14-0; +11.63pts Pre-tournament plays: Ben Martin 55 18th Geoff Ogilvy 75 mc Sam Saunders 160 mc Shawn Stefani 65 mc Robby Shelton 150 70th Martin hasn't played since the BMW Championship and the fact that he reached the third Playoff event is surely the reason that he is priced so low, it can't be because of his form as he has missed four of his last six cuts and finished 11 shots back when he last played here in 2014 Ogilvy has played more recently, but he missed the cut by 10 shots in the Safeway Open so his form is also not supportive as his lack of course experience Saunders' sole course experience was a withdrawal in 2014. Without Tour golf since August and then his last four finishes had been 75th-mc-wd-68th to fail to make the Playoffs, he looks a player set for a short week Stefani did make the Playoffs, but only just - he was 123rd in the FedEx Cup standing at the start of the Playoffs, finished 64th in The Barclays and hasn't played since. Finishes of 25th and mc on this course also suggest that he is unlikely to contend Shelton's last Tour start was in the John Deere Classic and he hasn't played in this event previously. The University of Alabama alum may have a bright future in this game, but I'd make him longer odds to win this week Pre-rd3 plays: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano 140 29th Graham DeLaet 13 8th Trey Mullinax 20 57th Kevin Streelman 23 18th These are surprising odds on GFC who may be only six shots off the lead, but this is a very congested leaderboard and he is down in 24th position and playing poorly - he ranks outside the top-100 for driving accuracy and greens in regulation so far this week DeLaet has played much better this week, but this only his second start in nine weeks and he missed the cut by five shots in his previous event (Safeway Open), but rustiness may still be an issue and these odds are too short for someone who is even at the top of their game and three shots off the pace Mullinez is alongside DeLaet on the leaderboard and looks set to beat his highest previous finish on the PGA Tour (22nd), but he will need to hit the ball much straighter (off the tee and to the greens) if he is make any move up the leaderboard Streelman is a shot further back in 8th place, but he is also coming off a missed cut in the Safeway Open, his only start in the last six weeks so, like DeLaet, he has the ability to warrant these odds when at the top of his game, but he is not there at the moment. Pre-rd4 plays: Xander Schauffele 280 5th Lucas Glover 8.2 5th Brandon Hagy 390 14th Luke List 6.6 2nd Troy Merritt 120 11th Schauffele is set for his best finish on the PGA Tour after finishing mc-mc-60th in his three previous starts, but I can't see him winning from 14th place having failed to win even on the Web.com Tour Glover is only one shot off the pace in this crowded leaderboard, but he last time that he started the final round just one shot back (2015 Farmers Insurance Open), he shot 77 to finish 24th. It was a similar outcome when he was three shots back at the start of the final round in this event two years - he shot 76 to finish 22nd - so pfrevious history suggests that he will struggle today Hagy is alongisde Schauffele in 14th place - one of 21 players within five shots at the top of the leaderboard - but with a best finish of 16th on this Tour in 11 starts, he doesn't have the experience to convert the opportunity even if he does have a career front-nine List is the joint leader, which is the first time that he has held the lead at the start of the final round on the PGA Tour, in fact he has started the final round of a PGA Tour event inside the top-10 just once. The last time that he was in this leading position on the Web.com Tour - 2015 Cartagena de Indias at Karibana Championship - he shot 76 in the final round, so he looks far less likely to convert this chance than his co-leader, Chris Kirk Merritt may be in 12th place, but he has played poorly so far this week - he ranks 48th (of 76) in driving distance, 68th in driving accuracy and 66th in greens in regulation - so looks very unlikely to overcom the four-shot gap and pass so many players to victory |
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