The Truist Championship tees off this week in the final week of preparation before the PGA Championship. This is a look at the best first-round leader bets to make for the event on DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Truist Championship
The Truist Championship is being played at the Philadelphia Cricket Club on the Wissahickon Course. The Truist is the sixth signature event of the season so far. The Philadelphia Cricket Club Wissahickon Course is a par-70 golf course and ranges 7,119 yards. The greens are Bentgrass and will play very difficult this week. The field is loaded with most of the world’s top players. This is a unique tournament on the schedule because the PGA Championship is next week, so players want to tune up their game for the second major of the year. However, as a signature event, there is a ton of money and FedEx Cup points on the line this weekend as well. This course is one of the most challenging played on TOUR all season and should be a great test for some of the world’s best golfers. After winning last week, Scottie Scheffler is taking the week off, but the rest of the world’s top players, including Masters champion Rory McIlroy, will be in the field.
Here is a look at my picks to lead after the first round of the Truist Championship:
Ludvig Aberg FRL (+2500)
Ludvig Aberg is one of the top competitors in the Truist Championship, just like he always is when he’s in the field. It has been a boom-or-bust season so far for Aberg. He had two bad missed cuts at THE PLAYERS and the Valero, and most recently finished T-54 at the RBC Heritage. However, he has also had some amazing weeks, finishing seventh at The Masters (where he was really in the top three most of Sunday until the final two holes), finishing T-5 at The Sentry and winning The Genesis Invitational. In those fields, Aberg proved that he is among the best players in the world when he is on his game. Because of the inconsistency, I would rather bet on Aberg to lead after the first round than win the whole tournament. If he is at his best, he can go lower than anyone in this field, including Rory McIlroy, if they are also at their best.
Aberg’s best round has been on Thursday in each of his past four tournaments. Earlier this season, Aberg shot a ridiculous opening round 63 at the Farmers Insurance Open that saw him finish the opening round in the lead. He went on to shoot 74 or higher each of the next three rounds and finish T-42. This course is set up for players who hit it far and putt well on Bentgrass. That is the same grass as the greens at Augusta National, somewhere that Aberg has been phenomenal each of the past two years. Aberg is fantastic off the tee, on approach and putting on Bentgrass, which could set him up for a low opening round score on Thursday in Philadelphia.
Hideki Matsuyama FRL (+3500)
Hideki Matsuyama has not played golf since The Masters. He showed some solid signs that his game is in a good place at Augusta. He finished T-21 after an amazing final round of 66, despite getting some terrible luck throughout the rest of the tournament. Matsuyama has had some blips so far this season, but he did start off 2025 with a win at The Sentry and finished T-25 or better at the Sony Open, the WM Phoenix Open, The Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and most recently, The Masters. Matsuyama’s round of 66 at The Masters proves that he can still shoot as good as anybody on TOUR on tough golf courses when everything is clicking.
Matsuyama is 11th in strokes gained total this season and has been great around the greens, ranking second on the PGA TOUR in scrambling this season. He has always putted great on Bentgrass greens, which is how he won the 2021 Masters. Matsuyama’s approach game was strong last time out at Augusta as well. If he can drive it straight, keep that consistent approach game and putt well, he could go low on Thursday.
