The focus of this week’s PGA action is fixated on the final match play event of the foreseeable future in Austin, Texas, for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. However, the Corales Puntacana Championship is also taking place this week in the Dominican Republic. There’s one full tournament head-to-head matchup worth betting. These wagers are now 5-0-1 this season.
Cameron Percy -115 vs. Eric Van Rooyen
Corales Golf Course is one of the longest courses on tour at 7,670 yards. With oceanside holes, wind is often a challenge, combined with difficult greens. Therefore, I am looking for solid iron play and birdie players. Enter Percy. In a small sample size, Percy has played well with a T12 and a T16 in two of his last three starts — at the Honda Classic and the Valspar last week. In both, the Aussie gained strokes ball striking, while excelling at putting, gaining at least five strokes with the flat stick in both tournaments. Plus, Percy has a good history at Corales, finishing T8 in 2020 and T4 last year.
Van Rooyen finished T10 in the Valspar, gaining seven strokes with his irons. The problem for him: His short game has been a mess, losing strokes both around the green and putting in three of his last four events, including losing nearly eight strokes on his short game to miss the cut in the Honda Classic. With Van Rooyen never having played in the Corales Puntacana Championship, Percy has the recent short game edge mixed with the experience. Back Percy over Van Rooyen in a full tournament head-to-head matchup.