Austin Championship Best Bets and Golf Odds:
Blades Brown, a pre-tournament price of 33-1, became the youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years on Sunday in Mexico at the World Wide Technology Championship. The 19-year-old Brown started the final round seven strokes back but shot 63 to make the playoff and defeat Ben James on the second extra hole.
James, one of our selections last week, held a four-shot lead going into the final round. After losing the lead, he smoked a 285-yard shot into 20 feet on the par-5 18th and made eagle to salvage a 70 and force the playoff. However, he missed a six-foot putt on the second playoff hole, and Brown made his three-footer for the victory.
This week, the PGA Tour returns to the United States to play the inaugural Austin Championship.
Brown (+2150) is currently at No. 59 in the FedExCup Fall and is playing this week to stay in the top 60 for a spot in the first two Signature Events next year. James, at No. 53, elected to withdraw from the field. Brown is not the favorite this week, but another young star, Jackson Koivun, already a PGA Tour winner this year, sits atop the odds board at 16-1.
Doug Ghim (17-1) sits at No. 58 in the FedExCup Fall but still seeks his first PGA Tour victory.
Andrew Novak (30-1) was the winner two weeks ago at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open.
While the DP World Tour finale in Dubai will determine which 10 players earn PGA Tour cards for 2027, one of the 10 who earned them last year was Jordan Smith (30-1), who sits just outside the FedExCup Fall top 60 and No. 62. Brian Harman (34-1) sits at No. 71. The player who is on the bump spot at No. 60 is Pierceson Coody (35-1).
There are also players here this week fighting to keep full-time PGA Tour cards and finish inside the Top 100 for the FedExCup Fall, including Chris Kirk (33-1), who is at No. 102, and David Ford (40-1), who finished fifth in last week’s event and is at No. 113.
Joining Ford at 40-1 are Johnny Keefer and Zach Bauchou, who have both secured their tour cards for next year, and Austin Smotherman, a winner six weeks ago at the Bank of Utah Championship, who is securely in the 51-60 ranking for next year.
The Event
The PGA Tour returns to Austin for the first time since 2023, but at a new venue with the Fazio Canyons Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa.
The Austin Country Club hosted the Dell Match Play from 2016 to 2023.
The Field
The 120-player field for the Austin Championship does not include a single player ranked inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. Austin Smotherman is the highest-ranked player at No. 51, one of three players inside the top 60 along with Marco Penge (No. 57) and Jackson Koivun (No. 60). It is one of the thinnest fields of the FedExCup Fall.
Nevertheless, there is a great deal of incentive for those who are here. This is the penultimate event of the 2026 FedExCup Fall, with only the RSM Classic left after it. The top 100 in the FedExCup standings keep full status for 2027, Nos. 51 through 60 earn the Aon Next 10 spots in the first two Signature Events at Pebble Beach and Riviera, and Nos. 101 through 125 fall to conditional status. Current FedExCup Fall standings are here.
With the tournament being held in Austin, there are a bevy (not Bevo) of Texas Longhorns in the field, including Pierceson Coody, Doug Ghim, Christiaan Maas and Tommy Morrison.
Changes from the above initial field list include Hayden Springer in for Denny McCarthy; Alvaro Ortiz in for Matt Wallace; Ben Silverman in for Harry Hall; Ben James, Michael Kim and Ben Silverman replaced by Paul Peterson, David Skinns and Jimmy Stanger; Tom Hoge and Beau Hossler replaced by Tyler Duncan and Ben Martin; and William Sides, Nick Hardy, Frankie Harris and Thomas Rosenmueller earning entries via Monday’s open qualifying.
The Course
Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa (Fazio Canyons Course), located about 20 minutes west of downtown Austin, is a par-72 that stretches to 7,451 yards. Fazio Canyons was renovated in 2022 in anticipation of PGA Tour-level competition. It is named after legendary designer Tom Fazio and is his second design at Omni Barton Creek, opening in 1999. The Fazio Canyons course was named by Golfweek as the top course in the state of Texas in 2002.
The restoration began as just a bunker project but grew into a seven-month effort led by Fazio and his team, which reopened in October 2022.
The front nine is the easier and shorter side, with larger and flatter greens, while the back nine holds the three hardest par-4s on the card and most of the forced carries.
The layout is carved through the rolling limestone canyons of the Texas Hill Country and features dramatic elevation changes, natural ravines, winding creeks and mature trees. The fairways (around 38 yards wide on average) are Tifway 419 Bermudagrass, while the putting surfaces (around 5,300 square feet on average; 12 feet stimpmeter) feature MiniVerde UltraDwarf Bermudagrass. With only 43 bunkers, many greens are relatively unguarded.
