Orlando Ramirez
The FedEx Cup Fall continues in Mexico with the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal, which, in its short history as host venue, has yielded a whole lot of birdies.
In other words, just about anybody in decent form is a hot putting week away from career-changing victory. Will it be a longshot, or will a top-of-the-odds board type like Andrew Novak run away and hide again?
The Golf Digest betting panel this week is comprised of Pat Mayo of Underdog/Mayo Media Network, Andy Lack of the Inside Sports Network, David Gordon of ESPN, your two authors and Keith Stewart, the CEO of Read The Line.
Scroll down for our complete betting analysis of the 2026 World Wide Technology Championship:
| Experts | Pick to Win | Dark Horse | Miscellaneous Prop of the Week | Pick to Finish Top-10 | Matchups |
|---|
World Wide Technology Championship picks 2026: Our Experts’ Outright Predictions
Pat Mayo, Underdog/Fantasy National, Mayo Media Network analyst: Michael Kim (40-1, FanDuel) — MK has been uber consistent since the end of the playoffs with no finish outside the top 25 in any of his three starts and three top 10s in three of his past seven outings. El Cardonal fits his strengths perfectly along with mitigating his biggest weaknesses, too. Kim can get a bit loose off the tee, which shouldn’t be an issue with these airport hangar fairways, which allow him to unleash his elite fairway proximity from all ranges, consistently hot putter (sixth SG/putting over last year), and spike low rounds—all necessary to win in Cabo. OF NOTE: Only two golfers have appeared on The Pat Mayo Experience in the last year, and one of them won last week. Why not two in a row?
Keith Stewart, PGA, Read The Line: Chris Kirk (45-1, FanDuel) — One of the hottest wedge players in the field is Chris Kirk. Kirk’s problems with the putter are popular knowledge. Before Bermuda, Chris had not gained with his flatstick since Memorial Park in March. At Port Royal, Kirk gained nearly five strokes on the field putting. Most of Kirk’s six PGA Tour wins came on grainy Bermudagrass. When you talk about wedge proximity, Chris is ranked second in total number of approaches inside 10’ per round. Our winner will need that wedge acumen in order to win.
Read The Line’s Keith Stewart and Pat Mayo discuss the keys to handicapping the 2026 World Wide Technology Championship.
Stephen Hennessey, Golf Digest managing editor: Blades Brown (30-1, DraftKings) — Blades Brown is second only to Ben Kohles in Birdie or Better percentage over the past 50 rounds, he’s long enough off the tee and ranks fifth in Bonus Putting, which shows his propensity to make putts of 20-plus feet. The kid is a superstar, and it wouldn’t surprise anybody if gets his first PGA Tour win this week.
Christopher Powers, Golf Digest senior writer: Kristoffer Ventura (40-1, FanDuel) — Ventura’s T-2 last week has helped him go from firmly outside the top 100 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings to firmly inside the top 100 at 76th. Now, he can set his sights even higher and build on that momentum in Mexico, which could lead to big things in 2027. The Norwegian gained in all areas last week at VidantaWorld and rode his best weapon, the driver, to his best solo finish of 2026. The driver will be key again at El Cardonal.
Andy Lack, Inside Sports Network: Zach Bauchou (51-1, DraftKings) — Zach Bauchou was a disappointment last week at the Mexico Open, but I am going right back to the well, as Bauchou still gained strokes in both ball-striking categories and simply missed the cut due to a faulty putter. Bauchou also fired a five-under par round on Friday and should be heading into El Cardonal with more momentum than his recent result shows. Bauchou finished 24th at the Biltmore, 13th at the Bank of Utah, and 9th at the BayCurrent already this Fall swing.
David Gordon, ESPN Research: Jackson Suber (40-1, BetMGM) — Everything remains promising as Suber seeks that elusive first victory despite his top-10 drought approaching 4 months. He finished T-11 in his tournament debut last year and he”s gained shots tee-to-green in five straight starts and seven of his last eight. I’m not off the bandwagon just yet.
Past results: With Andy Lack’s correct prediction of Scottie Scheffler to win the Tour Championship at +345, the panel now has eight outright winners in 2026. That was Andy’s first win of the year, and it came on the heels of Keith Stewart and Pat Mayo’s first win of the year, Wyndham Clark at the BMW Championship. Ryan Noonan has four winners and Steve Hennessey has three. Onto the fall we go, and with a new member of the panel! Welcome David Gordon of ESPN, who you may also know as the “double hammer” king.
