Steve Palmer's US PGA Championship first-round preview and free golf betting tips

Where to watch the US PGA Championship

Sky Sports Main Event and Golf, 1pm Thursday

Best bets

Byeong Hun An to win 1.10pm threeball
4pts Evens BoyleSports

Sepp Straka to win 2.10pm threeball
3pts 6-5 bet365, Betfair

Jake Knapp to win 6.35pm threeball
3pts 11-10 Coral, Ladbrokes

Sam Burns to win 7.35pm threeball
2pts 11-10 general

Stephan Jaeger first-round leader
1pt each-way 100-1 BoyleSports

US PGA Championship first-round preview

Pre-tournament rain has softened Valhalla ahead of the US PGA Championship, but a sunny and calm Thursday is expected in Louisville, before a more unsettled Friday.

It remains to be seen whether any draw bias develops, with a Friday thunderstorm threat and the potential for spells of heavy rain. Wind speeds are set be low throughout, so it seems likely both sides of the draw should get the chance to be competitive.

The two headline acts – Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler – are on opposite sides of the draw. McIlroy will be alongside Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose, teeing off at 1.15pm UK and Ireland time, while Scheffler has Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark for company at 7.13pm.

The soft morning conditions should be no problem for Byeong Hun An, who has been striking his ball with huge authority in recent weeks, and the classy Korean looks the pick of the first-round threeball options at evens to defeat Alexander Bjork and Eric Cole.

An has a significant driving-distance edge over his playing partners on this long, soft terrain, and has arrived at Valhalla carrying much more confidence. An has finished fourth and third in his last two PGA Tour starts, while Bjork has gone nine tournaments without a top 30 and Cole finished last of the 68 runners in the Wells Fargo on Sunday, closing with rounds of 80 and 77.

Sepp Straka can also approach a soggy Valhalla morning with the tools to flourish. The Georgia-based Austrian has been swinging superbly, finishing 16th in the Players Championship, 16th in the Masters, fifth in the Heritage and eighth at Quail Hollow. Playing partners Takumi Kanaya and Nick Taylor lack the necessary punch off the tee.

Straka finished seventh in last year's US PGA, before second place in the Open and a Ryder Cup debut, so he has grown comfortable on the biggest stages.

Jason Dufner and Francesco Molinari are increasingly looking like washed-up veterans, so the strong ball-striking of the fast-improving Jake Knapp could prove decisive in the 6.35pm contest, while Sam Burns, impressive last week on his first start as a father, can be fancied against out-of-sorts duo Patrick Reed and Padraig Harrington.

First-round-leader punters are pointed towards Stephan Jaeger. The in-form German has been driving superbly and is well equipped to take advantage of the soft, calm morning conditions. He carried a hot putter at Quail Hollow last week and can do plenty of damage from a 7.42am local time (12.42pm UK) launchpad.

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