Water is in play far more often than on a typical Fazio layout, with a creek cutting across two fairways and running the full length of another on the side the fairway tilts toward, fronts one green and wraps the left side of the closing green for a total of six water danger holes.
Course comparisons include other Texas courses like TPC San Antonio and TPC Craig Ranch, plus other Fazio designs like The Dunes Golf & Beach Club and Corales Golf Course, plus TPC Twin Cities, PGA National and TPC Louisiana.
This video gives a look at a typical round on the Fazio Canyons Course.
Weather
Austin has received a great deal of rain in the lead-up to the event, and more is expected over the weekend, with cooler temperatures making for likely soft conditions.
Statistical Analysis
This is the inaugural Austin Championship, so we do not have any previous data to use here. Nevertheless, we can use more all-encompassing stats to at least dig more into recent form.
Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green — Average Per Round (Last 36 rounds)
- Doug Ghim 1.45
- Blades Brown 1.40
- Ben Kohles 1.31
- Kristoffer Ventura 1.23
- Jackson Koivun 1.20
- Jackson Suber 1.17
- Thomas Rosenmueller 1.14
- Chris Kirk 1.13
- Isaiah Salinda 1.10
- David Ford 1.01
- Davis Thompson 1.01
- Rico Hoey 0.87
- Andrew Novak 0.85
- Jordan Smith 0.83
- Neal Shipley 0.82
- Kevin Roy 0.77
- Lucas Glover 0.75
- Austin Smotherman 0.69
- Joel Dahmen 0.68
Iron play will vary from long irons to wedges.
Strokes Gained: Approach — Average Per Round (Last 36 rounds)
- Chris Kirk 1.04
- Davis Thompson 0.96
- Thomas Rosenmueller 0.80
- Blades Brown 0.74
- Jackson Suber 0.73
- Lucas Glover 0.72
- Ben Kohles 0.70
- Austin Smotherman 0.68
- Billy Horschel 0.67
- Trace Crowe 0.65
- Emiliano Grillo 0.64
- Brian Harman 0.62
- Zac Blair 0.60
- Jackson Koivun 0.58
- Joel Dahmen 0.58
- Luke Clanton 0.57
- Paul Peterson 0.54
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout 0.53
- Davis Chatfield 0.52
Off the tee, distance will matter more than accuracy. The fairways are on the wide and generous side.
Strokes Gained: Off-The-Tee — Average Per Round (Last 36 rounds)
- David Ford 1.11
- Neal Shipley 0.85
- Kris Ventura 0.76
- Jesper Svensson 0.71
- Doug Ghim 0.69
- Jordan Smith 0.66
- Rico Hoey 0.60
- Blades Brown 0.59
- Alejandro Tosti 0.52
- Gordon Sargent 0.50
- Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson 0.45
- Ben Kohles 0.44
- Haotong Li 0.43
- Joel Dahmen 0.41
- Patrick Fishburn 0.40
- Isaiah Salinda 0.39
- Marco Penge 0.39
- Sudarshan Yellamaraju 0.39
- Jackson Koivun 0.38
Average Driving Distance (Last 36 rounds)
- Jesper Svensson 308.9
- Marco Penge 308.0
- Johnny Keefer 306.0
- Pontus Nyholm 305.8
- Gordon Sargent 305.5
- Rasmus Højgaard 305.3
- Alejandro Tosti 304.2
- Christo Lamprecht 303.9
- Pierceson Coody 302.5
- Neal Shipley 302.3
- Haotong Li 302.3
- Doug Ghim 302.2
- Sudarshan Yellamaraju 302.2
- Jimmy Stanger 301.9
- Taylor Pendrith 301.8
- Isaiah Salinda 301.1
- Ricky Castillo 301.0
- Taylor Moore 300.8
- Kris Ventura300.5
- Danny Walker 300.3
- Max Homa 300.0
The grass around the greens is short, plus there are some bunkers, so the lies will be tighter.
Strokes Gained: Around The Green — Average Per Round (Last 36 rounds)
- Mackenzie Hughes 0.59
- Chandler Phillips 0.51
- Takumi Kanaya 0.50
- Chad Ramey 0.41
- Vince Whaley 0.39
- Zac Blair 0.34
- Stephan Jaeger 0.34
- Doug Ghim 0.34
- David Skinns 0.33
- Nick Dunlap 0.32
- John Parry 0.31
- Matt Kuchar 0.30
- Erik van Rooyen 0.29
- David Lipsky 0.27
- Isaiah Salinda 0.26
- Jackson Suber 0.24
- Jackson Koivun 0.24
- Sudarshan Yellamaraju 0.23
- Patton Kizzire 0.23
- Nick Taylor 0.22
- Chris Kirk 0.21
- Gordon Sargent 0.21
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout 0.20
It is likely a fool’s errand to predict a winning score at a course that has never been played on the PGA Tour, but more than likely it will be low, considering the soft conditions.
