Many golf fans will jump back into their hibernation now that major championship season is over, but there's still money to be made on the PGA Tour this season. With the 3M Open set to begin on Thursday morning, let's put together a first-round leader card for one of the most entertaining sweats in sports betting. All you need is a few bucks on each of these picks for a potentially massive payout.
Firing up a first-round leader card for the 3M Open
Luke Clanton (+4000 FanDuel)
No one knew Clanton's name a few months ago, but the amateur has quickly burst onto the scene with some impressive finishes in his first taste of the PGA Tour. The Florida State standout finished T41 at the U.S. Open, T10 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and T2 at the John Deere Classic. He's already shot two rounds of 63, and he can go low with a morning tee time in the first round.
Keith Mitchell (+4500 FD)
Mitchell has missed two cuts in a row and has lost strokes from putting in five straight events, but this is a great spot for him to end his mini-slump. The American has finished fifth in back-to-back starts at TPC Twin Cities, and he consistently gains strokes from putting on these Bentgrass greens. Mitchell also ranks third on the PGA Tour this season in early scoring average, and he's going off at 8:07 a.m. ET.
Kim is a boom-or-bust player due to his inconsistent putter, but that makes him a perfect target for a FRL bet. The 34-year-old ranks third on Tour this season in birdie average, and he shot back-to-back 63s at the John Deere Classic and the ISCO Championship earlier this month. If the putter can get hot for one round, Kim could rack up a ton of birdies.
Rico Hoey (+7000 DK)
Hoey is one of the hottest golfers on the PGA Tour. The USC product has three top-10 finishes in his last four starts, and he has four rounds of 64 or better in that span. Hoey bombs it off the tee, hits his irons well and is red-hot with the putter. He also ranks 10th on Tour in Round 1 scoring average.
In the news ...
Andrew Nembhard agrees to three-year, $59 million extension with Pacers — Nembhard has played only two seasons with the Pacers, but Indiana saw enough to extend one of their talented young pieces. On Wednesday morning, Nembhard and the Pacers agreed to a three-year, $59 million contract extension that will keep him in town through 2027-28. The 24-year-old averaged 14.9 points per game and shot 56.0 percent from the field in the playoffs last season. If you like the Pacers to have another strong season, you can take their win total over 47.5 at +100.
CeeDee Lamb won't be reporting to Cowboys training camp — Brandon Aiyuk isn't the only star wide receiver looking to get paid this offseason. Lamb, coming off the best season of his career, isn't expected to report to Dallas Cowboys training camp on Wednesday. The Oklahoma product will hold out as he seeks a lucrative contract extension. After three straight Pro Bowl campaigns and a league-high 135 receptions last season, it's hard to argue he doesn't deserve a payday. Lamb is +800 to lead the NFL in receiving yards this season.
Coco Gauff to join LeBron James as U.S. flag bearer for Paris Olympics — The United States officially has its flag bearers for the Paris Olympics, as Gauff will join James to lead Team USA through the opening ceremony on Friday. Gauff missed out on the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for COVID, so she will be making her Olympic debut at the age of 20. She is expected to compete in both the singles and doubles tennis competitions. The United States is a massive favorite to win the most gold medals at -550.
Today's Bark Bets is written by Jack Dougherty
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