Safeway Open Predictions, Betting Odds & Picks

• First week of the 2020-21 PGA Tour season
• Phil Mickelson warming up for next week’s U.S. Open
• Jordan Spieth desperate to rediscover the winning touch

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Safeway Open Picks and Predictions

Irishman Shane Lowry looks a great fit for the course making him the outright pick at +3300 with DraftKings Sportsbook.

With his outstanding record in California JB Holmes demands being backed at +550 DraftKings Sportsbook top 20 markets.

Take Poa Annua specialist Brandt Snedeker to win his bet365 match-bet with Kevin Streelman at -110.

Picks:

Shane Lowry to win +3300 at DraftKings Sportsbook

JB Holmes to finish in the top 20 +550 at DraftKings Sportsbook

Brandt Snedeker to beat Kevin Streelman in a match-bet -110 at bet365

How to Watch the Safeway Open

Safeway Open Profile

One PGA Tour season ended on Monday and, with barely a break for breath, the new campaign begins this Thursday with the seventh edition of the Safeway Open.

Last week’s elite field is taking a break, readying themselves for next week’s U.S. Open, but for Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth, this tournament at the Silverado Resort & Spa in northern California represents a significant opportunity.

Mickelson is seeking to ride the wave of success after he completed victory in his first outing on the Champions Tour two weeks ago – he is also desperate to have one more tilt at winning his national championship, the only major he is yet to conquer.

Spieth is rather more simply on a quest to find any kind of form whatsoever.

The former World No. 1 has not tasted victory in three years and his last top ten anywhere was in the second week of June.

In the opinion of the bookmakers, this is a wide-open field with Mickelson the +2000 favorite.

Irish Eyes Might Be Smiling

You have to be able to shape the ball

Kevin Na said of the challenge at Silverado which is not absolutely defined by the trees which line the fairways and frame the greens, but which does impact on shot selection.

Lowry is a course debutant, but that particular aspect of the test will surely suit a man who has won at Firestone, been second at Hamilton, and third at Harbour Town on the PGA Tour. He’s also a course specialist at both Wentworth and Valderrama on the European Tour, layouts which also call for shot-shaping with the long game. His multiple top 25 finishes at Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines are also worthy of note because they, like Silverado, have Poa Annua grass on the greens. But perhaps the most compelling reason to identify the reigning Open champion as a potential winner this week is the importance of the short game.

There have been six winners at Silverado and every one of them ranked seventh or better for Scrambling with the two most recent champions – Kevin Tway in 2018 and Cameron Champ last year – topping that category as well as the leaderboard. The stats say that Lowry is good in that area of the game, but anecdotally he is acknowledged by the players as one of the finest around.

Snap up the industry best price of +3300 for the win and +750 for a top-five with DraftKings Sportsbook.

JB’s Golden State

This selection has a huge upside, but with an added and necessary note of caution. 38-year-old JB Holmes is unquestionably a fine golfer, one who has five PGA Tour wins to his name, a world ranking high of 12, and the best finish in a major championship of third in the 2016 British Open. He even boasts a remarkable record in the Ryder Cup, no mean feat for an American in the 21st century – he has played in it twice and was on the winning team both times.

He’s also a superb performer in the state of California with a win at Riviera and top-five finishes at Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines. He’s often painted as a one-dimensional big hitter, yet there is rather more to his game, as his success on these courses, and his adaptability on the Poa Annua grass hints at.

In fact, on Californian courses with Poa, he has made 19 top 20s in 49 starts – close to a rather potent 40% hit rate. One of those top 20s was tied ninth in his only previous start at Silverado only adding to the feeling that his odds of +550 for a top 20 with DraftKings are extremely attractive.

There is, of course, that note of caution: he’s had a shoulder injury and withdrew from his only post-lockdown start. If you’re feeling bold, however, this looks a cracking bet.

Snedeker likes the Californian Vibes

bet365 has paired Brandt Snedeker and Kevin Streelman this week and it’s a match-up that looks ripe for taking on. Snedeker is a widely recognized ace in California, and specifically on Poa Annua, with four wins and another 13 career top tens in the state. Streelman, in contrast, has seven top tens there and no win. Those tallies only begin this particular tale of the tape.

In career, head-to-heads Snedeker leads 112-87. Narrow that down to California and the advantage increases with a lead of 25-12. It is even more pronounced in California on Poa at 24-8. And at Silverado itself, the score is 4-0.

You might wonder why on earth the compiler has them up against one another this week and the answer lies in recent results because in 2020 the scoreline is utterly reversed, giving Streelman a 7-2 dominance.

But guess what? Even in 2020, when they play in California on Poa, Snedeker leads 2-1.

The compiler is throwing us a course versus current form dilemma and I’m happy to take the -110 that Snedeker prevails.