Best bets for PGA Tour’s Safeway Open

Las Vegas Review-Journal

4 years ago

Phil Mickelson watches his tee shot on the 17th hole in the first round of the Northern Tr ... — Phil Mickelson watches his tee shot on the 17th hole in the first round of the Northern Trust golf tournament at TPC Boston, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, in Norton, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Si Woo Kim watches his shot from the second tee during the final round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Brendan Steele watches his drive on the second hole during the second round of the Workday Charity Open golf tournament, Friday, July 10, 2020, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Sandwiched between the season-ending Tour Championship and the rescheduled U.S. Open, the Safeway Open will feature a relatively weak field when it tees off Thursday in the first event of the 2020-21 PGA Tour season.

Phil Mickelson, Si Woo Kim and Brendan Steele are the 20-1 co-favorites at the Westgate sportsbook to win the event at the Silverado Country Club’s North Course in Napa, California.

They’re followed by Shane Lowry, the highest-ranked golfer in the field at No. 28, Joel Dahmen and Harold Varner III at 25-1.

Here are handicapper Wes Reynolds’ best bets:

Harold Varner III, 25-1

“HV3 fits all the statistical profiles here,” said Reynolds (@WesReynolds1), co-host of VSiN’s “Long Shots” golf betting show. “The (putter) has kept him from getting that first PGA Tour win.

“Varner has been a regular fixture here at the Safeway over the last five seasons and has three top 20 or better finishes. This may be a good opportunity for one of the best ball strikers in the field to nab his first win against a down field.”

Luke List, 50-1

“List does have a win this summer, albeit on the Korn Ferry Tour at TPC Sawgrass,” Reynolds said. “A fourth here two years ago shows he can go well at Silverado.”

Mark Hubbard, 50-1

“Hubbard played his college golf just about 90 miles away at San Jose State,” Reynolds said. “Although he is still seeking that maiden PGA Tour win, he did finish in the top 50 (44th) in the FedEx Cup and has made nine of 10 cuts since the restart in June. Hubbard finished 13th here last year.”

Maverick McNealy, 60-1

“California kids tend to play well here (Cameron Champ, Brendan Steele), and Bay Area born-and-bred McNealy fits that bill,” Reynolds said. “There aren’t many on the tour that can roll it on the greens like McNealy. He made the top 70 for the FedEx Cup, so the form is getting better.

“A home game could be what he needs to start his winning ways and keep up with his girlfriend, Danielle Kang, who has won twice this summer on the LPGA Tour.”

Adam Schenk, 80-1

Schenk has made six straight cuts and seven of nine since the June restart.

“Scrambling has proven to be key to winning at Silverado, and Schenk is rated the best in this week’s field and seventh overall on the tour,” Reynolds said. “Schenk also possesses a good mix of distance and accuracy off the tee, ranking fifth in this field and 11th overall on the tour.”

Martin Laird, 150-1

“A boom-or-bust candidate here for sure, considering last weekend’s Korn Ferry Tour event was the first time he has teed it up since February’s Puerto Rico Open, where he finished tied for sixth,” Reynolds said. “Laird has played well here in the past, though, with a third and eighth to his credit. Although he doesn’t have much form of late, he rates as the third-best in this week’s field for total driving and certainly fits the course profile.”

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.