Short-game star Na can master Kokrak

Tournament starts 4pm
Live on Sky Sports 4 from 8.30pm

Kevin Na won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in 2011 and the 33-year-old should be backed to go well again at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas this week.

Na, who lives in Las Vegas and was also among the runners-up at Summerlin last year, began his season with a seventh-placed finish in the Safeway Open and followed that performance with a solid effort in the CIMB Classic.

The short-game wizard was not at his best in the WGC-HSBC Champions last week but that event featured a strong field and Na is easier to fancy in calmer waters this week.

Since the PGA Tour switched to its current October-September seasonal format in 2014, Na has played 13 tournaments before the turn of the year and has chalked up six top-ten finishes.

He clearly thrives in the months leading up to Christmas so he rates a solid option in match betting markets around a course where his wonderful short-game is likely to come to the fore.

Bookmakers have quoted Na in matches against several golfers – including Francesco Molinari, Billy Horschel, Jon Rahm, Chris Kirk and Safeway champ Brendan Steele – but Betfred’s 10-11 for Na to see off Jason Kokrak catches the eye.

Kokrak – double the price of Na in the outright market – was in decent form in the FedEx Cup playoffs and he again played well at the HSBC Champions, but his Summerlin record inspires little confidence.

The 31-year-old has rocked up in the last four editions of this tournament but his best finish to date was the tied-38th he carded last year. He has missed the cut on every other appearance and Na could leave him behind.

Francesco Molinari looks like the man to side with in the top continental European market. The Italian ace makes his Summerlin debut but his accurate ironplay should suit the course and he looks a decent bet at 2-1.

Molinari won his home tournament in September and returned after a break with another top-ten finish at the HSBC so his game still looks in good shape.

Jon Rahm is likely to provide the strongest challenge to Molinari in this seven-runner heat. Alex Cejka has gone well at Summerlin but is not in Molinari’s class while Swedish trio David Lingmerth, Jonas Blixt and Carl Pettersson are woefully out of form. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano has to prove he can step up from the Web.com Tour.

Recommendations
K Na to beat J Kokrak
3pts 10-11 Betfred
F Molinari top continental European
1pt 2-1 Sky Bet

Already advised by Ian Wilkerson
R Ishikawa
1.5pts each-way 66-1 general
J Walker
1.5pts each-way 50-1 Hills
S Piercy
1pt each-way 33-1 BetBright, Betfred, Coral
P Kizzire
1pt each-way 55-1 Betfred