3 Players to Avoid at The Players Championship
TPC Sawgrass is set to host The Players Championship this week, wildly regarded as the unofficial fifth major on the PGA Tour's schedule.
I've already broken down my full betting preview with my favorite outright picks, as well as a few long shot bets to consider. Now I'm going to talk about a few golfers that maybe you should consider staying away from when deciding to place your bets.
Whether you decide to bet on these players to miss the cut, stay away from them entirely, or go against my advice (I wouldn't blame you) and bet on them, that's for you to decide!
3 Players to Avoid Betting on at The Players Championship
John Rahm
Jon Rahm is the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world and is the current betting favorite at WynnBET to win the event. With that being said, I think your money is best spent elsewhere.
Sure, he's a ball-striking machine, but he's struggled with his short game this season and its cost him in recent weeks. He ranks 177th in strokes gained: around-the-green and 135th in strokes gained: putting heading into this week. Those aren't the type of numbers that give me a lot of confidence as someone whose set as the betting favorite.
Justin Thomas
It may seem tempting to bet on the defending champion of the tournament, but much like Rahm, Thomas has had issues in a few key areas that makes me want to stay away from him this week. As I pointed out in my betting preview, I think driving accuracy is the most important stat to keep an eye on this week, and that's exactly where his struggles lie this season.
He ranks 154th in driving accuracy heading into The Players, and it doesn't help that he ranks 126th in putting either. Those two deficiencies is going to cost a golfer at TPC Sawgrass.
Viktor Hovland
Viktor Hovland is a popular bet heading into this week, and for good reason. He's coming off two-straight top 5 finishes, and his ball striking numbers are amongst the best on Tour.
With that being said, he's one of the worst chippers and he even admitted to it last week after the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He had a chance to win the event, but his play around the greens cost him. He ranks 216th in strokes gained: around the green heading into this week, which is one of the worst marks on Tour. Until he fixes that area of his game, I'd proceed with caution when deciding if you want to wager on him.