The luxurious surroundings of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic provide the backdrop for Thursday’s follow up to the first major of the new season. Predictably, the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship 2020 is a subdued affair with a much weaker field but that can often mean good betting value and that is what USAbetting will attempt to unearth in this preview.
So read on for what will provide, we hope, some informative and profitable Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship predictions and picks.
Our tip for the US Open, Jon Rahm, finished in a tie for 23rd but we did take an overall profit from last week’s tournament. Webb Simpson and Tony Finau converted in the top 10 finish betting lines at +250 and +300 respectively so let’s see if we can keep the returns coming as we make the journey down to the Dominican Republic.
Will Zalatoris would have been an unfamiliar name for many viewers until his tie for sixth at Winged Foot but he is a promising golfer and one of three co-favorites this week. The 24 year old is available at 14/1 (+1400) in most places and he leads the Korn Ferry Tour in a number of categories including greens hit and scoring average.
Also quoted at similar odds with many of the major sportsbooks are Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes. Canada’s Hughes was a runner-up in the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship last year while Conners remained in contention for much of the 2018 edition.
Then comes Sam Burns and Adam Long who can both be found at 20/1. They are attracting attention, especially Long who tied for 13th on Sunday after a 31st placed finish in the FedEx Cup. Burns has fond memories of a productive tournament here in 2018 and both will need watching.
Three players around the 28/1 (+2800) mark are Emiliano Grillo, Henrik Stenson and Charles Howell III. All are competent golfers who have enjoyed success and a return to form could see them deliver at exceptional odds. Grillo and Howell have both been struggling with the putter and, if they can address this side of their games, they will be close.
Also in the chasers are Denny McCarthy and Pat Perez who drifted off the punters’ radar last season. In a weakened field, this could be the perfect time to get back to the top of the leaderboard.
Looking for the defending champion, Graeme McDowell is way down the list at bookies’ betting odds approaching 80/1. The Northern Irishman won by one stroke from Hughes and Chris Stroud in 2019 and he has shown flashes of his major-winning best in Europe.
Moving back towards the top of the outside bunch, some standout names include Luke List, Branden Grace, Charley Hoffman and Matthias Schwab. The 2018 runner-up Keith Mitchell is also attracting interest and, while the world class quality might be lacking, this is a big field and it has some depth.
Our Preview’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship Predictions, Course & Betting Trends with Final Picks
Like the majority of the world’s best golfers, you may want to sit this tournament out but it has been in place for four editions now and there are a number of indicators that could help us pick a winner.
For 2020, the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship has been elevated to full FedEx status with a Masters exemption on the line for the winner so there is plenty at stake and we should have a thrilling four days.
Firstly, let us look at the course: In 2020 we are back at the Corales Golf Club at Punta Cana on the east coast of the Dominican Republic. It is a par 72 and a bit of a monster at 7,670 yards with the potential for strong winds to make scoring seriously difficult at times. Winning totals have, however, been low in previous editions with four round scores ranging from McDowell’s -18 to Dominic Bozzelli’s record of -24 in a tournament in 2016.
If the wind behaves, there are few obstacles to punish players on the route into the green so this tournament can often come down to a simple putting contest. Both McDowell and 2018 Champion Brice Garnett led the field in putts per GIR and Putting: Birdies or Better so that’s a very clear trend to keep in mind.
Clearly it is a tough call but we are interested in Charles Howell III who can enter a hot streak with the flatstick to deliver at tempting odds. Howell has lost some consistency this season but he is vastly experienced, has three wins on the PGA Tour and can thrive in a field where all the top players have been removed.
As for the top 10 finish betting lines, keep an eye out for these additional suggestions who will hopefully help to maintain our strong run. Here are our Corales Puntacana predictions and picks for this week:
- Charles Howell III to win @ +2800 (28/1) with Bovada. He is 25/1 with Intertops and BetOnline.
- Top 10 finish picks: Howell, Sam Burns, Charley Hoffman and Pat Perez (Bovada or BetOnline when published).
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.