Steve Palmer's Tour Championship first-round preview, best bets, free golf tips

Golf tips, best twoball bets and first-round leader analysis for the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.

When to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 5.30pm Thursday

Best bets

Harris English to beat Sam Burns
3pts 5-6 Betfair

Jon Rahm first-round leader
2pts 15-2 Betfred

Justin Thomas to win twoball
2pts 10-11 general

Brooks Koepka to win twoball
2pts 8-11 general

Xander Schauffele top American
1pt each-way 18-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy dual forecast
0.5pt 66-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

First-round preview

The first-round leader market for the Tour Championship is a fascinating one, with the staggered start making Patrick Cantlay an odds-on shot, and the favourite seems worth opposing with Jon Rahm.

Cantlay flopped badly when in the final first-round twoball at East Lake in 2019, starting the event in second position and ending it in 21st, and his Tour Championship record is poor. It is not difficult to imagine a quiet, tense, bogey-laden final twoball between Cantlay and Tony Finau.

Cantlay's BMW Championship triumph last week was based around a putter which resembled a magic wand at an easy track. He will need to be tidier from tee to green to succeed at East Lake. Rahm, the best ball-striker on the planet for months, could quickly devour his four-shot deficit and move into pole position after 18 holes.

Pick of the tournament match-bet options may be Harris English to outscore debutant Sam Burns. English, who is ranked number 11 in the world and has no obvious weakness, can be backed at 5-6 in the draw-no-bet market with Betfair.

Justin Thomas, who adores East Lake and is full of positivity again after a spell in the doldrums, can be fancied to boss the often erratic Cameron Smith in their 6.40pm twoball, while Brooks Koepka can do likewise to powder-puff driver Kevin Na (5.30pm).

Xander Schauffele, the 2017 East Lake champion and lowest 72-hole scorer last year, seems good value in the top American market, while the Rahm-Rory McIlroy dual forecast is worth considering at 66-1.

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