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

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the first round of the Texas Open at TPC San Antonio on the PGA Tour.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf red button, 1.30pm Thursday

Best bets

Dylan Frittelli to win 2.36pm threeball
2pts 6-4 Betfair, Power

Betting preview

Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy headline the morning wave on the first day of the Valero Texas Open, with Hideki Matsuyama and Jordan Spieth out in the afternoon section at TPC San Antonio.

Masters champion Matsuyama and last year's Texas Open victor Spieth will be pleased with their draw - Friday afternoon seems set to be the windiest portion of the tournament - but scoring should be good throughout round one.

Pick of the first-round threeball options may be Dylan Frittelli to beat Henrik Stenson and Chez Reavie. Frittelli, who graduated from the University of Texas and lives in Austin, relishes events in the Lone Star State.

The South African, a teammate of Spieth in his college days, won his only PGA Tour title in the 2019 John Deere Classic. The JDC is played the week before the Open - and there seems a fair chance that Frittelli will go well the week before a different Major over the next four days. His PGA Tour form over the last few weeks has been solid.

A share of 16th place in the Honda Classic a month ago is form that one of his Texas playing partners can only dream about. Stenson, who became the new European Ryder Cup captain earlier this month, has dropped to 232nd in the world rankings. The Swede's playing career seems in crisis.

Aside from tenth place at Riviera last month, Reavie has been plodding his way along the fairways unimpressively, and Frittelli can outgun him at this long track.

Punters expecting a glorious fortnight for one of the big names in Texas may be interested in the Texas Open-Masters doubles which are available with some firms. Betfred go 80-1 that McIlroy wins both events, while 150-1 is on offer about Spieth.

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