau: 2.6
Patrick Cantlay: 2.4
Xander Schauffele: 2.4
Jon Rahm: 2.4
Dustin Johnson: 2.3
Will Zalatoris: 2.2
Daniel Berger: 2.0

This is where the excitement comes in. McIlroy is obviously playing at a top-tier level, but Finau is not that far behind. Whether he can sustain that into a new year that begins with some monster tournaments and includes four majors in seven months remains to be seen, but it’s clear that Finau has kicked it into another gear.

“I’ve always felt like I’ve been very mentally strong,” said Finau on Sunday. “Sometimes I feel like once my game matches up to my mental attitude, I feel like I can be a great player. I feel like I’ve been a good player, showed some brilliance in spurts, but being consistent, to be consistently great takes a full game both mental and physical, and I feel like, honestly, my physical game is starting to match up to my mental. I’ve always been tough, I’ve always been strong mentally. Having a game that matches that is, I think, a great combination and I’m starting to see that with myself.”

Statistically, Finau is over-performing in all four major categories compared to his career averages. That is seemingly unsustainable, though none of them are that far beyond his baseline. Are we looking at a player making the leap into another category altogether, or simply a stretch of hot golf that will bolster the Wikipedia page?

There’s a difference, though, in winning 3M and Houston Opens and doing it at Riviera and the Memorial. Will this recent mini-jump be enough to push Finau over the top at some of the elevated events (or even majors) in 2023?

The answers to those questions will go a long way in determining whether the excitement surrounding the No. 12 player in the world going into 2023 is justified. Though Finau has thrived at major championships in the past (10 top 10s in 26 starts), he has yet to truly contend late on a Sunday. Even more perplexing is the fact that he’s never risen past the No. 9 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings — but that seems like it’s going to happen over the next year.

The First Cut podcast crew is back to bring you their recap of the Cadence Bank Houston Open. Follow & listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you made me list the players I’m most excited about watching and evaluating in 2023, McIlroy, Finau, Rahm, Jordan Spieth and (perhaps in an upset) Matthew Fitzpatrick are probably a personal top five. They all encapsulate the crossroads of intrigue, upside, talent and pieces of the unknown in ways most other players, at least at this juncture, do not.

Finau could go winless in 2023 or he could win two majors and become the PGA Tour Player of the Year. His long-term history and recent performance meld to create maybe the widest spectrum of outcomes of any player in the world right now.

One thing is for sure, though: Finau is playing with a refreshed belief — he said on Sunday that winning creates a confidence that is “contagious” — in himself and his game. His ceiling is high because his gifts are off the charts. He figured out how that can translate to wins in 2022. With that year and this history under his belt, what will he figure out in 2023 and beyond?

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2022 RSM Classic picks, predictions, best bets, odds: PGA expert says back Tony Finau, fade Taylor Montgomery

detlef32 — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 22:28:49 +0000

Tony Finau will try to continue his recent dominance when he tees off Thursday in the 2022 RSM Classic at Sea Island Resort in Georgia. Finau comes into St. Simons Island fresh off a four-stroke victory at last week’s Houston Open, his third win in his past seven events. Finau will be trying to win consecutive tournaments for the second time in four months and will face a slightly subpar field that features six of the world’s top 40 players. Seven players made it to last year’s Tour Championship – Finau, Sepp Straka, Tom Hoge, Brian Harman, J.T. Poston, Sahith Theegala and Scott Stallings. Four of the past six RSM Classics have gone to a playoff, though Talor Gooch won last year by three strokes, going 22 under par. This is the final official PGA Tour event of the calendar year, with the Sentry Tournament of Champions next up Jan. 5-8.

The latest 2022 RSM Classic odds list Finau as the 9-1 favorite, followed by Harman (18-1), Hoge (20-1) and Jason Day (22-1) . Power (25-1), Taylor Montgomery (25-1), Keith Mitchell (30-1) and Matthew NeSmith (30-1) also are expected to be RSM Classic top contenders. Before you make any 2022 RSM Classic picks or bets, you really need to see the PGA Tour predictions, best bets and sleepers from SportsLine golf insider Patrick McDonald.

After spending time at FanSided and NBC Sports EDGE, McDonald joined CBS Sports as a golf writer in the spring of 2022. Now covering the sport from a broader perspective, McDonald still likes to dip his toes into the betting pools on a weekly basis on the PGA Tour.

He takes a measured approach to his outright selections and finished the 2021-22 season up 42 units on those plays, having hit Cameron Smith (22-1) at the Tournament of Champions, Hudson Swafford (250-1) at The American Express, Joaquin Niemann (70-1) at the Genesis Invitational and Justin Thomas (66-1) live at the PGA Championship.

