For the first-round lead, Schwarb tossed a flyer on Thomas Detry at +9000. Detry opened last year’s Scottish with 64 on his way to T26 and already owns a 66 this season at the RBC Canadian Open. Schwarb hopes the Belgian’s habit of hot starts resurfaces at a juicy price.

Schwarb’s long-shot ticket is Daniel Berger at +9000. Berger ranks 18th on Tour in strokes-gained off the tee and 23rd in approach this season, yet remains winless. Schwarb believes those elite tee-to-green numbers translate well to Renaissance and the 90-1 price makes the risk palatable.

John Schwarb grabbed Matt Fitzpatrick at +4500 outright. Fitz has gone T8 at the PGA Championship, T17 at the Travelers and T8 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, a surge Schwarb attributes to warmer weather and healthier ball-striking. Sitting 73rd in FedEx points, Fitzpatrick has added urgency and is well-equipped for whatever Scottish weather appears.

John Schwarb likes Chris Kirk at +3500 to close the deal one week after losing a three-man playoff in Detroit. Schwarb pointed to Kirk’s current form and his comfort at TPC Deere Run—four finishes of T23 or better in seven appearances, including T21 last year. Schwarb expects last week’s narrow miss to sharpen Kirk’s focus as he hunts his seventh PGA Tour victory in a field missing most elite names.

John Schwarb doubled down on Cameron Young with a Top-10 ticket at +340, viewing it as insurance in case the 25-year-old’s winless drought lingers. Young’s consecutive T4 finishes and historic 59 at this venue signal a high floor, so Schwarb is comfortable anchoring cards with both the outright and a placement bet.

John Schwarb took Scottie Scheffler +1100 for FRL, reasoning the world No.1 will channel last week’s exhausting, frustrating U.S. Open into an early round-one statement. Rather than swallow microscopic outright odds, Schwarb prefers the single-day market where Scheffler’s tee-to-green superiority can yield a low Thursday number without needing four straight rounds of putting cooperation.

John Schwarb labeled Nick Taylor a value at +11000, citing a post-PGA Championship surge: 4th at the Memorial, T13 at the RBC Canadian Open, and T23 at the U.S. Open. Despite modest Travelers history (best finish T42), Schwarb believes Taylor’s current ball-striking warrants a sprinkle in a 70-man field where triple-digit numbers are scarce.

John Schwarb backed Cameron Young at +5000, arguing the New Yorker is too close to winning to ignore. Young is fresh off back-to-back T4s at the Canadian Open and U.S. Open and added a T7 at the Truist signature event. Schwarb also reminded readers that Young fired a 59 at TPC River Highlands last year, proof the course ceiling is massive. With motivation after a sour finish at Oakmont and comfort knowing he can post a sub-60 here, Schwarb feels the number is mis-priced for Young’s breakout victory.

John Schwarb fired on Cameron Young 50-1, saying the New Yorker is "going to break through eventually." Young rolls in off consecutive T4 finishes at the Canadian and U.S. Opens and a T7 at the Truist, proving he can hang with signature-event fields. Schwarb reminded readers that Young carded a 59 at TPC River Highlands last summer, so the ceiling is already proven on this course.

Schwarb’s FRL dart is Lowry at 50-1. Although the Irishman’s major results this year (MC, final-round 81) look ugly, Schwarb chalked them up to one-off disasters rather than poor form. He calls Lowry arguably the best winless player on tour this season and trusts his straight driving to post the morning clubhouse lead while others find Oakmont’s rough.

Schwarb snagged Harris English at 100-1, reminding readers that the Georgian has placed 3rd, 4th and T8 in his last five U.S. Opens and added a T12 at Augusta plus a T2 at the PGA this season. Stat-wise English is 46th in SG: Off-the-Tee and 20th in SG: Putting, an ideal combo for Oakmont. Schwarb thinks those credentials justify a much shorter number and makes English his favorite bomb.

John Schwarb also backed Scheffler at +280, envisioning a PGA-Championship-style script: a chaotic board early before the best tee-to-green player in the world asserts control. Schwarb noted that Oakmont’s greens are "diabolical," but Scheffler’s elite ball-striking affords him margin for error and should allow him to survive the inevitable danger spots. Schwarb expects the Texan to claim his third major and sit three-quarters of the way to the career Grand Slam by Sunday evening.

John Schwarb played Shane Lowry First-Round Leader at +5000 (DraftKings). Schwarb argued Lowry is ‘arguably the best player on Tour without a 2025 win’ and trusts his accuracy off the tee to survive Oakmont early. He dismissed Lowry’s ugly Masters 81 and a PGA missed cut as outliers, preferring to exploit the FRL market where one hot ball-striking day can pay 50-to-1.

John Schwarb turned his long-shot outright into a safer Top-20 wager on Harris English at +250 (DraftKings). English owns a superb U.S. Open resume—3rd, 4th, and T8 in his last five starts—and arrives with major momentum after T12 at the Masters and T2 at the PGA. Schwarb highlighted English’s blend of stats: 46th in strokes-gained off the tee and 20th in putting, a combo he says is ‘more than enough’ to hang around Oakmont all weekend. The +250 price, in Schwarb’s view, underrates English’s course fit and major pedigree.

John Schwarb grabbed Shane Lowry at +2200 and echoed Iain MacMillan’s Preview that the Irishman’s results demand a breakthrough. Lowry sits 12th in both FedEx Cup points and the OWGR, with four top-eight finishes and two runner-ups (Pebble Beach and Truist) in signature events. Schwarb admitted Lowry’s putter can be shaky—part of why Oakmont next week worries him—but argued the Canadian Open’s less penal greens should mute that weakness. He framed this as Lowry’s fourth PGA Tour win and his first in a third different country, banking on his elite tee-to-green profile finally syncing with a cooperative flat stick against a field that thins out quickly behind Rory and Aberg.

