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The next big event in the 2015 PGA TOUR hits us on Thursday, when the Valero Texas Open tees off. Steven Bowditch won the tournament last year and will return to defend his title, while numerous golfers appear to have the goods to make a run at first place.
This event features a whopping 13 major champions and will not be short on capable golfers who can take the crown. Let’s break down the favorites, as well as some dark horse to keep an eye on if you plan on doing any golf betting this week:
The Favorites: Ryan Palmer, Jordan Spieth, Jimmy Walker, Zach Johnson
Always in the mix in the end, three-time Tour winner Ryan Palmer has to once again be a candidate to take first. Palmer has had some issues closing, but he’s extremely talented and seems to always golf well until late in matches. The young up and coming Spieth gets back to the green after getting a win just two weeks ago and the 21-year old is a sneaky pick by many experts to earn a second win in a row. Walker is always a threat to first place in any event, as he’s enjoying a fantastic season in which he has one win and four top-10 finishes. Even if he can’t get the job done, it’s probably fair to say he’ll be among the finalists when the Valero Texas Open comes to a close. Zach Johnson is the other big name to watch, as he’s actually taken the Texas Open two times before and has a nice record in Texas.
The Sleepers: Ben Curtis, Kevin Na
Curtis is an ironic sleeper, as he’s actually had it rough with three missed cuts in a row. He’s a good golfer that took this event back in 2012, though, and things have to turn around for him eventually. That gives him a shot to be a dark horse in a fairly wide open tourney. Kevin Na has picked things up lately and seems to be trending toward a big win. Even if he doesn’t take first place, he’ll have a good shot at being in contention late in this one.
The Pick: Jordan Spieth
Palmer or Walker would be the easy/safe pick here, but I like Spieth to get the job done. Spieth is a homegrown player that will be fun to root for this week, while he’s also coming off a big win. Can the youngster make it two in a row? He just might.
