It’s one of golf’s toughest back three. Known as ‘the Green Mile’, the 16th, 17th and 18th holes at the Quail Hollow course in Charlotte, North Carolina have claimed many victims. And yet this week, a field packed with eight past champions will tee off at the Wells Fargo Championship 2023 in an attempt to lift the trophy yet again.
Dominating the narrative ahead of Thursday’s start is Rory McIlroy. The former World No. 1 has been stuck in something of a rut the past few months. Since March, McIlroy has failed to make the cut in two consecutive tournaments, including the all-important Masters in April. Can McIlroy, the man who has won on this course more than any other player, rekindle some form to make it four Wells Fargo Championship titles?
We break down all the latest betting odds from bookmaker William Hill as we seek to answer this question and more ahead of the first drive at the Wells Fargo Championship 2023.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: May 2nd, 12:00 A.M. (GMT)
Looking at the outright winner odds from bookmaker William Hill, Rory McIlroy is certainly being favoured to break his poor run of form. The World No. 3 is an 8.50 favourite to win at the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship, well ahead of second placed Patrick Cantlay who sits at 13.00. Behind these two, a tight race exists for the remaining betting favourites, with Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau and Jordan Spieth all paying 15.00, 17.00 and 19.00 respectively.
The big question is whether or not Rory McIlroy can snap his poor form. Based on his previous results both on this ground and across this season so far, the Northern Irishman has a good chance of doing so. Despite the fact that across six tournaments in 2022-23, McIlroy has missed the cut twice and finished T29 and T32 on two other occasions, he’s yet to play poorly three events in a row.
Considering that McIlroy missed the cut at the PLAYERS Championship and at the most recent Masters Tournament, it’s high time that he puts in a strong performance. Add to this the fact that McIlroy has won three times at the Quail Hollow grounds and the 33-year-old is a strong bet to win again at 8.50.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: May 2nd, 12:00 A.M. (GMT)
A very real threat to McIlroy winning this week is Max Homa. The American has won here on two previous occasions, including last year. Homa has two titles to his name already this season and will back himself to make that three on a ground where he’s performed strongly in the past. At 21.00, Homa is a very lucrative wager for those seeking some big returns.
We say that this year’s tournament will go down to the wire. Between 2003-2016, the Wells Fargo Championship averaged one playoff every two years. However, since 2016 there have been no playoffs. The chances of an eighth year passing without this tournament’s regular play ending in a draw is statistically very unlikely, particularly with eight former champions in the field. Betting on a playoff brings a tidy return of 4.00 as well, which we recommend taking a punt on.
