Frys.com Open: golf betting guide

Our golf betting tipster analyses the field and comes up with some top golf betting tips ahead of the Frys.com Open at CordeValle Golf Club - the first event of the 2013/14 PGA Tour season

Billy Horschel

Frys.com Open: golf betting guide

The 2013/2014 PGA Tour season gets underway this week with the Frys.com Open at CordeValle Golf Club in Northern California.

The Frys.com - which previously formed part of the PGA Tour's Fall Series - is the first of 45 tournaments this season, with every event awarding FedEx Cup points for the first time.

Given its positioning in the golfing calendar and its reputation as a second-string tournament, the field for the Frys.com is relatively weak.

Still, the likes of Gary Woodland, Billy Horschel, Marc Lieshman, defending champion Jonas Blixt and Japanse sensation Hideki Matsuyama are all taking part this week.

It should also provide a good opportunity for those earning PGA Tour cards through last month's Web.com Tour finals to make a strong start to the season.

Woodland is the 16/1 favourite with Ladbrokes, but, given those odds, I'd be tempted to look elsewhere.

Billy Horschel, at 20/1 with Ladbrokes, should feature this week. He is one of the highest-ranked players in the field and he'll be confident after a hugely successful PGA Tour campaign. He also boasts good course form, finishing 11th in 2011. Last year, he ranked 6th on the PGA Tour in Birdie Average, 8th in Birdie Average and 8th in the All-around ranking.

Patrick Reed, at 33/1 with Ladbrokes, will be looking to carry momentum into the new season after notching a maiden PGA Tour victory in August. He'll be carefree after securing a two-year American exemption and his solid all-round play should be well suited to CordeValle, as he demonstrated with an 11th-place finish in 2012.

I think Seung-yul Noh, at 50/1 with Ladbrokes, will make quite an impression this season. The talented young Korean struggled in 2012, but bounced back with a brilliant performance in the Web.com Tour Finals to re-gain his PGA Tour card. He possesses a sumptuous golf swing, he won the Children's Hospital Championship on his last outing and he'll be determined to realise his full potential on the PGA Tour this time around.

Ryo Ishikawa, at 80/1 with Ladbrokes, is another player I'm expecting to play well this week. The Japanese youngster was underwhelming last year, but three top-eight finishes in Web.com Tour finals suggest he's ready to hit the ground running this season.

Sean O'Hair, at 100/1 with Ladbrokes, is well priced this week. The American has struggled in recent times, but he's a quality ball-striker and a four-time PGA Tour champion who's enjoyed extended spells inside the world's top 50. He'll be looking to get his career back on track, and three top 20s in the Web.com Tour finals should give him plenty of confidence ahead of the new campaign.

Frys.com Open advised bets:

3pts each way on Billy Horschel at 20/1 with Ladbrokes 2pts wach way on Patrick Reed at 33/1 with Ladbrokes 2pts each way on Seung-yul Noh at 50/1 with Ladbrokes 2pts each way on Ryo Ishikawa at 80/1 with Ladbrokes 2pts each way on Sean O'Hair at 100/1 with Ladbrokes

Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x