We’re jumping from one Signature Event to another with the 2026 Truist Championship set to tee off back at its traditional host course, Quail Hollow Club. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, Quail Hollow is a par 71 that measures 7,583 yards, featuring overseeded Bermudagrass. No cut line will be enforced for an exclusive field of 72 golfers this week.
Scottie Scheffler is the big name missing from the field this week. In exchange, we’ll get the return of Rory McIlroy, who is well-rested following his historic second consecutive win at the Masters. McIlroy has historically dominated at Quail Hollow, winning here four times throughout his decorated career.
No surprise, McIlroy opened as the pre-tournament betting favorite at +600 odds. Cameron Young, who just posted a wire-to-wire win at the Cadillac Championship on Sunday, is the only other golfer with odds shorter than +1000 to win in Charlotte this week. Other notable outright winner betting favorites include Xander Schauffele (+1000), Matt Fitzpatrick (+1500), and Ludvig Åberg at +1800 odds.
My 2026 Cadillac Championship Picks & Predictions: Best PGA Bets settled 1-2 at Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster last week. We cashed a Top 10 finishing prop on Cameron Young at -105 odds. Young ran away with the tournament, beating Scheffler and the rest of the field by six strokes. Chris Gotterup to beat Maverick McNealy in a 72-hole matchbet prop looked like a winner until McNealy’s 67 on Sunday cratered our prospects, resulting in a loss on Gotterup as the favorite at-125 odds. It was ugly for Justin Rose, who debuted new clubs at a difficult course. The Englishman wound up T65 at +2, failing to come close to a T20 finish at -105 odds.
Let’s saddle up again with three of my best bets to take ahead of Round 1 at the 2026 Truist Championship. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more free picks and analysis throughout the remainder of the PGA Tour season.
2026 Truist Championship Picks: Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Top 20 Finishing Position
North Carolina native Ben Griffin is very familiar with Quail Hollow Club. Recently, we’ve seen an uptick in production on the golf course from Griffin, who has had a quiet season compared to his breakthrough campaign in 2025.
Griffin logged a solo third-place finish at the Cadillac Championship on Sunday, shooting 68-68 to close out his final two rounds at -8-under-par. He ranks 43rd in SG: Putting, top 50 for total driving, including 25th for driving accuracy, in addition to top 50 for scrambling.
Approach shots and hole proximity have been a struggle in 2026. However, with Griffin riding momentum, while packing a strong short game and accuracy off-the-tee, it’s enough to warrant a wager on him to post a top 20 finish at Quail Hollow Club, available to bet at -110 odds.
Pick: Ben Griffin (-110)
Top 20 Finishing Position
Yes, Sepp Straka won the 2025 Trusit Championship, but it was played at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. The Austrian golfer is a volatile option for virtually any bet this season, fluctuating between top 10 finishes, including five top 20 finishes, or sliding outside of the top 40.
Straka is coming off a T4 at the Cadillac Championship, where he wound up going 6-under-par in his final round to surge up the leaderboard. In 2026, Straka ranks 13th in SG: Approach, 30th in proximity, and 20th in total strokes gained metrics.
Even his putting is solid, ranked 42nd in putting average, while maintaining accuracy on 200+ yard approach shots, ranked sixth on the PGA Tour in this data point. Straka averages 4.11 birdies per round and posted a T8 finish at Quail Hollow during his last appearance in 2024.
Take the plus money and bet on Straka to log a top 20 finish at +105 odds.
Pick: Sepp Straka (+105)
Top 20 Finishing Position
Alex Smalley is flying under the radar this week, despite stringing together three straight top 20 finishes. An alumnus of Duke University, Smalley is another local familiar with the layout and rigors of Quail Hollow Club.
Smalley carded a T18 finish at Quail Hollow Club in 2023. Now, coming off a runner-up finish at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event, in addition to a T7 at the Cadillac Championship, we’re getting a robust number on Smalley in this Top 20 Finishing Position market.
In 2026, Smalley is ranked 22nd in total strokes gained. This includes 16th in SG: Approach, 10th at finding greens in regulation at 70.3 percent, and eighth in proximity. Also top 20 for 200+ yard approach shots, while maintaining a top-20 scoring average at 69.57.
Smalley is 14th on par 4s and 33rd in birdie average (4.14) this season. His game is in a good spot right now, so let’s take advantage of this mispriced line and bet on Smalley to post a top 20 finish at +145 odds in Charlotte this weekend.
Pick: Alex Smalley (+145)
