Dean & DeLuca Invitational Golf Odds And Predictions

The Texas Swing and PGA Tour schedule for May conclude this weekend with the Dean & DeLuca Invitational from historic Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Dean & DeLuca may sound like an accounting firm but it’s an upscale grocery chain in the USA and some major international cities. It’s a decent field with eight of the world’s Top 30 set to play. Here’s a look at the Sports Interaction favourites as well as odds on the Canadians in the field.

Dean & DeLuca Invitational Favourites

This tournament has had numerous names over the years and is held at Colonial for a 72nd time. Only the Masters at Augusta National has a longer consecutive tenure on the PGA Tour schedule. To casual golf fans old enough, they may remember former LPGA star Annika Sorenstam played in this tournament in 2003. She missed the cut.

Colonial is a par 70 measuring around 7,210 yards and is considered a shot-makers’ track with tight fairways and many doglegs. The course record is 61 held by a handful of players. The tournament record of 259 was set by Zach Johnson in 2010. This tournament is unofficially associated with the late great Ben Hogan, who lived in Fort Worth and won the event five times.

There are nine former champions in the field, led by Dallas native Jordan Spieth, who is +1200 on golf odds. Spieth is one of the best players in the world but hadn’t won a pro tournament in his home state until last year at Colonial when he finished at 17-under 263, three shots ahead of fellow American Harris English. Spieth was the first 54-hole leader in eight years to finish the job Sunday. His worst round of the week was 67 on Thursday. At the time, it was Spieth’s first win in 19 Texas starts. Spieth is in a bit of a funk right now as he missed the cut for the third time in his past four tournaments last week at the Byron Nelson.

Young Spaniard Jon Rahm is also +1200. It’s his first time playing this event. He comes off a MDF at the Players Championship, but Rahm is having a spectacular season. The only player from Spain to win here is Sergio Garcia in 2001, and the reigning Masters champion is +1400. Garcia was 20th last week. He hasn’t played here since a 13th-place finish in 2012.

There’s a drop-off after those guys to the likes of Pat Perez (+2100) Matt Kuchar, Jason Dufner, Paul Casey and Johnson (all +2600). Kuchar was my pick to win last week at the Byron Nelson, and he was T9 at 7 under. He was sixth here in 2016 and a runner-up in 2013 to Boo Weekley. I liked Dufner for a Top 10 last week, and he missed that by a shot. He likes even-numbered years at this tournament, finishing second in 2012 & ’14 and sixth last year. Casey is looking to be the first Englishman to win the tournament. Johnson is trying to win it for the third time (2010 & ’12).

Canadian Golfer Odds

Adam Hadwin (+2100) has his shortest odds to win of the year. He didn’t play last week off a 30th at the Players Championship. He was fifth at Colonial in 2015 and 22nd last year.

Nick Taylor (+6800) played exceptionally well Sunday at the Byron Nelson as he birdied his first two holes and added three more on the back-nine for a bogey-free 5-under 65. He finished at 9 under and in a tie for ninth, his second consecutive Top-10 finish after a T8 at the Wells Fargo Championship. He was 47th at this event in 2016.

Graham DeLaet (+8200) missed his second straight cut last week. He has a best finish at Colonial this decade of 14th in 2014. Mackenzie Hughes (+12800) plays here for the first time. David Hearn (+15500) was 17th here a year ago. No golfer from Canada has won this tournament. George Knudson finished second way back in 1965.

Dean & DeLuca Invitational Predictions

Spieth also had a runner-up here in 2015, so I tend to think he’ll play well enough for a Top 10 but not win – only Hogan has repeated at this tournament. I also like Ryan Palmer and Johnson for Top 10s. Palmer’s the winner at +2900. He’s a member at Colonial and has three Top 5s at his home course since 2012 but is yet to win.