The 2024 PGA Tour regular season ended last weekend in North Carolina at the Wyndham Championship. It was a long Sunday as the field jammed in 36 holes to finish. That is, of course, except for 46-year-old Matt Kuchar, who opted to stop play on the 18th hole, only to finish with a par Monday morning and come in at T12th. A bizarre move from Kuch. Some have speculated he did it to help fellow competitor Max Greyserman, who held a strong lead going into his second round on Sunday. It was utter heartbreak for Greyserman, who at one point in the final round holed out for eagle on the par 4 13th to go up 4 strokes, only to follow that up with a quadruple bogey the next hole. Golf is a hard game. It's difficult not to feel for the guy, especially considering he’s never won on tour.
On a more positive note, congratulations to anyone who tailed my Aaron Rai pick in last week's column!... Too soon? Feel all you want for Greyserman, Rai stayed the course until the very end, firing a final round 64 to win for the first time on the PGA Tour. He was phenomenal to close, giving us his best Collin Morikawa impression and absolutely striping it from tee to green. He led the field in strokes gained approach and has 6 top 10s on the year, with FOUR coming in his last five starts. Rai will undoubtedly be a popular bet this weekend, his current odds on DraftKings to win are +4500, however, there are better plays this week as we enter the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Chuck’s Favorite
The FedEx Cup Playoffs begin this week with the St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tennessee. Only the top 70 players in FedEx Cup standings make this no-cut tournament, with the top 50 moving on to next week's BMW Championship. From there, the top 30 make the final Tour Championship event. Scottie Scheffler and Xander Shauffele are undoubtedly the top 2 golfers in the world currently, and the odds reflect that. It’s hard to bet against either one, but with their odds both being under +1000 (Scheffler +330!, Schauffele +800), here’s who I think could take down one of the big dogs this weekend.
Ludvig Aberg has been in phenomenal form all season. He comes in at +2000 to win. His driving distance and accuracy off the tee have been his biggest weapon all season, so if his approach game and putter get hot, he will be tough to beat. Aberg only has one win on tour so far in his young career, coming at the 2023 RSM Classic in his rookie season. He’s got 7 top 10 finishes in 2024, with a 2nd place finish at this year's Masters, but no wins to show for it. Aberg is still chasing his first real signature win on tour, and I like his chances to do that this weekend in Memphis.
Contenders
Like Aberg, Viktor Hovland is a young superstar who recently came onto the scene on tour. He got his first big win at last year's Tour Championship in East Lake. Unlike Aberg, Hovland’s 2024 season has been anything but phenomenal. It’s been a headache following Hovland with all of his swing changes, coaching changes, and little tweaks he’s tried to make with his game. I’m picking him strictly based on vibes this week, so this will undoubtedly come back to bite me. Even with all his failed adjustments, Hovland is too good not to advance to next week's BMW Championship. He sits at 57th in the FedEx Cup standings, so he must put together a solid performance this week and the following if he wants a chance to defend his 2023 Tour Championship. You can get Hovland at +3000 to win, but I like his top 10 and top 20 finish odds a little better. Take him with caution. Sungjae Im is currently listed at +3500 to win, and he’s coming in with much better form than Hovland. Although Im hasn’t been impressive at the Majors this year, he’s put together a great 2024 season with 7 top 10 finishes - one being at this year's Open a few weeks ago. It feels like Sungjae is due for another signature win, and I like him to perform well this week.
Sleepers
The young, athletic ball strikers seem to be my trend in picks this week. I’m rocking with the Georgia alum Davis Thompson at +6000. Thompson was No. 1 in the World Amateur Rankings in 2020 and 2021, making his presence known in 2024. 4 top-10 finishes so far and one win at this year's John Deer Classic. Thompson fits the build at 6’4; he hits the ball a mile and has been lights out with approach. He’s been knocking at the door, and a win this weekend would cement his status on tour as one of the hottest young up-and-comers. Byeong Hun An has put together a very respectable season with 5 top 10 finishes and 15/20 cuts made. At 32 years old, it seems like Benny An has found his best game this year. The South Korean turned pro in 2011 and has yet to find his first win on the PGA Tour, but with how consistently he’s been playing, I could see him making a run this weekend. You can snag his odds at +9000.
Honorable Mentions
Sepp Straka: +6500
Jason Day: +7500
Akshay Bhatia: +8000
Alex Noren: +9000
Cam Davis: +10000
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