PGA Tour: Heritage news, second-round betting tips & TV details

Sky Sports Golf, 12.15pm Friday

Dustin Johnson crept into a tie for second at the Masters last week to return to the top of the world rankings and the laidback South Carolina bomber is 11-2 favourite to win the Heritage in his home state after he produced an opening three-under 68 in round one at Harbour Town Golf Links.

DJ tops the betting, but Shane Lowry heads the leaderboard. The Irishman won in Abu Dhabi earlier this year and he sparked into life again on Thursday with a fine first-round 65 on Hilton Head Island.

Lowry, playing with a new driver and putter this week, negotiated windy conditions to shoot a six-under bogey-free round and is 18-1 to win on the PGA Tour for the first time in almost four years.

Five US players - Trey Mullinax, Daniel Berger, Luke List, Ryan Moore and Ryan Palmer - are a shot behind Lowry. Patrick Cantlay followed his top-ten finish at Augusta National with a smooth opening 67 and he is 17-2 second favourite.

Francesco Molinari, who surrendered his grip on the Green Jacket on the back nine of the Masters, began his Heritage bid with a scratchy three-over par 74 while his playing partner Jordan Spieth ground out a level-par round to stay in contention.

They tee off again at 5.50pm UK & Ireland time but the third member of that group, Webb Simpson, could be the man for threeball punters to side with.

Simpson opened up with a 69 on the Pete Dye-designed track where he has finished 11th and fifth in the last two years and he is likely to make further progress in the second round.

The 33-year-old typically performs well on Dye-designed courses, winning the 2011 Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club and capturing the 2018 Players Championship at Dye's masterpiece, TPC Sawgrass.

Simpson tied for fifth at the Masters despite his previous Augusta struggles, so his game is clearly in excellent shape. Spieth, however, continues to struggle off the tee while Molinari may be in the midst of a post-Georgia hangover.

Recommendation
W Simpson to win threeball
2pts 2-1 Sky Bet

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