Tiger Woods’ hot start thwarted by rain stoppage at PGA Championship

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Texan Will Zalatoris, still winless on the PGA TOUR, has drawn the lion share of early golf betting action for this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson despite being in the company of a stacked field that includes World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and seven of the world’s top 13 players. Joining four-time winner and Masters champion Scheffler are the likes of Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele and Dustin Johnson but it is former Rookie of the Year Zalatoris, and three-time TOUR winner Sam Burns, who have the bettor’s attention at TPC Craig Ranch. The host course returns after its debut in 2021 and if last year taught us anything, it’s to expect lots of birdies. K.H. Lee won the 2021 event by three strokes over Burns at 25-under par, and six players finished 20-under or better. With the birdies likely flying targeting players with proficient iron play and putting will be the key. Players who give themselves the most birdie looks with solid ball-striking combined with a good week of putting will likely be at the top of the leaderboard. That’s why it’s no surprise to see Zalatoris and Burns generating the earliest action at the BetMGM online sportsbook. As of Tuesday, Zalatoris had the most tickets (8.6%) and was generating the highest handle (12.6%). Meanwhile, Burns had pulled in 4.9% of the tickets, good for sixth-most, but the second-most handle at 10%. Zalatoris has +2200 golf odds to win, while Burns is +2000. This will be a home game for Zalatoris as he searches for his first TOUR win. The 25-year-old grew up in the Dallas area and told reporters last year he’d played TPC Craig Ranch hundreds of times as a junior golfer. His game also seems to be a natural fit. Zalatoris is second this year on the TOUR in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, giving himself plenty of birdie looks. On the flip side, he currently is 170th in Strokes Gained: Putting, but Zalatoris has shown signs of improvement in his last several events. If he can keep pace on the greens compared to the rest of the field, he should be in the mix come Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, Burns is quietly the 10th-ranked player in the world and finished second at the event last year, which should give him good vibes heading into the week. The 25-year-old averages 4.60 birdies per round, which is seventh on the PGA TOUR this year, and he’s 18th in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. If Burns keeps his mistakes to a minimum, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be in contention over the weekend. Current Handle & Tickets Handle Will Zalatoris – 12.6% Sam Burns – 10% Scottie Scheffler – 7.6% Maverick McNealy – 6.5% Dustin Johnson – 6.3% Tickets Will Zalatoris – 8.6% Scottie Scheffler – 7.9% Jordan Spieth – 6.6% Dustin Johnson – 5.4% Justin Thomas – 5.2% Thomas, who has played well of late, has seen his odds move from +1400 to +1200. Spieth, who will also be playing close to home, is +2200, up from opening at +2000. Scheffler, who has four wins in his last six individual starts, has +1000 odds, the shortest in the field. Lee, the defending champion, is +8000 to repeat and has seen just 0.8% of the tickets and 0.3% of the handle. * Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. BetMGM is available in AZ, CO, DC, IA, IN, IL, 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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