Bet Golf! Kern picks the Shriners Hospital Children’s Open where Bryson Dechambeau is the obvious fave at 7-1
Last week we had Kristoffer Ventura and Brandt Snedeker as two of our longshots. And Ventura wound up finishing in the top 10, which got us back 11-1. Not bad. Snedeker, who was also one shot off the lead going into the final round, closed with a 1-over par to only get 12th. Too bad. If he’d shot two better he too would have gotten a top 10, which would have been worth a 25-1 payout. Sometimes those bets are actually better, and we’ve had some good luck with them lately. Still won’t stop us from trying to come up with the outright winner.
Now it’s on to the Shriners Hospital Children’s Open, from Las Vegas, which boasts a fairly strong field. Bryson Dechambeau, your recent U.S. Open winner, is the obvious fave at 7-1. Webb Simpson is next, at 9-1, followed by recent PGA champion Collin Morikawa at 16-1. Patrick Cantlay is 18-1. He won this in 2017 and has been second the past two years.
Hideki Matsuyama is 20-1, along with Matthew Wolf. Scottie Scheffler is 25-1. He was on a really nice roll until he had to withdraw from the U.S. Open after testing positive for the Covid virus. Last week was his first week back since then, and he played only OK.
Harris English is 28-1. Paul Casey, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Jason Kokrak, Sungjae Im and Sergio Garcia are 33-1. Garcia won last week, for the first since the 2017 Masters. Day was playing well up until the U.S. Open, and this is his first start since then.
Louis Oosthuizen is 35-1, Zach Johnson 40-1 and Russell Henley are 45-1. Abraham Ancer, Cameron Davis and Joaquin Niemann are 50-1. Davis was the third-round leader last week.
Among those at 66-1 are Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns, Sebastian Munoz, who won a couple of weeks back, Si Woo Kim and Will Zalatoris. A couple of other names worth mentioning are Matt Kuchar at 80-1, Kristoffer Ventura at 80-1 and Stewart Cink, who won not too long ago for the first time in awhile, at 90-1.
There are others. Do your due diligence. I will say that Brandt Snedeker is 100-1, which is a little less than last week.
I’m not going to play Dechambeau, just because that’s not my style. Sometimes that works, other times it doesn’t. It’s almost impossible not to go with Patrick Cantlay, based on his record here. That sometimes can be the kiss of death of course. But 18-1 seems on the high side, so I’ll bite. And that plus $550 on him to finish in the top five is too hard to overlook as well. He’s also plus $275 to get a top 10. I would take some of that as well. Across the board, like a horse race.
I’m also intrigued by Scottie Scheffler, who may not be ready yet given the way he returned last week. So, while I wouldn’t go nuts, 25-1 ain’t bad. And again, he’s plus $600 to get a top five and plus $335 to get a top 10. Worth a shot.
In the mid-range I would back Sam Burns, at 66-1. He’s been playing well and probably shouldn’t be that high. So you don’t have to invest much. He’s also plus $600 for a top 10, and double that for a top 10. So back yourself up, just in case, even if it’s only for a few bucks. I would do the same thing for Will Zalatoris, who let me down last week. He’s the same odds, so follow the same logic.
If you’re looking for a real longshot I’ll give you to. Again, tread lightly. These are educated stabs. I’m going to go right back to Kristoffer Ventura, who’s 80-1. And 8-1 to get another top 10. Choose your poison. It’s no sin to spread more smaller bets around. Hey, you might even cash more than one or two. Likewise, Henrik Norlander was fourth last week. He’s 90-1 and 9-1 to get a top 10. You only have to risk a few sheckles to have a rooting interest.
And is the Masters really only a month away? Wonder how that place looks in November with no patrons. Well, at least the jacket will still be green.
KERN'S PICKS
Faves: Patrick Cantlay (18-1), plus $550 on him to finish in the top five and plus $275 to get a top 10
Mid-range: Sam Burns and Will Zalatoris (both 66-1), plus $600 for a top 10
Longshot: Kristoffer Ventura (80-1), and 8-1to get top 10; Henrik Norlander (90-1), and 9-1 to get top 10