The PGA Tour turns to Louisiana this week and Bettingpro's golf expert Marcas Brennan has sided with three players worth backing in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
One aspect that jumps out when scanning the field is the lack of quality players that will be teeing off on Thursday morning. Aside from Rickie Fowler, Jason Day and Justin Rose there is a severe drop in talent. And it would be no surprise whatsoever to see both Rose and Day battling it out on Sunday much like they did 12 months ago when the Englishman topped the leaderboard.
Yes, Charlie Hoffman is here a few days after winning in Texas but there is definitely an absence of star quality on show. Hoffman is in good form but it is hard to see him win two in a row, especially as it took him so long to get his head in front in the first place. Fowler is a terrific golfer but he is just back from a holiday with Jordan Spieth, Smylie Kaufman and Justin Thomas and if Instagram is anything to go by they certainly enjoyed themselves. It would be a surprise to see his game in peak condition, as he takes on a course he has struggled with in the past.
Having contended in Texas, Billy Horschel is in good form at the moment and stands every chance of a good placing once again at a tournament he won in 2014. Justin Rose is the last person to miss out on our betting shortlist and is sure to thereabouts on Sunday. This is a course he has a particular soft spot for having won here 12 months ago and also three top 15 finishes in his previous three visits.
Selections
Day will be slightly short for some but the quality of opposition this week makes him a good bet. The Australian is arguably the best in the world at the moment and showcased this by being in contention at the Masters despite not playing his best golf.
That also came after back to back wins in his two previous tournaments and he is playing exceptionally well at the moment. Even though he finished 23rd at the RBC Heritage when last seen on course, he was joint leader after two rounds at a place that realistically isn't suited to his game. Shorter hitters tend to thrive there.
Take this stat for example; Day has won six of his last 15 tournaments! Without doubt when his game is in in sync, he is the one to beat and that should be the case in New Orleans.
This is also a course that certainly suits his style, Day is one of the best drivers of the ball and those with accurate, long drives will have a distinct advantage at hitting the accessible greens in Louisiana. This should be a birdie fest and Day has no problems scoring low. Last year when Rose pipped him by two shots, the Australian held the lead going into the final round before finishing in sixth place so he also has some good course form.
Daniel Berger is the rookie of the year for 2015 and after a wayward start to the season he seems to be finally regaining the swing that saw him break onto the scene 12 months ago. We are sticking with the big drivers on this one as Berger ranks in the top 30 on tour in driving distance and is also in the top 35 in total strokes gained.
However, it was his stellar performance at the Masters that really caught my eye where he showed some excellent scrambling skills and battling qualities for a 10th place finish. On that occasion he displayed the mental abilities needed to survive on a tough track but this week he will need to show that he can compete with players who love going low.
He is well capable of this as he tied for sixth here last year on 18 under, and has finished on 15 under and 16 under at Pebble Beach and the BMW Championship respectively on other courses that turned into a birdie fest.
Berger has a top 10 finish in his only start here and three top 11's in his last four starts and all the stats point to a player set to be in contention on Sunday night.
Unlike Adam Scott, David Hearn is a player who struggled with the ban on anchored putting at the start of the year. The Canadian was in the doldrums, missing cut after cut, before a renaissance of form in recent tournaments.
There are signs that he is growing more confident with the flat stick and his game is showing signs of life with two top 20 finishes in his last four tournaments. He will be particularly delighted with his showing at Texas of late where he finished just four shots off eventual winner Charlie Hoffman.
This will give him tons of confidence heading into a tournament where he has some decent form in recent years. He has made the cut in all of his last six appearances here with three of them being top 25 finishes too. 12 months ago he was bang in contention when finishing tied for sixth and the odds of 100/1 are too big to avoid.
