Henrik Stenson to make Hong Kong Open debut

The field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard this week is stacked. Led by world No. 1 Jon Rahm, who currently has golf odds of +800 to win, and also featuring three more from the world top six in Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler and 2018 champion Rory McIlroy, the tournament sets up to be a special one. Additionally, the Bay Hill Club & Lodge just outside of Orlando, Florida has been compared to major championship courses given its thick rough, difficult greens and sometimes windy conditions. Given all that, it takes a special talent to beat the rest of the field and hold the trophy come Sunday evening. So, one would expect the betting action to be on an established player, who probably has experience winning other tournaments on the PGA TOUR. That is not the case. Will Zalatoris, who is just 25 and doesn’t have a PGA TOUR win to his name, is generating the earliest action at the BetMGM online sportsbook. As of Tuesday morning, Zalatoris, who has golf odds of +2500 to win, is pulling in 8.5% of the tickets and 14% of the handle, both of which are the most in the field. Believe it or not, it is easy to see why. The Wake Forest product has made three starts in the 2022 calendar year and has finished tied for sixth, second, and 26th. The second-place finish was a playoff loss to Luke List at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, a course that has hosted multiple U.S. Opens. Over his short career, which is just 41 events, Zalatoris has two second-place finishes, 10 top-10 finishes, and 18 top-25 finishes. Clearly, he’s a special talent and is due for a win and that has been a trend of late on TOUR. There have been four first-time winners over the last five weeks, including Sepp Straka at the Honda Classic last week. Zalatoris can also fall back on a solid week at his only other Arnold Palmer Invitational appearance last year when he finished tied for 10th. Current Handle & Tickets Handle: Will Zalatoris – 14% Rory McIlroy – 10% Sungjae Im – 7.9% Viktor Hovland – 6.4% Hideki Matsuyama – 5.8% Tickets: Will Zalatoris – 8.5% Hideki Matsuyama – 6.8% Viktor Hovland – 6.0% Rory McIlroy – 5.8% Jon Rahm – 4.4% Rahm has seen his odds go from +900 to +800, while Im has seen the biggest movement, going from +3000 to +2500. Some other notable golf odds to win include McIlroy +1100, Hovland +1600, and Scheffler +1600. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau withdrew from the event on Monday due to a hand injury. A good mix of players – both long and short hitters – have won the event in the past, with winning scores typically being in the low double-digits under par. An exception was in 2019 when Tyrell Hatton had a winning score of -4, as the tournament was played in extremely windy conditions. You can view updated golf odds for the Arnold Palmer Invitational winner, top American finisher, wire-to-wire winner, and more at the BetMGM online sportsbook. * Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. BetMGM available in AZ, CO, DC, IA, IN, LA, MI, MS, NJ, NV, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, or WY only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Paid in free bets. Free bets expire in 7 days from issuance. Minimum deposit required. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, DC, LA, NV, WY, VA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (IN, NJ, PA & WV), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA) or call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), call or text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN) or call 1-888-777-9696 (MS). Sports betting is void where prohibited. Promotional offers not available in Nevada.

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BLAINE, Minn. – The fist pump said it all. Minutes earlier, Michael Thompson had deposited the 101st golf ball of the afternoon into the pond that hugs the right side of the fairway and guards the green on the 18th hole at TPC Twin Cities. His lead at the 3M Open was down to a stroke after a careless tee shot led to a bogey on the previous hole, and Thompson knew he needed to step up on the par 5. So, he took his drop in the intermediate rough some 267 yards from the green. While his third shot didn’t hold the short grass and bounded into a bunker, Thompson came up with a great save, blasting out to 7 feet and draining the putt for par. After he picked the ball out of the cup and walked to the side of the green, the understated Alabama grad clinched his fist in modest celebration. RELATED: Full leaderboard | After long layoff, Van Pelt finally likes where his game is going “To finish with that par on 18 is huge,” Thompson said later as the raindrops started to fall. “I really wanted that par. I didn’t want to compound the mistake I made on 17. I think that’s going to bode well for me tomorrow.” Thompson will start the final round of the 3M Open tied with Richy Werenski, who made an 8-footer for birdie, his third in the last four holes, just before that par save. With his win at the 2013 Honda Classic well back in his rear-view mirror, it’s hard to imagine a bigger momentum boost for Thompson. “To be able to do that, hit a good, quality golf shot that almost held the green and then to get that up and down with that bunker shot, I mean, I’m honestly just proud of myself for stepping up,” said Thompson, who shot 68 on Saturday to finish at 15 under. Behind Thompson and the 28-year-old Werenski, who said he just “plugged along” on Saturday and will be looking for his first win in his 99th PGA TOUR start, is an interesting mix of players who also have something to prove. Two strokes in arrears is one the game’s hottest players in Tony Finau, who has had more top-eight finishes in the last four years without a win – 24 — than any other player on TOUR. But the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup veteran can’t quite seem to get over the hump and win for the second time. Last week at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide was another example when Finau held a share of the 54-hole lead but ended up finishing eighth. On Saturday, he felt he didn’t have his best stuff, hitting just seven fairways, but he still ranked first in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and Approach The Green. “I’m definitely proud of myself on just being mentally strong and emotionally strong,” Finau said. “It was a tough finish last week, but every week is a new week. Every week you have an opportunity to prove yourself. That’s what I love about the game. “Doesn’t matter how well you played the last week or how terrible you played, you have a new week to prove yourself and I’ve gotten another opportunity to try to prove myself tomorrow.” Finau says getting off to a quick start will be key on Sunday. “I think I’ve been a little slow out of the box in some of my round fours,” he said. “I think if I get off to a good start, get some momentum, I’ve got the ability to put the gas on the pedal and make some birdies. “As long as I don’t shoot myself in the foot early, I think we’re going to have a shot tomorrow. “I’m excited to put myself in those positions. Disappointing at times when you can’t get the job done, but for me, I have to welcome it at this point and just keep fighting and hopefully the door comes down eventually.” Charl Schwartzel, the South African with an immaculate resume that includes the 2011 Masters, is tied with Finau at 13 under after shooting 66 on Saturday. The wrist injury that prematurely ended his 2018-19 season is a non-issue but he’s just now starting to score. “I don’t know if I’m hitting it on all cylinders, but I’m managing to put a score on all cylinders,” said Schwartzel, who came to Minnesota on the heels of four missed cuts. “There’s a lot more to this game than just hitting it well. I feel like I’m managing my way around the course pretty good.” Schwartzel has really prospered on the par 5s this week. He’s the only player in the field to make birdie or better every time he’s played one in the first three rounds – playing them in 11 under – a first for his career. He likes the course, shooting 63 in a practice round, and is primed for a strong finish. “I think I’m definitely going to rely on my past wins and the experience I’ve got,” he said. “You don’t win it on the first hole, you’re going to have to hang in there for 18 more holes and keep with the process, and if I’m doing what I’m doing now, there’s no reason why I can’t post a good score.”

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