McDonald also nailed last week’s Houston Open. backing Finau at 25-1. “I was surprised to see Finau’s name below the likes of (Aaron) Wise and (Maverick) McNealy given his recent form,” the expert said, “but we will take it and ask questions later.” The 33-year-old simply went out and shot 65-62 in the first two rounds and ran away with his fifth tour victory.

McDonald also has been on the money on his matchup plays, hitting eight of his past 15, and he is up more than 13 units on those picks this season. McDonald also hit a first-round leader at the Zozo Championship, backing 80-1 Brendan Steele. Anyone who followed McDonald’s advice cashed in huge.

Now, McDonald has studied the 2022 RSM Classic field and is locking in his best bets, top sleepers and favorites to avoid. You can head to SportsLine now to see all his PGA picks and predictions.

Top 2022 RSM Classic expert picks

One shocking pick from McDonald this week: The expert is fading Montgomery even though the 27-year-old has finished in the top 10 in three of his six events this season. The problem is, the Sea Island layouts are short by tour standards, and Montgomery’s advantage is off the tee. He also was red-hot with the putter and ranks 11th in strokes gained putting, but he tied for 57th in Houston last week as the flat stick cooled off. Montgomery is 144th in strokes gained approach and 103rd tee to green, so McDonald says “Sea Island is a less-than-stellar statistical fit.”

On the other hand, the expert knows Finau should continue to roll after he backed him last week despite him coming in off a missed cut. The 33-year-old is in the top five in every strokes gained category except around the green (55th) and is firing on all cylinders. Finau was top-15 off the tee, on approach and tee-to–green last season, when he was in the top 15 in six of his final nine events (including his back-to-back victories). He led the field in driving accuracy and greens in regulation in Houston and “has ascended into one of the best players in the world,” McDonald says. See who else to pick at The RSM Classic here.

How to make 2022 RSM Classic golf picks

Before this week’s PGA Tour event at Sea Island, McDonald has locked in his best bets for the 2022 RSM Classic. He has several outright plays, including a huge longshot who would bring a monster payout of 150-1. You can only find out who it is, and see the rest of McDonald’s picks and PGA Tour analysis, at SportsLine.

So which 2022 RSM Classic picks should you target? Which golfer priced at a massive 150-1 could pull off a stunning victory this week at RSM Classic 2022? Check out the odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Patrick McDonald’s top picks for RSM Classic 2022, all from the expert who nailed last week’s Houston Open, and find out.

2022 RSM Classic odds, field, top contenders

See full RSM Classic 2022 picks, best bets, and predictions here.

