Safeway Open 2020 Betting Preview – Let’s Pick a Winner

The 2020-21 PGA Tour season kicks off this week in Napa at the stunning Silverado Resort & Spa. With the U.S. Open looming next week in New York, none of the 30 participants from last week’s TOUR Championship journeyed west to California. With that being said, Phil Mickelson highlights a 156-man field that also includes household names like Jordan Spieth and Sergio Garcia.

Betting insight and a Safeway Open prediction can be found below, but let’s get started with a look at the odds.

Phil Mickelson makes his second straight start as the betting favorite. Lefty triumphed two weeks ago in his Champions Tour debut and is looking to continue garnering momentum as he gets set to return to Winged Foot.

Si Woo Kim has displayed solid form as of late, and Brendan Steele won this event in 2016 and 2017.

At no. 41 in the world, Chez Reavie is the highest-ranked player in the field. Only three others inside the top 50 are here (Sergio Garcia 44, Kevin Streelman 47, Erik van Rooyen 48).

Cameron Champ birdied the 72^nd hole to hold off a surging Adam Hadwin by one shot. It was an emotional victory for the bomber and the second straight year he picked off a win during the fall portion of the season.

Most remember Champ embracing his father on the final green – as many tears were shed as they phoned in Cameron’s ailing grandfather. What I remember is the 369-yard bullet Champ blistered off the 18^th tee on Sunday set up the finishing birdie.

I remember it vividly because it’s hard to fathom a swing so effortless can send a ball traveling upwards of 195 mph.

Marc Leishman finished solo third while Justin Thomas, Charles Howell III, and Zac Blair tied for 4^th. Adam Scott landed in 17^th after opening with a tournament-leading 65.

Sorry, I’m not taking the bait and backing Phil for my Safeway Open prediction. What I will do instead is target a player who should be licking his chops upon arriving at the North Course as Silverado Resort & Spa.

Mark Hubbard finished 13^th at last year’s Safeway Open – adding to the good vibes he carries around with him in this region of the country. The 31-year-old excelled at nearby San Jose State and proposed to his now-fiancé on the 18^th green at Pebble Beach.

Mark’s got a laid-back attitude and looks as if he’s putting with a flat stick that’s made for a toddler, but don’t sleep on this dude’s ability to get the ball in the hole. Mark quietly finished 44^th in the 2019-20 FedEx Cup standings and is an extremely sound ball striker.

He’s also got a pretty snazzy short game.

This chip shot from Mark Hubbard was jaw-dropping. ?pic.twitter.com/2S4DumoKib

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) August 27, 2020

Hubbard posted seven top-15s this past year and has connected on 9 of 10 cuts since the restart. I was a bit annoyed watching one of the safest betting sites adjust Mark’s odds from +5000 to +4000 right in front of my eyes, but the frustration was short-lived.

We can latch onto Hubbard at +5500 over at MyBookie.