Schniederjans can win more fans

Starts 11.45am Thursday
Live on Sky Sports 4 from 7pm

Adam Scott, Justin Thomas and Padraig Harrington comprise the marquee group of the day in the first round of the Honda Classic, teeing off at 12.45pm UK and Ireland time, but the best bet on the threeball card may be in the opening match.

Ollie Schniederjans is off first (11.45am) from the tenth tee, alongside Derek Fathauer and Harold Varner, and the in-form Schniederjans can be fancied to boss the contest.

Schniederjans boasts form figures of 6-27-58-9-24-8 from his last six US Tour outings and he carded four rounds in the 60s at Riviera last week. The 23-year-old, who was the number one amateur in the world before finishing 12th in the 2015 Open at St Andrews, won on the Web.com Tour last season and is now threatening a first US Tour success.

Schniederjans has proved himself at the Honda venue – he won the 2009 Polo Golf Junior Classic there in 2009 – and will be looking forward to tackling PGA National with his game in such good order.

His putting stroke is not a thing of beauty, but his iron-play certainly is, and controlled approaches are the key to handling this track.
The six-tournament US Tour form of Fathauer (MC-MC-MC-67-23-MC) and Varner (MC-MC-MC-MC-68-MC) is pitiful and Schniederjans should be odds-on.

Another appealing threeball wager comes in the 12.35pm gathering of Russell Knox, Jim Herman and Tyrrell Hatton. The Florida-based Knox relishes the test of accuracy provided by PGA National and has form figures of 2-3-26 from three Honda starts.

Herman has missed his last three cuts and Hatton is making his Honda debut, so the consistent Knox can lead the way.
Match-bet punters are pointed towards Francesco Molinari, who is always worthy of consideration on courses where tee-to-green precision is paramount. The Italian Open champion, who has performed well at Doral and Sawgrass in the past, is proven on tough Florida layouts.

Molinari can be fancied to outscore Danny Willett, who has been struggling since his disastrous Ryder Cup debut. The Honda is Willett's first appearance in the United States since his Hazeltine horrors and the American galleries may not provide a warm welcome.

Recommendations
O Schniederjans to win threeball
3pts 6-4 Betfred

R Knox to win threeball
2pts 7-5 bet365, Coral

F Molinari to beat D Willett
2pts 5-6 Betfair, Power