Remaining just a few weeks away from the second major championship of the PGA Tour season, this weekend we take a look at five names to watch at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship. Won by young up-and-comer Max Homa a year ago, four of the five top golfers in the world are scheduled to be in the field this weekend, with John Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, and Bryson DeChambeau all planned to make the trip down to North Carolina.
Providing a challenge to all the players up and down the field, Quail Hollow remains home to three of the most challenging golf holes, making accuracy off the tee and second solid shots into the green a premium this weekend. One week removed from Sam Burns entering the winner’s circle on Tour for the first time, here are five names to watch at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship.
Five Names to Watch at the Wells Fargo Championship
Justin Thomas
The odds-on favorite to capture a victory heading into the weekend, current world number two Thomas remains red hot throughout the 2021 tour season. Capturing a win at the Players Championship in March, Thomas has five top-ten finishes in 13 starts, leading to a first-place ranking in the Fed Ex cup race. Currently leading the tour in scoring average per round at 69.7, he also remains top five in strokes gained tee to green, with 1.7 averaged per round.
Seizing his first-ever major at Quail Hollow during the 2017 season, the 28-year-old has already won at the golf course before, making him one of the betting favourites. Accurate both off the tee and with his irons, look for Thomas to be around the top this weekend.
John Rahm
Making his first appearance since tying for fifth at Augusta National a month ago, Rahm will look to continue his steady streak of play. Posting two top-five finishes and three top-ten finishes over his last five events, he also made the weekend in all of his previous six tournaments.
Finishing within five strokes of the leader during those last five appearances, he remains one of the longest hitters off the tee on tour. Rahm averages over 307 yards per drive. The 26-year-old has also averaged 72.11 percent of greens in regulation while remaining one of the best at scrambling. Finishing fourth during his last appearance in this event, he currently listed at 12-1 odds to capture the tournament according to William Hill.
Viktor Hovland
One of the fastest risers on tour since making his debut in 2019, Hovland finished in a tie for third at the Valspar Championship last weekend after a final round 65. Deadly accurate with his driver, the Norwegian ranks fourth on tour in strokes gained off the tee. Along with this, the 23-year-old also ranks in the top 40 in greens in regulation, hitting them 68 percent of the time.
Currently fifth on the money list for the 2021 season, he has had a streaky year on tour, leading to a missed cut at the Players Championship and a tie for 21st at the Masters in April. Needing to be locked in with the putter if he hopes to find success at Quail Hollow, he lands as our third player to watch at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship.
Max Homa
The last winner at the tournament in 2019 after it was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Homa has quickly become one of the brightest young stars on the PGA Tour. Now inside the top 40 on the world golf rankings, the California native has two top-ten finishes in his last four starts, including a sixth-place finish in Florida a week ago.
Improving every year since turning pro in 2014, he now ranks inside the top 50 in stroked gained total, strokes gained tee to green and driving distance. Averaging just over 70 per round in 18 starts on tour in 2021, the 30-year-old will look to capture his second Wells Fargo Championship in preparation for the elusive first major victory at the PGA Championship later in May.
Webb Simpson
A North Carolina native, Simpson will look to capture his first win since the RBC Heritage in 2020 at his home course Quail Hollow. Enjoying a resurgence over the past year, the 35-year-old has recorded five top-ten finishes in his last 13 starts. He also finished 12th at Augusta in April after carding a final round 70 to earn an invite back for next year.
Currently, the ninth-ranked player in the world, Simpson remains deadly accurate off the tee, hitting the fairway on 71.1 percent of his tee shots. Furthermore, he continues to be steady with the putter, earning him the 17th ranking on tour in strokes gained putting. Confident as they come heading into the tournament, he lands as the final member of our names to watch at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship.
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