Our Austin Championship 2026 betting tips, preview and predictions cover a brand-new PGA Tour event on a course that has never hosted a professional tournament. The Austin Championship presented by Compliance Solutions runs from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November on the Fazio Canyons Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas. With no event history to lean on, we look at the course itself, the autumn form and the season’s strokes-gained numbers to find players who should suit a long, hilly par 72 with big, tiered Bermuda greens. Our selections follow the player guide.
The week at a glance
| Detail | 2026 edition |
|---|---|
| Dates | Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November 2026 |
| Course | Fazio Canyons Course, Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin, Texas |
| Par and yardage | Par 72, 7,451 yards |
| Field | 120 players, with a 36-hole cut |
| Purse | $6 million, with $1.08 million and 500 FedExCup points to the winner |
| Defending champion | None. This is the first edition |
The event was announced in January as the Good Good Championship, one of two new autumn events alongside the Biltmore Championship Asheville. Good Good withdrew its sponsorship in August, and the Tour renamed it the Austin Championship and kept the $6 million purse. Compliance Solutions is the presenting sponsor for 2026. It is the penultimate FedExCup Fall event before the RSM Classic. The top 100 in the standings keep their cards for 2027, and Nos. 51 to 60 earn starts in the Pebble Beach and Riviera Signature Events, so there is plenty riding on it for players near those lines.
No one in the field is inside the world’s top 50. Austin Smotherman (53rd), Marco Penge (54th), Andrew Novak (58th) and Jackson Koivun (59th) are the highest ranked. There is no LIV Golf event this week. The PGA Tour last visited Austin for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club in 2023, but that was a different course and a match-play format, so it tells us nothing about this week.
Fazio Canyons: course guide
Layout and grass
Tom Fazio designed the Canyons Course, which opened in 1999. It plays through Texas Hill Country, with big changes in elevation, ravine carries and limestone outcrops. Short Spring Branch, a limestone creek, comes into play, and seven holes have water. The fairways are lined with red oaks and sycamores. They are wide, but the wrong side brings the natural hazards in, so placement matters. The greens are large Bermuda surfaces, 29 to 50 yards deep, quick and contoured, with steeper tiers on the back nine. Short-sided bunkers are the main trouble around the greens.
| Holes | Par | Yards |
|---|---|---|
| Front nine | 36 | 3,643 |
| Back nine | 36 | 3,808 |
| Par 5s (5, 7, 14, 18) | 5 | 562 to 591 |
| Par 3s (3, 8, 11, 17) | 3 | 175, 215, 228, 230 |
What should matter
There is no tournament data for this course, so this is our reading of the layout rather than proven event stats.
- Approach play, especially with long irons. Three of the par 3s measure 215 to 230 yards, and the back nine has a run of long par 4s: the 10th (492 yards), 15th (463) and 16th (472). On big, tiered greens, finding the right level will matter.
- Driving that combines length and accuracy. All four par 5s are 562 yards or longer, which favours power, but the thick rough, creeks and ravines punish wayward tee shots. SG: Off the Tee is likely to matter more than raw distance.
- Par-5 scoring. With light winds forecast, the par 5s should provide most of the birdies.
- Bermuda putting. The greens are large and fast, so lag putting and avoiding three-putts will count. Chipping should matter less, as the green surrounds are not especially penal apart from the short-sided bunkers.
Weather forecast
The US National Weather Service forecast (updated on Wednesday 11 November) is for sunny, almost windless days on Thursday and Friday, with highs of about 24°C (76°F) and winds of 0–5mph. Saturday is partly sunny and around 21°C (70°F), with a south-easterly of up to 10mph and a 24% chance of showers later in the day. Sunday is the day to watch: showers and thunderstorms are likely (55%) with a 5–10mph south-easterly, so a weather delay in the final round is possible. Mornings will be cool, with overnight lows of 9–12°C (48–54°F). Light winds for the first three rounds point to good scoring conditions and no obvious draw bias.
