Steve Palmer's Wells Fargo Championship predictions & free golf betting tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow on the PGA Tour.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Golf from midday Thursday

Best bets

Viktor Hovland
3.5pts each-way 22-1 Hills

Will Zalatoris
2.5pts each-way 28-1 Hills

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Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm are jostling for favouritism at the head of the Wells Fargo Championship market - and punters eager to choose between the two are advised to opt for the American over the Spaniard.

Thomas struck his ball superbly in the Valspar Championship, finishing 13th carrying a cold putter, and this week he returns to the scene of his 2017 US PGA Championship victory. There must be every chance that Thomas follows up his Players Championship triumph in March with another Quail Hollow success, but the best-price 11-1 is a fair, rather than unmissable, offer.

Rahm, still adjusting to fatherhood and making his first start as an individual since the Masters, may not be in top gear as he builds towards the US PGA. Rahm finished seventh alongside Ryan Palmer in the Zurich Classic pairs event the week before last.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Viktor Hovland 22-1

Ever-improving Norwegian youngster Viktor Hovland has moved up to 11th in the world rankings and could be about to claim a place in the top ten for the first time in his career. There appears to be no stopping a class act who has been a professional for less than two years.

Third place in the Valspar Championship last week provided further evidence of Hovland's ball-striking brilliance. He outscored everyone in the final round, carding a 65 containing seven birdies, and few can live with the 23-year-old from tee to green.

Hovland has posted six top-six finishes since winning the Mayakoba Classic in December and he should fall in love with Quail Hollow on his first start in the Wells Fargo Championship.

Quail Hollow is a stiff tee-to-green examination - the longest par-71 on the PGA Tour - and Hovland arrives with confidence after finishing third for strokes gained from tee to green in the Valspar. He gained almost nine strokes on the Valspar field in that department. Strong driving is the key to success at Quail Hollow - particularly with it playing soft and long this week - and Hovland lies fourth in the PGA Tour's strokes-gained-off-the-tee stats.

Glory has come quickly for Hovland - he is already looking to complete a PGA Tour hat-trick - and the most prestigious victory of his career could be coming on Sunday. It seems he may soon become Europe's second-best player, behind only Rahm.

Next best bet

Will Zalatoris 28-1

Complete a two-pronged Wells Fargo attack with Will Zalatoris, another ball-striking colossus who seems set to make a barnstorming Quail Hollow debut. Zalatoris probably has some low-key course experience under his belt, having attended Wake Forest University, North Carolina.

Those college days are one reason to side with Zalatoris, but the main attraction is his rock-solid tee-to-green game, which he has showcased throughout this year. Seventh place in the Farmers Insurance Open has been followed by 17th in Phoenix, 15th at Riviera, tenth at Bay Hill, 21st at Sawgrass and second in the Masters. Four solid rounds to finish runner-up on his Augusta debut, beaten by only a shot, was incredible stuff from Zalatoris.

Previously, he dominated on the Korn Ferry Tour, then finished sixth in last year's US Open, and the upgrade to the PGA Tour has been seamless. Zalatoris has bought a new house and got engaged since his last Tour outing - life is going swimmingly for the Texas-based Californian - and a PGA Tour breakthrough on Sunday would come as no surprise.

Players to note

Rickie Fowler
The Californian tied for 17th place in the Texas Open last time out, recovering from a first-round 76, and he is a former Quail Hollow champion. He could be worth chancing at a juicy price.

Max Homa
The defending champion went into the final round of the Valspar Championship on Sunday only one shot behind, but struggled to a 74 to finish sixth. He played superbly for three days, though.

Rory McIlroy
The 2010 and 2015 champion - by four and seven shots respectively - adores Quail Hollow. That love for the layout may can help him to put some mediocre recent form behind him.

Bryson DeChambeau
The cocksure Californian, fourth in his last Quail Hollow start, will appreciate the cut in the ground this week and could forget his Masters misery (46th of 54 weekend qualifiers).

Quail Hollow course guide

Course Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina
Prize money $8.1m ($1.314m to the winner)
Length 7,521 yards
Par 71
Field 156
Course records- 72 holes 267 Rory McIlroy (2015) 18 holes 61 Rory McIlroy (2015)

Course winners taking part Sean O'Hair, Rory McIlroy (twice), Lucas Glover, Rickie Fowler, JB Holmes, James Hahn, Justin Thomas, Jason Day, Max Homa

When to bet By noon Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from noon Thursday

Time difference North Carolina is five hours behind the UK and Ireland

Last week - Valspar Championship 1 S Burns (90-1), 2 K Bradley (75-1), T3 V Hovland (22-1), C Tringale (50-1), 5 A Ancer (33-1), T6 V Taylor (500-1), M Homa (70-1)

Spectator quota 30 per cent of capacity

Course type Parkland

Course overview Laid out by George Cobb in 1961, tweaked by Arnold Palmer in 1986 and redesigned by Tom Fazio in 1997, 2003 and in the build-up to the 2017 US PGA there, Quail Hollow slowly but surely developed into the finished article, and one which annually attracts the best players. This event has run since 2003 and was first called the Wachovia Championship. It is the longest par 71 on the PGA Tour. The 2017 edition is the only one that has been staged at a different course (Eagle Point). Low scores are hard to come by, although Rory McIlroy has a 61 and a 62 there. The closing three holes, known as the Green Mile, are particularly difficult. The 229-yard par-three 17th is sandwiched between awkward par fours of 511 and 500 yards. These three holes typically average almost a shot over par. The par-five holes (fifth, seventh, tenth, 15th) are where birdies are freely available and the champion will almost certainly need to play them under par. After the 2013 renewal, the bentgrass greens were torn up and replaced with more heat tolerant Bermuda grass. Some trees were removed prior to the 2014 renewal, making the track more appealing to big-hitters.

The story of 2019 Max Homa beat Joel Dahmen by three shots to claim his maiden PGA Tour title. The 2020 edition was cancelled.

Weather forecast Showers and storms have softened the track in the build-up. Sunny, pleasant, with light breezes, for the first three days, before a hot, windy Sunday

Type of player suited to the challenge All types of player have won in the tournament's 13-year history, from cautious operators David Toms and Jim Furyk to mavericks Anthony Kim and JB Holmes. Course changes over recent years have aided the powerhouses and soft, calm conditions early in the event mean punters should probably concentrate on them this week.

Key attribute Power

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