Birdie Or Better Percentage (Last 36 rounds)
- Isaiah Salinda 31.1%
- Doug Ghim 28.9
- Zach Bauchou 28.4
- Thomas Rosenmueller 28.3
- Ben Kohles 28.2
- David Ford 28.1
- Blades Brown 28.1
- Trace Crowe 27.8
- Rico Hoey 27.6
- Hayden Springer 27.5
- Seamus Power 27.3
- Chris Kirk 27.3
- Kevin Yu 27.0
- Mackenzie Hughes 26.7
- Stephan Jaeger 26.2
- Billy Horschel 26.2
- Jackson Suber 26.2
- Zac Blair 26.1
- Tyler Duncan 25.7
- Marco Penge 25.6
- Max Greyserman 25.5
- Alejandro Tosti 25.5
- Erik van Rooyen 25.5
- Max McGreevy 25.3
- Kris Ventura 25.3
- Kevin Roy 25.3
- Gordon Sargent 25.3
- Jackson Koivun 25.0
Strokes Gained: Putting — Average Per Round — Bermuda Greens (Last 36 rounds)
- Matt McCarty 1.40
- Brendon Todd 1.22
- Hayden Springer 1.08
- Paul Peterson 0.96
- Taylor Moore 0.93
- Tyler Duncan 0.91
- Kevin Roy 0.88
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart 0.87
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout 0.83
- Patrick Rodgers 0.83
- Thomas Rosenmueller 0.82
- Zach Bauchou 0.74
- Kensei Hirata 0.67
- Mackenzie Hughes 0.66
- Kevin Yu 0.63
- Cam Davis 0.58
- Billy Horschel 0.52
- AJ Ewart 0.52
- Trace Crowe 0.51
- Sam Stevens 0.50
Selections
Pierceson Coody (37-1, Circa Sports)
Coody was a three-time All-American at Texas and was part of the Longhorns’ 2022 NCAA championship team.
He began the season on fire with five top-20s in six events, including a runner-up in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Coody has cooled off a bit since, with only four top-20 finishes in the following 24 events but did finish T-6 two weeks ago at VidantaWorld and led the field for Greens In Regulation last week at the World Wide Technology Championship.
The 26-year-old is also a brand ambassador for Omni Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in Dallas, and this event is being played at an Omni resort.
He is also 60th in the FedExCup Fall and a high finish here locks him into the first two Signature Events next year.
David Ford (42-1, Circa Sports)
Ford finished fifth last week at the World Wide Technology Championship and was second in the field for Strokes Gained: Off-The-Tee, fifth for Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and fifth for Driving Distance.
He also finished third several weeks ago at the Bank of Utah Championship.
Ford was the 2025 Haskins Award winner for most outstanding collegiate golfer and bookended by 2024 and 2026 award winner Jackson Koivun.
This fall has seen many futures; young stars win on the PGA Tour, and Ford could very well be next in line.
Seamus Power (44-1, DraftKings)
Power’s form in the FedExCup Fall reads like this: T-7, T-21, second (playoff loss in Bermuda and T-8.
At No. 66 in the FedExCup Fall, he is very close to making the top 60 for the first two Signature Events in 2027.
Ben Kohles (45-1, BetMGM)
Since Kohles’ victory in early June at the BMW Charity Pro-Am on the Korn Ferry Tour, he has been one of the most consistent players in the game. His finishes for the rest of the season read like this: T-29, T-23, T-19, T-3, T-15, ninth, T-26, T-29, T-63, T-23, T-27, T-15, T-13, T-17, T-17 and T-25.
Kohles has secured his PGA Tour card for next season but is still out there week-to-week grinding for that first PGA Tour victory because he knows he is closer than ever.
The Dallas-born Kohles is top 10 in almost all ball-striking metrics over the last several months.
Neal Shipley (60-1, Circa Sports)
Shipley has rallied into the top 125 for conditional status next year on the PGA Tour with FedExCup Fall finishes of T-3, T-10, T-34, T-16 and 74th.
He leads the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-The-Tee and has gained with the putter (148th this season) in three of his last five starts.
Alvaro Ortiz (80-1, FanDuel)
Ortiz was one of the 20 players to earn his PGA Tour card for next season from the Korn Ferry Tour points list courtesy of two victories, including one two months ago.
In his two starts over the last two weeks in his home country of Mexico, Ortiz finished T-34 and T-6.
Other placement market, matchup, and/or other futures bets will be available Wednesday at VSiN.com/picks, including for the DP World Tour Championship finale in Dubai
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