Hunter Mahan is favored this week at sports betting companies to win the Byron Nelson Championship. The tournament is expected to be wide open as Mahan is the favorite at sportsbetting odds of 18-1.
Sports betting companies list eight players with odds of 30-1 led by Mahan at 18-1. Mahan is the top ranked golfer in the field as he is ranked 17th in the world. Y.E. Yang is ranked 19th but he is not the second choice on the odds board. He is actually the co-fifth choice at 27-1. The second choice in sportsbetting is Ben Crane at 23-1. Sean O’Hair and Dustin Johnson are listed at 26-1 to win this week. Heath Slocum, Bo Van Pelt, Charley Hoffman and Yank are all 27-1.
Six of the top 30 players in the world are in the field this week. Mahan is ranked 17th, Yank 19th, O’Hair 23rd, Kenny Perry 25th, Stewart Cink 27th and Dustin Johnson 29th. Johnson leads the PGA Tour money list this season and he also leads the FedExCup standings. He is one of seven players in the field who have already won a tournament this season. Johnson won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Other tournament winners in the field include Ryan Palmer, Ben Crane, Cameron Beckman, Mahanand Derek Lamely.
Five former winners of the Byron Nelson Championship are in the field this week including defending champion Rory Sabbatini. Other former winners include Scott Verplank who won in 2007, Brett Wetterich the 2006 winner, Ted Purdy who won in 2005 and Vijay Singh who won in 2003. Birdies will be needed this week as last year eight of the top 11 on the final leader board finished inside the top 10 in greens in regulation for the week.
Mahan has three top-20 finishes in a row and he leads the PGA Tour in ball striking. He is deserving favorite. Ben Crane is second in birdies or better on par 4’s this season so he is a threat to win. Heath Slocum leads the tour in driving accuracy and he is 12th in greens in regulation. Is he finally due to win? He is 27-1. Not to be forgotten is Rickie Fowler who ranks 10th on the tour in ball striking. He has four top-10s including two of his last three. He is 47-1 in golf odds.