- Davis Riley (+3300) and Tom Hoge (+4000) are solid outright picks.
- Chris Gotterup and Ben Griffin are relative unknowns worth considering for props.
After a two-week “offseason,” the PGA Tour starts the 2022-23 season this week with the Fortinet Championship, and with that comes the return of golf betting.
Each week this season, I will post multiple picks for each tournament and keep a season-long record.
The Fortinet Championship, which has a purse of $8 million, will be played at the Silverado Resort & Spa in Napa, California. At 7,123 yards, it’s one of the shortest courses players will face all year. It’s highlighted by four reachable par-5s, which means players who score well on par-5s between 500-600 yards will be highly considered for my card.
It’s also worth taking a hard look at players who putt well on poa grass.
Given it’s the first event of the season and a week before the Presidents Cup, it’s a unique field with five players teeing it up at Quail Hollow and several Korn Ferry Tour graduates playing in their first career PGA Tour event.
Fortinet Championship Picks 2022: 4 Predictions
Davis Riley Outright +3300 (.5 Unit)
Riley faded a bit in his rookie season a year ago (one top-25 finish in his last seven starts), but for a stretch in the middle of the season, he was in the mix for the Rookie of the Year award. He went six consecutive tournaments finishing T-13 or better from late April through May.
Relating to this week, while he isn’t at the top in some of the key stats, he does rank above average in most. I am backing him this week as he’s due to win soon and after a month or so off, he should enter refreshed and ready to get back to his spring form.
Tom Hoge Outright +4000 (.5 Unit)
Hoge was one of the few players who could be considered a serious snub for the Presidents Cup. Ultimately, captain Davis Love III went with Kevin Kisner as a captain’s pick over Hoge (and others), who finished 13th in the standings.
He could come in with a little extra motivation and look to get a head start at ensuring himself a spot on the 2023 Ryder Cup team.
.@HogeGolf straight class 👏
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Hoge’s ball-striking helps him a great deal with par-5 scoring, and he’s a solid putter on poa. It should also be noted his only PGA Tour win came in California last year at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Chris Gotterup Top-10 Finish +800 (1 Unit)
A year ago at this time, Gotterup was still in college at Oklahoma. Now, he’s playing on the PGA Tour.
The 23-year-old will look to take advantage of a sponsor’s exemption this week, just like he did last summer when he finished T-4 at the John Deere Classic. Gotterup excels on poa and has scored very well on shorter par-5s. So he’s worth a flier this week in a somewhat below-average field.
Ben Griffin Top-20 Finish +800 (1 Unit)
Griffin is one of the Korn Ferry Tour graduates making his PGA Tour debut as a full member this week. The University of North Carolina product is no stranger to the Tour. He finished fourth at the Wyndham Championship back in August.
This is a second-shot course, and Griffin proved to be one of the best ball-strikers on the Korn Ferry Tour last season. This should put him in an excellent position to succeed this week at the Silverado Resort & Spa.
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