Soon-to-be Ryder Cup debutant Ben Griffin has stolen control of the Procore Championship at Silverado Resort through two rounds, but whether he adds a third victory in 2025 remains to be seen as the action heats up in Napa, California.

While Griffin is heading towards a well-earned first Ryder Cup, it is recent Walker Cup star Jackson Koivun who is nipping at his heels and showing he might have his own name in lights before the 2027 biennial team competition rolls around.

Griffin is looking to add silverware to the bling he received at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the Charles Schwab Challenge earlier this year before heading to Bethpage Black to be part of his first U.S. Team. He’s blemish-free after an 8-under 64 from Thursday was backed up by a 66 on Friday to get to 14-under, three clear of his U.S. teammate Russell Henley (65-68) and amateur sensation Koivun (67-66).

Koivun is coming off a Walker Cup victory at Cypress Point down the road and proving to the world it’s seemingly not a matter of if, but when, he wins on the PGA TOUR. The California native showed no signs of the fatigue he spoke of following Thursday’s opening round as he looks to build on the three top-11 results he had on TOUR through the summer.

Henley clearly cannot be discounted either, while U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun is lurking at 9-under and the world’s best player, Scottie Scheffler, will believe he’s firmly in the mix despite sitting eight shots back at 6-under in a tie for 14th.

DraftKings Sportsbook has the current outright odds as follows:

• +120: Ben Griffin (14 under, first)
• +330: Russell Henley (11 under, T2)
• +650: Jackson Koivun (a) (11 under, T2)
• +800: Scottie Scheffler (6 under, T14)
• +1200: J.J. Spaun (9 under, T4)

Here are some bets I’d be targeting with 36 holes to play:

Outrights

Jackson Koviun (a): +650 Outright; +450 without Henley/Scheffler

J.J. Spaun: +1200 Outright

Griffin is a short favorite and rightfully so, but it is too short for me to advocate betting at this point. While he’s certainly in good shape to win, the value is with the chasers. Henley’s is a serviceable number, but let’s go higher and see what happens!

Koivun is only 20 yet ran through the John Deere Classic (T11), ISCO Championship (T6) and Wyndham Championship (T5) like he was a seasoned professional. While nerves and fatigue still must be considered, the aforementioned youth and exuberance can counter them and give him a chance to follow in Nick Dunlap’s footsteps to win on TOUR while still an amateur. The bigger reason to consider the young man is the fact that he’s dominating the field in Strokes Gained: Approach at +6.815, ranked first. That’s almost three strokes better than Scheffler to this point!

Anyone hitting it that well will be in the mix Sunday, and while it’s a lofty pair to beat, stranger things have happened. The juice is there to have a squeeze if you want something fun to cheer for. Even the +450, when you remove Scheffler and Henley, is enticing, as you essentially pit him against Griffin and Spaun.

But speaking of Spaun, the U.S. Open champion was on my pre-tournament radar, so I still like the fact that a player with history at Silverado and good form this season is double-digit odds with 36 holes to play. Spaun needs to stop missing his shorter putts if he is to reel in Griffin, but with a carefree attitude, he might do it. Currently ranked third on approach.

Bounce backs and scoring props

Scottie Scheffler Under on Round 3 score, Over on Round 3 birdies

Mackenzie Hughes +360 Top Rest of World, Target for Round 3 scoring and matchup props

Something tells me Scheffler isn’t done yet. He hasn’t figured out the front nine of Silverado yet, playing it Even par through two rounds, but the magic isn’t far from finding its way to wine country. Once the third round Over/Under score props are set for the top-ranked superstar, I’d be looking at him going under on moving day. Also, keep an eye out for markets around his birdies or better total as well.

As for Hughes, he suffered from the curse of trying to back up his field-leading 63 in the opening round, one that featured 11 birdies, by making none on the way to a 74. Anyone working on their swing, like the Canadian is, can be prone to this, but what caught my eye was his drop from 17th in approach on Thursday to 130th Friday, and making 198 feet of putts Thursday and just 40 feet Friday. While Thursday’s putting was near superhuman, including two made putts outside 35 feet, Friday’s effort was well below Hughes’ usual standards. I’m hoping he’s priced favorably after his struggles in his Round 3 matchup and round score, and I’ll be backing the rebound.

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