Playing in the morning wave, Phil Mickelson carded a 1-over 72 and is in a tie for 59th along with Rickie Fowler and reigning U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka. They’ll go off at 12:50 p.m. ET on Thursday and 7:40 a.m. on Friday. That’s not a combination you would expect. However one factor to rather distinguish it from the majors in recent years has been the nature of winners and contenders.
Things kicked off with a attractive morning for the start of the Wells Fargo Championship and some of the big names in golf took advantage early in the first round.
Paired with young gun Ryan Ruffels, Day did most of the heavy lifting in the two rounds of four-ball in New Orleans making 10 birdies and an eagle for those 36 holes. Fleetwood made waves last season after his T4 finish at the US Open, then finished T27 at the Open Championship at his home course of Royal Birkdale. The course is a 7,554-yard par 71 that demands length and accuracy off the tee.
Last year, this event moved courses as Quail Hollow played host to the 2017 PGA Championship which Justin Thomas won. My second reason is that he’s the only one of the three to have won at the newly-renovated Quail Hollow. The last three holes are known as the Green Mile and are an absolute beast. He’ll tee off at 5.40pm on Thursday. He is 3 shots off the lead. What he lacks on the greens won’t be exposed as much under regular Quail Hollow conditions, and he should have an easy time getting around with his terrific tee and ironplay.
The good news? Andrea said yes, and the couple shared a hug with the PGA Tour pro. Therefore, looking at the leaderboard from previous year becomes irrelevant.
“I played well. I would have taken that score before I went out there”, McIlroy, who said he struggled during Wednesday’s pro-am, told the Golf Channel. Putting is always important but this course is not known for the most challenging greens.
It is a solid field with Rory McIlroy looking solid and Jason Day also being touted as one of the favourites. And Tiger, of course. This year’s event, as opposed to last, is being played at Quail Hollow Club.
Fowler is an in-form course victor but it’s hard to trust him to deliver as a sports betting pick to win the Wells Fargo Championship outright based on his overall lack of victories. “But when you come back as the defending champ and you don’t have any other wins.it’s been a year since I’ve won a tournament, so that’s high on my list“.
McIlroy is the obvious sports betting favorite to win this tournament based on his history at the event. Fowler, who defeated McIlroy and D.A. Points in a playoff here in 2012 to win on TOUR for the first time, hasn’t won this season but was coming off a back-door runner up at the Masters.
Woods, in his seventh start of the year after a successful spinal fusion, will be joined at Quail Hollow by a strong field that also features Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Masters champion Patrick Reed.
That said, they haven’t faced an attack in the form of Liverpool’s and I simply can’t see the visitors not scoring.