Wyndham Championship golf: Steve Palmer's betting predictions, tips and odds

TV: Sky Sports Golf, 6pm Thursday

The Wyndham Championship is always an important tournament on the US Tour calendar, providing the last chance for players to retain a card for next season, as well as the opportunity to claim a spot in the mega-bucks FedEx Cup playoffs. The top 125 on the FedEx standings will progress to opening event of the playoffs next week.

Young guns Matt Wolff and Collin Morikawa, who have quickly got a US Tour title under their belt, go to post in the Wyndham looking to move up the FedEx list, while Viktor Hovland, widely regarded as the best of the fresh crop of Stateside talent, is seeking to shed his maiden tag at Sedgefield Country Club, North Carolina.

Experienced campaigners Hideki Matsuyama and Paul Casey, both formerly in the top three of the world rankings, are also in the field to challenge Wolff and Co this week.

Steve Palmer's top tip
Webb Simpson 10-1

World number 17, Webb Simpson, is the highest ranked player in the Wyndham Championship field and the local man fully deserves favouritism for an event he adores.

Simpson claimed his maiden US Tour title at this course in 2011 and is so fond of the championship that he named his second daughter Wyndham. And it is not only in that comfortable three-shot triumph of eight years ago that the 2012 US Open champion has shown his suitability to Sedgefield. He was eighth in 2010 and has post-victory form figures of 22-11-5-6-72-3-2.

Last year Simpson closed with a 62 to finish second and the venue has never suited him better. The 33-year-old has turned a weakness into a strength, becoming one of the best scramblers on the circuit, and that is a huge asset to carry around the tiny, undulating greens of Sedgefield.

Simpson is a North Carolina man through and through – born in Raleigh, educated at Wake Forest University and based in Charlotte – and highly motivated for Wyndham glory. He has raced lightly in comparison to others in recent weeks, downing tools between the US Open and Open, so has kept himself relatively fresh for Sedgefield.

No further silverware has come for Simpson since his runaway Players Championship success last year, but he was second in the Canadian Open last month and again last week in the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational, the man able to stay closest to an imperious Brooks Koepka.

There is no Koepka for Simpson to worry about this week and it would be a shock should wondrous Webb fail to follow his Sunday 64 at Southwind with four low rounds in the Wyndham. He has never carried more all-round confidence and lies third in the US Tour par-four scoring statistics, a compelling clue given 12 of the 18 holes at Sedgefield are par-fours.

Next best bet
Patrick Reed 22-1

Two other former Sedgefield champions provide the biggest threats to Simpson. Patrick Reed also used this event to make his US Tour breakthrough, seeing off Jordan Spieth in a thrilling 2013 duel, and Captain America needs to make a push for the US Presidents Cup team after a slow start to this season.

Reed has not won since last year's Masters and recruited David Leadbetter to resolve swing issues in March. From the US Open onwards, the old Reed has returned, with form figures of 32-30-5-23-10-12. That streak included fifth place in the Rocket Mortgage Classic on a Donald Ross design, tenth spot in the Open and 12th last week in the WGC at Southwind, where a bad draw probably hampered his chances.

Reed was drawn alongside Kevin Kisner, who made some seriously disparaging remarks about him in a December interview with Golf Digest. The tension in the WGC group may have upset both players – Reed carded a 73, while Kisner shot 77 – but rounds of 66, 67 and 68 saw Reed fight back strongly and confirm the suspicion that his game is back in top order.

Other betting selections
Brandt Snedeker 25-1
Doc Redman 90-1
Russell Henley 66-1

Brandt Snedeker, like Simpson and Reed, made the Wyndham his US Tour maiden title, but at a different Greensboro track, Forest Oaks. Snedeker quickly showed his liking for Sedgefield, though, finishing fifth in 2009, eighth in 2010, fifth in 2014 and third in 2016, before winning a second Wyndham last year by a three-shot margin.

Snedeker won his second US Tour title in the Heritage in South Carolina and loves that part of world. He has made a habit of multiple triumphs in the same events, twice winning the Farmers Insurance Open and the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, as well as the Wyndham, and the defending champion deserves great respect.

Snedeker can walk tall at Sedgefield having carded a course-record 59 there 12 months ago and he almost matched that score in the Canadian Open last month, firing a 60 on his way to fourth place. He followed up with fifth spot in the Rocket Mortgage on a Donald Ross design and he has won the Tour Championship at East Lake, arguably the most famous Ross creation of all. A closing 66 in his home state on Sunday, which was bettered only by Simpson and Koepka, has set Snedeker up perfectly for Sedgefield.

