Draws and Fades: Examining top Memorial contenders not named Scottie Scheffler

Look, there’s a very real chance that Scottie Scheffler does Scottie Scheffler things this weekend at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.

The best player in the world, Scheffler is a marathoner. He wears you down. He makes fewer mistakes than most of his peers, bounces back faster from the ones he does make, and generally is one of the game’s best front-runners. He showed it at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, then again at the PGA Championship.

We could certainly be headed for a third installment this week at Muirfield Village Golf Club, where he got the winner’s handshake from Jack Nicklaus a year ago.

But, if he doesn’t, there’s value to be had on the odds board at the halfway point.

Scheffler trails Nick Taylor and Ben Griffin by three shots through two rounds in Ohio, but after starting the week as a clear betting favorite he hasn’t lost that perch heading into Round 3.

Updated odds to win the Memorial Tournament (via FanDuel)

• +175: Scottie Scheffler
• +400: Ben Griffin
• +600: Nick Taylor
• +1100: Akshay Bhatia
• +1400: Collin Morikawa
• +1600: Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth
• +1800: Shane Lowry
• +2200: Sam Burns

Scheffler has done a lot right this week, sitting sixth in Strokes Gained: Approach while racking up nine birdies. But he’s not flawless – he’s losing ground on the greens and nearly made two double bogeys in a five-hole stretch during a second-round 70.

Knowing that Scheffler will command much of the attention from the betting public, let’s grab the bull by the horns and live in a world where he doesn’t go back-to-back at Jack’s Place. In that scenario, here are a few players to look toward at the halfway point who could have some upside in the outright market:

Nick Taylor +600

Not exactly going out on a limb here by targeting the current co-leader, but Taylor is priced behind both Scheffler and Griffin, with home he shares the pole position. But here’s the thing about the Canadian: he wins more than you might expect.

Taylor has 23 career top-10 finishes across 296 career starts – a solid haul, but hardly prolific. Of those 23 close calls, though, he has racked up five wins, including one in each of the last three seasons, most recently the Sony Open in January. When he gets within reach of the lead, he can be tough to shake.

Taylor has put forth a solid all-around performance, ranking 16th or better in all four major Strokes Gained categories, and the putter is hot. He made some strides before a missed cut at the PGA Championship, but now could be poised for another trophy, at a better betting price than the situation would normally dictate.

Akshay Bhatia +1100

This is a little further down the board, but I’m buying into Bhatia who surprised with his T3 finish at THE PLAYERS. It’s been a tough stretch since then, but he seemed to find something at Colonial last week and now sits alone in third place, two shots behind Taylor and Griffin.

A big obstacle for Bhatia will be a Saturday tee time alongside Scheffler, but if he’s able to handle that spotlight he could turn this into career win No. 3. Bhatia is second this week in SG: Approach, gaining nearly 5 shots on the field with his irons, and his 3-under 69 in the second round came despite losing ground on the greens.

Justin Rose +27000

Admittedly this is a total flier, but something is going on with the Englishman this week. After taking the early lead through nine holes, he imploded with a back-nine 43 on Thursday and seemed destined for a missed cut. Then he bounced back with six birdies in a seven-hole stretch Friday en route to a 66 that brought him right back onto the edge of contention at an event he won 15 years ago.

Not all will have the stomach for such a longshot, and admittedly, it’s an uphill battle facing a seven-shot deficit with some stiff competition around. But a +550 price for a top-10 finish would certainly be a palatable option for the Masters runner-up.