Steve Palmer's Wells Fargo Championship predictions & free golf betting tips: Rory McIlroy can start magical May with fourth Quail triumph

When to bet on the Wells Fargo Championship

By noon on Thursday

Bet on golf with AK BETS and claim up to £50 in free bets if your player misses the cut. 

Click here to grab that offer or read on for further instructions.

Where can I watch the Wells Fargo Championship

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 4pm on Thursday

Steve Palmer's Wells Fargo Championship predictions

Rory McIlroy
6pts each-way 15-2 bet365

Max Homa
3pts each-way 20-1 general

New AK BETS customers can claim up to £50 in free bets if their player misses the cut in a tournament.

Steve Palmer's Wells Fargo Championship preview

Scottie Scheffler is still waiting to become a father and the world number one is missing from the Wells Fargo Championship line-up this week. Scheffler's participation in next week's US PGA Championship must be in doubt given the impending arrival of his baby.

Also skipping this week's Quail Hollow gathering is Ludvig Aberg, who announced on Monday night that he is nursing a sore knee, so the first and second from last month's Masters will be sitting out this Signature event in North Carolina.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Rory McIlroy 15-2

The world number two can take advantage of the absences of Scheffler and Aberg by dominating the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow. Rory McIlroy could be set for a magnificent May, starting with a fourth Wells Fargo triumph.

The last time McIlroy won the US PGA – or a Major of any kind for that matter – was in 2014 at Valhalla. He had won the preceding PGA Tour event that year – the Bridgestone Invitational – and the little master will be sensing the possibility of history repeating itself over the next fortnight. He would love to head to Valhalla next week off a morale-boosting victory.

Quail Hollow has always been a playground for McIlroy. He has won three of the last 11 Wells Fargo Championships at this course, with his maiden PGA Tour title coming there in 2010. He won by seven shots in 2015, then edged a closer contest in 2021 to complete his hat-trick.

Shane Lowry would be the first to admit that McIlroy was the main reason they won the Zurich Classic pairs event together last time out. McIlroy was excellent in New Orleans, as he was when finishing third in the Texas Open the week before the Masters.

McIlroy teed up at Augusta last month playing under more pressure than anyone else in the field – his annual Grand Slam quest at the Cathedral of Pines is a huge weight on his shoulders – and there was no disgrace in 22nd place.

Playing with much more freedom this week – at a long, soft track which is ideal for him – expect this masterful driver to bully the par-fives and delight his army of Charlotte fans yet again.

Next best bet

Max Homa 20-1

Another player who made Quail Hollow the site of his PGA Tour breakthrough is Max Homa, who won the 2019 Wells Fargo when ranked 417th in the world. He also won the 2022 Wells Fargo at a different track.

The 2022 Presidents Cup further underlined Homa's course credentials. Making his debut for Team USA, he won four points from four matches at Quail, then he finished eighth in last year's Wells Fargo.

Homa's typically superb iron-play is key to his success at Quail. This week he tees up as world number ten and with his confidence boosted from contending in the Masters. The 33-year-old loathed his Majors record, so getting into the thick of things at Augusta, where he eventually finished third, was a huge positive.

Course guide for the Wells Fargo Championship

• Course Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Prize money $20m ($3.6m to the winner)
• Length 7,558 yards
• Par 71 – three par-fives; 11 par-fours; four par-threes
• Field 69 (no cut)
• Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Rory McIlroy (2), Wyndham Clark (3), Xander Schauffele (4), Ludvig Aberg (6), Viktor Hovland (7)
• Course records - 72 holes 265 Wyndham Clark (2023) 18 holes 61 Rory McIlroy (2015)
• Course winners taking part Rory McIlroy (three times), Lucas Glover, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Jason Day, Max Homa, Wyndham Clark
• When to bet By 4pm on Thursday
• When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 4pm on Thursday
• Time difference North Carolina is five hours behind the UK and Ireland
• Last week – CJ Cup Byron Nelson 1 T Pendrith (90-1), 2 B Kohles (400-1), 3 A Noren (25-1), T4 S.H Kim (110-1), A Rai (55-1), B H An (30-1), M Wallace (125-1), 8 J Knapp (100-1)
• Course type Parkland
• Course overview Quail Hollow hosted the US PGA in 2017 and the 2022 Presidents Cup. They were the only years since 2003 in which the course has not staged the Wells Fargo Championship (previously the Wachovia Championship and Quail Hollow Championship)
• Story of last year Wyndham Clark made his PGA Tour breakthrough, romping to a four-shot success, before winning the US Open a month later
• Weather forecast A mixture of sunshine and clouds, but warm and pleasant throughout. Light to moderate breezes on Thursday, fading to flat calm for the final three days
• Type of player suited to the challenge Course changes over recent years have aided powerhouses – this is a track which demands strong ball-striking
• Key attribute Power

Steve Palmer's Wells Fargo Championship key stat

Rory McIlroy has won three of the last 11 Wells Fargo Championships at Quail Hollow

Read more

Steve Palmer's Myrtle Beach Classic predictions & free golf betting tips: Van Rooyen should fall in love with new PGA Tour venue 

Steve Palmer's Regions Tradition predictions & free golf betting tips: Steve Stricker should dominate proceedings at Greystone yet again 

The Sweet Spot | Wells Fargo Championship, Myrtle Beach Classic & The Tradition | Golf Betting Tips

Claim up to £50 in free bets with AK BETS if your player misses the cut in a tournament

Place your first bet on a golf 'Tournament Winner' market and get 50 per cent of your initial stake back as a free bet up to £50 if your player misses the cut (£100 WIN or £50 EW).

New customers can follow these simple steps to take advantage of this exclusive AK BETS golf betting offer.

1. Head over to AK BETS through this link
2. Sign up for a new account using promo code SWEETSPOT50
3. Place a bet of up to £100 on a golf 'Tournament Winner' market.
4. AK BETS will credit 50 per cent of your stake as a free bet up to £50 if your player misses the cut

AK BETS golf betting sign-up offer: terms and conditions

It's worth taking a few minutes to read through the terms and conditions associated with the new golf betting sign-up offer before signing up. Doing so will help you get a better grasp of this AK BETS free bets offer and what's expected of you as a new customer.

• Applies if your first bet is placed on a golf Tournament Winner market (win or each-way)
• AK BETS will credit 50% of your stake as a free bet up to £50 IF YOUR PLAYER MISSES THE CUT. 
• Applies to new customers who sign up to AK BETS using the promo code SWEETSPOT50. 
• May not be used in conjunction with any other AK BETS promotion or offer. 
• Free Bet can be used at any price. 
• Free Bet will be credited within 24 hours of settlement of Qualifying Bet and will expire after 7 days. 
• Free Bet stake is not returned with any winnings. Free Bets cannot be exchanged for cash. 
• Free Bet will not be granted if the Qualifying Bet has been Cashed Out or Voided. 
• This promo code can be used only once per household / IP address. 
• In the event of a customer opening more than one account to claim multiple offers AK BETS reserves the right to suspend/close duplicate accounts and void any Free Bets placed. 
• AK BETS reserves the right to withdraw or refuse any Free Bet promotion at any point.
• Visit AK BETS for additional T&Cs
• Gamble responsibly
• 18+. For more info visit www.begambleaware.org

Click for free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.