With only one tournament to attack this week, the lion's share of stake money can go on decent wagers on Simpson, Reed and Snedeker, but save some capital for lesser investments on Doc Redman and Russell Henley.

Redman, the 2017 US Amateur champ, is competing in his home state this week and knows the layout better than most. The 21-year-old, like Simpson, was born in Raleigh and was a high-school superstar. He was a Monday qualifier for the Rocket Mortgage a month ago and finished second on the Ross design, banking a career-changing cheque. A tie for 20th in the Open last time meant Doc had given himself another potent injection of confidence.

Henley, a three-time US Tour champion who appears to be rededicating himself to golf after a spell in the doldrums, fired a closing 61 for runner-up honours in the John Deere Classic the week prior to the Open, then followed up with 15th spot in the Barracuda Championship. He lives in South Carolina and has made the short trip north with serious intent. Despite missing 12 cuts this season, he is a respectable 36th in the par-four scoring stats.

Players to note

Jordan Spieth

His short-game is sharp again and his swing improved through the WGC last week. The three-time Major champ appears equipped to contend at Sedgefield, but is winless since the 2017 Open.

Joaquin Niemann

The 20-year-old Chilean finished fifth in the Rocket Mortgage Classic a month ago and has been knocking loudly at the door of the winner's enclosure. This is another good breakthrough chance.

Adam Hadwin

The Canadian, another 59-shooter of the US Tour, has the tools to tame Sedgefield and has looked lively in the last couple of months.

Corey Conners

The Texas Open champion made a strong WGC debut in Memphis last week, sharing 27th place, and could be a factor at Sedgefield given a half-decent four days of putting.

Austin Cook

The Arkansas man, like Conners, is a tidy driver who should set himself up well on most holes this week, but significant putting improvements are required for victory. Fourth place in the Barbasol Championship last time out was encouraging.

Dylan Frittelli

The John Deere Classic champion tackles another easy layout this week and will fancy his chances of the same result. He played well for three rounds in the Open, but is making his Wyndham debut.

Staking plan

W Simpson
4pts each-way 10-1 Betfair
Bet on Webb Simpson with bet365 here
P Reed
2.5pts each-way 22-1 Betfair, BoyleSports, Sky Bet
B Snedeker
2pts each-way 25-1 Betfred, Betway
D Redman
1pt each-way 90-1 Sky Bet
R Henley
1pt each-way 66-1 Sky Bet

Wyndham Championship course guide

Course Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, North Carolina
Prize money $6.2m ($1.080m to the winner)
Length 7,127 yards
Par 70
Field 156
Course records - 72 holes 258 Henrik Stenson (2017) 18 holes 59 Brandt Snedeker (2018)

Course winners taking part Webb Simpson, Patrick Reed, Si Woo Kim, Brandt Snedeker

When to bet By 12pm Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 6pm Thursday

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

Last week - WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational 1 B Koepka (11-1), 2 W Simpson (35-1), 3 M Leishman (66-1), T4 T Fleetwood (25-1), M Fitzpatrick (80-1), R McIlroy (10-1), 7 J Rahm (12-1); Barracuda Championship 1 C Morikawa (12-1), 2 T Merritt (80-1), T3 J Chin (250-1), R Streb (125-1), 5 B Burgoon (60-1), 6 T Hoge (100-1), T7 C Danielson (125-1), M Laird (22-1), R Palmer (28-1), R Sloan (50-1)

Course overview Donald Ross created this layout in 1926 and it was redesigned by Kris Spence in 2007. Sedgefield Country Club has hosted this tournament from 2008 onwards, returning to the US Tour schedule after a 32-year absence.

Modern professionals have found birdies easy to come by in the Wyndham, with winning scores of 21, 16, 20, 18, 18, 14, 17, 17, 21, 22 and 21 under the last 11 years.

The greens were switched to Champion Bermuda grass for the 2012 event in an effort to make them harder and faster. They are small, very undulating and typically slope from back to front, with plenty of run-off areas around them, so quality scrambling is required.

The 507-yard par-four 18th and 501-yard par-four 14th are the most difficult holes, while the 547-yard 15th and the 529-yard fifth (the only par-fives on the course) are the easiest.

Story of last year Brandt Snedeker opened with a 59, then fended off C.T Pan and Webb Simpson to secure his second Wyndham title, winning by three shots.

Weather forecast Short thunderstorms are forecast for the first three days, with a small threat for Sunday, too. Light breezes throughout

Type of player suited to the challenge There are five holes at Sedgefield which fall into the category of difficult – the par-fours at 11, 14 and 18, and the two long par-threes (seven and 12) – but the rest of the track is straightforward. The champion is likely to have spent four days regularly rolling in birdie putts.

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