Golf
2022 Cadence Bank Houston Open Power Rankings: Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns Headline Top 10
Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies. When Jack isn't writing about sports, he's watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He's also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.
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The PGA Tour makes a stop in Texas this week for the 2022 Cadence Bank Houston Open. Texas native and World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler is the betting favorite to win at +550 odds, with Sam Burns (+1200), Aaron Wise (+1600), and Tony Finau (+1600) next in line.
With a top-heavy field ready to tee it up at Memorial Park Golf Course this weekend, let’s dish out some power rankings for the top 10 players in the 2022 Cadence Bank Houston Open.
10. Denny McCarthy
World ranking: 78
Betting odds: +3700
Denny McCarthy is always a threat to win on the PGA Tour because of how good he is on the greens. He finished last season as the second-best putter on Tour in terms of strokes gained, and he has two top-11 finishes in his last three trips to the Houston Open.
9. Sahith Theegala
World ranking: 53
Betting odds: +4100
Sahith Theegala’s first PGA Tour is coming at some point this season, and after two top-six finishes in his first four starts of 2022-23, I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes this week.
8. Maverick Mcnealy
World ranking: 63
Betting odds: +2600
Another player still searching for his first PGA Tour win, Maverick Mcnealy has come out of the gates on fire to start the 2022-23 season. In five starts, the Stanford product has notched two top-10s and has finished outside the top 18 only once. Mcnealy has finished T20 or better in his last three starts at the Houston Open.
7. Sepp Straka
World ranking: 27
Betting odds: +6500
When it comes to the betting odds for the 2022 Houston Open, Sepp Straka might be my favorite bet of the week. The Austrian absolutely loves this place, as he finished T5 in 2020 and T4 in 2019. Straka also has one runner-up finish in four starts this season, so I think he has a chance to win this week.
6. Aaron Wise
World ranking: 34
Betting odds: +1600
Aaron Wise is known as a superb ball striker who struggles with his short game, but he’s flipped that narrative early in the 2022-23 season. The Oregon product currently ranks 19th in strokes gained putting, which has led to a solo sixth and a T15 in his last two starts. If his putter stays hot this week, Wise should be in contention on Sunday afternoon.
5. Hideki Matsuyama
World ranking: 19
Betting odds: +2200
OK, on to the big guns. Hideki Matsuyama is one of just four players in the 2022 Houston Open field ranked inside the top 20 in the OWGR. He finished T2 in his only career start at the Houston Open in 2020, so he’s rightfully priced near the top of the odds board to win this week.
4. Russell Henley
World ranking: 33
Betting odds: +2200
Russell Henley is coming off his fourth PGA Tour victory at last week’s World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, and he did it in dominant fashion. The Georgia Bulldog finished at 23 under par and four strokes ahead of the rest of the field. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he went back-to-back this week.
3. Tony Finau
World ranking: 15
Betting odds: +1600
Tony Finau is clearly the third-best player in the 2022 Houston Open field, but he enters the tournament with some question marks after a missed cut in his first start of the season last week. He also doesn’t have a great track record at the Houston Open with a missed cut and a T24 in two starts, so I’m not sure what to expect from Finau here.
2. Sam Burns
World ranking: 12
Betting odds: +1200
Sam Burns is the best golfer on planet earth that no one seems to care about. The LSU product won three times on Tour last season and jumped to No. 12 in the OWGR, but he’s never been considered an elite player for some reason. With a pair of T7 finishes at the Houston Open in his last two starts here, Burns will be confident about his chances to win this week.
1. Scottie Scheffler
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World ranking: 2
Betting odds: +550 (favorite)
No surprise here. Scottie Scheffler is the highest-ranked player in the Houston Open field at No. 2 in the OWGR, and he’s the overwhelming betting favorite to win the event at +550. The Texas native recorded a runner-up finish at last year’s tournament, and he’s coming off a T3 last week in his second start of the season. Scheffler will be disappointed if he doesn’t grab his fifth PGA Tour victory this week.
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