John Schwarb targeted Keith Mitchell at +5500 to be first-round leader. Mitchell owns the PGA Tour’s lowest opening-round scoring average this season, making him a Thursday specialist. Schwarb acknowledged Scheffler could also open hot but argued the payoff on Mitchell is far superior for a player who routinely posts red numbers out of the gate.

John Schwarb went back to Daniel Berger at +2200 after using him as a PGA Championship long-shot. Berger closed the PGA with a Sunday 68 (T33) and now returns to the site of his 2020 victory. Schwarb noted that Berger is still chasing his first win since a lengthy injury layoff but faces a weaker field this week while sitting tied as second choice behind Scheffler. The combination of trending form and proven course history makes Berger his top outright.

John Schwarb paired his FRL play with Denny McCarthy Top-10 +360, trusting the Tour’s short-game wizard on a layout where nobody owns course reps. With signature-event FedExCup points on the line, Schwarb sees McCarthy’s putting carrying him into late-Sunday contention.

John Schwarb played Denny McCarthy +4500 for FRL. McCarthy sits 35th in FedExCup points thanks to finishes like T5 at Genesis and T14 at Players. Schwarb noted McCarthy is one of the Tour’s best putters and his Round-1 scoring average is his lowest of any round this season, making him an ideal rabbit on a brand-new track.

John Schwarb fired at Harris English +9000, reasoning that Wissahickon is the type of "artistry" track where elite putting shines. English finished T12 at the Masters and routinely gains with the flat stick, giving him sneaky ceiling despite middling ball-striking.

John Schwarb selected Justin Thomas at +1800, calling him the "favorite hot hand" in a week with no course history. Thomas ended his victory drought at RBC Heritage and has rested since, positioning him to attack a fresh venue before tackling next week’s PGA Championship. Schwarb thinks Thomas’s confidence and elite approach play can overcome Wissahickon’s tricky green complexes.

John Schwarb fired on Poston/Mitchell at +2500 for First‑Round Leader. Mitchell tops the PGA Tour in opening‑round scoring average (67.1) and owns two career top‑6s at this event, while Poston is coming off a T11 at the RBC Heritage. Schwarb also likes the intangible chemistry of the "Sea Island Mafia" pals, which he says passes the Zurich’s ‘friends’ test that has mattered historically in team play.

John Schwarb grabbed Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin at +3500, reminding bettors that the all‑Canadian tandem finished 10th here last year and solo second in 2023. Although their recent individual form is lukewarm, Schwarb believes their proven synergy in this event—plus Taylor’s ability to catch fire with the putter—gives them real Sunday‑afternoon win equity at a healthy price.

John Schwarb favors J.T. Poston in a head-to-head matchup prop bet against Justin Rose (-120 odds). Schwarb believes Rose may experience a letdown after an exhausting Masters week, reducing his motivation. Conversely, Poston holds strong motivation (70th in FedEx Cup points) and exceptional history at Harbour Town, recording four top-10s in his six appearances, making him a strong and motivated matchup play.

John Schwarb recommends targeting J.J. Spaun in first-round leader markets at Harbour Town due to his strong iron play, ranking second in strokes gained approach this season. Spaun has opened strongly several times this year, including a 66 at The Players. Although Schwarb isn't confident in backing Spaun to win outright, he views Spaun as undervalued in first-round leader betting because of his ability to jump out to quick starts on courses that emphasize iron play.

John Schwarb backs Denny McCarthy as his outright winner for Valero Texas Open due to his strong motivation from losing in a playoff at this event last year. Schwarb also points out McCarthy's excellent and consistent 2025 season thus far—no missed cuts in eight starts and earning five finishes of T16 or better. Coming off a T14 at the Players Championship, McCarthy is fresh and primed for a big redemption week.

John Schwarb confidently backed Scottie Scheffler at +375 to win the Houston Open, noting Scheffler needs this victory to reassert his No.1 ranking after Rory McIlroy's recent success including his Players Championship win. Scheffler has strong history at this venue, having recorded two runner-up finishes in recent years, indicating a comfort level at Memorial Park. Schwarb anticipates Scheffler will return to the winner's circle, setting up a significant battle ahead of Augusta.

John Schwarb recommended Corey Conners at +3500 odds to win the Valspar Championship, citing great value due to recent strong performances. Conners had an impressive T6 at The Players Championship and third-place finish at Bay Hill. Schwarb noted Conners ranks 28th in strokes-gained off-the-tee, a key success indicator at Copperhead, enhancing the appeal of the bet given the favorable odds compared to other books.

John Schwarb highlighted Laurie Canter as an intriguing dark horse option at THE PLAYERS Championship. Canter recently ascended into the top 50 of the world rankings after finishing runner-up at the South African Open, granting him entry into an elite event despite previously competing on LIV Golf. This momentum and confidence from recent form make him an interesting sleeper play for betting purposes or DFS lineups, with potential market undervaluation given his lesser-known status among casual golf followers.

John Schwarb pointed out Scottie Scheffler as a prime candidate for continued success at TPC Sawgrass in THE PLAYERS Championship. Scheffler became the first back-to-back Players champion last year and now aims to become just the second golfer alongside Jack Nicklaus (1974, '76, and '78) to win the event three times. Historical context provided shows the rarity and significance of a three-peat in PGA Tour events, as it hasn't happened since Steve Stricker's run at the John Deere Classic from 2009 to 2011. Given Scheffler's recent dominant form and clear comfort level on Pete Dye's challenging stadium course layout, there's strong evidence to support betting or DFS actions around him.