The 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson gets underway on Thursday in McKinney, Texas. It will be the first edition contested at TPC Craig Ranch for the long-running PGA Tour event.
The 2020 edition was canceled as part of the coronavirus interruption, and so Sung Kang will defend his 2019 title. But most eyes will be on three-time major winner Jordan Spieth as he seeks to follow up his win in San Antonio with a third Texas trophy- giving him three legs of the Lonestar State’s own version of the Grand Slam (Valero Texas Open, Colonial Invitational, Byron Nelson, and Houston Open).
The hometown favorite is offered at +1100 to take home his second trophy of the season with Bryson DeChambeau (+850) and Jon Rahm (+875) the only players favored ahead.
It should also be noted that the Byron Nelson is also the last stop before the 103rd PGA Championship at Kiawah Island’s Ocean track. And so Spieth’s form this week will go a long way in determining betting lines for the season’s second major, as a win would give him the career Grand Slam.
2021 AT&T Byron Nelson
Top-5 Betting Favorites
1. Bryson DeChambeau (+850)
2. Jon Rahm (+875)
3. Jordan Spieth (+1100)
4. Scottie Scheffler (+1600)
5. Daniel Berger (+1800)
AT&T Byron Nelson Bets
Outright
Brooks Koepka (+2000) – The 30-year old missed the cut at the Masters but was working his way back from an injury and in three prior starts, before Augusta, he’d posted a win and T2… He’s become his generation’s best big-game player and with the PGA on tap next week – and three more weeks of rest and rehab, we think he shows up major-ready this week… He owns a runner-up (2016) and T4 (2019) in this event although those were on different courses.
First-Round Leader
Scottie Scheffler (+1600) – While the Texas native is being overshadowed by his fellow Longhorn Jordan Spieth, Scheffler enters the Byron Nelson with the field’s lowest round-one scoring average: 69.63.. Also: in his three opening rounds at the Tour’s three other stroke-play events in Texas, he’s produced 68 (San Antonio), 67 (Houston), and 68 (Colonial) so he seems to thrive in the opening rounds on home soil.
Top-5 Finish
Will Zalatoris (+400) – The 24-year-old Texan finished runner-up to Hideki Matsuyama at The Masters but then posted T42 (Heritage) and MC (Wells Fargo) in his next two starts. Still, he enters with six top 10s and five additional top 25s in just 17 starts to the season. He chased his only other cut (Sanderson) this year with a T5 at the Shriners. We think he does similar this week on home soil.
Top-10 Finish
Aaron Wise (+550) – The 24-year old from Oregon won this tournament in 2018, and enters off a T9 at the Wells Fargo. Only one time in three-plus year career has he followed a top-10 with another top 10: that was in 2018 when he finished T2 at the Wells Fargo and 1 at the Byron Nelson. Let’s try that again.
Top-20 Finish
Pat Perez (+400) – The 45-year old from Arizona hasn’t posted a single top-20 all season, yet has been trending in that direction with a T29 at the Valspar and T26 at the Wells Fargo. Different course this year but he did finish T12 in his last start at the Byron Nelson so the atmosphere and vibes won’t hurt.
Odds To Win: 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson
TPC Craig Ranch. McKinney, TX. May 13-16, 2021
