2018 QBE Shootout Betting Preview

The QBE Shootout is a one-of-a-kind event on the PGA Tour. Golfers pair up to compete, and while no one gains FedExCup points as a result of the event, the field gathers some of the Tour’s top talent each year at Tiburon Golf Club and the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. Bryson DeChambeau, currently ranked fifth in the world, is paired with Kevin Na. Cameron Champ, an up-and-coming pro, is paired up with Kevin Kisner. Tony Finau brings a new putter — and the only female golfer in the field, Lexi Thompson. The defending champs, Sean O’Hair and Steve Stricker, return as well. We have your golf odds on each pair as well as our suggestions for your picks.

2018 QBE Shootout Betting Preview

It’s a team event this week at the @QBEShootout. Champ/Kisner DeChambeau/Na Donald/Landry Finau/Thompson Grillo/McDowell Harman/Kizzire Hoffman/Woodland Horschel/Snedeker Howell III/Luke List O’Hair/Stricker Perez/Stanley Varner III/Watson What pairing do you think will win? pic.twitter.com/SUVHImMmZY

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 5, 2018

• Bryson DeChambeau / Kevin Na                            5/1
• Cameron Champ / Kevin Kisner                             11/2
• Billy Horschel / Brandt Snedeker                           13/2
• Charley Hoffman / Gary Woodland                         15/2
• Pat Perez / Kyle Stanley                                           8/1
• Harold Varner III / Bubba Watson                           10/1
• Emiliano Grillo / Graeme McDowell                       10/1
• Brian Harman / Patton Kizzire                                12/1
• Sean O’Hair / Steve Stricker                                    14/1
• Tony Finau / Lexi Thompson                                  16/1
• Luke Donald / Andrew Landry                                30/1

The format of this event is a 54-hole, three-day event. The first round is a scramble on Friday, followed by modified alternate shot on Saturday and then better ball on Sunday. If you’re looking for an in on a tournament that lacks some of the urgency of the majors and comes at a time of year when much of the golfing world is relaxing from a long season of tournaments, one might consider taking an older, more experienced golfer who might have a little more to prove. After all, that’s how things went last year, as Steve Stricker and Sean O’Hair walked away with a shared $820,000 purse, despite the fact that Stricker was 50 years old. This isn’t an outlier of a result, either, as Kenny Perry, who also won with O’Hair, back in 2012, was 52 years old. When Scott Hoch walked away as the winner in 2008, he was 53, and many of the paired winners have both been in their 40s when they took first prize. Another pair to consider is Cameron Champ and Kevin Kisner. Champ brings a rare combination of big-time power off the green with a soft touch around and on the green, the sort of touch that Jordan Spieth is looking to regain. However, Kisner has not looked particularly solid in 2018, so this pairing could lean heavily on Champ. Despite their relatively high spot on the odds table, I might look elsewhere. Bryson DeChambeau and Kevin Na give us the last-place finisher from 2016 in DeChambeau, who was paired with Lexi Thompson that year — despite the fact that they opened with a 62 in the Friday round. DeChambeau is ranked fifth in the world, while Na is ranked 45th overall. This is Na’s first QBE Shootout, and the skinny on him is that he is too slow of a player to make for a productive playing partner in this sort of event. Brandt Snedeker and Billy Horschel features the 2015 cowinner in Snedeker and the 2017 last-place finisher in Horschel. However, Horschel finished fourth three years in a row (2013-2015) and then came in third in 2016, so he has the resume to do well here. He won the Zurich Classic in April with Scott Piercy, a tournament with a similar format, so this is a pair that could be interesting. For value, I’m putting Stricker and O’Hair on my wagering card for the QBE Shootout. However, I’m also adding Snedeker and Horschel, because I like their combination of tournament resumes the best. With this many low-value pairs, putting too many pairs on the wager card erodes your value, but I like where I am with those two pairs.