Steve Palmer's Houston Open first-round preview, best bets, free golf tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the first-round of the Houston Open at Memorial Park on the PGA Tour.

When to watch

Sky Sports Golf red button, 12.50pm Thursday

Best bets

Kristoffer Ventura top European
1pt each-way 22-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Russell Henley to win threesome
1pt 5-2 Hills

Scottie Scheffler to beat Tony Finau
1pt 19-20 Coral, Ladbrokes

Preview

Masters punters will probably be focusing their attention on two groups for the first round of the Houston Open - the early threeball of Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth and Lanto Griffin, then the late gathering of Dustin Johnson, Tyrrell Hatton and Adam Scott.

Koepka and Co tee off at 1.25pm UK and Ireland time, while Johnson makes his return to competition after suffering with Covid-19 at 6.05pm. Johnson's form seems likely to immediately affect his odds for next week's Major at Augusta.

Scott has also tested positive for Covid since last seen in competition - the Australian withdrew from the Zozo Championship - so Hatton may feel uncomfortable with his group. Regardless, the Englishman seems far too short in the top European betting and Kristoffer Ventura is a much more appealing proposition.

Ventura, a two-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour last season, has been in bright post-lockdown form, starting with fourth place in the Korn Ferry Challenge in his first event back. The highlights on the PGA Tour have been seventh spot in the Safeway Open and sixth in the Sanderson Farms Championship a month ago.

Narrowly missed cuts in the Shriners Open and the Bermuda Championship have resulted in Ventura being dismissed by bookmakers for Houston, but the Mexico-born Norwegian has an ideal game for Memorial Park and could easily bounce back to his best.

The in-form Russell Henley, who loves the Houston Open and can boast form figures of 7-4-5-1-8-61 from his last six visits, seems a value outsider against Johnson and Koepka in a threesome with Hills, while Scottie Scheffler to beat Tony Finau is the most appealing match-bet option.

Scheffler, a Texan who finished fourth in the US PGA, fourth in the Northern Trust and then was the second-lowest scorer in the Tour Championship, can be fancied to contend in his home state.

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