World Golf Championships – Mexico Golf Odds, Betting Picks

Like picking golf winners? Time to get on board with these picks while they’re hot. At the Genesis Open on the final stop of the West Coast Swing, we correctly projected American Dustin Johnson as the winner. Then last week at the Honda Classic on the first stop of the Florida Swing, we cashed in again with Rickie Fowler. Let’s try for the trifecta this week at the big-money, no-cut World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship.

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WGC-Mexico Championship Odds Favourites

I’m just going to be honest with you readers from the get-go: I’m at a huge disadvantage this week in handicapping this tournament. It’s not exactly rocket science in golf – back players who have good track records at certain golf courses. A “Horse for the Course.” That’s why I liked Johnson a couple of weeks ago at Riviera and ditto Fowler last week at PGA National. They generally play well in those tournaments and on those courses.

I have no background to go on for the WGC-Mexico Championship as it’s the first year of the event. It used to be called the WGC-Cadillac Championship and had been held at Doral outside of Miami since 2007. However, that course is owned by a certain guy named Donald Trump. Last year, Cadillac announced it was not going to renew its sponsorship.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said the Tour couldn’t find a suitable replacement, and that’s why this tournament is moving to Mexico. Did politics play a role in all this with some of those controversial comments Trump made while running for president? No one will say that’s why, but it’s not exactly a secret. Trump was understandably furious when he found out the tournament was moving from Doral. It had been the site of a PGA Tour event overall since 1962. He was quoted as saying this on Fox News after learning of the decision: “They’re moving it to Mexico City, which, by the way, I hope they have kidnapping insurance.”

The tournament is being held at Club de Golf Chapultepec, a 7,330-yard par 71 at altitude – the highest of any PGA Tour event ever. The course’s clubhouse sits approximately 7,780 feet above sea level. That should mean the balls will fly about 10-15 percent farther (but spin a bit less). Every member of the world’s Top 50 was set to play, but No. 2 Jason Day of Australia pulled out over the weekend because ear infections and the flu that kept him from preparing properly.

It’s the first tournament for Johnson since his win at the Genesis Open put him at No. 1 in the world for the first time in his career. He is the +721 favourite on Sports Interaction golf odds. DJ won this tournament in 2015, but, again, completely different conditions.

World No. 6 Jordan Spieth is +800 and Rory McIlroy +1200. Spieth won earlier in February with a dominant performance at Pebble Beach and took last week off. He didn’t finish in the Top 15 in three tries at this tournament at Doral. McIlroy hasn’t played since January due to a rib injury. He was second at the South African Open on the European Tour in his most recent event before being sidelined.

The defending champion is Aussie Adam Scott, who beat out Bubba Watson by a stroke last year. Scott was favoured last week at the Honda Classic and finished 14^th. He’s +1900 this week.

The WGC events go by world rankings as well as previous tournament wins to get into the field. So there’s just one Canadian: Mackenzie Hughes is +30900. He’s there thanks to his win at the RSM Classic in November. Hughes was T66 last week at the Honda.

WGC-Mexico Championship Odds And Prediction

Theoretically the big hitters would seem to have a huge advantage. Guys like Johnson and Gary Woodland (+4500 to win – pretty good value) might hit it 400 yards in the thin air with a driver. So I’ll recommend those two for a Top-10 finish. My winner is Sweden’s Henrik Stenson at +1500. He hasn’t been outside the Top 10 in his past six worldwide starts and usually contends at WGC events.

Check out all of the WGC-Mexico Championship Odds here.