This week’s Golf Tips
Farmers Insurance Open
Gary Woodland (each-way)
Alex Smalley (each-way)
Ras Al Khaimah Championship
Daniel Hillier (each-way)
Casey Jarvis – Top African player
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Farmers Insurance Open
Gary Woodland (each-way)
2024 was a challenging year for Gary Woodland but there were signs throughout the FedEx Cup Fall that the former US Open champion had found some form again, particularly with his ball striking.
His first appearance of 2025 came in Hawaii a fortnight ago, and it was a continuation of the positive momentum he had built up in October as he gained strokes from tee to green in all four rounds. Had it not been for a poor putting display on the Sunday, Woodland would have posted an even better finish than the T16 he had to settle for.
One of the bigger hitters in the field, Woodland is well-equipped to succeed at Torrey Pines, something he has failed to do since his four consecutive top-20 berths to close out the 2010s.
The American has faced plenty of adversity over the last two years, but 16 months on from his brain surgery, Woodland has renewed belief and optimism at the start of this new campaign.
Alex Smalley (each-way)
A maiden PGA Tour triumph can’t be too far away for Alex Smalley, who has been a runner-up at tournaments in each of the last two years and has begun 2025 looking like a man ready to enter the winner’s circle.
The 28-year-old was only two strokes off the lead at the halfway point of the Sony Open two weeks ago but lost ground over the weekend. The opposite happened in La Quinta, as his 65 on Sunday, the lowest of anybody, was not enough to thrust him into contention.
Still, the finishes of T16 and 11th to start the season are more than satisfactory, and they occurred thanks to a pair of very steady displays in all departments. He has been driving the ball superbly since the summer, but now has the approach play and short game to go with it and must be feeling good heading into Thursday.
Ras Al Khaimah Championship
Daniel Hillier (each-way)
Having come so close to notching his second DP World Tour title at the Dubai Desert Classic, it is worth chancing Daniel Hillier to finish the job this time in a weaker field.
Normally, when a golfer narrowly misses out on what would have been the most significant victory of their career, it would be reasonable to think twice about backing them the following week but it was under those exact circumstances that Hillier won at The Belfry in the summer of 2023.
Struggles on and around the greens had plagued the New Zealander through the back end of 2024, but the flat stick co-operated last week and if it does so again, there is a high probability he will find himself at the top end of the leaderboard again, such is his consistency off the tee and on approach.
Casey Jarvis – Top African player
One of the most capable iron players in the field on current form, there are few participants in Ras Al Khaimah on a bigger upward trend than Casey Jarvis, who kept himself very busy in 2024 and reaped the rewards with a T8, T6, and T11 in the final four months of the year.
While his approach play is invariably outstanding, Jarvis is yet to master the art of capitalising on the opportunities he creates. Even when coming T6 in Korea in October, he lost strokes putting. Just a solid if unspectacular four days on the greens would make him a live runner this week.
Shaun Norris, the favourite in the Top African market, has been red hot with the putter as of late but given the problems that particular club has historically caused him, it is fair to expect a regression at some point and that makes him an appealing man to oppose.
Brandon Stone, who missed the cut a week ago, also looks a touch too short to fend off his fellow Africans.
This week’s Golf Tips
Farmers Insurance Open
Gary Woodland (each-way)
Alex Smalley (each-way)
Ras Al Khaimah Championship
Daniel Hillier (each-way)
Casey Jarvis – Top African player
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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