Valero Texas Open Dark Horse Picks
The Valero Texas Open is set to take place this week, and while it's mostly served as a warm-up to the Masters next week, there are still plenty of opportunities to make some money.
Check out my tournament betting preview if you want to see my full event breakdown as well as my best bets. In this article, I'll be taking a look at a few longshot bets that you should consider if you're one of those brave souls who like to wager on a few names far down on the odds list.
All odds listed below are via WynnBET Sportsbook.
Valero Texas Open Longshot Bets
Rasmus Hojgaard +7500
The 21-year old phenom, Rasmus Hojgaard, is already a household name on the European circuit, but he's yet to make an impact on North American soil. That could change this week after a strong solo 6th place finish at last week's Puntacana Championship.
He already has three wins in Europe, so he knows how to get it done. Being able to beat top level competition on the PGA Tour is still a question for him, but with this week's field being on the weaker side, it could be the right time for him to get it done.
Martin Laird +8000
A great indication of a good dark horse bet, is someone who has great course history. Well, Martin Laid is a past winner at the Valero Texas Open, winning it back in 2013.
Entering this week, he's been one of the best ball strikers on Tour. He ranks 68th in strokes gained: off-the-tee and T14 in ball striking. His glaring weakness is his putting, where he ranks 195th in Tour, but he's 80/1 for a reason. He's worth a sprinkle this week.
Hayden Buckley +15000
Much like Martin Laird, Hayden Buckley is a fantastic ball striker that has struggled with his putting. With that being said, I'd rather bet on a good ball striker that has putting issues, than a good putter that has ball striking issues. As we've seen in the past, any golfer can have a good putting week, and that can often be enough to award a good ball striker with a victory.
Buckley ranks ninth in strokes gained: off-the-tee, 12th in ball striking, but 184th in strokes gained: putting. He's worth a shot at 150/1 this week.