Austin Championship props: Ball-strikers offer betting value in Texas Hill Country
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Running with Rick: Three players to watch at inaugural Austin Championship
Players in Article
Players in This Article
The FedExCup Fall returns to the United States for the final two events of the season. The Austin Championship presented by Compliance Solutions, a brand-new Tour event, brings a field of 120 players to the Fazio Canyons Course in Texas Hill Country. DraftKings Sportsbook is the place to shop markets outside of the outright favorite for this new challenge. Let’s saddle up!
(Editor’s note: For more expert betting picks, fantasy advice and event previews, visit DraftKings Network.)
Winner without Blades Brown, Jackson Koivun and Doug Ghim
- Alvaro Ortiz (+6700)
The recent results are my guide! The Mexican cashed T34 at his national open two weeks ago and followed last week with four rounds in the 60s at El Cardonal at Diamante for T6. Before his two-week heater on Tour, he rattled off a Korn Ferry Tour Finals run of Win-T14-T24-T9. This season on the Korn Ferry Tour, he won twice and locked up his 2027 PGA Tour card. He’s playing freely!
Alvaro Ortiz reaches par-5 No. 18 in two, makes birdie at World Wide Technology
Top 10 (including ties)
- Doug Ghim and Blades Brown (+750)
I know some of my cohorts will have outright tickets on Ghim, the former Longhorn, but I am comfortable here. Getting it over the line for the first time is never easy. His form has been excellent for months and should continue this week after solo second and a T6 in two of his last three events. Brown, who won for the first time as a professional last week, is only 19, but he is built differently. He possesses an aura and has an old-soul quality about him. He gets it. This week, he is not in the field to make up the numbers or bask in the spotlight. The teenager’s form has been excellent for all of 2026. Onward.
Top 20 (including ties)
- Ben Kohles and Jordan Smith (+460)
When a new event hits the calendar, I run to the premium ball-strikers to carry my loot. Finding the sprinkler line off the tee and painting greens in regulation travels. With his excellent play in the FedExCup Fall, Kohles has overtaken Scottie Scheffler to lead the Tour in Strokes Gained: Approach and ranks No. 1 in Driving Accuracy. He is also fifth in SG: Tee-to-Green and cashed T29 or better in his previous 12 starts on Tour.
Smith has made 10 consecutive cuts on Tour and ranks ninth in greens in regulation and 20th in driving accuracy. If a bit of breeze and rain arrives on the weekend, the Englishman will feel right at home. In his last four starts, Smith cashed T26, T4, T16 and T8 last week. Ranked No. 61, he knows he needs to be inside the top 60 at the end of the FedExCup Fall to play in the Signature Events in early 2027.
Jordan L Smith sinks 42-foot birdie putt on No. 18 at Baycurrent
72-hole matchup
- Johnny Keefer (-125) over Marco Penge
Keefer moved to San Antonio as a kid and is a member at TPC San Antonio. Familiar with the area, playing conditions, climate and culture, the 27-year-old also has the firepower to go drive-for-drive with the big-hitting Englishman. Keefer, who began the FedExCup Fall with back-to-back top-10 paydays, ranks 12th SG: Off the Tee and 34th SG: Approach, plus sits 12th in driving distance. He returns “home” after missing the cut twice at 2 under in Mexico.
Penge, who hits a mile (fifth in driving distance), lacks accuracy with his irons (140th SG: Approach). I am leaning on the Texas transplant to nick this over 72 holes.
Top 40 (including ties)
- Tommy Morrison (+100) and Nick Hardy (+265)
Unable to combine these two for a Same Game Parlay, I will play them both as singles. Morrison, a UT Austin alum who earned a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour because of his PGA Tour University ranking (No. 6), tees it up just west of campus for only his second time in the big league (he missed the cut at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. In 11 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour he won, finished second twice and hit the top 25 in 10 weekends from 11 starts. His first five starts on the Korn Ferry Tour were T10, T5, second, Win and playoff runner-up. I’ll gamble.
Hardy made seven birdies and an eagle and was NOT the open qualifier medalist with 62. William Sides (+145) shot 61 with 10 birdies to earn that honor. Hardy has plenty of Tour experience, including making the cut in his previous two starts (T71, Butterfield Bermuda Championship; T61, VidantaWorld Mexico Open). If I am stretching too much for a Top 40, you can back him down to Make the Cut for (-106). At almost 3-to-1, I’ll defer to the recent form!
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