Wells Fargo Championship betting tips
The details
The venue: Quail Hollow GC, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Date: May 2-5, 2019
Course stats: Par 71, 7,554 yards
Course summary: Revamped in places for the PGA Championship two years ago, Quail Hollow is a tree-lined parkland with undulating fairways and sloping, fast, greens. The three finishing holes, known as the Green Mile, often define a round.
Purse: $7.9 million
Defending champion: Jason Day (-12)
Weather forecast: Mild and overcast to start tournament week. Thunderstorms are possible on Saturday afternoon but Sunday should be sunny with temperatures in the mid 20s.
TV Coverage
Thursday: Featured groups, Sky Sports Golf and Main Event, 12pm; Sky Sports Golf, 7pm
Friday: Featured groups, Sky Sports Golf, 12pm; Sky Sports Golf, 7pm
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf, 6pm
Sunday: Sky Sports Golf, 6pm; Sky Sports Main Event, 7pm
Wells Fargo Championship betting tips: Each-way selections
There’s every chance of getting a long shot in at Quail Hollow. James Hahn, three years ago, sprang a surprise at 500/1 while, last year, Nick Watney finished runner up at a similarly big price.
Kevin Streelman (100/1 with bet365) isn’t quite at those odds but the American has decent bits of form on this course and comes here on a relative high.
The 40-year-old was 6th at the Valero Texas Open and tied 6th at Harbour Town the following week.
Although he’s missed the cut in his last two appearances at the Wells Fargo, he has recorded top 10s in 2013 and 2015 and it’s not a massive leap of faith to see him enjoying a decent week.
By contrast, Jason Kokrak (40/1) has little form to speak of at Quail Hollow – his best finish in seven appearances is one single top 30.
But I’m not going to let some average performances get in the way of having a little dabble on him as he otherwise comes here in pretty good touch.
A top 20 at the RBC Heritage in his last individual tournament followed a top 10 at the Texas Open and a very good run at the Valspar.
In fact, the 33-year-old has only finished out of the top 20 once in his last six starts and is worth another punt here.
Sungjae Im (55/1) has yet to experience the delights of the Green Mile but the 21-year-old has taken to the PGA Tour like a duck to water and I’d be surprised if he wasn’t celebrating his maiden victory sooner rather than later.
With five top 10s and nine top 25s in 20 appearances, the South Korean has cooled a little since a hot run in March.
But his results are better than the price suggests and I’m happy to commit some cash.
I’ll find it hard not to have a very speculative punt on Watney (125/1) as well. He’s showing no form at the moment but, as stated, was 2nd last year and has two further recent top 10s at this tournament.
I pledge a pound fully expecting to lose it but I’d kick myself if he roused himself for another week in Carolina and I wasn’t on board.
So that’s the each-way contenders sorted. But who does Steve think is likely to lift the trophy? Turn the page to find out…
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.
