Wells Fargo Championship Preview: Max Homa fancied to retain title

This week, the PGA Tour returns to Quail Hollow after a year away, for the Wells Fargo Championship. Rory McIlroy heads the betting, with defending champion Max Homa a promising prospect and Viktor Hovland also fancied to secure what would be one of the biggest wins of his young career.

We preview the action below.

McIlroy early favourite

It’s no surprise to see Rory McIlroy as the early favourite for a PGA Tour event, however Quail Hollow holds significance for the world-number-three as he made his PGA Tour breakthrough here in 2010. He also claimed victory in North Carolina in 2021, marking his third Wells Fargo Championship win.

Given his successful record at the course, including scoring a tournament record -21 in his 2015 victory, at 7/1 McIlroy is clearly the man to beat. The field doesn’t look too challenging either, with both Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler playing their pass cards this week.

McIlroy will hope to make up for missing the cut at The Masters last time out, and what better way to do so than to earn his first PGA victory of 2023 to kickstart his year after a faltering start. He was ten under par in his 2021 triumph, and if his form is right, he could fair even better this year.

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Max Homa another Fargo fan

Max Homa is the reigning title holder of the Wells Fargo Championship. Having also having taken the crown in 2019, Homa could make history by repeating last year’s success and becoming the first player to win the competition back-to-back, as well as at two different courses.

This season has been kind to Homa so far, as one of the top performers of America’s team in the Presidents Cup at this very course, as well as defending his title at the Fortinet Championship and securing the Farmers Insurance Open title in January.

The 20/1 shot will certainly fancy his chances here as his 2022 title was won by a two-shot margin, and in 2019, a three-shot victory. If he can equal McIlroy’s three Wells Fargo Championship titles it would certainly go down as one of his highlights of the season.

Hovland in his element?

Viktor Hovland is yet to register a title this year, but this untried course should suit the 25-year-old, with its large classical course features demanding strong driving throughout. Hovland has been up to most challenges this season and truly showcased his skills in Augusta as he led the clubhouse after round one of The Masters and finished a respectable six under, tied for seventh.

Hovland openly admitted his excitement to play at the course, and he is fancied as one of the strongest in the betting at 16/1. In fact, at that price he is favoured ahead of the likes of Cameron Young (18/1), Jordan Spieth (18/1) and Jason Day (22/1), just to name a few.

Hovland’s style will certainly suit the course, but with a $20,000,000 purse on the line there are plenty of others vying to clinch the title. This would be a truly epic victory for the promising young player, and we wouldn’t put it past the Norwegian to go all the way.

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