The PGA Tour heads to Austin for the inaugural Austin Championship presented by Compliance Solutions. With the FedExCup Fall drawing to a close, this new tourney marks the penultimate event on the 2026 schedule.
Following back-to-back stops in Mexico and four consecutive events outside of the U.S., the PGA Tour returns to Austin, Texas, for the first time since the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in 2023. The Fazio Canyons Course (Par 72, 7,451 yards) at the Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa will host the inaugural edition.
Coming off his first career win in Mexico last week, Blades Brown is among the headliners in the 120-man field teeing it up at the Austin Championship. 3M Open Champion Jackson Koivun, Doug Ghim, Chris Kirk, Brian Harman, who won at the Valero Texas Open in 2025, and recent Mexico Open winner Andrew Novak are a few of the notables teeing it up this week.
The seventh of eight events this Autumn, the Austin Championship offers one of the final chances for players to cement their 2027 PGA Tour status or book a spot in an early Signature Event next season. Who will thrive as the pressure ramps up? Let's get into some picks and predictions as the season winds down.
2026 Austin Championship picks and predictions
Sleeper pick for the Austin Championship: Austin Eckroat (+6900)
A previous winner at a venue that Tom Fazio had an influence on, PGA National, Austin Eckroat could surprise this week at the Fazio Canyons Course. He has made the cut in each of his four starts this fall and will tee it up at the Austin Championship after a T21 finish in Mexico last week, where he ranked eighth in the field in strokes gained on approach.
Pick to win the Austin Championship: Zach Bauchou (+3900)
Coming off top-30 finishes in three of the four Texas events he teed it up in this year, those being Valero (T28), the Byron Nelson (T6), and the Charles Schwab (T22), Bauchou returns to the Lone Star State after a strong fall that has seen him finish T24 or better in three of his five starts. Ninth in the field in strokes gained approach last week in Mexico, where he finished tied for 33rd, Bauchou ranks 11th in this week's field in that department over the last three months, per Data Golf.
Pick to win the Austin Championship: Austin Smotherman (+3800)
Smotherman is having an incredible fall, yet he finds himself behind a plethora of names to win this week's Austin Championship. An elite ball striker, third in the field off the tee and seventh on approach over the last three months, the Fazio Canyons Course is another venue that should suit him. A runner-up at PGA National in March, Smotherman has finished T17 and won twice in his last three starts. As improbable as it might seem that he would win in three consecutive starts, it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
Pick to win the Austin Championship: Pierceson Coody (+3300)
Coody, a UT product, has had a strong 2026 with nine top-20 finishes and a runner-up result at the Farmers Insurance Open in February. He comes into the penultimate event of the year after tying for sixth at the Mexico Open and finishing T33 at El Cardonal in his last two starts. Coody ranks third in the Austin Championship field in total strokes gained tee to green over the last month and comes into the week after finishing seventh in the field in strokes gained approach last time out.
All betting odds courtesy of DraftKings. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. The content in this article should not be considered betting advice. Gambling involves risk, and one should only gamble with funds that one can comfortably afford to lose. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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