Listen to Golf Digest’s weekly betting podcast, “The Loop,” (below) where we interview the industry’s leading experts (and sometimes tour pros) to help you make your bets and pick your fantasy lineups. And be sure to subscribe to “The Loop” wherever you get your podcasts!
World Wide Technology Championship picks 2026: Sleepers/Dark Horses Who Could Win
Mayo: Billy Horschel (75-1, Bet365) — If Horschel is over the runs that took him out last week, he sets up perfectly to capitalize on his recent solid form. Few in the field are better from 150 and in. No player has put balls more consistently inside five feet from 50-100 yards than William Ho over the past four months, which has led to the fourth-best birdie-or-better rate from the fairway in that stretch. He’s spiked over his career at PGA National (the biggest result comp course) and won the last time he played on paspalum (2024 Corales).
Stewart: Seamus Power (55-1, Fanatics) — Seamus Power is ranked sixth in the field on approach from 100 to 150 yards. That range is our wheelhouse for two-thirds of the approaches Power and the rest of the field will face on El Cardonal. Seamus is also a great putter on grainy coastal greens. A winner in Bermuda, and runner-up two weeks ago losing in a playoff, Seamus is scoring at will this fall. The best fall players keep contending and winning. I can’t ignore Power’s numbers or his ability to hit every wedge close and convert this week.
Hennessey, Golf Digest: Max Greyserman (52-1, DraftKings) — The combination of elite distance (11th in this field) and great putting (second) is what I’m looking for. And these odds are enticing. He hasn’t been terrible this fall, with a T-11 last week in Mexico and a T-10 in Asheville. He just posted his best approach numbers since May, too, so there’s reason for optimism at these odds.
Powers, Golf Digest: Erik van Rooyen (98-1, DraftKings) — The former winner of this event is coming off a T-6 at VidantaWorld. That combo of course history and very recent form is impossible to ignore at these odds. And it wasn’t smoke and mirrors, either. After a brutal week with the irons in Bermuda, EVR bounced back by gaining 0.56 on approach in Mexico. Put this man in a birdie-fest and watch him go.
Lack: Ben Silverman (100-1, FanDuel) — Ben Silverman is coming off a 19th at Vidanta Vallarta where he gained 3.3 strokes off the tee and 3.3 strokes on approach. Prior to that, he also finished third at the Butterfield Bermuda. Now he travels to another golf course he already has a top-25 finish at, in some of the best form of his career.
Gordon: Trace Crowe (65-1, Fanatics) — Crowe plays some of the most aggressive golf on tour and his birdie rate backs it up — last week his 28 birdies led the entire field with tournament champion Andrew Novak finishing second with 26. Two weeks prior Crowe finished tied for third in Utah with a similar profile of 27 birdies/better. I expect him to be right there in this week’s birdie fest.
World Wide Technology Championship picks 2026: Miscellaneous prop
Mayo: Ben Silverman Round 1 Leader (90-1, BetRivers) — The approach, particularly his wedges, are fire at the moment. He just needs to get that putter hot again. At least for one round. Preferably, the first round.
Stewart: Nick Dunlap Top-40 Finish (+200, DraftKings) — The mysterious case of Nick Dunlap loves a super shootout. Especially when the fairways are 60 yards wide. In a tumultuous 2025, Dunlap finished eighth at the WWT. Nick gained over 11 strokes last year on the El Cardonal course, his best SG/total for the entire season. Now heading into Cabo, the iron play, short game, and putter are in order. Just keep it on the 50-plus yard wide landing zones, and we’re good to cash with 40 places.
Hennessey, Golf Digest: Austin Hitt, top-20 finish (+320, FanDuel) — This isn’t a name familiar to golf fans, but that might change soon. Hitt just won the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Championship and leads this field in gaining more than strokes per round on SG/tee to green over the past 50 rounds, per RickRunGood.com. That’s a skill that should translate to success on the PGA Tour, too.
Powers, Golf Digest: Ben Kohles Top-20 Finish (+188, BetRivers) — Kohles has done this in four consecutive starts. If anybody can bungle that streak, it’s me, but I have high hopes after he still managed a T-17 in Bermuda despite losing nearly a stroke and a half with the putter. The way he’s playing of late, he might need only an average week on the greens to have a legitimate chance to win.
