Golf Tips
Mexico Open
Sam Stevens to win (each-way)
Michael Kim to win (each-way)
Alex Smalley to win (each-way)
Kenya Open
John Parry to win (each-way)
*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.
Mexico Open
Sam Stevens to win (each-way)
Runner-up at Torrey Pines last month, it is a surprise that Sam Stevens has yet to triumph on the PGA Tour. However, with a skill set that will surely see him mix it with the elite for years to come, this week represents the ideal opportunity for him to enter the winner’s circle.
None of the world’s top 25 are teeing it up in Mexico, which is why Stevens is priced as short as he is. However, it is still worth a poke on the man who, had it not been for an unfortunate draw at the Farmers Insurance Open, may have already been a winner in 2025.
Better was expected of him at the Genesis Invitational. Still, Stevens recorded a T6 the last time he played in Mexico at the World Wide Technology Championship, and this course should suit his eye.
Michael Kim to win (each-way)
At the beginning of 2021, when Michael Kim lost his PGA Tour Card, the 2018 John Deere Classic winner had slid outside the top 1800 in the sport’s rankings.
After dropping down to the Korn Ferry Tour and resurrecting his game, Michael Kim now finds himself at a career-high 80th in the world, and there is no sign of his three-year upward trend stopping soon.
His current run – five finishes of T13 or better from nine starts – is down to a vast improvement in ball striking. An outstanding display from tee to green in Phoenix saw Kim finish in a tie for second. He collected another six-figure cheque in a stronger field at Torrey Pines last week, three weeks after missing the cut at the same venue.
VidantaWorld rewards length off the tee and Kim’s average driving distance is close to last year’s Mexico Open winner, Jake Knapp. Accuracy and quality approach play are also key, though, and that’s where Kim scores exceptionally high.
Alex Smalley to win (each-way)
After posting a T6 finish on his VidantaWorld debut, Alex Smalley arrived at the Mexico Open in 2023 and 2024, battling putting woes that saw him struggle to make cuts on the PGA Tour.
Smalley had to scrap for his place on the Tour this year. He ended the FedEx Cup Fall in 121st position, enough to earn his Tour Card for 2025 by coming in the top 125.
By the end of 2024, Smalley became a consistently good ball driver, and his iron play followed suit. Now, the 28-year-old is getting a tune out of the flat stick, which had plagued him for two years.
Smalley has gained strokes putting in four of his last five starts, with the latest outings at the Waste Management Phoenix Open yielding the best-recorded performance on the greens in his entire career.
With all of the elements of his game in excellent shape, Smalley may not be too far away from a maiden professional victory.
Kenya Open
John Parry to win (each-way)
Accuracy off the tee proved decisive for John Parry when he won in Mauritius in December. A similar formula could pay dividends as he returns to Africa for the Kenya Open.
None of the three winners at Muthaiga Golf Club have been big hitters. Last year’s champion, Darius van Driel, ranked 32nd for driving distance, higher than the two previous victors.
Tee-to-green success in Kenya relies upon precision, which Parry displayed in abundance in Mauritius and Qatar two weeks ago, where four consecutive bad putting days meant he had to settle for a T21.
The Englishman is by no means a reliable putter, but it is reasonable to forecast an upturn from last time out when everything else was in working order.
This week’s golf tips
Mexico Open
Sam Stevens to win (each-way)
Michael Kim to win (each-way)
Alex Smalley to win (each-way)
Kenya Open
John Parry to win (each-way)
*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.
Read More
- Head over to Paddy Power News for the best Golf Betting Tips and News
- When is the Masters? 2025 dates for Augusta Golf major
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO SAFER GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
