Houston Open: Steve Palmer's final-round preview, best bets, free golf tips

When to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 9pm Sunday

Best bets

L Griffin & B Hossler dual forecast
1pt 12-1 Sky Bet

B Wu to beat P Malnati in twoball
1pt 11-10 Sky Bet

Story so far

Ante-post 50-1 chance Lanto Griffin conjured a superb third round to claim a one-shot lead going into Sunday of the Houston Open.

Griffin birdied six of his first eight holes of the back-nine, including a sensational holed bunker shot at the 17th, and even with a bogey on the 18th he carded a 65. The two-time Korn Ferry Tour champion, who turned 31 in June, has given himself an opportunity of a maiden PGA Tour triumph.

Another Korn Ferry graduate, Mark Hubbard, is in second place, a shot behind, while last year's Houston runner-up, Beau Hossler, is the stand-out name tied for third place, two shots off the pace.

Pre-tournament favourite, Henrik Stenson, missed the cut by two shots. Both the market leaders perished at the halfway stage this week, with Paul Casey missing the cut in the Italian Open.

Leaderboard
-11 Lanto Griffin
-10 Mark Hubbard
-9 Beau Hossler, Cameron Tringale, Peter Malnati
-8 Brandon Wu, Austin Cook, Scott Harrington, Carlos Ortiz, Sepp Straka, Talor Gooch

Best prices
11-4 L Griffin, 6 M Hubbard, 7 B Hossler, C Tringale, 12 P Malnati, 14 C Ortiz, 18 A Cook, 20 S Straka, 22 T Gooch, B Wu, 28 S Harrington, 33 bar

Final-round preview

Lanto Griffin turned into Superman on the back-nine in round three to set up a winning chance in Houston and it remains to be seen whether the maiden retains such swagger under Sunday pressure.

Griffin has been consistently good this season – the only player on the PGA Tour to open the campaign with four consecutive top-20s – but he has not gone deep into contention in any of those events. In the spotlight from the first tee at the Golf Club of Houston, the mental challenge is severe.

Griffin has shown plenty of mettle in the lower grade – both his Korn Ferry successes came in playoffs – and he fully deserves favouritism. The fact he has banked a few healthy early-season cheques should relax him to a degree.

Cameron Tringale has been hitting his ball extremely well in recent weeks, while Brandon Wu is an enormous talent who is threatening to quickly take the PGA Tour by storm, but the main threat to Griffin backers in the final round may be Beau Hossler, who was defeated in a playoff in last year's Houston Open.

Hossler was a prodigy who has taken longer than expected to claim PGA Tour silverware, but the 24-year-old appears close to the breakthrough, and Texas is his adopted home state. Ian Poulter is not around to spoil Hossler's party this time, and there is nobody on the leaderboard who will worry big Beau.

Hossler has carded three under-par rounds so far, improving his score by a shot each day, and a three-under-par bogey-free back-nine, sealed with a textbook birdie at the 18th, meant he finished round three in high spirits. From two shots behind, Hossler will be relishing this chance.

Hossler was recommended by Racing Post Sport at 50-1 ante-post, while Griffin was an in-running tip at 9-1 at the halfway stage of the tournament, so Racing Post Sport followers are in a tidy position. The 11-4 Griffin and 7-1 Hossler are more than fair prices for those yet to get involved, while the 12-1 about the Griffin-Hossler dual forecast with Sky Bet is worth an extra interest.

Peter Malnati has distractions – his wife is due to give birth and he has said he will walk off the course immediately should labour commence – and rising star Wu looks the best twoball bet for the 7.25pm match. Griffin and Mark Hubbard tee off at 7.45pm, with sunny, calm conditions forecast.

Already advised ante-post
B Hossler
1pt each-way 50-1 Betfred, Hills, Sky Bet

Already advised yesterday
L Griffin
1pt each-way 9-1 Betway

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