Today we preview this week’s golf as the PGA Tour moves on from last week’s first major championship of the year, the Masters, to the Heritage Classic which historically follows Augusta National.
Read on for our expert’s analysis and picks with odds from the top-rated sportsbooks.
Picks Summary
- Patrick Cantlay to Win Outright (+1800)
- Patrick Cantlay to Finish Top 10 (+200)
- Si Woo Kim to Win Outright (+3300)
- Si Woo Kim to Finish Top 20 (+200)
*All odds from Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
2024 RBC Heritage
April 18 – 21 at Harbour Town Golf Links
Course Info
A different exam awaits the golfers this week, with a strategic test at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Last week’s Masters was extremely testing, so there may be an advantage to be gained by swerving some of those that were in the thick of contention last week.
The Heritage Classic has changed this year with its Signature Status, meaning a limited field of only sixty-eight players, and we look to narrow the field down further for your best bets.
The Harbour Town Golf Links is a Pete Dye design from 1969, a real strategic test on the smallest Bermuda grass greens on the PGA Tour. The greens are now overseeded with Poa and a strong tee-to-green game is a prerequisite on a course so tricky, it is impossible to overpower. Despite being set near the coast and having the natural elements associated with links play, the course is tree-lined and a pure test of accuracy.
Why We Think Patrick Cantlay Will Win
Firstly, at Odds Trader we cannot state when, but it appears just a matter of time until Patrick Cantlay wins his first RBC Heritage Classic. That seems quite a statement but when you look at his course form around Harbour Town Golf Links the reasons become apparent.
Cantlay’s form figures show an amazing five top 7 finishes on the six occasions he has teed it up here, which is amazing consistency.
Why This Year?
So, why would it be this year the thirty-two-year-old wins and why back him? Well firstly, in recent years the tournament has not been so strong at the top of the leaderboard, but the new Signature status has brought more depth in quality.
So, you would think winning this year is harder than ever? We accept that, but it has also inflated Cantlay’s price from below +1000 to circa +2000, and therefore we are compensated by his price increasing in value.
Then, factor in how this quirky track eliminates many of the sport’s longer hitters, and recognize that without the event’s current signature status, those players might not have entered.
There are a few question marks against Cantlay’s current form, but last week’s Masters was encouraging that his game is coming back. At the Genesis Invitational, Cantlay was the clear 36-hole leader but fell apart, and that always takes a player a few weeks to get over.
Golf Pick: Patrick Cantlay to Win Outright (+1800) at Bet365
Golf Pick: Patrick Cantlay to Finish Top 10 (+200) at Bet365
Is Si Woo Still Simmering?
Last week’s 30th at the Masters was in keeping with the South Korean’s 2024 so far, solid but under the radar due to his average putting in comparison to his brilliantly consistent ball-striking tee-to-green.
That strength in the twenty-eight-year-old’s game has been seen to great effect at this event in the past, particularly when he was runner-up in 2018. I remember it well, as I had backed him at (+9000) and Satoshi Kodaira swooped in to steal it from under his nose with an inspired final round that forced a sudden death play-off between them.
The Players Championship always has a strong correlation with results at Harbour Town Golf Links which is unsurprising when you consider both tracks were created by Pete Dye, and Kim’s best 2024 result was 6th there.
Since that runner-up finish in 2018, Si Woo Kim has gone on to win twice more, bringing his PGA tally to four. One of those was at the American Express, which is also a Pete Dye design for the PGA West Stadium Course that is used in two of the four rounds.
Si Woo Kim’s price is +3300, and we suggest you add that to your best golf bets this week.
Golf Pick: Si Woo Kim to Win Outright (+3300) at Bet365
Golf Pick: Si Woo Kim to Finish Top 20 (+200) at Bet365
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
