This week, we head to Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the Wyndham Championship.
While many golfers look to get into form over the course of the tournament, there are more ways to bet on this tournament than just who will emerge victorious on Sunday.
For more instant gratification, we turn to the first-round leader market to find value on who will sit atop the leaderboard when play comes to an end on Thursday.
Here are my favorite Wyndham Championship first-round leader picks and PGA Tour predictions for Thursday's opening round.
Wyndham Championship First-Round Leader Picks
First-Round Leader Pick: Jackson Koivun (+3700, DraftKings)
While last week featured a bomber’s course, this week is all about accuracy and putting. Playing just under 7,000 yards with above-average penalties for missed fairways, Sedgefield Country Club rewards precision and the ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
Last year, both of the top two finishers ranked inside the top seven in the field in strokes gained: putting. No other strokes-gained category showed a similar trend.
This setup makes Jackson Koivun a strong target in this market.
The putter is Koivun’s strongest club in the bag, though he has not shown many weaknesses elsewhere. While he does not yet officially qualify for rankings, Koivun would rank well above the PGA Tour average in strokes gained: putting.
It is therefore not surprising that he finished T5 in his first appearance at Sedgefield last year.
A jump in performance could be in store this year, given his recent form. Koivun has dominated the NCAA scene and has carried that success to the PGA Tour, winning six amateur events over the past 12 months while adding his first (of likely many) PGA Tour victory with an impressive performance at the 3M Open.
First-Round Leader Pick: Ryan Gerard (+4800, DraftKings)
Another golfer worth targeting in Thursday’s opening round is Ryan Gerard. Like Koivun, Gerard fits this course well.
This season, he ranks in the 93rd percentile in strokes gained: putting. A well-rounded player, Gerard also excels at keeping the ball in play, which is advantageous at Sedgefield.
Last year, six of the top seven finishers ranked inside the top 15 in the field in driving accuracy and strokes gained: off the tee. This season, Gerard ranks in the 83rd percentile in strokes gained: off the tee and in the 79th percentile in driving accuracy.
He also enters this week in strong form, with back-to-back top-10 finishes at The Open Championship and the Rocket Classic.