Tony Finau +900
Brian Harman +1800
Tom Hoge +2000
Jason Day +2200
Taylor Montgomery +2500
Seamus Power +2500
Keith Mitchell +3000
Matthew NeSmith +3000
Sahith Theegala +3000
J.J. Spaun +3500
Denny McCarthy +3500
Joel Dahmen +4000
Andrew Putnam +4000
Taylor Moore +4500
Patrick Rodgers +4500
Taylor Pendrith +4500
Matt Kuchar +4500
Kevin Kisner +4500
Justin Rose +4500
Webb Simpson +5000
Wyndham Clark +5000
Scott Stallings +5000
Mackenzie Hughes +5000
Davis Riley +5000
Will Gordon +6000
Nick Hardy +6000
Brendon Todd +6000
Alex Smalley +6000
Aaron Rai +6000
Harris English +6500
Chris Kirk +6500
Trey Mullinax +8000
Troy Merritt +8000
Stephan Jaeger +8000
Justin Lower +8000
Hayden Buckley +8000
J.T. Poston +8000
Greyson Sigg +8000
Dean Burmester +8000
David Lipsky +8000
Robby Shelton +10000
S.H. Kim +10000
Russell Knox +10000
Sepp Straka +10000
Lee Hodges +10000
Francesco Molinari +10000
Davis Thompson +10000
Brandon Wu +10000
Ben Griffin +10000
Beau Hossler +10000
Adam Svensson +10000
Mark Hubbard +13000
Scott Piercy +13000
John Huh +13000
Luke List +13000
Justin Suh +13000
Danny Willett +13000
Cameron Percy +13000
Cameron Champ +13000
Ben Taylor +13000
Adam Long +13000
Zach Johnson +15000
Sam Ryder +15000
Patton Kizzire +15000
Kevin Streelman +15000
Kevin Yu +15000
Carl Yuan +15000
Austin Smotherman +15000
Austin Cook +15000
Adam Schenk +15000
Ryan Armour +18000
Matthew Wallace +18000
Ryan Moore +18000
Michael Thompson +18000
Christopher Gotterup +18000
Chesson Hadley +18000
Callum Tarren +18000
Zecheng Dou +20000
Robert Streb +20000
Matthias Schwab +20000
Stewart Cink +20000
Henrik Norlander +20000
Harry Hall +20000
Dylan Frittelli +20000
David Lingmerth +20000
Byeong Hun An +20000
Tyson Alexander +25000
Tyler Duncan +25000
MJ Daffue +25000
Rory Sabbatini +25000
Sean O’Hair +25000
Nate Lashley +25000
Michael Gligic +25000
Kelly Kraft +25000
Joseph Bramlett +25000
Garrick Higgo +25000
Eric Cole +25000
Charley Hoffman +25000
Andrew Novak +25000
Trevor Cone +30000
Vaughn Taylor +30000
Vincent Norrman +30000
Philip Knowles +30000
Peter Malnati +30000
Nick Watney +30000
Max McGreevy +30000
Paul Haley +30000
Sam Stevens +30000
Matti Schmid +30000
Harry Higgs +30000
Harrison Endycott +30000
Hank Lebioda +30000
Brice Garnett +30000
Brian Stuard +30000
Zac Blair +40000
Richy Werenski +40000
Spencer Ralston +40000
Michael Kim +40000
Kyle Westmoreland +40000
Kevin Roy +40000
Kevin Tway +40000
Nico Echavarria +40000
Jonathan Byrd +40000
Dylan Wu +40000
Erik Barnes +40000
Doc Redman +40000
Cole Hammer +40000
Chad Ramey +40000
Carson Young +40000
Camilo Villegas +40000
Brian Gay +40000
Ben Martin +40000
Augusto Nunez +40000
Andrew Landry +40000
Anders Albertson +40000
Aaron Baddeley +40000
Trevor Werbylo +50000
Tano Goya +50000
Scott Harrington +50000
Palmer Jackson +50000
Tim Weinhart +50000
Ryan Brehm +50000
Martin Trainer +50000
Jason Dufner +50000
Jacob Bridgeman +50000
Jim Herman +50000
Davis Love III +50000
Danny Lee +50000
Chris Stroud +50000
Brent Grant +50000
Bill Haas +50000
Brandon Matthews +50000

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2022 Houston Open leaderboard, grades: Confident Tony Finau snatches third victory in last seven starts

detlef32 — Sun, 13 Nov 2022 21:43:15 +0000

“Winning breeds confidence,” said Tony Finau throughout the week of the 2022 Houston Open. Claiming his fifth PGA Tour title — and third in his last seven tournaments — with a dominating performance at Memorial Park Golf Course, Finau’s confidence is just now beginning to shine through. As quiet as it may have been, or may be, it is most certainly present. If Houston is any indication of what Finau is truly capable of, the rest of the PGA Tour should take notice.

Finishing the tournament at 16 under, Finau appeared to play a different golf course en route to besting the field by four strokes. Beginning his week with a benign opening nine, the 33-year-old found a different gear during his inward half on Thursday, playing it in 5 under and ascending to the top of the leaderboard.

Finau didn’t look back from there as rounds of 62, 68 and 69 followed his first round of 5-under 65. Occupying the pole position for the entirety of the week, Finau slowly sucked the air out of the golf tournament thanks to a consistent long game and a new-found confidence with the putter in hand.

“I’m putting it better than I’ve ever putted it, more consistently and I know that’s the part of my game I’ve always needed to be better at, so that on the technical side, for sure,” said Finau at the onset of the weekend. “But the belief’s there because of some of the success I’ve had over the last 16 months of my career, and I put myself in another nice situation this week.”

Not only has Finau’s belief transformed over the last 16 months, but so has the perception of him as a player. Long known as someone unable to seal the deal on Sundays, the American experienced his fair share of agonizing moments during a winless drought that lasted more than four years.

“I’ve always had belief, but the confidence when you win is contagious,” said Finau. “I’ve always been a very hopeful person. I work extremely hard, and now I’m starting to bear the fruits of that labor, of all that work.”

This drought has since turned into a deluge of victories as he now boasts four wins over the span of his last 32 tournaments. With so much success in such little time, and this subtle confidence of his now matching the obvious talent, what could be next for Finau?

While the PGA Tour, and golf as a whole, has turned into a young man’s game with new stars like Tom Kim popping up on every corner, Finau is a stark contrast. He is now 33, five times a winner, a member of the last four United States teams between the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, and has consistently factored in at least one major championship per season since 2018.

Are 10 career victories and a major championship in the cards? Sixteen months ago, any response other than “no” would be complete lunacy, but here we are. A confident, persistent Finau has the potential to attain such accolades. In an era that features so much parity, Houston could be another building block towards just that. Grade: A+

Here are the grades for the rest of the leaderboard at the 2022 Houston Open.

