Steve Palmer's Phoenix Open third-round preview, best bets, free golf tips

When to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 6pm Saturday

Best bets

Billy Horschel to win the Phoenix Open
1pt each-way 8-1 general

Branden Grace to win threeball
1pt 6-5 Hills

Day-three preview

JB Holmes has been labouring with tennis elbow and needed to get an arm massage at the turn in round one of the Phoenix Open, but the two-time former champion leads the way going into the weekend at TPC Scottsdale.

Holmes, a general 100-1 chance ante-post, won this event in 2006 and 2008 – the first two of his five PGA Tour titles – and that course comfort has again been evident this week. He made a hole-in-one at the fourth on his way to a first-round 64, then an eagle two at the par-four 17th as part of a second-round 65.

Holmes has blazed to 13 under par and a one-shot lead, and the 37-year-old is no bigger than 9-2 to complete a Phoenix Open hat-trick. He has shrugged aside the injury issue and his putting has been excellent.

Holmes, who won the Genesis Open last year, has been making merry, but a world ranking of 99 highlights how difficult he finds it to be consistent over 72 holes. In the Farmers Insurance Open last week, weekend rounds of 71 and 73 dropped him out of contention, and a fade from the front in Phoenix would come as no surprise.

Wyndham Clark, alone in second place, is a talented maiden with an ideal game for the demands of Scottsdale, but, like Holmes, he could tread water in front. Clark had a golden chance of victory in the 3M Open last summer, but tensed up badly over the closing holes, so he has a lot to prove with regards to his mettle under Sunday pressure. Given the huge crowds which add to the tension at this event, Clark needs to show much more steel than he has ever previously to get the job done.

Byeong Hun An and Scott Piercy love competing in desert events and must be respected, while Branden Grace, Xander Schauffele, Bubba Watson and Jon Rahm are all lurking just off the pace and are full of menace. Best value of all at this stage, though, is arguably Billy Horschel, who signed off on Friday with a textbook birdie at the 18th hole.

Horschel, a gregarious character at ease in the noisy arena, has impressed on and around the greens over the first two rounds. His short-game is traditionally a weakness, but appears in top order this week, and the former FedEx Cup champion is a threat to all from just two shots behind.

Grace, full of beans again after winning his national Open in fine style last month and relishing the track where he finished runner-up on debut last year, is an attractive threeball wager (5.43pm UK and Ireland time) against Nate Lashley and Adam Long.

The final threeball of Holmes, Clark and Horschel is scheduled to start at 6.05pm. Another sunny, calm day is forecast.

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