Tournament golf draws to a close in 2021 with the long-standing team event known as the QBE Shootout. Hosted by the great Greg Norman, it has been on the circuit in various guises since 1989 and is an entertaining way in which to close out the year.
Teams of two take part in the event which is held over three days across 54 holes of the Gold Course of the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. It may not be taken too seriously by the players but there is a full set of markets with opportunities to claim some nice returns from a mixed field. So let’s crack on with our preview and predictions before deciding on the betting picks.
There are some short odds at the head of the outright winner market where the top pairing of Sam Burns and Billy Horschel start things off at a general 4/1. Horschel has been a regular in this event since 2013 and, while Burns is making his shootout debut, he has been in stunning form since the start of the new PGA season.
Next up, there are two joint second favorites: Kevin Na and Jason Kokrak are quoted at 6/1 while Harris English and Matt Kuchar are also listed at that figure.
English and Kuchar are by far the most successful pair in the history of this competition. They go into this tournament as the defending champions having lifted their third QBE Shootout trophy in 2020. With two runners up slots to add to that record, it’s no surprise to see the pairing at the top of the Power Rankings this week.
Jason Kokrak has enjoyed some success in this event and finished in a runners up place alongside J.T. Poston in 2019. He also won his last individual tournament but partner Kevin Na is just returning from injury so we should be cautious.
Behind the top three pairings, there is a gap to the Australian duo of Jason Day and Marc Leishman who can be found at 8/1. Day was successful in the QBE Shootout in 2014 when, alongside Cameron Tringale, he edged out Kuchar and English by one shot. Surprisingly, this is his first appearance since that victory but the Aussies are in good touch.
The pair of Max Homa and Kevin Kisner are also quoted at 8/1. It seems that the power of social media has brought these two together but they should be a genuine threat this week. Homa is making his debut and will be Kisner’s fourth partner in five editions.
Moving through the chasing pack, Corey Conners and Graeme McDowell are quoted at 12/1, as is the English pairing of Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood. Both are in the veteran stages of their careers and could do little at the Ryder Cup but they have performed well as individuals in 2021 and may just cause an upset.
There are just five more pairings involved in this tournament so we may as well mention them all. At the very back of the pack are Lexi Thompson and Bubba Watson who carry the longest odds at 40/1. They are partners for the first time and could hold some interest but the fact that Bubba hasn’t played competitively for three and a half months should count against them.
At the start of the outsiders, Sean O’Hair is a two-time winner of this tournament and, if there is any value in this market, he could provide it. For 2021, O’Hair is paired with Will Zalatoris and they can be found at 12/1 in most places.
Completing the full list of entrants for this year’s QBE Shootout are Ryan Palmer and Harold Varner III at 14/1, Brian Harman and Hudson Swafford at 14/1 plus Brandt Snedeker and K.H. Lee at 18/1.
Our Preview’s QBE shootout 2021 Predictions & Picks with Course & Betting Trends
The QBE shootout is held over three, 18-hole rounds. Day one is given over to Scrambling which involves playing the team’s best ball after every shot and is a concept that many of us club golfers will be familiar with.
Day two is given over to Greensomes. Both players in each team tee off, the better ball is chosen and they then play alternate shots. The competition concludes on day three with fourball, also known as better ball. Players play their own balls and the lowest score at the hole counts towards the team’s final aggregate score.
The venue is the Gold Course at Tiburon Golf Club on Florida’s Gold Coast and its length of 7,382 yards can benefit the distance hitters in places. Unusually, there is no rough on the course but a vast set of bunkers provide protection on all holes.
The format means that accuracy isn’t necessarily vital so we should probably look at form and a history of success in the event. English and Kuchar are the best performing team while Burns and Horschel look to be in better touch right now.
Another man with a great record is Sean O’Hair and, if his new playing partner can find his best form, O’Hair and Will Zalatoris can have a big impact. There is unlikely to be too much in the way of Top Fives and other prop bets so this preview will settle on this promising pairing in the outright winner market as the sole wager.
- Sean O’Hair and Will Zalatoris to win @ +1200 (12/1) with Bovada, BetOnline or EveryGame (formerly Intertops).
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.