T9. Scottie Scheffler (-6): The No. 2 player in the world holed out to end his tournament and his year on the PGA Tour. That’s fitting considering only one player in the world got the ball in the cup with more efficiency than Scheffler throughout 2022. His T9 ends a nice little three-tournament fall after posting two top 10s and a T45 over the last month. This actually looks pretty similar to how last fall went, and we all know about the spring that followed. Scheffler finished second this week in strokes gained tee to green, which is notable because it’s a reminder that if the putter bounces back starting in January, we could be in for another run from somebody who I think is still pretty underrated in the golf world. Grade: B

T22. Sahith Theegala (-4): Theegala will be in the field next week at the RSM Classic, and he goes into the last event of the fall with a little bit of momentum. He finished T22 in Houston after a T6 at the Fortinet and a T5 at the Zozo Championship earlier in the fall. Most importantly for him, he’s hitting the ball as well as he is all fall. His approach numbers in Houston were fabulous, and his last season shows that his best iron play comes in batches. It’s not difficult to envision Theegala notching his first victory on the PGA Tour at the last event of the year and making a bit of a leap heading into the brief offseason. Grade: B+

T22. Aaron Wise (-4): I’ll take any opening I can to write about Wise. This is his third consecutive top 25 this fall, though it feels a bit like a wasted opportunity. He was lights out on and around the greens this week, but could not get his normally reliable irons going and finished 63 in approach and 54th off the tee. That’s not a massive concern regarding Wise because his recent history doesn’t suggest he’s in a tee-to-green slump; rather, it’s one that he’ll likely look back on and wish that he had his usual stuff because he likely could have made at least a bit of a run at Finau on the weekend. Grade: B

T39. Harris English (E): After missing February through May with an injury, English did not play well to close out the 2021-22 PGA Tour season. His fall has been a bit better. He’s made five of six cuts and had his second-best driving week of the last six events in Houston. After thriving on the Ryder Cup team last fall, English got a bit lost in the shuffle with everything that was going on in the golf world and because he wasn’t playing well (or at all) for most of the year. It would be great to see him get back in the mix at the RSM and beyond as he works his way back toward being a top 30 player in the world. Grade: B-

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2022 Houston Open leaderboard, scores: Tony Finau maintains lead through difficult conditions in Round 3

detlef32 — Sun, 13 Nov 2022 00:27:30 +0000

Memorial Park Golf Course played completely different in the third round of the 2022 Houston Open compared to the prior two days. With cold weather and blustery conditions entering the Houston area overnight, what remained the same is the name that occupies the top spot on the leaderboard: Tony Finau.

The 36-hole leader was unable to replicate the fireworks of his first two rounds that featured a combined 16 birdies, yet on Saturday, they were not necessary. Signing for a 2-under 68, Finau carded 16 pars and two birdies to get to 15 under and maintain his four-stroke lead heading into Sunday.

With his playing competitors feeling the wrath of Memorial Park, the 33-year-old held pat, often playing conservatively to the middle of the green and taking what the golf course would give him. Hitting 14 of 14 fairways and missing only two greens in regulation, it was Finau’s long game that was able to alleviate any major stress from his day.

While Finau showed poise in the pole position, it was Englishman Ben Taylor who was the star of the day. Signing for a 5-under 65, Taylor carded the round of the afternoon and propelled himself into the final group on Sunday alongside Finau. At 11 under, Taylor will pose as Finau’s biggest threat as he not only looks for his first victory on the PGA Tour but also his first top-10 finish; his previous best effort was a T20 result at the 2021 Barbasol Championship.

The leader

1. Tony Finau (-15)

The opening 5-under 65 was impressive, the 8-under 62 was special, but Finau’s 2-under 68 on Saturday may have been the most memorable of all. With Memorial Park playing more than a stroke over par, the American looked as good as ever. While he let his fair share of opportunities fall by the wayside on the greens, it was about as easy of a third round for a leader on the PGA Tour in quite some time, and even more so considering the conditions.

Other contenders

2. Ben Taylor (-11)

T3. Justin Rose, Wyndham Clark, Tyson Alexander (-8)

T6. Gary Woodland, Joel Dahmen (-7)

T8. Scott Piercy, Russell Knox, Aaron Rai, Mackenzie Hughes, James Hahn, Alex Noren, Patrick Rodgers (-6)

The Ryder Cup has been discussed often in these write-ups, and it is encouraging to see Rose’s name on the first page of the leaderboard. After experiencing a 2021-22 season that featured only two top-10 finishes, the Englishman’s presence is a welcomed sight for not only himself but his fellow Europeans. With the home team in Rome expecting to overhaul half of its squad, a veteran presence such as Rose in the locker room could go a long way. Still 10 months away, Rose is a player to monitor as we head into 2023.

