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Golf tips

Steve Palmer's Hero World Challenge final-round preview, best bets, free tips

Imperious Collin Morikawa set to become world number one

Viktor Hovland is tied for third place
Viktor Hovland is tied for third placeCredit: Warren Little

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 4pm Sunday

Best bets

Viktor Hovland without Collin Morikawa
2pts 5-1 Hills

Bryson DeChambeau to win twoball
2pts 20-23 bet365

Story so far

A new world number one seems set to crowned in The Bahamas today - Collin Morikawa is on the brink of becoming the best player on the planet for the first time.

Perhaps Jon Rahm will be regretting his decision to down tools early this year - because Morikawa has taken advantage. The world number two is five shots ahead of the Hero World Challenge field and lifting the trophy at the Albany will be enough for the Californian to take top spot in the rankings.

Bryson DeChambeau took a one-shot Hero lead into the weekend, but laboured to a 73, while his playing partner Morikawa hardly put a foot wrong in a Saturday 64. Morikawa, an ante-post 15-2 chance, is no bigger than 1-4 with 18 holes to play.

Leaderboard
-18 Collin Morikawa
-13 Brooks Koepka
-12 Patrick Reed, Viktor Hovland, Daniel Berger, Sam Burns, Tony Finau
-11 Scottie Scheffler
-10 Bryson DeChambeau

Best prices
1-4 C Morikawa, 10 B Koepka, 20 V Hovland, 25 T Finau, S Burns, 28 D Berger, 33 P Reed, 66 S Scheffler, 80 B DeChambeau, 400 bar

Final-round preview

Collin Morikawa has been a professional only 23 months. He has won five PGA Tour titles, including two Majors, and today seems highly likely to become world number one at the age of 24.

What a player. Punters are growing tired of finding ways to oppose him. This week the Californian dude is making his Hero World Challenge debut, but lack of course experience has been no problem. Morikawa has carded rounds of 68, 66, 64 - settling into his new surroundings before slipping into overdrive.

It is difficult to identify a reason why the leader will falter today. A Sunday twoball against four-time Major champion Brooks Koepka is an intimidating gig for the average player, but Morikawa is far from that. He fears nobody these days and outscored Bryson DeChambeau by nine shots in their Saturday twoball.

A clear Sunday with light breezes provides the opportunity for the chasing pack to go low, but Morikawa is likely to make enough birdies to get the job done. The only hope for layers at 1-4 would be that the Morikawa putter can go through cold spells. If the flat stick suddenly drops in temperature, Koepka can Co might have a sniff.

The without Morikawa market is where most punters will be heading - and another course debutant may claim runner-up honours behind the Open champion. Viktor Hovland has been adjusting to previously uncharted terrain, too, and the Norwegian has warmed to his task. From a share of third place, one shot behind Koepka, the 9-2 Hovland seems more than fair.

Final-round twoball punters should consider DeChambeau, who could easily bounce back from his Saturday hell with a more free-flowing Sunday performance. DeChambeau has the potential to destroy the five par-fives at Albany and leave playing partner Tyrrell Hatton behind (4.20pm UK and Ireland time).

The final twoball of Morikawa and Koepka is scheduled on the tee at 5.04pm UK time.


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