Past winners
As this is the first Austin Championship and Fazio Canyons has never hosted a professional event, there are no past winners at this course. The best guide to current form is the FedExCup Fall so far.
FedExCup Fall 2026 winners
| Event | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Biltmore Championship Asheville | Jacob Bridgeman (not playing) | -26 |
| Bank of Utah Championship | Austin Smotherman | -26 |
| Baycurrent Classic | Michael Brennan (not playing) | -16 |
| Butterfield Bermuda Championship (54 holes) | Austin Smotherman (playoff) | -16 |
| VidantaWorld Mexico Open | Andrew Novak | -25 |
| World Wide Technology Championship | Blades Brown (playoff) | -23 |
Barton Creek history (Fazio Foothills, a different course)
The tournament golf at Barton Creek has been on its sister course, Fazio Foothills, not Canyons. None of these results is Canyons form, and the senior and club-professional events below have no bearing on this week’s field. We include them for background only.
| Year | Event | Winner(s) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Senior PGA Professional Championship (Foothills and Cliffside) | Scott Hebert | 270 (-16) |
| 1994 | Legends of Golf (team) | Charles Coody and Dale Douglass | 188 (-28) |
| 1993 | Legends of Golf | Harold Henning (playoff) | 204 (-12) |
| 1992 | Legends of Golf (team) | Lee Trevino and Mike Hill | 251 (-37) |
| 1991 | Legends of Golf (team) | Lee Trevino and Mike Hill | 252 (-36) |
| 1990 | Legends of Golf (team) | Charles Coody and Dale Douglass | 249 (-39) |
Foothills and Cliffside also hosted the 2022 PGA Professional Championship.
The main contenders
Form figures are PGA Tour starts in the FedExCup Fall only. Strokes-gained (SG) numbers are 2026 PGA Tour averages per round, with the Tour ranking in brackets, as of Monday 9 November. Several players, including Blades Brown and Jackson Koivun, have not played enough rounds to appear in the official rankings. World rankings are as listed on the PGA Tour field page.
Austin Smotherman
Smotherman has been the player of the autumn. He won the Bank of Utah Championship on 26-under in his 100th Tour start, then won again in Bermuda after a playoff with Seamus Power. He is fifth on Tour in SG: Approach (+0.669) and 32nd off the tee, and hits 68.2% of fairways, which suits this course. He has skipped the last two events, so arrives fresh. The weaknesses are on and around the greens: he ranks 163rd around the green and 155th in putting, and a third win in a few weeks is a lot to ask.
Doug Ghim
Ghim has the second-best season numbers in the field. He is fifth on Tour in SG: Total (+1.213), seventh off the tee and 14th around the green. His autumn results are T17 at the Biltmore, second in Utah, T17 at the Baycurrent and T6 in Mexico. He played his college golf at the University of Texas, so Austin is familiar ground. His approach play (63rd) is the part of his game that lags.
Ben Kohles
Kohles has the best ball-striking numbers in the field. He is first on Tour in SG: Approach (+0.765) and first in driving accuracy (80.4%), fifth tee to green and fourth in SG: Total. He has been steady all autumn: T15, T13, T17, T17 and T25 at the WWT on Sunday. His one drawback is length. He averages 295.2 yards (155th), which is short for a 7,451-yard course.
Ben James (withdrawn)
James withdrew on Monday, the day after losing the WWT playoff to Blades Brown, and Jimmy Stanger took his place. He would have been one of the form players in the field, having finished second at the Biltmore, T5 in Utah, T16 in Mexico and second at the WWT.
Blades Brown
Brown won the WWT on Sunday, aged 19. He closed with 63 from seven shots back and beat James in a playoff. Before that, he was T17 at the Biltmore and T19 in Mexico. He has no ranked season stats, and backing up a first win straight after a playoff finish on Sunday is a test.
