Ian Wilkerson
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The top players are back on the PGA Tour this week but there is one big notable absentee for the field assembling at Quail Hollow for the Wells Fargo Championship. The seemingly invincible world number 1 Scottie Scheffler is sitting this one out as his wife is about to give birth, so Rory McIlroy, a three-time winner at the South Carolina track and recent victor at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, is set to go off favorite. Many of those not invited to the designated event will be across the state border at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club for the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic, which has one-fifth of the Wells Fargo prize fund.
Wells Fargo Championship golf picks and predictions
Wyndham Clark (+1600)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
There is a strong chance that McIlroy’s New Orleans win with friend Shane Lowry could be just what the Northern Irishman needed after yet another disappointing trip to Augusta. Consequently, there will be plenty of people keen to back him again at a course where he has enjoyed so much success, but Wyndham Clark beat his 72-hole Quail Hollow record last year and could prove the man to beat.
Clark went on to win the US Open last summer following his Wells Fargo success and he has done enough to suggest his first Major may not be his last. He has already won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this year and twice found only Scheffler too strong as he posted runner-up finishes in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship.
Last year’s performance at Quail Hollow was superb as he posted a 4-shot success and led the strokes-gained statistics for both approach and from tee to green, while also finishing 3rd in the putting rankings. That saw him gazump McIlroy’s previous tournament best and he should be equipped for another strong claim. He missed the cut at the Masters, but debutants tend to have a tough time at Augusta and he showed no ill-effects from that disappointment by finishing 3rd the following week at the RBC Heritage.
Tommy Fleetwood (+2500)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook and BetMGM at time of publishing.
Tommy Fleetwood is another top tee-to-green player who could flourish in this North Carolina test. The Englishman is still looking for his first Stateside success, and although his 49th at the Heritage was disappointing, it did follow top 10s at the Texas Open and the Masters, while he was also 10th at another designated event, the Genesis Invitational. Fleetwood was 14th here in 2021 and 5th last year, when he led after a first-round 65, so another strong bid looks likely.
Hideki Matsuyama (+3500)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
It could also be worth keeping an eye on Hideki Matsuyama, who could not recover from a poor start at the Masters last time out. He won the Genesis in February and had subsequent top-10s at the Players Championship and the Texas Open, while was 5th at this venue when it hosted the PGA Championship in 2017, when the Japanese star posted a 2nd-round 64.
Sungjae Im (+6000)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Sungjae Im has had a slow start to the year, but he was 8th at Quail Hollow last year and will be boosted by 12th spot at the Heritage and a victory on the Korean Tour a fortnight ago.
