Stenson worth another go in Texas

Our two at a price in the Shell Houston Open

Golf punters see their thinking begin to wander to next week’s US Masters at Augusta, which gets underway on Thursday 6^th April, but there’s plenty to get through before then, with Thursday’s Shell Houston Open giving backers a chance to boost their betting balance in time for the big one.

This tournament also presents the top players with one final chance to sharpen their tools, meaning we have a star-studded field in attendance at the Golf Course of Houston, Texas. Click here to bet on all the action, including the outright winner.

Jordan Spieth arrives as the most likely winner, according to our traders, and punters who want to keep the pre-tournament favourite close will find him doing the rounds at 6/1 just now. We can’t really deny the talented local that label either, as he went mighty close to winning this before, losing a play-off a couple of years ago. I certainly wouldn’t put anyone off the 2015 Masters champion.

Jim Herman starts as defending champion, having returned a winning score of 15 under-par here last year. That was a pretty low effort, judging by the winners of previous outings, but he is the only player in the last three years not to have won the prizemoney courtesy of a play-off. Traders see that as freak luck however, and anyone wanting two in-a-row can have 100/1 with us.

We can rely on Stenson

Spieth looks a worthy favourite, but I wouldn’t get on at 6/1, and will instead look to pick out a lively underdog at a bit more of a price. With that in mind we have our stake money on Henrik Stenson. He let us down recently, and would’ve been available at a bigger price here had Dustin Johnston not pulled out blaming fatigue. When in the mood there’s few better to have onside though, and 40-year-old Swede has shown plenty in the past to suggest winning this isn’t beyond him.