Steve Palmer's Texas Open day-three tips and best bets

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 1.30pm Saturday

Best bets

Matt Kuchar to win Texas Open
1pt each-way 14-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

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Story so far

Thursday fog delays have left the Texas Open playing catch-up from the off and round two will need completing on Saturday before the cut can be made.

The cut will come at either level par or one under, with calm, sunny weather expected for those returning to the course on Saturday morning.

Patrick Rodgers has gone three shots clear at the top of the leaderboard – the PGA Tour maiden has set up another chance for a breakthrough at the age of 30. Rodgers, who has been slashed from 80-1 to 5-2 after rounds of 66 and 67, lost a playoff for the 2018 RSM Classic.

Roberto Diaz, tied for second place, has eight holes of round two left with which to catch up with Rodgers. Play will resume at 7.45am local time (1.45pm UK and Ireland) on Saturday.

Leaderboard
-11 Patrick Rodgers
-8 Corey Conners, Roberto Diaz (through ten holes of round two)
-7 Michael Thompson, Brendon Todd (through 15 holes of round two)
-6 Eric Cole, Thomas Detry, Matt Kuchar

Best prices
5-2 P Rodgers, 9-2 C Conners, 9 B Todd, 14 M Kuchar, 18 T Detry, 20 C Kirk, 25 M Thompson, R Diaz, E Cole, 33 bar

Texas Open day-three preview

Patrick Rodgers has flattered to deceive since becoming a PGA Tour professional, costing punters a fortune through the years, and there is unlikely to be a rush to take the 5-2 about the leader converting this chance.

Rodgers was a magnificent amateur, having attended the same university as Tiger Woods, matching some records that were set by the great man at Stanford. When Rodgers hit the pro ranks, PGA Tour silverware seemed inevitable. Almost ten years later, the mantelpiece remains empty.

Rodgers has been talking a good game in Texas about how he has never been more ready to win, but those mental scars from a history of near-misses seem likely to trouble the pacesetter over the weekend.

Corey Conners has won only one PGA Tour title – in this tournament at this venue in 2019 – so there is a wide-open feel to this event. The top two in the betting are suspect under pressure and the chasing pack know they are well in the hunt.

Pre-tournament Racing Post Sport picks Rickie Fowler and JJ Spaun have little margin for error from ten shots behind Rodgers, and will be hoping to see some serious Saturday wobbling from the leaders, so this seems a prudent moment to add somebody to the stable who is taking closer order.

With a stiff breeze forecast for Sunday, Matt Kuchar may not need to produce fireworks to give himself a serious winning chance, and the steady veteran can book a last-gasp Masters ticket by winning at TPC San Antonio.

Kuchar has great affection for this week's venue, having finished seventh, 12th and second in the last three years. He closed with a 66 to finish two shots shy of Spaun 12 months ago.

Kuchar has also finished runner-up in the Houston Open and at the Colonial event – and third in the Byron Nelson – so his record in Texas is rock-solid.

After a confidence-boosting WGC-Match Play, where he tied the record of Tiger Woods for most match wins in that competition (36), Kuchar looks ready to threaten a tenth a PGA Tour title at the age of 44. Without holing much, he has reached six under par through two rounds, lurking five shots off the pace.

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