“I feel like I need to get my toe down on the accelerator a little bit. It’s been not the greatest year, and obviously 2022-23 season’s up and running and it’s time to kind of make some points and get amongst it,” said Rose. “Last couple seasons I’ve been on the fringes looking from the outside in at the FedExCup a little bit, so that’s not a position I want to continue to put myself in.”

Tackle of the day

It’s a big day in college football and golf with Jordan Spieth appearing on ESPN’s “College GameDay” as the guest picker ahead of the Texas vs. TCU matchup. Despite the bevy of plays made on Saturday both on the gridiron and golf course, the tackle of the afternoon may go to this mother. Tracking down her child from running onto the green at Memorial Park, the mother was lucky there was no flag on the play.

2022 Houston Open updated odds and picks

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Tony Finau: 1/8
Ben Taylor: 14-1
Wyndham Clark: 50-1
Justin Rose: 55-1

Four strokes is not insurmountable, but the way Finau is currently playing does not suggest any sort of meltdown on Sunday. With Taylor unproven, this two-man race has the potential to be over early in the final round. Finau has put together a well-rounded effort through three days ranking second in strokes gained tee to green and third in strokes gained putting. He’s been my selection since the start of the week and this sentiment is unchanged heading into the final day in Houston.

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2022 Houston Open leaderboard, scores: Tony Finau separates as inclement weather pushes Round 2 to Saturday

detlef32 — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 22:20:39 +0000

After playing his final nine holes in 5 under on Thursday, Tony Finau kept his foot on the gas pedal early Friday morning at the 2022 Houston Open. Beginning his day with a crucial par save, the four-time PGA Tour winner tacked on 10 birdies against two blemishes over the course of his next 17 holes to tie the course record with an 8-under 62 at Memorial Park Golf Course.

“I thought I just took the momentum that I had from yesterday. I finished 5 under on my last nine yesterday and I just rolled that momentum right into today,” said Finau. “I thought I made a huge putt for par on No. 1 and then I was kind of off to the races. I almost made a hole-in-one on No. 2 and just kind of cruising from there. It was a really nice round of golf.”

Standing at 13 under, the 33-year-old is four strokes clear of his nearest pursuer as the conditions worsened in the Houston area in the afternoon hours and caused play to be suspended until Saturday morning when the second round will resume at 7:45 a.m. ET. With this weather expecting to persist, and with half the field still needing to complete their second rounds, this margin possessed by Finau cannot go overlooked as he attempts to fend off the competition over the weekend.

Last year’s runner-up and world No. 2 Scottie Scheffler remains a threat as he sits at 5 under through 13 holes in his second round. Still eight strokes off the pace, he is all but assured to be around for the weekend, unlike his good friend Sam Burns. Burns entered the week the second highest-ranked player in the field. After an opening 7-over 77, however, Burns is unlikely to recover and make the cut.

The leader

1. Tony Finau (-13)

Despite missing the cut last week in his season debut, Finau knocked off the competitive rust at Mayakoba. Staying put in Mexico to spend quality time with the family and play a couple rounds of golf with his children, Finau was looking to rediscover the sharpness that propelled him into a memorable last few months of the 2021-22 season.

During this span, Finau teed it up in 13 tournaments — winning twice, finishing runner-up another two times and collecting four additional top-15 finishes. Through 36 holes, his search appears to have been a successful one.

“Winning just breeds confidence. I’ve always felt like I was confident to win, but you’ve got to do it, you’ve got to make it happen. Having done that back to back, I think it just breeds confidence more into my belief and to my game,” said Finau. “I would say that’s been a nice part over these last couple years is just getting more comfortable at the top of the leaderboard. I always am trying to get better and each day that’s all you can ask of yourself is just try and push yourself to be the best you can be, and the result of that is I think I’ve been better each year of my career and each season and hopefully I continue that trend.”

Other contenders

2. Patrick Rodgers (-9)

T3. Tyson Alexander, Alex Noren (-8)

T5. James Hahn, Carl Yuan (-7)

T7. Wyndham Clark, Mackenzie Hughes, Aaron Rai, Ben Griffin, Ben Taylor, Trey Mullinax, Aaron Wise (-6)

This is an eclectic pack on the chase featuring journeymen, rookies, European stalwarts and everything in between. Hahn, Mullinax, Wise and Hughes are the only PGA Tour winners of the bunch, and it is the Canadian being featured in the spotlight. Playing alongside the leader the first two days, Hughes got a front row seat to Finau’s exquisite play.

