6th May 2023, 9:00am (UK time)

2023 Wells Fargo Championship Round 2 Summary

It's tight at the top at Quail Hollow going into the weekend.  Nineteen players are within three shots of the lead after a second round that saw some friendlier pin positions and little breeze.

Notable Round 2 Wells Fargo Championship Quotes

"I would say I've been way more consistent off the tee and into the greens. My stats in that regards have gotten way better. Mentally, I'm a lot stronger. I'm handling adversity, I'm handling success, I'm handling a lot of things a lot better and I'm 2 more patient out there and more comfortable playing. In the past I feel like I would get a little antsy and uncomfortable out there and now I feel way more comfortable." Wyndham Clark

"I played very solid. I got off to obviously a great start birdieing the first two and let a couple go, making bogeys on holes that I would definitely say are easier holes. It was definitely nice to make that birdie on 15 after hitting that eagle putt past. I just played very solid. I drove the ball really well, hit some very quality irons. I'd really like to wedge the ball closer this weekend, but just very, very solid." Justin Thomas

2023 Wells Fargo Championship Round 3 Weather

Sunny intervals with a light breeze (max wind 7mph).

Back or Fade The Favourite?

Xander Schauffele and Tyrrell Hatton share market favouritism at 13/2.  Hatton ranks 3rd SG:Tee to Green so far this week but it hasn't been a classic tee to green performance from Schauffele, ranking 21st in that same category. 

We mentioned that we weren't keen on Schauffele yesterday at 13/2 and it's even harder to like him now.  Rory McIlroy may have dropped down the leaderboard but the number of top class players around Schauffele has increased and he's a fraction short in the betting in our opinion. We're in no rush to back Hatton either and others would be preferred.

In-Play Wells Fargo Championship Bets We Considered

Winners of this event in the last few years have tended to be inside the top five at the halfway stage.  With a number of proven performers near the top of the leaderboard we aren't looking much further back than the group at five under par.

Max Homa is one of those players in that group at five under par and he could well be the player who makes a move today.  He certainly entered our thoughts given his course win in 2019 and his excellent record in contention of late.

Adam Svensson was the player from near the top of the leaderboard to catch our eye.  Odds of 33/1 felt fair for a player who won at the end of last year and has gained strokes with every area of his game this week. 

Gary Woodland has once again struck the ball tremendously well but can't buy a putt.  He was third in the SG: Tee to Green stats last week in Mexico and tops those stats through two rounds at Quail Hollow.  If he could get the putter working he could make a run from four back at 80/1. 

There weren't many two ball selections that caught our eye but David Lingmerth to beat Denny McCarthy at 7/5 made appeal given the poor quality of McCarthy's iron play this week. 

Round 3 Bets

5th May 2023, 9:05am (UK time)

2023 Wells Fargo Championship Round 1 Summary

Tommy Fleetwood leads by one shot after finding birdies at his final two holes.  Scoring conditions were good throughout the day and the leaderboard is a mix of morning and afternoon starters.

Notable Round 1 Wells Fargo Championship Quotes

"I did what I needed to on the first few, I made two or three up-and-downs on the first six holes, which kept me at level par and then couple of scoring holes, 7 and 8, that were playing pretty short and managed to make an eagle and a birdie. Round was up and running. Then just really didn't, you know, didn't do anything particularly wrong. I didn't drive it great on the back nine, but I was never like out of position that much, never really hit myself in difficult spots. For the most part that was really good and quite stress free. And then just a good finish on top that. 17 and 18, kind of unexpected birdies there, but you'll take them when they come." Tommy Fleetwood

" I've always had a level of comfort on this golf course, whether it was back in the sort of 2011-2012 era or sort of post-PGA in 2017. If you look at all the results, I certainly excel here in May rather than when we played it in August and it was full of bermuda, I struggled with that a little bit. When it's like this and overseeded, I feel like it's -- that's sort of the right in my wheelhouse. " Rory McIlroy

2023 Wells Fargo Championship Round 2 Weather

Sunny intervals with a light breeze (max wind 6mph)

Back or Fade The Favourite?

Rory McIlroy started the week as favourite but Xander Schauffele edges him slightly after the opening round.  Schauffele is 13/2, whilst McIlroy is 7/1.  McIlroy certainly wasn't at his best from tee to green in the opening round but he still managed a round of three under par.  He spoke after this round of his "level of comfort" being higher at Quail Hollow than any other course on Tour and that makes him a danger throughout the week.

The argument against Schauffele would be that he's yet to record a top 10 finish from three attempts at Quail Hollow.  Schauffele did give a non-committal answer when directly asked if he liked Quail Hollow after yesterday's round.  That question is reproduced below but it appeared to be a corporate answer rather than confirmation that he enjoys the layout.  If we were to fade one of McIlroy, it would be Schauffele.

Q. You also played on the Presidents Cup. Do you like Quail Hollow? Is this like (rest of question unheard) --

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, you know, I can't call it that quite yet, but it's a nice piece of land they have here. It's a really nice golf course, it's really hard and I think all of us pros enjoy coming out here.

In-Play Wells Fargo Championship Bets We Considered

JJ Spaun, Seamus Power and Keith Mitchell all make appeal in the three ball markets.  We advised Spaun to subscribers yesterday as our only three ball bet in this event and he duly delivered a win.  Available at 11/8 yesterday, the 5/4 on offer today is tempting once again.

Matthew NeSmith was in our thoughts in the second round leader market.  Odds of 50/1 felt particularly generous considering he ranked 7th for SG: Approach in round one and 8th SG: Tee to Green.  Kramer Hickok (80/1) also stood out in that market after topping the SG: Tee to Green stats in round one.

Coincidentally, three of the last four winners of the Wells Fargo Championship have been in 17th position after the opening round.  It should be noted that one of those players in 17th position did so at TPC Potomac rather than Quail Hollow, but the overall premise that you can be a few shots back holds up.  Rory McIlroy was 73rd after the opening round when he won here in 2021!

 K.H. Lee was given to subscribers pre-event at 150/1 and if we weren't already on the two time PGA Tour winner, he'd certainly have been in our thoughts at 40/1.  Keith Mitchell's course record is hard to ignore and having drifted out to 80/1 after an opening round of 69, he too was in our thoughts.  

Round 2 Bets