PGA Golf Preview: Palmetto Championship

We’re in South Carolina this week for the Palmetto Championship. This event fills the gap between last week’s Memorial Tournament in Ohio and next week’s trip to California for the US Open.

Palmetto Championship Tournament

As you can appreciate, there’s not too much to say about this event. It might become a feature on the main tour, but that’s extremely unlikely. For now it’s simply a place-holder on the schedule, allowing players one final run-out before next week’s Major tournament at Torrey Pines, the US Open.

Palmetto Championship: The Course

We’re at the Congaree Golf Club in Gillisonville, South Carolina. The facility was only opened in 2017, but the Tom Fazio-designed course is very highly regarded. It’s a 7,655 yard track, which plays as a par 71, and should provide a good test for the players. There is a links-feel to the course, but with water hazards on 10 holes, and plenty of sand traps, it will prove a more than adequate warm-up for next week.

Palmetto Championship: The Field

A pretty similar standard to last week, with a few big names in the line-up. Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka are currently equal $9 favourites with TopSport.

Palmetto Championship: The Weather

It’s looking like a warm week – with the weather in the 80s all four days – but wet, with rain predicted throughout the tournament. There’s a 30% chance of rain on Thursday and Friday, a 50% chance on Saturday and maybe some on Sunday. Very little wind though for the players to contend with, with speeds generally sub-10mph.

Conquering waste areas at Congaree. 🏖

South Carolina local Bryson Nimmer (@ChillinChico) shares tips on how to execute from these sandy spots. pic.twitter.com/wDrEXSFRnd

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 9, 2021

Palmetto Championship: Value Bets

These are two value bets from the Golf Insider. Members receive all of his best bets for all markets – win and each-way, Top 10, Top 20, Round 1 Leader and 3-Ball groups. He covers every tournament on the PGA and European Tours.

Brandt Snedeker (currently $51 with TopSport)

You might recall we backed Snedeker a couple of years back when he shot a 59 on Day 1 of the Wyndham Championship, and went on to win the tournament. And he remains that sort of player. A very good performer when it all clicks (as a 9-time PGA Tour winner should be), but one who has drifted in and out of form these past 12-18 months. So in a wide-open event like this, Snedeker makes genuine appeal, especially as he appears to be finding some form right now. Top 20s in three of his last five starts, and he’s once again performing well on the greens. Now this week’s test is something of a step into the unknown, but there’s enough form in the book to suggest that the man from Nashville can perform well at a tasty price.

JT Poston (currently $71 with TopSport)

Poston hasn’t been doing much of late, but he posted a tweet in March saying how much he was looking forward to playing this event, and that it’s one of his favourite courses in the US. He’s qualified for next week’s US Open, and is full of confidence right now, as can be seen in recent Twitter videos from his caddy. His form in South Carolina is excellent, thanks to a superb RBC Heritage record, so he obviously likes the grass types here, and with so many big name players missing, and serious doubts over those who are in the field, I’m more than willing to chance this superb putter on a track he openly loves.”

Excited for everyone to get a look at what Congaree brings to the table this week! John said it best it’s an old school style of play on a more modern designed golf course. One of my favorites that I have played! And an even better cause to get behind helping these kids succeed! https://t.co/3OMWoozPVE

— J.T. Poston (@JT_ThePostman) June 9, 2021