Not possessing his best stuff on Friday, Hughes, who won earlier this season at the Sanderson Farms Championship, kept himself in this tournament thanks to a scrappy performance. One of the best putters on the PGA Tour and recently adding some distance, Hughes could be worth a look over the weekend.

“I kind of joked with Joel [Dahmen] a little bit there that Tony [Finau] had a long pro-am day today with him and I going alongside,” said Hughes. “And yeah, just felt like I was all over the lot starting out and just trying to find a way to make some pars. Was doing a good job of that for the most part. Then I got a little bit of a semblance of a swing the last five, six holes there and was able to finish the round quite nicely. All in all, it was probably about as good as I could have shot today.”

Homeless Hubbs heading home early after DQ

This was a peculiar moment in the second round as Mark Hubbard was disqualified for adding an extra golf club to his bag around the turn. Standing at 9 over for the tournament through 27 holes, Hubbard was never going to make the cut and instead looked to test a different driver before packing his bags. Unbeknownst to him, his actions were grounds for disqualification.

2022 Houston Open updated odds and picks

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Tony Finau: 5/7
Scottie Scheffler: 8-1
Alex Noren: 9-1
Patrick Rodgers: 11-1
Aaron Wise: 14-1
Wyndham Clark: 60-1
Trey Mullinax: 60-1
Davis Riley: 65-1
Carl Yuan: 70-1
Mackenzie Hughes: 70-1
James Hahn: 80-1
Aaron Rai: 90-1

Two days into this tournament and only 12 players find themselves with odds lower than 100-1. A credit to what Finau is currently doing, I would be shocked if the current leader is unable to convert the edge into his fifth victory on the PGA Tour. He is performing adequately in every aspect of the game, and in particular his putting where he ranks third in the field.

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2022 Houston Open leaderboard: Ryder Cup veterans Alex Noren, Tony Finau among those in front after Round 1

detlef32 — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 02:20:44 +0000

The first round of this year’s Houston Open is in the books, and if leaderboards are any indication of the quality of an event — and they are — then this tournament is going to be a great one over the next three days.

Former Ryder Cuppers Alex Noren and Tony Finau are tied at the top at 5 under along with potentially future Ryder Cupper, Aaron Wise as well as Tyson Alexander who only completed 17 holes before darkness. Between the three players at the top who completed their rounds, they made just two combined bogeys in 54 holes at a tough Memorial Park Golf Course, and there’s some distance between them and the rest of the best players in the field.

Let’s take a closer look at their first rounds and what to expect over the weekend in Houston.

The leaders

1. Tony Finau, Alex Noren, Aaron Wise, Tyson Alexander (-5): Gone are the low 60s scores of last week signifying an easy resort golf course that professionals can light up. Memorial Park Golf Course is a Tom Doak redesign and has proved to be tricky over its first two PGA Tour events. This one looks to be much of the same.

Wise has been playing terrific golf this fall and seems to have solved some of his putter problems, which could also be a problem for the rest of the fields he plays in. It’s been en vogue to suggest him as a potential breakout star this year, but there’s a reason for that — he’s a terrific ball-striker — and it’s looking at least now like it could be true.

“I feel like I’m getting there,” said Wise of the state of his game. “I’m pretty hard on myself, there’s always things I want to improve, but I feel like I’m well on my way. I feel like I’m in a way better spot than I was a year ago or two years ago. I just want to keep pushing and keep getting better and see how good I can get”

Finau has been one of the hottest players in golf over the last two months, and Noren has caught a bit of that heat as well — he finished second at the Barracuda Championship in July and T2 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the beginning of October. Both are tremendous ball-strikers and Noren led the field in iron play on Thursday. I would be surprised if one of these three players didn’t end up winning the tournament.

Other contenders

T5. Zack Fischer, Ben Taylor, Keith Mitchell, Taylor Pendrith, Wyndham Clark, Mackenzie Hughes, Max McGreevy, David Lipsky (-4)

T13. Scott Piercy, Denny McCarthy, Brendan Steele, Maverick McNealy, Justin Rose, Marty Dou Zecheng, Joel Dahmen, Zack Fischer, Brent Grant, Trey Mullinax, Yechun Yuan, Ben Griffin (-3)

That’s a lot of names but not a lot of depth. Who’s the best player in this group right now? Mitchell? Dahmen? McNealy?

McNealy has probably been playing the best golf of anyone in this collection of players with four consecutive top-20 finishes after a missed cut at the Fortinet Championship to start his 2022-23 season. He drove it poorly on Thursday (only two golfers hit fewer fairways) but his immense short game kept a round together. If he gets it rolling off the tee, he could certainly jump up into contention on the weekend.

