AT&T Byron Nelson 2023 First-Round Leader Bets

The AT&T Byron Nelson will begin Thursday, May 11, from TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.

Even though it’s not a designated event and it’s the week before the PGA Championship, some good players are in the field, including world No. 2 Scottie Scheffler.

A par-72 and 7,468 yards, TPC Craig Ranch rewards the longer hitters as it is pretty straightforward, without much trouble tee-to-green. It doesn’t mean shorter hitters can’t contend, but it is a very vanilla course by PGA Tour standards.

Low scores will be had, as K.H. Lee has won the event the last two years with scores of 26-under and 25-under.

Who could post the best score in Thursday’s first round? Below are my first-round leader bets for the week.

AT&T Byron Nelson: First-Round Leader (FRL) Bets

Scottie Scheffler +1100 First-Round Leader

This is purely based on value. Scheffler is +333 to win the entire tournament but +1100 to be the leader after the first round. As the best player in the field, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he led after the first round.

Scheffler is third on the PGA Tour this year in first-round scoring (68.18).

Tom Hoge +5500 First-Round Leader

Hoge has taken the last two weeks off, so he may have some rust in Thursday’s first round, but he’s also a player who plays a ton on his off weeks. He likely won’t have the same rust that another player might have in the same position.

The 33-year-old has shown the ability to make a ton of birdies at once, including shooting a 62 in the third round of the Players Championship a few months ago.

Ryan Palmer +8000 First-Round Leader

The 46-year-old may not be able to contend for an entire week on the PGA Tour, but he has the ability to put one round together, especially in Texas, where he grew up and still resides.

Palmer always seems to play well at events in Texas, including finishing T-5 here a year ago.