Wells Fargo 2022
Overview
Dates: May 5, 2022 to May 8, 2022
Location: North Carolina, USA
Course: TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm
Course Par: 70
Course Length: 7,107 yards
Prize Purse: $9000000
The Wells Fargo Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour. Held in early May at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, it has attracted some of the top players on the tour. It debuted in 2003 as the Wachovia Championship and was known in 2009 and 2010 as the Quail Hollow Championship. In 2017, the tournament offered a $7.5 million purse with a winner’s share of $1.35 million.
From 2004–06 and 2011–13, the tournament ended in a playoff. Additionally, the event has one of the tougher finishes on tour with 16, 17, and 18, commonly known as the “Green Mile,” often ranked among the PGA Tour’s toughest holes. Organized by Champions for Education, Inc., the majority of the charitable proceeds from the tournament benefit Teach for America.
In 2017, the tournament was held on the coast in Wilmington at Eagle Point Golf Club, as Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship in mid-August. Wilmington hosted the Azalea Open on tour in the 1950s and 1960s at the Donald Ross-designed Cape Fear Country Club; it was a tune-up event for The Masters through 1965,[4] part of the city’s Azalea Festival.
In 2022, the tournament will be held near Washington, D.C. at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, Maryland, as Quail Hollow is scheduled to host the Presidents Cup in late September.
Decades earlier, Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Tour’s Kemper Open eleven times, from 1969 through 1979.
Results
Cameron Young saved the day, with a strong run over the weekend getting him into a tie for second, although a quiet first couple of days meant that he never really threatened to win. Overall a small loss on the week, which we’ll settle for considering a few selections performed a little below expectations. It was a slightly strange event, with unusually unpleasant weather conditions making for some high scores from round 2 onwards. Homa was a worthy winner, having been called out in our preview as having a live chance, although frustratingly not making the final staking plan. Next up is the Wells Fargo at TPC Craig Ranch; the final opportunity for players to get their game in shape ahead of the PGA Championship the following week.
Preview
No getting away from the fact that the Mexico Open was a disappointment, with none of our selections really getting into contention at any stage, albeit both Woodland and Munoz should arguably have made the top 20 at least with a half decent week on the greens. Frustratingly three of the players we gave a positive mention to made the places at decent prices, but that will happen from time to time. So we move on to the Wells Fargo, which this year is held at TPC Potomac, rather than its usual home at Quail Hollow (currently being prepared for the Presidents Cup). Although not on the current tour rota, TPC Potomac has been a regular venue previously, and has hosted over 20 tour events. It’s likely to play pretty tough, with precision off the tee rather than brute force likely to be a key pre-requisite for success. The field in some ways has a similar make up to last week, with a clear favourite in Rory McIlroy, and although there’s more depth in the field than in Mexico, it wouldn’t be the strongest field by any means.
Outrights
| Player | Points | Type | UK Odds | Places | Outright US Odds |
| Sepp Straka | 3 | EW | 45/1 | 10 | |
| Matt Kuchar | 2 | EW | 50/1 | 8 | |
| Cameron Young | 2 | EW | 40/1 | 8 | |
| Matthew NeSmith | 1.5 | EW | 66/1 | 8 | |
| Tyler Duncan | 1 | EW | 150/1 | 8 |
Our lead selection this week is Sepp Straka (3pts ew, 45/1, 10 places). We were on the Austrian a couple of weeks ago at the RBC when he came within a single shot of a play off having bogeyed his final hole. But he remains one of the form players in the field, ranking 5th in overall strokes gained and is starting to play some consistently excellent stuff. His all-round game is in good shape, gaining ground in each discipline, and he still doesn’t seem to have been picked up by the market to the extent that his form deserves.
Another player who made the places when we were on at the RBC is Matt Kuchar (2pts ew, 50/1, 8 places). Kooch is having something of a resurgence recently and, ranking in the top 50 on the tour for driving accuracy, on a track like this where this is likely to be an asset, he could easily plot his way to another high finish.
Cameron Young (2pts ew, 40/1, 8 places) is hard to leave off the staking plan. An exceptional driver, it’s notable that in recent months his short game has shown some improvement, with positive SG on the greens in the last 3 months. Although still a tour maiden, I see this changing sooner rather than later. He’s quickly building experience of contending over the weekend, and this could be a perfect opportunity to break his duck.
Matthew NeSmith (1.5pts ew, 66/1, 8 places) has been putting in some solid showings recently, a T12 at the RBC being the latest. Another who is solid off the tee, with a small improvement in his short game he could easily get himself into contention once again.
Finally, we’ll throw a small stake at Tyler Duncan (1pt ew, 150/1, 8 places). As you’d expect at this price, he’s not exactly a solid proposition, but again he very much ticks the accuracy box, and in fact his tee to green stats have been pretty good for an apparent no-hoper. His putting has been the issue, but that’s the most volatile of the SG metrics, so it’s not impossible that a reasonable week with the putter could see him sneak into the mix.
Plenty of others can be given a chance this week. It’s easy enough to swerve Rory despite his final round heroics at Augusta, on the basis that he’s had a few weeks off, is short enough in the market, and a tight, strategic course may not play to his strengths. As with Rahm last week, if he wins at that price I won’t lose sleep over not having backed him. Fitzpatrick and Conners certainly fit the profile we’re looking for here, but around the 20/1 mark don’t really appeal on value grounds. And Henley, Homa, Hatton, Si Woo, Riley, Power and Rai were also given serious consideration.
Match Ups
None this week.
Cameron Young saved the day, with a strong run over the weekend getting him into a tie for second, although a quiet first couple of days meant that he never really threatened to win. Overall a small loss on the week, which we’ll settle for considering a few selections performed a little below expectations. It was a slightly strange event, with unusually unpleasant weather conditions making for some high scores from round 2 onwards. Homa was a worthy winner, having been called out in our preview as having a live chance, although frustratingly not making the final staking plan. Next up is the Wells Fargo at TPC Craig Ranch; the final opportunity for players to get their game in shape ahead of the PGA Championship the following week.