Steve Palmer's Texas Open first-round preview and free golf betting tips

Where to watch the Texas Open

Live on Sky Sports Golf, 8pm Thursday

Best bets

Vincent Norrman top Swede
2pts 5-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Si Woo Kim top Asian
2pts 21-10 bet365

Dylan Frittelli to win 1.30pm threeball
1pt 7-4 general

Ryan Palmer to win 1.30pm threeball
1pt 29-20 bet365

Rickie Fowler-Davis Riley dual forecast
0.5pt 275-1 bet365

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Texas Open first-round preview

A calm first morning in the Texas Open seems set to make way for a bit of afternoon breeze, but early starters look likely to have some light rain to deal with and cooler temperatures, so it should be a relatively fair day.

Vincent Norrman has been dismissed as a 5-1 outsider in the top Swede market, but the PGA Tour rookie played well in a college event at TPC San Antonio just two years ago and will be excited about teeing up there again this week.

Norrman finished third in the Cabo Collegiate at TPC San Antonio, beaten by only two shots. Having graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour after just one season, the 25-year-old has made an understandably inconsistent start to life on the PGA Tour, but this week the burly Stockholmer gets to tackle a course he knows and likes.

Alex Noren, winless in the WGC-Match Play last week and with a best finish of 61st on the PGA Tour this year, seems a vulnerable short-priced favourite for top Swede. David Lingmerth and Henrik Norlander complete the four-runner market. Norrman, 16th in the Corales Puntacana Championship on Sunday, represents the value.

Backing Si Woo Kim for top Asian also appeals. Kim is based in Dallas and enjoys competing in his adopted home state, underlined by his fourth-place finish at TPC San Antonio in the 2019 Texas Open. The four-time PGA Tour champion, winner of the Sony Open in January, looks a solid option in a section containing Hideki Matsuyama and Byeong Hun An. Matsuyama and An have both been dealing with injury issues in recent weeks.

Dylan Frittelli, who went to the University of Texas and still lives in Austin, knows TPC San Antonio and is worthy of support in the 1.30pm (UK and Ireland time) threeball, starting at the tenth tee. He can outscore James Hahn and Alex Smalley, while Ryan Palmer, a Texan with a fantastic record in the Lone Star State, can boss the 1.30pm match which starts on the first tee against Norlander and Scott Piercy.

Rickie Fowler and Davis Riley both appear likely title contenders and a 275-1 outright dual forecast seems worth a small investment.

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