Jordan Smith
Smith is one of the few players here who hits it long and straight. He is 11th on Tour in SG: Off the Tee, averages 312.7 yards (37th) and hits 68.8% of fairways (20th). His autumn form reads T26, T4, T16 and T8, the last of those at the WWT on Sunday, and he is 23rd tee to green. His putting (126th) is the weakness.
Andrew Novak
Novak won the Mexico Open on 25-under the week before last. He was also T17 at the Biltmore and T44 in Bermuda. He is 35th around the green and 36th tee to green, but 156th in putting and hits only 60.4% of fairways.
Jackson Koivun
Koivun won the 3M Open in July. His autumn has been mixed: T5 at the Biltmore, T65 in Utah and T21 at the WWT. He has not played enough rounds to appear in the official stat rankings.
Marco Penge
Penge is the longest hitter among the leading players, averaging 323.9 yards (fifth on Tour), and ranks 17th off the tee. That power will help on the par 5s. The rest of his game has been poor on the PGA Tour, though: he is 140th on approach and 162nd in putting. He missed the cut at the WWT and his best autumn finish is T10 at the Biltmore.
Chris Kirk
Kirk is eighth on Tour in SG: Approach (+0.620) and 25th tee to green. His autumn results are T10, T21, T6 in Bermuda and T12 at the WWT. He started last week just outside the top 100 in the FedExCup, so he has a card to play for. His putting (146th) is the worry.
Michael Kim (withdrawn)
Kim, third at the WWT on Sunday, withdrew on Monday and was replaced by Paul Peterson.
Brian Harman
Harman has played only once this autumn, finishing T4 at the Baycurrent. He is short off the tee (297.2 yards, 145th) and 135th in SG: Off the Tee, which counts against him on a course this long.
Value candidates
Seamus Power
Power lost the Bermuda playoff to Smotherman and was T8 at the WWT on Sunday, after T7 at the Biltmore. He is seventh on Tour in SG: Putting. He is below average off the tee and on approach, though, and averages only 303 yards.
Jackson Suber
Suber’s irons fit the course. He is 15th in SG: Approach and 24th tee to green. His putting (148th) holds him back, and his form has tailed off from T15 at the Biltmore to a missed cut at the WWT.
Davis Thompson
Thompson is 12th on approach and 21st tee to green, and averages 308.9 yards. His autumn results (missed cut, T62, T54, T34) are poor, so he is one to watch rather than back.
Pierceson Coody
Coody played his college golf at Texas, like Ghim. He averages 318.6 yards off the tee and finished T6 in Mexico. Fellow Longhorn Beau Hossler was in the original field but withdrew on Monday.
Our selections
All prices are from bet365 UK, checked at 10:24–10:25 UK time on Wednesday 11 November. Our each-way picks take bet365’s 1/5 odds, 8 places terms, which pay slightly shorter win prices than the default 1/4 odds, 5 places. Prices can change, so check before you bet. Staking is in points. As explained in our staking plans guide, the points on an each-way tip are the total stake, so “1 point EW” means 0.5 points win and 0.5 points place.
BEST BET · EACH-WAY
Doug Ghim | 14/1 · bet365
Ghim is fifth on Tour in SG: Total and seventh off the tee. That gives him the length and control a 7,451-yard course with tree-lined fairways and ravines asks for. His autumn form (T17, 2nd, T17, T6) is the most consistent of the leading players, and as a former Texas Longhorn he knows Austin. The risk is his approach play, which ranks only 63rd on a course where long irons into tiered greens will matter.
EACH-WAY
Ben Kohles | 30/1 · bet365
No one in the field strikes it better. Kohles is first on Tour in SG: Approach and driving accuracy and fourth in SG: Total, and he has finished between T13 and T25 in all five autumn starts. Accurate driving and precise irons should suit big greens and fairways where position matters. His lack of length (155th in driving distance) is the reason he is not our Best Bet.
