The inaugural 2026 Austin Championship tees off this week at the Fazio Canyons Course at Barton Creek Resort in Texas, bringing a $6 million purse and a heavy spotlight on the PGA Tour’s youngest rising stars, Golf Channel reported.
DraftKings lists 21-year-old Jackson Koivun as the tournament favorite at +1600, according to Golf Channel. Meanwhile, golf.com reported that Ben James leads the betting field at +1125, even though James is still chasing his first PGA Tour victory after five top-5 finishes in 13 starts this season.
Doug Ghim sits closely behind the early leaders at +1650 on DraftKings and +2100 odds-to-win. Nineteen-year-old Blades Brown enters the field at +2050 on DraftKings after capturing his maiden PGA Tour title last week at the World Wide Technology Championship in Cabo San Lucas, where Golf Channel noted he fired a stellar 63 to overcome a seven-stroke deficit.
The stellar rookie class also features Miles Russell, who arrives as the AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year for a third time. Golf.com lists Russell at +6200 odds-to-win, while other established names like Chris Kirk feature prominently on the board at +2800 according to Golf Channel and +2900 according to DraftKings.
| Golfer | DraftKings Odds | Golf.com Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Ben James | Not listed in top tier | +1125 |
| Jackson Koivun | +1600 | +1800 |
| Doug Ghim | +1650 | +2100 |
| Blades Brown | +2050 | +2350 |
| Chris Kirk | +2800 | +2900 |
This event marks the second-to-last tournament on the 2026 PGA Tour schedule before the season concludes next week at the RSM Classic. Competitors are fighting hard to secure their standing among the top 100 players on the final FedExCup standings to earn full PGA Tour cards for the 2027 season.
Austin Eckroat sits at No. 122 on the FedExCup Fall points list, making his appearance necessary to keep his conditional status for 2027.
THIS WEEK ON GOLF CHANNEL: NOVEMBER 9 📅 DP World Tour: DP World Tour Championship 📍Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth) | United Arab Emirates 🏆 2025 tournament champion: Matt Fitzpatrick 🥇 2025 Race to Dubai winner: Rory McIlroy 🏌🏻♂️ Notables: Tommy Fleetwood, Ryan Fox, Tyrrell…
