QBE Shooutout Preview: Betting Tips, Pairings and TV Times
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The QBE Shootout returns to the PGA Tour this week: Here’s a breakdown of the teams, tee times and how to watch
Hosted by Greg Norman, the QBE Shootout is entering its 30th year as a contest, and once more consists of a brilliant field of top-level golfers.
The 54-hole contest starts on Friday on the Tiburón Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, and features 12 teams of two.
Defending champions Steve Stricker and Sean O’Hair are just one of two teams that are return from last year, joined by Tony Finau and Lexi Thompson.
Graeme McDowell, Kevin Kisner, Kyle Stanley, Bubba Watson, Brandt Snedeker, Billy Horschel, Brian Harman and Pat Perez are among the players all coming back to the QBE Shootout, but are doing so with different partners for 2018.
Read on below to view our betting tips
QBE SHOOTOUT: FORMAT
FIRST ROUND, SCRAMBLE
Each player hits a drive on every hole and the best drive is selected. Each player then plays a second shot from the spot where the selected drive lays, and the best second shot is selected. This process is repeated until the hole is completed.
SECOND ROUND, MODIFIED ALTERNATE SHOT
Each player hits a drive on every hole and one drive is selected. The player whose drive is NOT selected hits the second shot, and they alternate shots until the ball is holed.
FINAL ROUND, FOUR-BALL
Each player plays through every hole using their own ball. The player whose score is the lowest on each hole will be the team score for that hole.
QBE SHOOTOUT: TEE TIMES (all times GMT)
3:15pm: Pat Perez & Kyle Stanley | AND | Luke Donald & Andrew Landry
3:30pm: Brian Harman & Patton Kizzire | AND | Emiliano Grillo & Graeme McDowell
3.45pm: Charles Howell III & Luke List | AND | Cameron Champ & Kevin Kisner
4:00pm: Billy Horschel & Brandt Snedeker | AND | Charley Hoffman & Gary Woodland
4.15pm: Tony Finau & Lexi Thompson | AND | Harold Varner III & Bubba Watson
4.30pm: Bryson DeChambeau & Kevin Na | AND | Sean O’Hair & Steve Stricker
QBE SHOOTOUT: TV TIMES
Friday 7th December: Live PGA Tour, Sky Sports Golf (18:30)
Saturday 8th December: Live PGA Tour, Sky Sports Golf (18:30)
Sunday 9th December: Live PGA Tour, Sky Sports Golf (18:00)
Betting Tips: Who should you back?
5/1: Cameron Champ/ Kevin Kisner
Champ might be a rookie but he’s already making big waves on the PGA Tour this season. He won his first title in just his second event at the Sanderson Farms Championship, and followed it up with two top 10s in his last two starts. The Web.Com graduate’s playing partner Kisner is ranked No.34 in the world and has had four top 10s in 2018 – including at last week’s RSM Classic.
5/1: Bryson DeChambeau/ Kevin Na
DeChambeau is the highest ranked player in the field at World No.5, having recently claimed three titles in his last six starts (with a worse finish of T19 in that time). Na ended a 7 year victory drought earlier this year, and while he hasn’t perfomed particular well recently (T52-T54-MC), he did end last season ranked 27th for birdie average and 19th for Scoring average (actual).
13/2: Brandt Snedeker/ Billy Horschel
Horschel claimed the pairs-event Zurich Classic title earlier this year, and Snedeker got his first victory since 2016 at the Wyndham Championship, so this could be a pairing to watch. Horschel has finished fourth in this event three times and third once, while Snedeker won the event in 2015. So far in the 2018/19 season Snedeker ranks 5th for SG: Putting, while Horschel finished last season ranked 15th on Tour for SG: Total.
7/1: Gary Woodland/ Charley Hoffman
World No.30 Woodland is on great form, with four top 10s in his five starts this season – which sees him ranked 3rd for birdie average, 16th for scoring average and 8th for SG: Tee to green. He claimed the Waste Management Phoenix Open earlier in 2018 and was T4 here in 2017 with Daniel Berger. Hoffman can’t quite boast the same form and hasn’t had a top 10 all year, with his best recent result T20 at the Northern Trust in August. He was 8th with Zach Johnson here last year, but the bonus is experience with this pair.
8/1: Charles Howell III/ Luke List
Luke List finished T4 at both the Safeway Open and The RSM Classic (two of seven top 10s in 2018) in the last few weeks, with a MC at Mayakoba in between. He currently ranks 12th for scoring average in 2018/19, and finished last season inside the top 10 for SG: Off the tee, SG: Tee to Green and Driving Distance. His playing partner Howell III won The RSM Classic, had a T5 at the CIMB Classic, and ended last year ranked 27th for GIR and 32nd for Scoring Average on the PGA Tour.
8/1: Pat Perez/ Kyle Stanley
Pat Perez has two top 10s in his last three starts and finished third at the QBE Shootout last year, so will be hoping for a good result this week. Stanley is a consistent partner to have, with three top 15s in his last six starts. He also recorded four top 10s last season and finished 6th for Driving Accuracy and 4th for Greens in regulation, but was T9 here last year with Russell Henley.
10/1: Graeme McDowell/ Emiliano Grillo
Grillo has been a consistent performer in 2018, with eight world-wide top 10s that includes a T8 on the Japan Tour at the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, and his stats last season included 12th in both SG: Putting and SG: Total. His playing partner McDowell has had a less impressive season, but did record a T11 in his last start at the RSM Classic and finished second in this event last year with Shane Lowry.
10/1: Harold Varner III/ Bubba Watson
A pairing that could be really threatening. Watson was another player to end a winless drought this year, and he did it by winning three times in 2018. Both he and playing partner Varner have had a top 10 and two top 16s in their last four starts.
12/1: Steve Stricker/ Sean O’Hair
O’Hair is a two-time winner of this event, including last year with Steve Stricker when they won by two shots- and he’ll be hoping for a hatrick. Neither player is particularly on form though, having failed to crack the top 10 since April (O’Hair) and June (Stricker).
16/1: Lexi Thompson/ Tony Finau
World No.5 Lexi Thompson recovered from a turbulent 18 months with victory at the CME Group Tour Championship a couple of weeks ago, and finished T4 here with Finau last year. Finau has had a successful year, with top 10s in three majors and recording four runner-up finishes in 2018 – including at last week’s Hero World Challenge.
16/1: Patton Kizzire/ Brian Harman
Kizzire claimed the Sony Open in January this year but hasn’t been able to convert that success in to another top 10 this year – although he did finish T15 at the RSM Classic. Harman started the year well with five top 10s by June, but also has struggled since. He does however currently rank 14th for SG: Off the tee and 9th for SG:Around the green so far in the 2018/19 season.
28/1: Luke Donald/ Andrew Landry
Former World No.1 Luke Donald has suffered with injury problems throughout this year and has fallen to 548 in the rankings, missing seven of his last 10 cuts and not teeing up since the Sky Sports British Masters in October. Landry hasn’t been on the best form of late either, but then again he followed up four missed cuts in a row and a T42 with victory at the Valero Texas Open, so you never know!
