Betting tips: Who wins the Hero World Challenge?
The one to be on: Jordan Spieth
At various times, he looks like he is never going to win again but there is not a better scrambler or putter in the world than the Texan and it keeps getting him home.
Fresh from Australia and a second victory in their national open last time out, the former world number one is an interesting prospect this week at 13/2.
The previous time he triumphed down under, he absolutely bolted up in the Hero World Challenge and was also 4th last year when Bubba Watson celebrated victory.
The each way back: Patrick Reed
Watching him in the Ryder Cup, it was hard to believe he doesn’t already have a bunch of Majors on the mantelpiece.
But post Hazeltine has revealed the problem as, without sufficient inspiration, he made absolutely no impact on either the WGC-HSBC Champions or the CIMB Classic.
Last year, though, he found the Bahamas to his liking and was second only to Watson. If he can recapture that mood, the 14-1 looks an attractive price.
With many of the firms offering a quarter of the odds for the first 4 in a short field, he wouldn’t have to do that much even in a stellar field such as this to give us a chance of collecting.
The dark horse: Russell Knox
A fair few of the field may be undercooked having sat out the Fall series on the PGA Tour – Dustin Johnson, for example, hasn’t played in more than a month, and is a gamble for those taking the 5/1 on offer.
That’s a charge that can’t be thrown at Russell Knox, who has been hogging top 10s on the PGA Tour since missing out on Ryder Cup selection.
Tied 10th at the CIMB Classic, T9th and 3rd at the WGC-HSBC Championship and OHL Classic, the Scotsman is surely playing better than the 25/1 odds he is being offered up at.
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.