Lack: Ben Silverman Top Canadian Finisher (+550, DraftKings) — I’ve already discussed my love for Ben Silverman in the long shot section, and this would be an example of another market I’d be looking to get some more Silverman exposure in. Nick Taylor is out of form and has not played in over a month, and while Mackenzie Hughes was excellent last week, he did that on the back of 12 strokes-gained short game, whereas Silverman’s performance was far more sustainable.
Gordon: Justin Lower Round 1 Leader (98-1, DraftKings) — In his 16 rounds in this event Lower owns a 67.8 scoring average, and five of those 16 rounds have been 65s or better. The 2024 runner-up has an early tee time on Thursday and could be due for his first FRL of the season.
Misc. Prop Results from the VidantaWorld Mexico Open: Lack: 1 for 1 (Ben Silverman R1 3-ball (+175)); Noonan: 0 for 1; Mayo: 0 for 1; Powers: 0 for 1; Stewart: 0 for 1; Gordon: 0 for 1; Hennessey: 0 for 1
Misc. Prop Results from the 2026 season: Lack: 5 for 9 (up 8.92 units); Noonan: 4 for 8 (up 5.8 units); Mayo: 1 for 9 (up 0 units); Powers: 2 for 9 (down 1.32 units); Stewart: 2 for 9 (down 1.4 units); Gordon: 0 for 5 (down 5 units); Hennessey: 0 for 9 (down 9 units)
World Wide Technology Championship picks 2026: Matchups
Mayo: Johnny Keefer (+100) over Marco Penge (Coolbet) — It’s a bet on Keefer being able to putt this week. Plus, there’s always the out that Penge sucks on the greens, too. That’s better than a coin flip.
Stewart: Steven Fisk (+100) over Christiaan Bezuidenhout (BetMGM) — Other than having some bad sushi in Japan, Steven Fisk has been rolling this Fall. Fisk’s usual impeccable ball-striking has been complemented by a hot putter and two top-seven results in his last three starts. Christiaan Bezuidenhout has been equally good in autumn but has not scored 20-under par (or better) in almost three years. Even though Bezuidenhout has been on target, I doubt the putter can keep pace with Fisk, and I love positive odds on H2Hs.
Hennessey, Golf Digest: Mackenzie Hughes (+100) over Christiaan Bezuidenhout (FanDuel) — Hughes and C-Bez are very similar players, who lean on their hot putters. I’ll side with the player coming off a T-4 last week.
Powers, Golf Digest: Keith Mitchell (+132) over Ryan Gerard (DraftKings) — Gerard certainly seems as close as ever, but the “tournament favorite” label comes with a little extra pressure. Mitchell, meanwhile, finished higher than him the last time they both played at the BayCurrent Classic, yet he’s a sizable underdog here and double the odds as an outright.
Lack: Austin Eckroat (-110) over Beau Hossler (BetCris) — Austin Eckroat is a former winner of this event and a superior ball-striker to Beau Hossler, who lost strokes in both ball-striking last categories last week and has failed to finish top 40 this Fall swing. Getting Eckroat at -110 is a steal.
Gordon: Denny McCarthy (-150) over Rasmus Hojgaard (FanDuel) — Højgaard’s worldwide starts this Fall have gone: WD (after 18 holes at the Biltmore), MC (Utah Championship), MC (Mexico Open). No medical reason was given for Højgaard’s WD 3 starts ago but he’s clearly searching for form — meanwhile McCarthy is on a run of three straight top-30 finishes.
Matchup Results from the VidantaWorld Mexico Open: Noonan: 1 for 1 (Penge (-125) over Bauchou); Lack: 1 for 1 (Novak (-160) over Meissner); Mayo: 0 for 1; Stewart: 0 for 1; Powers: 0 for 1; Gordon: 0 for 1; Hennessey: 0 for 1
Matchup Results from the 2026 season (Wins-Losses-Pushes): Mayo: 20-16-2 (up 4.03 units); Noonan: 20-14-4 (up 3.84 units); Lack: 22-14-2 (up 3.63 units); Stewart: 19-14-3 (up 2.89 units); Powers: 20-18-0 (up 0.48 units); Gordon: 2 for 4 (down 0.26 units); Hennessey: 15-20-3 (down 6.49 units)
World Wide Technology Championship picks 2026: Top 10s
Mayo: Seamus Power (+500, FanDuel) — Gagged away Bermuda with a horrendous third-round putting performance, but has posted elite approach numbers in two of his past three starts, and outside that one round has been rolling it immaculately during the Fall Swing. Power is seventh in approaches inside 10 feet from 100-150 yards, and second in fairway birdie rate. That’s handy at a course which is 98 percent fairway.
