Steve Palmer's QBE Shootout predictions, best bets, free golf tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club on the PGA Tour.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 5pm on Friday

Best bets

Sam Burns & Billy Horschel
4pts each-way 4-1 Betfair, Hills, Power

Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland have been the main subjects of debate since the Hero World Challenge - Morikawa's final-round capitulation meant Hovland's back-to-back eagles burst was decisive - but both men have downed tools for the year.

The main story, then, at this week's PGA Tour curtain-closer - the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Florida - is whether Harris English and Matt Kuchar can continue their recent dominance in the event. The defending champions are gunning for a fourth Shootout success alongside each other.

English and Kuchar, who seem to relish the quirky format of the Shootout, romped to a nine-shot victory 12 months ago. That followed a seven-shot triumph in 2013 and another title in 2016. They have also twice finished runners-up.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Sam Burns & Billy Horschel 4-1

Matt Kuchar is on the brink of losing his place in the top 100 of the world rankings - and punters may be better off overlooking the QBE Shootout's former dream team this week. Kuchar was 34th in the world rankings when teeing up with Harris English at Tiburon 12 months ago, but is 100th this week and is without a top-ten finish in a strokeplay event since February, 2020.

Perhaps a return to such a happy hunting ground will inspire Kuchar to rediscover his A-game and threaten further Shootout glory, but preference is for the relatively new partnership of Sam Burns and Billy Horschel.

Burns, world number 13 and the top-ranked player in the Shootout line-up, took the lead in the Hero on Sunday before suffering a nightmare around the 14th green. A heavy-handed chip from the left of the green was followed by three underhit fairway-wood jabs, eventually resulting in a triple-bogey seven.

Burns bounced back with an eagle at the subsequent hole, ending up in a share for third place, and one horror hole should not detract from the fact that he is one of the most in-form players on the planet. He won the Sanderson Farms Championship in October and followed up with fifth place in the CJ Cup and seventh in the Houston Open.

Burns is making his Shootout debut, but he earned his first PGA Tour title in Florida at the Valspar Championship, and Tiburon is a straightforward layout on which he can quickly settle. Billy Horschel, a born and bred Floridian who loves the Shootout, is a fantastic partner.

Horschel is a Tiburon regular who has gone close to claiming this title on several occasions. He was fourth with Chris DiMarco in 2013, third with Ian Poulter in 2014, fourth with Hunter Mahan in 2015 and third with Charley Hoffman in 2016. Horschel has teamed up with Brendon Todd for the last two editions, finishing third and fifth, and the Jacksonville-based pro can finally get his hands on the trophy this time.

Horschel won the Zurich Classic - the PGA Tour's other pairs event - in 2018. For that success, he had Scott Piercy beside him, but Burns took over as Horschel's Zurich sidekick this year and they finished fourth. Expect this dynamic duo to set up countless birdie opportunities at Tiburon, with the potential to dominate if they putt well.

Horschel has described 2021 as "the best year I've had in my career", explaining that although he won the FedEx Cup in 2014, he has been consistent for longer this time. The WGC-Match Play and BMW PGA champion can play the role of unofficial team captain alongside Burns this week, and they should prove tough to beat.

Others to note

Jason Kokrak & Kevin Na
Three PGA Tour victories in the last 14 months mean Jason Kokrak deserves to be taken seriously. He has not competed for almost a month, though, while Kevin Na has had some injury niggles and not teed up since the middle of October. A dangerous duo if fit and able to quickly shed the rust.

Jason Day & Marc Leishman
Zurich Classic champion Marc Leishman probably tried to attract his trusty sidekick Cameron Smith to the QBE, but Smith has opted out. Jason Day is a course winner, but he has dropped to 115th in the world rankings.

Ryan Palmer & Matt Jones
The withdrawal of Harold Varner meant a place in the field for Matt Jones and a new partnership with Ryan Palmer, who won the 2019 Zurich Classic with Jon Rahm. Jones was Honda Classic champion in Florida in March.

Brian Harman & Hudson Swafford
The putter of Brian Harman rarely stays cold for long and his alliance with fellow Sea Island resident Hudson Swafford should not be too readily dismissed.

Tiburon GC course guide

Course Gold Course, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Florida
Prize money $3.6m ($447,500 each to the winning team)
Length 7,382 yards
Par 72
Field 12 teams of two
Course records - 54 holes 179 Harris English & Matt Kuchar (2020); 18 holes 55 Greg Norman & Steve Elkington (2005), Jason Day & Cameron Tringale (2014), Ryan Palmer & Harold Varner (2019)

Course winners (as a pairing) taking part Harris English & Matt Kuchar (three times)

When to bet By 2.45pm on Friday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 5pm on Friday

Time difference Naples is five hours behind the UK and Ireland

Last week - Hero World Challenge 1 V Hovland (11-1), 2 S Scheffler (16-1), T3 S Burns (16-1), P Reed (30-1), T5 J Thomas (11-1), C Morikawa (15-2)

Course type Parkland

Course overview The Shootout moved to Tiburon in 2001 and has remained there since. There is no rough at Tiburon and the fairways are generous, but plenty of water is waiting to punish the seriously errant. There are two par-fives on each nine, the shortest of which is the 559-yard 17th. The 485-yard, par-four 18th is a tough closing hole

Format - Friday Scramble (best ball chosen after every shot) Saturday Greensomes (best tee-shot chosen then foursomes golf thereafter) Sunday Betterball (fourball golf with only best score counting)

Story of last year Harris English and Matt Kuchar completed a Shootout hat-trick, smashing their own three-round course record in the process, cruising to a nine-shot success

Weather forecast Sunny and warm throughout. Gentle breezes over the first two days, before winds reach 12 mph on Sunday

Type of player suited to the challenge A birdiefest is inevitable – most loose shots do not count towards a team's score – and the pairs often return sub-60 rounds. Aggressive golf and hot putters are the keys to success

Key attribute Touch/putting

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