The PGA Tour heads to Austin, Texas, this week for the inaugural Austin Championship, which runs from 12 to 15 November at the Fazio Canyons Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa.
It is a brand-new event on the FedExCup Fall schedule and the penultimate tournament of the season, with a $6 million purse and 500 FedExCup points going to the winner. There is plenty on the line for players still looking to secure their PGA Tour playing rights for 2027.
Doug Ghim and Jackson Koivun head the betting at 15.00, while last week’s World Wide Technology Championship winner, Blades Brown, is also prominent in the market.
With no previous PGA Tour tournament history at the course, recent form is likely to be particularly important. We have four selections this week, including two players coming off victories and an outsider at 51.00.
The Course
Fazio Canyons is a par 72 measuring 7,451 yards (6,813 metres). Designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1999, the course is situated in the Texas Hill Country at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa.
The layout winds through limestone cliffs, wooded valleys and the Short Spring Branch creek, with elevation changes, strategically positioned bunkers and a mixture of wide and narrow landing areas.
The course underwent an extensive renovation in 2022, restoring much of Fazio’s original design while improving playing surfaces and infrastructure.
With four par fives and a relatively lengthy layout, driving distance could be an advantage, but players will also need to be accurate with their approach shots and negotiate the course’s undulating greens.
As this is the first PGA Tour event at Fazio Canyons, there is no meaningful tournament form to rely on. That makes recent performances particularly important when assessing the betting.
The weather could also play a part, especially if the Texas wind picks up. Players who strike their irons well, control their ball flight and putt confidently should be well placed to contend.
Our approach this week is therefore to favour players arriving in good form, particularly those who have demonstrated an ability to go low and compete under pressure.
Previous Winners
This is the inaugural Austin Championship, so there are no previous winners.
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Betting
Doug Ghim and Jackson Koivun head the market at 15.00, followed by Blades Brown at 21.00 and Andrew Novak and Jordan Smith at 26.00. Pierceson Coody is next at 29.00.
With no previous tournament history to go on and the favourites all at relatively attractive prices, this looks an open event.
We have gone with Brown and Smith near the head of the market, alongside Austin Smotherman at 34.00 and Ricky Castillo at 51.00.
Smotherman has won his last two starts, Brown claimed victory in Mexico last weekend, and Smith has recorded two top-10 finishes in his last three appearances. Castillo offers us a bigger-priced option following some encouraging performances earlier in the autumn.
Betting (2026 Austin Championship) – Click here to bet
| Player | Odds |
| Doug Ghim | 15.00 |
| Jackson Koivun | 15.00 |
| Blades Brown | 21.00 |
| Andrew Novak | 26.00 |
| Jordan Smith | 26.00 |
| Pierceson Coody | 29.00 |
Selections
Austin Smotherman at 34.00
Our first selection is Austin Smotherman, who arrives in Austin having won the last two tournaments he has played.
His first victory came at the Bank of Utah Championship, where he finished at 26-under par, two strokes clear of the field. He followed that with another victory at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, defeating Seamus Power in a playoff.
Winning back-to-back events is an impressive achievement at any level, and Smotherman will understandably be full of confidence heading into this week’s tournament.
Although he has not played since Bermuda, the break may well have given him an opportunity to recharge after two demanding weeks.
The absence of previous tournament form at Fazio Canyons also makes his recent performances particularly relevant. He has demonstrated that he can produce the low scoring required to win and, perhaps more importantly, that he can get over the line when in contention.
At 34.00, I think he offers an attractive each-way price for a player arriving on the back of two consecutive victories.
Suggested bet: Austin Smotherman each way at 34.00.
Blades Brown at 21.00
Blades Brown comes into this week following a breakthrough victory at last weekend’s World Wide Technology Championship, where he defeated Ben James in a playoff.
The 19-year-old became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour since 1931, underlining why he is regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in the game.
His victory had been coming. Brown finished runner-up at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship before recording a top-20 finish at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open and then winning at El Cardonal.
His performance in Mexico was particularly impressive, with a final-round 63 taking him into the playoff. He also took full advantage of the par fives throughout the tournament, something that could prove important again this week.
Fazio Canyons features four par fives, and Brown’s aggressive style and ability to make birdies should give him opportunities to challenge.
There is always the possibility of a slight letdown following a maiden PGA Tour victory, but Brown has shown considerable composure for such a young player.
At 21.00, I think he is worth supporting to continue his excellent run of form.
Suggested bet: Blades Brown each way at 21.00.
Jordan Smith at 26.00
Jordan Smith is another player who has been in excellent form in recent weeks, recording two top-10 finishes in his last three starts.
The Englishman finished tied fourth at the Baycurrent Classic, followed that with a tied-16th finish at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open and then placed tied eighth at last week’s World Wide Technology Championship.
His performance in Mexico was particularly encouraging, as he closed with an excellent round of 63 to move up the leaderboard.
Smith is a strong ball-striker, and that should serve him well on a relatively long layout where accurate approach play is likely to be important.
Although we do not have any previous tournament form to assess, Smith has shown that his game is in good shape, with all three of his most recent finishes inside the top 16.
At 26.00, I think he offers a reasonable each-way price for a player who has been consistently competitive in recent weeks.
Suggested bet: Jordan Smith each way at 26.00.
Ricky Castillo at 51.00
Our final selection is Ricky Castillo, who looks an interesting outsider at 51.00.
Castillo produced an excellent performance at the Biltmore Championship in September, finishing tied third at 23-under par. He shot rounds of 69, 62, 65 and 65, demonstrating his ability to put together four low rounds when his game is firing.
He followed that with a tied-29th finish at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan, which was less impressive but still a respectable result.
One encouraging aspect of his recent performances has been an improvement in his iron play. While his approach statistics over the full season have been below average, his numbers over his last five starts have been considerably better.
That improvement could prove important at Fazio Canyons, where players will need to take advantage of scoring opportunities while avoiding trouble around the greens.
Castillo also has enough length off the tee to handle the course, and his ability to produce very low rounds makes him an interesting option in a tournament where we have little previous course form to consider.
He will need to reproduce the quality of his Biltmore performance to challenge this stronger field, but at 51.00 I think he is worth a speculative each-way bet.
Suggested bet: Ricky Castillo each way at 51.00.
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