The PGA Tour heads to Texas this week for the inaugural Austin Championship, with the Fazio Canyons Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa playing host to the penultimate event of the FedExCup Fall schedule. It’s a new addition to the calendar, and while we don’t have any previous tournament history to work with, there is plenty at stake for a number of players as they look to secure their playing status for the 2027 season.
The top 100 in the FedExCup standings will retain their full Tour cards, while those around the top 60 are also fighting for places in next year’s early Signature Events. There’s a $6 million prize fund on offer, with 500 FedExCup points going to the winner. With that in mind, here’s a summary of my Austin Championship best bets, with course analysis and more on each player on my squad following.
PGA Austin Championship 2026 Best Bets: Ginger Joe’s Squad
| Player | Odds to Win |
|---|---|
| Andrew Novak | +2500 |
| Kris Ventura | +4000 |
| Pierceson Coody | +3500 |
| Stephan Jaeger | +5000 |
Austin Championship Course Preview
The Fazio Canyons Course is a lengthy par 72 measuring 7,451 yards, designed by Tom Fazio and set amongst the rolling terrain of the Texas Hill Country. It’s a fairly demanding layout, with plenty of elevation changes, sloping greens and streams winding through the course, so there should be a decent variety of challenges for the players.
The setting looks fantastic, but there is plenty of substance to the test as well. Four par fives provide opportunities to make birdies, although the longer par threes and demanding approach shots mean players will need to be on top of their game throughout. Distance should certainly be an advantage, but I wouldn’t want to overlook accuracy and quality iron play either.
It’s a reasonably interesting field, with Austin Smotherman arguably the man everyone will be looking at after winning the Bank of Utah Championship and Butterfield Bermuda Championship in consecutive starts. He’s enjoyed a remarkable run over the last month and will be looking to make it three wins in four starts here.
Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Brian Harman, Lucas Glover and Matt Kuchar are amongst the more established names involved, while there are also some exciting younger players in the field, including Jackson Koivun and Blades Brown. It’s not quite the strongest field we’ll see on the PGA Tour, but there is enough quality to make this a competitive week, particularly with so many players having something to play for.
For me, I’m going to be looking closely at players who can handle the length of the course while also making the most of the par fives. Driving distance and Strokes Gained: Approach are likely to be important, particularly with the elevation changes making distance control a factor.
I’d also like to see players who can putt well on Bermuda, as the greens could become a significant part of the test. With no previous PGA Tour results at Fazio Canyons, I’m not going to be putting too much weight on course history, and will instead be looking at recent form, comparable course performances and the underlying numbers.
It’s a slightly different sort of week with a new venue and a field that has plenty to play for beyond just the tournament itself. Smotherman will understandably attract plenty of attention after his back-to-back victories, but I think there are some interesting opportunities elsewhere in the market.
The course should provide a good test, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the players handle it for the first time. So, let’s get into my squad for the tournament.
1. Andrew Novak (+2500)
Andrew Novak, when in form, is always an interesting fit for these longer courses because his game from tee to green can be exceptional. He hasn’t always been the most consistent player, but that’s perhaps understandable given how aggressively he plays.
That aggressive approach has also brought plenty of success, with two PGA Tour wins to his name, and he’s enjoying a decent season this year too, with four top 10 finishes.
I think we’re seeing a version of Novak at the moment that I really like. He’s hitting it long and straight off the tee, while his low flight, compressed iron shots should suit this Fazio-designed course quite nicely from what I can see.
His scoring ability is another big positive. He’s shown throughout his career that he can put together some seriously low rounds, and his recent Mexico Open victory was a perfect example. He finished at 25-under-par, five shots clear of the chasing pack.
That’s the sort of scoring I’m hoping to see from him again this week, and his attributes certainly give him the opportunity to do it. At the price, I think he’s good value while he’s in this sort of form.
2. Kris Ventura (+4000)
I have become a big fan of Kris Ventura, and it’s clear through the back end of this season that his game has gone up another level. He’s still waiting for his first PGA Tour win, but I don’t think it’ll be too long coming. Not only has he recorded four top five finishes, but two of those have been runner-up efforts, and he’s definitely trending in the right direction.
Ventura has effortless power off the tee, but importantly, he’s accurate with it too, which is a huge bonus. He’s gained nearly two strokes off the tee over his last eight tournaments, and not many players can produce those sorts of numbers.
His approach play is improving as well, and he’s becoming increasingly consistent at putting together low scores. I also like the fact that he has already shown he can compete on a Tom Fazio-designed course, finishing 15th at the Corales Puntacana Championship.
With four par 5s at Fazio Canyons, his length should give him plenty of opportunities to make up ground. I’m expecting this to be a low scoring event, and I think Ventura should really enjoy that sort of test. He’s in excellent form, has the power to take advantage of this layout and looks a very interesting option at the price.
3. Pierceson Coody (+3500)
Pierceson Coody is another player I like this week, particularly given the amount of power he brings off the tee. He’s averaging over 318 yards, and his recent form has picked up nicely, finishing 6th in Mexico before following that with a T33 last week.
His approach play has also improved over the last couple of events, and he ranked inside the top 10 for strokes gained on approach in both tournaments. He’s got the length to take advantage of the par 5s here, and being a Texas player, he’ll be familiar with the conditions.
I also like that he’s starting to show a bit more consistency, rather than relying purely on his distance. If Coody can keep the driver under control and continue hitting his irons well, I think there’s a good chance he can put together another strong week. The short game remains a slight concern, but at the price, I’m happy to give him a chance.
4. Stephan Jaeger (+5000)
Stephan Jaeger is a player I have a bit of a hunch about this week, although he does come with one fairly big negative.
Firstly, he’s a very good scorer from fairway to green, so if he can find enough fairways this week, I think he’ll have a real chance of putting together a strong performance. He’s regularly gaining strokes from tee to green, while his short game has been exceptional, ranking 12th on Tour for strokes gained around the green. Nothing to worry about in that department.
The problem, however, has been off the tee. He’s got plenty of distance, but his accuracy has let him down in recent weeks. I feel that’s the one area holding him back from taking the next step and winning.
Jaeger finished T4 at the Baycurrent Classic and T25 last week, so the form is there. If he can tidy things up with the driver, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go very close. He’s one I’ll give a chance to this week.
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