SI

Power Rankings: Elite Field (And No Scottie Scheffler) Creates Opportunity at Wells Fargo Championship

The Wells Fargo Championship is a signature event with a loaded field. Here are 10 players our model likes this week.

Jeff Ritter

Apr 25, 2024; Avondale, Louisiana, USA; Xander Schauffele plays his shot from the 13th fairway
Apr 25, 2024; Avondale, Louisiana, USA; Xander Schauffele plays his shot from the 13th fairway / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to Power Rankings, a weekly feature on SI Golf from our partners at KeyCompete. This week the PGA Tour is in Charlotte for the Wells Fargo Championship, and an elite field is set to tee off. Here’s how our model sees this week’s event event shaping up:

2024 Wells Fargo Championship Preview

Quail Hollow Club is ready for its annual close-up. Originally established in 1961 and redesigned by Tom Fazio in 1997, the course underwent further enhancements in 2003, 2014 and 2016 to keep pace with pro golf and to stage the 2022 Presidents Cup. The redesign in 2016 changed it from a par 72 to par 71, and it will play at 7,521 yards this week. Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler is not in the field, but most of the remaining world top 20 have made the trip. Here are the players our model likes this week. 

KeyCompete’s 2024 Wells Fargo Championship Power Rankings

 (Odds are from DraftKings — make your weekly bets here)

1.  Xander Schauffele (+900) - Power game is a great fit here. Due to bag another big-time event soon.

2.  Rory McIlroy (+650) - Powerful drives and deft touch around the greens make him a potent force on any course, especially here, where he’s a three-time champion. Shot a course-record 61 here in 2015. 

3.  Viktor Hovland (+2500) - Rose quickly last summer but has stalled a bit thus far in ‘24. Another player with the power game to thrive here.

4.  Wyndham Clark (+1600) -  Arguably the best player on Tour this year outside of Scheffler. Defending champion here.

5.  Max Homa (+2000) - Well-rounded game and a penchant for rising to the occasion on big stages, especially this one. Winner here in 2019 and 2022.

6.  Sahith Theegala (+2800) - Smooth swing and a sharp short game, Theegala has the tools for this place. 

7.  Justin Thomas (+2500) - Not yet in top for this year but won the PGA Championship here in 2017.

8.  Hideki Matsuyama (+3000) - Silky-smooth swing and a knack for navigating tough courses, he can thrive here. Winner at the Genesis back in February.

9.  Patrick Cantlay (+1800) - A well-rounded game and a reliable putting stroke, he has the ability to contend with the best in the world on any given day.  

10.  Tommy Fleetwood (+2200) - Has the right mix of power and short game finesse to have an impact here.

About Last Week - We Nailed Our Live Bet

Canada’s Taylor Pendrith earned first career win, and his close friend and fellow Canadian MacKenzie Hughes was able to get a front row seat for it (with a few beers in his hands). We hit this bet in our Saturday morning column on SI.com, and also as an outright pick on our site. Pendrith paid off handsomely! 

 KeyCompete brought our yearly record to 78-54 on the season on outright bets. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Published
Jeff Ritter

JEFF RITTER

Jeff Ritter is the Managing Director of SI Golf. He spent more than a decade at Sports Illustrated and Golf Magazine, and in 2020 joined Morning Read to help spark its growth and eventual acquisition by Arena Group, the publisher of Sports Illustrated. He has covered more than 25 major championships, and previously helped launch SI Golf Plus Digital, Golf Magazine’s first original, weekly e-magazine, and served as its top editor. He also launched Golf's “Films” division, the magazine’s first long-form video storytelling franchise, and his debut documentary received an Edward R. Murrow Award for sports reporting. His writing has earned first-place awards from the Society of American Travel Writers, the MIN Magazine Awards, and the Golf Writers Association of America, among others. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. A native Michigander, he remains a diehard Wolverine fan and will defend Jim Harbaugh until the bitter end.