Horses for Courses: Sedgefield specialists return to chase FedExCup Playoffs

With 16 years of prior results to peruse, finding the Sedgefield Country Club specialists is an imperative factor when making your Wyndham Championship bets.

You just can’t discount those who have shown an affinity for the familiar par 70 Donald Ross design that plays 7,131 yards for the fifth consecutive year, just 14 yards more than its 2008 debut.

Last season Lucas Glover (+10000) became the 16th straight different winner at Sedgefield. One of six major champions (2009 U.S. Open) to win here, Glover posted 20-under 260 to win by two shots in his 15th attempt. Posting his first top-10 result since 2010, the South Carolina native has played every edition apart from the 2018 tournament.

Players listed are in the field this week; 2024 season stats.

Rounds in the 60s

Since switching to Champion Bermudagrass greens for the 2012 edition, the field scoring average has been under par. Unsurprisingly, the highest winning total (14 under) was the first edition after the change from Bentgrass. The 2021 edition produced 15-under, the only winning total in the last seven to be less than 20-under. With only three inches of rough and some of the best greens on TOUR, scoring is the main course on the menu. The cut has never been worse than 1-under.

Si Woo Kim (+2500), a second-favorite at the BetMGM Sportsbook, was the 2016 winner at age 21. The Korean lost a playoff in 2021, tied for third in 2020, and ran solo fifth in 2019. Cooling off the last two years, he withdrew in 2022 and cashed T33 in 2023.

Greens in Regulation

The first step to posting 20-under is finding as many Greens in Regulation as possible. The last eight winners have ranked T19 or better with six champions registering T8 or better. The lack of length opens the leaderboard to all games off the tee. Playing into the 6,000 square foot targets, finding the putting surface will give players a chance to hole birdie putts. The thick, wet rough, 52 bunkers, and water penalty areas on six holes will slow down but not stop the birdie barrage. The last two editions provided the highest two scoring averages since 2012, but the winning total was 20-under in both events.

Birdie or Better Percentage

Donald Ross's courses are known for the design of the greens. Sedgefield’s primary defenses on the Champion Bermuda complexes are the tiers, shelves and flowing ridges that test matching lines with speed. Regarded as some of the best and most consistent Bermuda surfaces on TOUR, the players in the field know they will have multiple opportunities to put circles on the card. With easy fairways and greens to hit, a hot putter will be a necessity to win.

Sungjae Im (+1400) is the clear favorite this week at BetMGM and his course history tells why. Making his sixth start, the two-time TOUR winner has never cashed worse than T24. The runner-up in 2022 has produced three total top-10 paydays and has posted 19 of 20 rounds in the 60s. The only time he posted 70 was on his first appearance in 2019.

Oddsmaker’s extras

Billy Horschel (+2500): Looking for his first win in Greensboro, the Florida native has cashed in 10 of 11 starts. Signing for T11 or better in five of his last seven visits, the co-runner-up at The Open three weeks ago has posted 38 of 42 rounds par or better at Sedgefield.

J.T. Poston (+5500): The North Carolina native won in 2019 without a bogey. Posting 22-under, he closed with 62 and tied the tournament scoring record but missed the cut in defense and the following season. Rebounding with T21 in 2022, he returned to the top 10 with T7 last season.

Webb Simpson (+8000): The Greensboro native and Wake Forest man has cashed in 10 of 12 visits and is the 2011 champion, albeit on Bentgrass. The all-time money leader, better than $1 million more than the next closest player, has cashed in the top 10 in six of the last seven years including T5 in 2023. Posting 70 or better in 47 of 55 rounds, few know this track better.

Brendon Todd (+10000): After missing the cut in five of his first six visits, the former Georgia Bulldog has cashed T7-T36-T10 on his last three visits. A three-time winner on TOUR, he’s the only player in the field this week to have multiple top-10 finishes in the last three years.

Kevin Kisner (+25000): Making his first start since withdrawing from the 2022 edition, the 2021 champion from South Carolina has pocketed four top-10 finishes from eight starts.

Brandt Snedeker (+75000): The only player to win the event at Sedgefield (2018) and Forest Oaks (2007), the two-time winner also holds the course record of 59, set in Round 1 of 2018. Hey, everyone needs a longshot!

-Odds courtesy of BetMGM-

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