Let me just get in a quick word on the course.
East Lake will be tough and tricky. Driving distance is always a factor but driving accuracy is important at this course too.
Then there's putting. The green in regulation is important, that approach will matter, and golfers know that with the back to front pitch of the Donald Ross designs, they have to be accurate with placing the ball below the pin.
Not to mention, those green complexes will be mowed tight all around and that means missing the green sends you to a run-off or indented collection spots.
Driving distance is almost always the most predictive across pga courses, as it is here. But accuracy on both the fairways and greens are a bigger deal than, say, last week.
These fairways are more narrow than last week and the bermudagrass rough will suck as much if not more than last week's Kentucky Bluegrass. It will be shorter though. The fairways will be Meyer Zoysiagrass while the rough is a 2.5" cut of Tifway 419 Bermudagrass. The greens are MiniVerde UltraDwarf Bermudagrass with a 12.5 stimp.
I know there are a lot of good names out there that are long, accurate and solid, but I'm picking up a 72 hole score winner (starting strokes do not count) with Max Homa. Homa can win on Bermudagrass, is in form, and could be one of the better putters on the bermudagrass greens this week.
One other thing. The first time Max Homa played at East Lake was last year. He got aquainted to the course with a paltry 71 first round, that was 1 over par. He went on to shoot a 62, 66, 66. That's right, 62. He had the lowest single round on the course last year.
He's in form and no slouch on this course. I see value here.
Max Homa Lowest 72 Hole Score +1850
BookMaker
Good Luck.
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