Palmetto Championship Prediction and Picks

One week following the amazing display of talent that was put on at the Memorial Tournament, the PGA Tour heads back to the Carolinas in efforts of hosting the Palmetto Championship. Congaree Golf Club, located in Ridgeland, South Carolina will play as a par 71, measuring a long 7,655 yards featuring many Bermuda greens.

South Carolina native, Dustin Johnson (+800) headlines the event alongside longtime competitor and friend, Brooks Koepka (+900). Those are just two big names out of the 156 golfers competing in the Palmetto Championship. Let’s take a look at some of the other names that pop out along with their odds entering the tournament.

• Golfers Odds:
• Dustin Johnson (+800)
• Brooks Koepka (+900)
• Tyrrell Hatton (+1400)
• Matt Fitzpatrick (+1800)
• Tommy Fleetwood (+2500)
• Sungjae Im (+2700)

The Palmetto Championship will be the last event leading up to the U.S. Open. Golfers will be taking advantage of the opportunity to find a final tune-up prior to the big weekend at Torrey Pines from July 17-20. Other golfers are more hesitant to compete in the tournament out of fear of an injury or a strong desire to get one final weekend of rest.

Best Bets for the Palmetto Championship at Congaree

I don’t anticipate for either of the headliners to come out as the champion of the Palmetto Championship. Rather, I anticipate the champion to be an extreme underdog or veteran. Perhaps, it will be someone that has always been at the top of the leaderboard, but never got that sweet feeling of victory on a Sunday.

There are two professional golfers that stick out as potential Palmetto Championship winners over the rest of the field. Fellow Englishmen, Tommy Fleetwood (+2500) and Ian Poulter (+3200) may have just what it takes to light up this course and score low throughout the entire weekend.

Tommy Fleetwood (+2500)

It’s no secret that Tommy Fleetwood has been struggling as of late, but everyone is aware of the fact that the game of golf often presents its competitors with periods of poor play. Missing three of his previous five events on the PGA Tour, Fleetwood hopes for a confidence boost entering the Palmetto Championship. With a majority of the top golfers taking the week off prior to the U.S. Open, an opportunity presents itself to the 32nd-ranked golfer in the world.

The course is expected to play extremely firm and fast given that the course isn’t expecting any large periods of rain. That being said, the winner of this week’s tournament must have smooth hands in working the greens at Congaree. Tommy Fleetwood leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green over the past 24 rounds with 16.8 as next in line, Seamus Power gaining 13.7 strokes around the green.

So far this season, Fleetwood successfully placed within the top 10 twice and a top 20 on desert courses in the Middle East. In a similar environment this weekend, Fleetwood could potentially discover that win he’s been searching for.

Ian Poulter (+3200)

The 45-year-old Englishmen, Ian Poulter is heading to the Palmetto Championship in peak form. Finishing 30th at a very challenging PGA Championship and following it up with a third-place finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge tells us Ian Poulter is far from the end of his career, but in fact, he’s still improving on a weekly basis.

Poulter’s short game is his last concern entering the weekend as he gains 4.5 strokes on the Bermuda greens at the PGA Championship. Given his age, ball-striking is the golfer’s biggest issue as younger players drive their ball much further and are able to get much more distance on their woods.

Being a part of the game for an extended period of time also has a major upside: experience. Similar to Fleetwood, Poulter has had a ton of experience playing in the Middle East as well as some of his top career finishes at longer courses.

Look for these two golfers to make some noise at the Palmetto Championship this upcoming weekend. A lot of potential money can be made with a relatively small wager on Fleetwood or Poulter given their odds. Trust me, you don’t want to miss out.

Good Luck!