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2024 THE PLAYERS Championship: First-Round Leader Odds, Picks & Predictions

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The PGA Tour has officially been put on notice. Scottie Scheffler’s struggles on the green have been well documented. The world’s best golfer has long been at the top of the rankings from tee-to-green, but his putting has kept things interesting. That all changed last week when Scheffler decided to switch to the TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter. The University of Texas product gained 4.3 strokes on the field putting, paving the way to a five-shot victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Sunday.

The change comes just in time for the Tour’s “fifth major,” THE PLAYERS Championship. TPC Sawgrass in Jacksonville, Fla., and the signature island green at the 17th hole will host the full field of 144 golfers. Forty-seven of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings will tee it up in hopes of taking home the $4.5 million first prize.  Only four players have won this event twice, so it truly could be anyone’s tournament. Still, Scheffler can join that group of two-time champions, having won here last year.

Who will be at the top of the leaderboard Thursday evening? Let’s take a look at three golfers who have a great chance to get there.

2024 THE PLAYERS Championship Best First-Round Leader Bets

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

Justin Thomas (35-1)

I’m starting to get 2018 vibes from Justin Thomas. The Louisville native notched three wins, 10 top-tens and 20 top-25 finishes in 23 starts that season. Six years later, the University of Alabama grad has finished T-12 or better in four of his first five starts. Thomas started out strong at the Arnold Palmer last week with an opening round 69. While he faded just a bit over the weekend, his game is clearly back from his struggles a year ago. Thomas won this event in 2021, so there’s a strong history here. I believe he’s primed for another strong start.

Min Woo Lee (55-1)

Min Woo Lee made his first appearance here last year and finished T-6. The Australian fired a third-round 66, so he’s proven he can go low at TPC Sawgrass. Lee is sixth on Tour in Driving Distance, meaning the length of the 7,275-yard course shouldn’t bother him. Also, currently, top 10 in Eagles; if the 25-year-old can take advantage of the par-5’s Thursday, he could post the best number of the day. At this number, the sixth-year pro is a great value.

Andrew Novak (100-1)

Andrew Novak is a great option if you’re looking for a longshot. The North Carolina native has shown flashes of greatness over the last four years on Tour after earning his full-time status in 2021. He’s currently in the middle of one of those stretches, with three consecutive T-10 finishes in his last three starts. The 28-year-old missed the cut here last year in his only appearance at TPC Sawgrass, but the Wofford grad should have learned plenty from that experience. As hot as he is, Novak is worth a small wager to lead the tournament when play concludes on Thursday.

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Tuesday:

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