Stewart: Blades Brown (+335, BetRivers) — With four top 10s in his last nine starts between the PGA and KFT Tours, Blades Brown continues to contend at 19 years old. The complete ball-striker, Brown has eight top 10s in 2026. The putter held him back at VidantaWorld. With the ability to adjust before his second week on Paspalum, Brown will improve the flatstick and complement that elite ball-striking.
Hennessey, Golf Digest: Seamus Power (+400, FanDuel) — Coming off the playoff loss in Bermuda, Seamus Power is an equally intriguing fit for this course, ranking sixth in SG/putting and top 15 in Birdie or Better percentage.
Powers, Golf Digest: Gordon Sargent (+1000, FanDuel) — Going back to the well here at another driver-heavy Paspalum course, which seems to be right up Sargent’s alley. He led the field in driving distance last week but a balky putter and a poor Sunday with his irons saw him finish T-34. If he can clean one or both of those areas up this week, he could surprise.
Lack: Blades Brown (+335, BetRivers) — Blades Brown was one of my picks to win last week, and while he certainly came up short of that, the 19-year-old still gained over nine strokes ball-striking. Brown is already a tour caliber ball-striker and has come out of the gates firing. I would not be surprised if he recorded another contending finish on an easy golf course that yields very low scoring.
Gordon: Beau Hossler (+650, FanDuel) — Three straight top-20 finishes in this event for Hossler including seven straight rounds in the 60s. Coming off consecutive starts with positive SG/putting for the first time since July, which led to a runner-up at the Wyndham weeks later.
Top-10 results from the VidantaWorld Mexico Open: Hennessey: 1 for 1 (Doug Ghim +174); Everybody else: 0 for 1
Top-10 results from the 2026 season: Mayo: 10 for 38 (up 31.55 units); Lack: 9 for 38 (up 5.2 units); Noonan: 11 for 39 (up 4.6 units); Gordon: 2 for 5 (up 2.1 units); Stewart: 9 for 38 (up 1.05 units); Powers: 7 for 38 (down 6.43 units); Hennessey: 7 for 38 (down 10.86 units)
About our experts
Pat Mayo is an award-winning video host and producer of long and short-form content, and the host of The Pat Mayo Experience daily talk show. Mayo helped create the golf stats and research website Fantasy National along with the Race for the Mayo Cup One and Done contest. Mayo won the 2022 Fantasy Sports Writing Association Daily Fantasy Writer of the Year and is a finalist for three FSWA Awards in 2023 (Best Podcast, Daily Fantasy Writer of the Year, Golf Writer of the Year). His 27 FSWA nominations lead all writers this decade and are second-most all-time. Follow him on Twitter: @ThePME.
Keith Stewart is a five-time award-winning PGA professional, a betting contributor and content partner with Golf Digest. Stewart is a co-founder of Read The Line, the premier on-site live golf betting insights service covering the PGA Tour, LPGA and TGL. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter for the industry’s best betting narratives. Follow him on Twitter @readtheline_.
Ryan Noonan is the Betting Content Manager for 4for4 and Betsperts Golf, writing articles and hosting multiple shows under the Betsperts Group umbrella, including Move The Line and our Betsperts Golf Betting Show. Find him on Twitter: @RyNoonan.
Andy Lack is a PGA Tour writer and podcaster from New York City who now resides in Los Angeles. Andy is the founder and CEO of Inside Sports Network, a website devoted to the predictive quality of advanced analytics and golf course architecture. He came to Golf Digest’s betting panel after previously writing for Run Pure Sports, RickRunGood.com, the Score and GolfWRX. In his free time, Andy can likely be found on a golf course. Follow him on Twitter: @adplacksports.
David Gordon is a research producer at ESPN with a specialty in golf and betting research. The two-time Emmy winner has served as ESPN’s broadcast researcher for the Masters dating back to 2020 and the PGA Championship since 2021. Find him on Twitter: @dgord_tweets.
Source: www.golfdigest.com
