Steve Palmer's Grant Thornton Invitational first-round predictions and free golf betting tips

Where to watch the Grant Thornton Invitational

Sky Sports Main Event and Golf, 6pm Friday

Best bets

Theegala & Zhang to win 2.40pm scramble
3pts 19-20 Coral, Ladbrokes

Champ & Corpuz to win 2.10pm scramble
2pts 6-5 BoyleSports, Coral, Ladbrokes

Aberg & Sagstrom to beat Finau & Korda straight forecast
1pt 35-1 bet365

Finau & Korda to beat Aberg & Sagstrom straight forecast
1pt 33-1 bet365

Grant Thornton Invitational first-round preview

Sahith Theegala is unable to defend the QBE Shootout title he won last year – the tournament is defunct – but he will be thrilled to tee up at the scene of that victory in the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational.

Theegala has 20-year-old sensation Rose Zhang as his Grant Thornton partner in this new mixed pairs event and they should prove a devastating combination in the Friday scramble. This dynamic duo can be backed at a shade of odds-on to defeat Joel Dahmen and Lilia Vu (2.40pm UK).

Theegala and Zhang may come unstuck in the Saturday foursomes, but the swashbuckling duo have margin for error in the scramble, a format which plays to their strengths. Dahmen and Vu may lack the firepower to keep pace.

Bookmakers have Russell Henley and Mel Reid as favourites for their scramble, but Reid has not played much lately, having been focused on family life. Reid is a weak partner for Henley and the combination of Cameron Champ and Allisen Corpuz looks more likely to get among the birdies in the scramble.

Bet365 are betting on outright straight forecasts – and the fearsome pairings of Ludvig Aberg and Madeline Sagstrom, and Tony Finau and Nelly Korda, are worth supporting.

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