MLB Best Bets – Free (Wednesday 7/24)
Josh Gross
The second round of the PGA's maiden Workday Charity Open tees off Friday morning. If you're looking for round specific bets, things like group low score or things of that nature, the best chances to go low will likely happen in the a.m. wave of golfers. The weather forecast calls for increasingly windy conditions as the day progresses.
Round 2 Matchups/3-Ball
Charl Schwartzel (+200) vs. Michael Thompson/Maverick McNealy
I don't understand why Schwartzel has the longest odds of this trio. He's not an upper-echelon golfer anymore, but his approach game is improving compared to the previous two seasons, and he's always been an above-average putter. McNealy is the “favorite” here, but he was spraying and praying on Thursday. His even-par 72 in Round 1 was buoyed by +3.58 SG: Putting, an impressive performance that's unlikely to have an encore.
Corey Conners (-137) vs. Luke Donald/Vijay Singh
Conners was an exaggerated version of his typical self in Round 1. He was dominant tee-to-green, gaining 4.12 strokes on the field thanks to his immaculate iron play. Unfortunately, his putting was a real issue. Conners lost a full three strokes putting on Thursday. He's up against two strong-pedigree golfers, but his current form is head and shoulders above his Friday playing partners, and a field average putting performance makes this a runaway win.
Louis Oosthuizen (-137) vs. Jimmy Walker/Kevin Tway
Another example of a golfer being head and shoulders above his Friday playing partners. Oosthuizen did whatever he wanted tee-to-green Thursday and he finds himself T7 heading into Round 2. The irons have been an issue for Oosthuizen all season, but he was dialed in here for Round 1. The putter kept him from having a better day. Oosthuizen, who's more than a half-stroke better at putting than the field in a typical event (0.58), lost a full stroke Thursday. He should clear Walker and Tway with ease.