Dahmen, too, has been trending in the right direction. After a T37 at the Shriners, he finished T16 at the Zozo and T3 last week at the World Wide Technology Championship in Mayakoba. He was good across the board on Thursday, and it would give this tournament a bit of a jolt to see one of the more popular men in golf get his second career victory.

Sam Burns’ struggles

As one of the two top 12 players in this field, much was expected of Burns. Unfortunately he shot a 77 on Thursday and has only four golfers behind him on the leaderboard. Normally a strong putter, Burns lost nearly five (!!) strokes to the field on the greens on Thursday and put himself in a corner that’s going to be difficult to get out of.

2022 Houston Open odds, picks

Tony Finau: 4-1
Aaron Wise: 5-1
Alex Noren: 12-1
Taylor Pendrith: 14-1
Maverick McNealy: 14-1
Scottie Scheffler: 18-1

Normally I like to look pretty far down the board to find somebody with longer odds. However, I think one of the co-leaders is going to end up winning this tournament. I would simply sprinkle on those three and hope that Noren hits but not be disappointed if it’s one of the others.

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2022 Houston Open picks, predictions, best bets, odds: PGA expert says back Tony Finau, fade Maverick McNealy

detlef32 — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 18:46:06 +0000

Scottie Scheffler has a shot at reclaiming the world’s No 1 ranking at this week’s 2022 Houston Open, which tees off Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course. A victory this week would move Scheffler back ahead of Rory McIlroy, and the Texas native has reason to feel confident. He held the 54-hole lead at Memorial Park last year, and he comes off a tie for third at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba last week. Russell Henley, who won that tournament by four strokes and is the 2017 Houston Open champion, also is scheduled to be part of the 2022 Cadence Bank Houston Open field. Sam Burns, a three-time winner last season, also returns to action for the first time since the CJ Cup. This is the third year of the tournament at Memorial Park, and Carlos Ortiz won the inaugural one at 13 under, while Jason Kokrak went 10 under last year.

Scheffler is listed as the 11-2 favorite in the latest 2022 Houston Open odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Nine golfers are priced shorter than 30-1, led by Burns (14-1), Tony Finau (14-1) and Aaron Wise (18-1). Hideki Matsuyama (20-1), Henley (22-1), Maverick McNealy (22-1), Taylor Montgomery (22-1) and Jason Day (25-1) also are among the favorites in the Houston Open 2022 field. Before making any 2022 Houston Open picks or PGA Tour predictions, you need to check out the best bets and sleepers from SportsLine golf insider Patrick McDonald.

McDonald has hit seven of his 11 matchup plays over the past three weeks and is up more than 14 units on those picks this season. At the Bermuda Championship, he backed winner Seamus Power +100 over pre-tournament favorite Denny McCarthy. For the Zozo Championship, he predicted that winner Keegan Bradley would beat Corey Conners, one of the favorites. McDonald also nailed a first-round leader at the Zozo, backing 80-1 Brendan Steele. Anyone who followed McDonald’s advice has cashed in huge.

Now, McDonald has studied the 2022 Houston Open field and is locking in his best bets, top sleepers and favorites to avoid. You can head to SportsLine now to see all his PGA picks and predictions.

Top 2022 Houston Open expert picks

One surprise from McDonald this week: He is fading McNealy again, as he doesn’t expect his run of strong results to continue much longer. McNealy is just too reliant on his hot putter, and despite four straight top-20 finishes, he hasn’t been in true contention for his first victory. “McNealy’s name is still too high on the odds board,” McDonald says, “and should be passed over for others in his price range.” The 27-year-old is fourth in strokes gained putting but 135th in greens in regulation and 138th tee to green, and that isn’t a recipe for long-term success.

On the flip side, McDonald knows Finau’s approach is proven, and he expects the four-time tour winner to rebound from his missed cut from last week. Finau went 3 under par at Mayakoba to miss the cut on the number, and the only other time he has missed the weekend since March came at the U.S. Open. He ended last season with four top-10’s in his last five starts, including consecutive victories, and he was 3-1-0 at the Presidents Cup six weeks ago. Memorial Park rewards ball-strikers, and Finau was fifth in greens in regulation (71.25 percent) last season. See who else to pick at the Houston Open here.

How to make 2022 Houston Open golf picks

Before this week’s PGA Tour event at Memorial Park, McDonald has locked in his best bets for the 2022 Houston Open. He has several outright plays, including a huge longshot who would bring a monster payout of 200-1. You can only find out who it is, and see the rest of McDonald’s picks and PGA Tour analysis, at SportsLine.

