Golf Betting Tips: Dustin Johnson to complete Saudi International hatrick?

It is finally here. The Saudi International is back and this year, it has been sanctioned by the Asian Tour and sponsored by the Private Investment Fund.

Dustin Johnson returns as the defending champion and the only multiple champion in its short, three-year history. Graeme McDowell won the event in 2020.

There will be a fantastic field teeing it up at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club with players such as Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Xander Schauffele competing amongst a host of other PGA Tour stars.

There are also a number of big names staying in America this week for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which is one of the most popular events on the PGA Tour.

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Daniel Berger is the returning defending champion after securing a two-shot victory at the historic venue last season.

Matt and Andy experienced no luck last week, but they are looking to make amends with their latest picks: 

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Andy - Patrick Cantlay 8/1 (£7.50) and Jason Day 20/1 (£2.50)

Patrick Cantlay is the betting favourite this week at Pebble Beach and rightly so. The FedEx Cup champion is one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour.

He has already finished fourth at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and ninth at The American Express this season, so he is entering the week with more great form.  

Jason Day provided glimpses of his best golf at the Farmers Insurance Open last week when he, unfortunately, finished tied third.

We all want the Australian to get back to his best and at 20/1, this is a very good price for him to follow up on a solid week at Torrey Pines.

Matt - Maverick McNealy 22/1 (£5) and Jordan Spieth 20/1 (£5)

Maverick McNealy came second in this event last season and the 26-year-old has a clear affinity with Californian golf events.

In the last three seasons, McNealy is 99-under-par in PGA Tour events in California, only Patrick Cantlay matches this mark. He has also got a tied fifth finish on his record at Pebble Beach, so don't be surprised if he goes close again. 

Jordan Spieth may have missed the cut last week in San Diego, but he won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2017.

He has started slowly in 2022, but in 2021, he won the Valero Texas Open and came second on two occasions and third on two occasions. He is almost back to his brilliant best.

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Saudi International 

Andy - Dustin Johnson 8/1 (£7.50) and Thomas Pieters 16/1 (£2.50)

Dustin Johnson is going for a hatrick of wins at the Saudi International this week at the venue near Jeddah. He clearly enjoys the course and the event.

After a long break from golf, he finished tied 25th at the Farmers Insurance Open last week. This could be a good warm-up for his week in the Middle East.

Thomas Pieters won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship last month and he finished tied 12th at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic.

The Belgian is back to his best form, having also recently won the Portugal Masters, and he could continue that at the Saudi International.

Matt - Cameron Smith 14/1 (£5) and Sam Horsfield 35/1 (£5)

Although Cameron Smith missed the cut at the Sony Open, he won his fourth PGA Tour event at the Sentry Tournament of Champions the week before.

Smith's career is on a clear upwards trajectory. He made eight top-10 finishes in 2021 and also won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Marc Leishman.

Sam Horsfield has also made a fantastic start to 2022 in the Middle East. He finished tied 12th in Abu Dhabi and he finished tied fourth in Dubai last week.

The Englishman has two wins on the DP World Tour and although this is a strong field in Saudi Arabia, Horsfield certainly has the chance to come of age in 2022.

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