As the Olympics coverage is over, fans will inevitably focus on other sports. One of them will be Men’s Golf. The Wyndham Championships is a tournament where getting balls close to the hole and making birdies is more of a priority than most weeks.
The top eleven men are listed below in our Wyndman Championships Futures.
| 2021 Wyndham Championship -- PGA Tour Odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webb Simpson | +1200 | +1100 | +1400 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | +1800 | +1800 | +1600 |
| Patrick Reed | +2200 | +2000 | +2200 |
| Will Zalatoris | +2500 | +2500 | +2200 |
| Brian Harman | +2800 | +2500 | +2800 |
| Jason Kokrak | +2800 | +2500 | +2800 |
| Sungjae Im | +3000 | +3000 | +3000 |
| Russell Henley | +3500 | +3000 | +3500 |
| Seamus Power | +4000 | +4000 | +3500 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
The number of players that could win this tournament is more than usual. That is where the problem comes in as far as handicapping this tournament. Again, the options are a bit more than the typical men’s tournament this time of year. The FedEx playoffs often do that. With no other majors, the field can sometimes be a bit lighter than normal. Names will be seen in the contenders’ category most may not be accustomed to.
Now, that being said, the pandemic definitely shifted things last year unexpectedly. The Championships last year gave us an unexpected result with Jim Herman breaking through and shooting -21 to take home the win. Could someone like Si Woo Kim shock the golf world by winning this tournament? That may not be likely given his lack of putting ability of late.
Again, some argue the Olympics were somewhat of a springboard for a few golfers. One may be Hideki Matsuyama. The Japanese golfer nearly won a medal in his home country. He followed that up by finishing in a tie for second last week at the FedEx-WGC tournament at TPC Southwind. If a few more putts were made and he would have won that trophy.
Keep in mind, all it takes is an upset or two to change things.
This is where the debate for the Wyndham Championships Futures begins. Naturally, no one quite knows what will happen during this tournament. These are tournaments where someone can come from way back to win and often out of nowhere. This week’s favorite is an interesting one.
Yes, the results dictate why Simpson could be considered a favorite. Few golfers have been consistent at this tournament for almost a decade. he is one of those select players. With two second-place finishes, a win, and some top tens sprinkled in, Webb Simpson is a slight favorite at a range of +1100 to +1400.
However, there has been some concern about the mental aspect of his game. Mental health is essential in golf. How does a player handle the pressure? It does seem that Simpson has done really well in this tournament above others. This is because the Greensboro course at Sedgewick emphasizes making birdies instead of some more technical elements. Hit the ball fairly well, do not make mistakes, and drain putts. It seems like a simple formula.
Again, that one wrinkle is making a lot of birdies. In the last four years, a score of 21 or 22 under par has been required to win this tournament. That expects to be the magic number again this year. There are no unforeseen weather events that will impact the final winning score.
Simpson should be ready for this leg of the FedEx Cup. This is a risk to pick the favorite when the favorite is close to some of the other favorites. Again, watch out for Hideki Matsuyama as his odds are shortening heading into this tournament.
Hence, our Wyndham Championships Futures pick below is one where the odds may just change right before Thursday morning’s tee time. That’s right. The tournament goes from August 12th – August 15th.
The questions about Hideki Matsuyama’s putting game at times outweigh the answers. No one seems to know what he is thinking in the final round of a tournament. At this point, it seems Matsuyama is quite motivated to give it his all here. If he can putt well in the final round, this would tilt the Wyndham Championships Futures at least a little more. As it is, the Japanese golfer even saw his odds shorten into the +1400 range. This was behind those recent two top-five finishes.
Matsuyama is a streaky golfer capable of going some impressive runs. Also, again the PGA field is a bit lighter than usual this week. Remember that the Ryder Cup looms next month as well.
According to PGA Tour Stats, the fact that Matsuyama is not ranked top-ten in the world is odd. That is the reality. It is more than the fact that several men may have surpassed Matsuyama. In the golf world, it is easier to pass them back given the ebbs and flows of the game.
For Wyndham Championships Futures, our best bet is not to pick Hideki Matsuyama. He could win this tournament but there are too many questions about his Sunday putting to put him right at the top.
2021 has taught us to just keep looking at the men’s field as a body of work and not one or two players. This week, one is looking for players who can drain some birdies and drive the ball reasonably well into a good birdie-making position. After all, one has to be set up well to thrive in these tournaments.
Some will even eye players like Patrick Reed and Will Zalatoris as well. Also, there are Brian Harman and Jason Kokrak. Kokrak may be the true wildcard.
Take Webb Simpson to win the tournament at +1400 before his odds possibly shorten.
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