So which 2022 Houston Open picks should you target? Which golfer priced at a massive 200-1 could pull off a stunning victory this week at Houston Open 2022? Check out the odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Patrick McDonald’s top picks for Houston Open 2022, all from the expert who ended last season up 42 units on outright plays, and find out.

2022 Cadence Bank Houston Open odds, field, top contenders

See full Houston Open 2022 picks, best bets, and predictions here.

Scottie Scheffler +550
Sam Burns +1200
Tony Finau +1600
Aaron Wise +1600
Taylor Montgomery +2000
Maverick McNealy +2000
Hideki Matsuyama +2200
Russell Henley +2500
Jason Day +3000
Denny McCarthy +3500
Sahith Theegala +4000
Matthew NeSmith +4000
Andrew Putnam +4000
Joel Dahmen +4500
Keith Mitchell +5000
Emiliano Grillo +5000
Davis Riley +5000
Taylor Pendrith +5000
Alex Noren +5000
Adam Hadwin +5000
Taylor Moore +5000
Si-Woo Kim +5000
Sebastian Munoz +6500
Patrick Rodgers +6500
Mackenzie Hughes +6500
Dean Burmester +6500
Alex Smalley +6500
Sepp Straka +8000
Lee Hodges +8000
Justin Lower +8000
Wyndham Clark +8000
Will Gordon +8000
Greyson Sigg +8000
Harris English +8000
Adam Schenk +8000
Ryan Palmer +10000
Robby Shelton +10000
Nick Taylor +10000
Luke List +10000
Justin Suh +10000
Justin Rose +10000
Francesco Molinari +10000
Davis Thompson +10000
Cameron Champ +10000
Brandon Wu +10000
Brendan Steele +10000
Beau Hossler +10000
Stephan Jagger +10000
Adam Long +10000
Aaron Rai +10000

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2022 Houston Open picks, predictions, best bets, odds, props: PGA expert says back Tony Finau at Memorial Park

detlef32 — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 21:20:33 +0000

Russell Henley has to be feeling good as he heads to the next stop on the PGA Tour, the 2022 Houston Open, which tees off Thursday at Memorial Park. Henley cruised to a four-stroke victory at last weeks’ World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, and now he comes to a tournament where he has excelled. Henley won the 2017 Houston Open and has finished in the top 10 five times in his nine appearances. He will face a strong Cadence Bank Houston Open 2022 field led by the past two Masters champions – world No. 2 Scottie Scheffler and 2021 winner Hideki Matsuyama. Scheffler has a chance to reclaim the No. 1 ranking with a victory, and he tied for third last week in Mexico. He also held the 54-hole lead at Memorial Park last year before finishing as a runner-up, two strokes behind Jason Kokrak. Among the others in action this week are Tony Finau, Sam Burns and major champions like Jason Day and Justin Rose.

Scheffler is the 11-2 favorite in the latest 2022 Houston Open odds, and Burns (12-1), Finau (16-1) and Aaron Wise (16-1) also are expected to contend. Taylor Montgomery (20-1), Maverick McNealy (20-1), Matsuyama (22-1) and Henley (25-1) are among the other favorites in the Houston Open 2022 field. Before you consider any 2022 Houston Open picks or PGA Tour predictions, you need to check out the best bets and sleepers from SportsLine golf insider Patrick McDonald.

Now, McDonald has studied the 2022 Houston Open field and is locking in his best bets, top sleepers and favorites to avoid. You can head to SportsLine now to see all his PGA picks and predictions.

Top 2022 Houston Open expert picks

McDonald faded McNealy last week before his top-10 finish, and the expert is still not sold, so he is fading the 27-year-old again. McNealy gained six strokes on the field with his putter in Mexico, and McDonald knows that’s not sustainable. When the putter cools off, “this hot streak will burst in a big way,” the expert says. The California native is fourth in strokes gained putting and was 19th last season. But he also was 122nd in strokes gained on approach and 124th around the green, and he hasn’t been any better this fall. McDonald will find better value elsewhere.

On the other hand, the expert isn’t fazed by Finau’s missed cut last week and expects his well-rounded game to play better in Houston this time. The 33-year-old had a strong showing at the Presidents Cup, going 3-1-0 in the Americans’ victory, and closed last season on a roll. He had back-to-back victories and two other top-10 finishes in his final five events. He finished last season in the top 15 in strokes gained off the tee, approach and tee to green and was 58th in putting. He was fifth in greens in regulation (71.25 percent) and 11th in scoring (69.748). See who else to pick at the Houston Open here.

How to make 2022 Houston Open golf picks

2022 Cadence Bank Houston Open odds, field, top contenders

See full Houston Open 2022 picks, best bets, and predictions here.

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