Each week, we will be analyzing our favorite PGA Tour props for the upcoming golf tournament, focusing on who we think will be first round leader of the event.
The first round leader sweat in golf is a fun one, so join us as we try to make some winning golf picks!
PGA Tour First Round Leader Picks & Predictions This Week
Every week we’ll take a look at who has the best chance to make an early big splash on the PGA Tour, with the Black Desert Championship now on the docket.
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PGA First Round Leader Props: Black Desert Championship
This week’s PGA Tour stop is at the brand new – both to the PGA Tour and to the public at large – Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah.
While not a lot is known about how the course will fare when tested by PGA Tour pros, it looks to be fairly defenseless especially when we factor in the high desert altitude. The course is longer than most non-major Tour stops, but probably not nearly long enough to keep scoring down, especially with fairly generous fairways for resort guests.
One thing we like to look at for First Round Leader is a guy who has a chance to REALLY get hot and dominate in a single category, or in all categories but one, who might have trouble putting together four straight rounds and getting a win, but is liable to flash a super low performance at any moment.
This week Cameron Champ checks those boxes. A guy who has actually won more tournaments than a lot of players generally considered far better than him, he’s always been one of if not the longest players in any field since he started on TOUR.
His past couple of seasons have been dry as far as getting a “W” but he’s often excelled against weak fields, which the Black Desert Championship definitely qualifies.
Champ is normally one of the longest hitters, but remove the top 50 golfers in the world more or less, and he has a chance to really dwarf this field at altitude. His overall game doesn’t gel that often these days, and he often struggles with putting, but he consistently also throws out really hot putting performances. This is a great opportunity to try him to jump out early at a new, easy course against an easy field.
He’s widely available at +7000 on Caesars and BetMGM but make sure to line shop this one as some smaller providers could have +8000 or even +9000, making this a really juicy play.
If you don’t want to throw that much of a dart, check out Patrick Rodgers, who fits the same profile of distance+putting flashes, should really be helped by the wide fairways here, and whose overall game has been trending a lot better in 2023 and 2024.
You can get Rodgers at +5000 to lead the first round at BetMGM and Caesars.
PGA Tour First Round Leader Pick: Cameron Champ (+7000)
Editor’s Note: Looking for more golf props content? Be sure to check out our PGA outright winner picks for this week’s event before locking in all of your plays.
PREVIOUS PICKS:
Sanderson Farms Championship: Maverick McNealy (+4000)