EACH-WAY
Jordan Smith | 20/1 · bet365
Smith combines 312.7 yards off the tee with 68.8% of fairways and ranks 11th in SG: Off the Tee, which is a strong combination for a long par 72 with four par 5s. He has finished T4, T16 and T8 in his last three starts. He needs a better week on the greens, where he ranks 126th.
EACH-WAY
Chris Kirk | 28/1 · bet365
Kirk is eighth on approach and 25th tee to green, and his autumn has been solid: T10, T21, T6 and T12. He also has his card to play for. His putting (146th) is the risk, but his long-iron play fits this course well.
TOP-20 TREBLE
Ghim, Kohles and Kirk all to finish top 20 | about 10/1 · bet365
Ghim (20/23), Kohles (6/4) and Kirk (11/8) have all been consistent this autumn. Ghim has not finished outside the top 17 in four starts, Kohles has finished between T13 and T25 in five, and Kirk has gone T10, T21, T6 and T12. Combined, the three prices come to about 10/1. One poor round from any of them, or a missed cut, beats the bet.
Our Selections
Austin Championship 2026 · bet365 prices checked 10:24 UK, Wed 11 Nov · 18+ · BeGambleAware.org
| Selection | Bet | Price | Stake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Bet: Doug Ghim | Each-way, outright · 1/5 odds, 8 places | 14/1 | 1 point EW |
| Ben Kohles | Each-way, outright · 1/5 odds, 8 places | 30/1 | 1 point EW |
| Jordan Smith | Each-way, outright · 1/5 odds, 8 places | 20/1 | 1 point EW |
| Chris Kirk | Each-way, outright · 1/5 odds, 8 places | 28/1 | 1 point EW |
| Top-20 treble | Ghim, Kohles and Kirk to finish top 20 | about 10/1 (20/23, 6/4, 11/8) | 1 point win |
Austin Championship 2026 FAQ
When is the Austin Championship 2026?
From Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November 2026. It is the seventh FedExCup Fall event, and the RSM Classic follows it.
Where is the Austin Championship played?
On the Fazio Canyons Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas. It is a par-72, 7,451-yard Tom Fazio design that opened in 1999.
Who is the defending champion?
There isn’t one. 2026 is the first edition of the event, and Fazio Canyons has never hosted a professional tournament before.
What grass are the greens?
Bermuda. The greens are large, quick and contoured, with steeper tiers on the back nine.
Who are the highest-ranked players in the field?
Austin Smotherman (53rd in the world), Marco Penge (54th), Andrew Novak (58th) and Jackson Koivun (59th). Last week’s WWT winner Blades Brown is also playing.
How do each-way terms work in golf betting?
An each-way bet is two equal stakes, one to win and one to place. The place part pays a fraction of the odds if your player finishes inside the paid places. Bookmakers often pay extra places on PGA Tour events, so check the terms before you bet. Our each-way betting guide explains it in full.
More from All Sports Tips
- World Wide Technology Championship 2026 preview
- Mexico Open 2026 preview: all 120 golfers and course guide
- All golf previews
- Each-way vs win betting explained
- Fractional odds explained
- Bet calculator
- Previous tips and results
Sources
- PGA Tour: 2026 field
- PGA Tour: Fazio Canyons scorecard
- PGA Tour media guide: Austin Championship
- PGA Tour: how the field qualified
- PGA Tour: 2026 strokes-gained and driving statistics
- PGA Tour: FedExCup Fall leaderboards (WWT shown)
- Out of the Rough: Austin Championship course notes
- Texas Outside: Fazio Canyons Course
- PGA of America: the courses at Omni Barton Creek
- where2golf: Fazio Foothills tournament results
- Front Office Sports: the Good Good split
- US National Weather Service forecast for Barton Creek
Form comes from official PGA Tour leaderboards and covers PGA Tour starts only. Our view of which skills will matter is based on the course layout, as there is no tournament data for Fazio Canyons.
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