Golf betting tips: Preview and tips for the 2023 Fortinet Championship
Whether you are a seasoned golf betting pro or new to the world of wagering, the 2023 Fortinet Championship promises a thrilling blend of top-class golf and strategic betting opportunities.
In 2021, the California based Fortinet, who develop and sell cybersecurity solutions, took over sponsorship of the event. The former Safeway Open is now contested as the Fortinet Championship.
The Fortinet Championship was first staged in 2007 as the Fry’s Electronics Open at Grayhawk’s Raptor Course in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 2014 the tournament moved to the North Course at Silverado Country Club in Napa, California.
As the first tournament of the PGA Tour’s new FedEx Cup Fall Seris, the Fortinet Championship takes on added significance in terms of golf betting and fantasy golf. The diverse field of seasoned veterans and rising stars offers a dynamic range of odds. This in turn amplifies the betting possibilities and potential outcomes.
FedEx Cup Fall Seris 101
Players will begin the FedEx Cup Fall Series with all points earned in the Regular Season and the first FedEx Cup Playoff event, the FedEx St Jude Championship.
Nos. 51-70 in the FedEx Cup at the start of the fall have already secured their Top 125 eligibility for the following year but are competing for spots in the first two Signature Events following The Sentry.
The FedEx Cup Fall will finalize the priority ranking entering the 2024 season, including the Top-125 category for those who finished outside the Top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings.
Nos. 71 and up can earn one of the 10 spots available in those Signature Events but they also are competing to finish in the Top 125 of the FedEx Cup standings at the conclusion of the fall. Standard FedEx Cup points will be issued in the seven events, including 500 points awarded to the winner.
At the end of the FedEx Cup Fall, those that rank from 126-150 on the final FedEx Cup Fall Points List will have conditional status for the 2024 PGA Tour Season.
Winners during the FedEx Cup Fall series earn a two-year exemption on Tour (if not previously eligible), entry into the Sentry Tournament of Champions, THE PLAYERS Championship as well as continued eligibility for those Major Championships that have invited PGA Tour winners in the past.
Silverado North Course | Course Overview
The original course at Silverado opened in 1955 and is now known as the North Course. In 1966, it was re-designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and the South Course was added.
The North Course has played host to several PGA Tour events including the Kaiser International Open Invitational from 1968 through 1976 and the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic from 1977 through 1980.
Johnny Miller, who co-owns Silverado, also redesigned it in 2011. In the process he removed bunkers, widened fairways and replaced the kikuyu grass with rye and bluegrass. He created a challenge that caters to the resort player but with greens that can run at tournament speed.
“If you have great golf, you usually do pretty good”
Johnny Miller
Silverado North Course Scorecard
Silverado is a standard-issue Par 72 that measures 7,123 yards. With a Par 5-4-5 finish the slightest of leads won’t be safe and makes for an exciting finish.
| HOLE | PAR | YARDS | HOLE | PAR | YARDS |
| 1 | 4 | 436 | 10 | 4 | 422 |
| 2 | 3 | 197 | 11 | 3 | 182 |
| 3 | 4 | 424 | 12 | 4 | 391 |
| 4 | 4 | 407 | 13 | 4 | 458 |
| 5 | 5 | 538 | 14 | 4 | 412 |
| 6 | 4 | 417 | 15 | 3 | 189 |
| 7 | 3 | 212 | 16 | 5 | 571 |
| 8 | 4 | 360 | 17 | 4 | 375 |
| 9 | 5 | 557 | 18 | 5 | 575 |
| 36 | 3548 | 36 | 3575 | ||
| Total | 7123 |
| # | Shortest | Longest | Average | |
| Par 3’s | 4 | 182 | 212 | 195 |
| Par 4’s | 10 | 360 | 458 | 410 |
| Par 5’s | 4 | 538 | 575 | 560 |
Fortinet Championship Winning Formula
The following table details the Average Strokes Gained in each of the key strokes gained categories for the past six champions of the Fortinet Championship.
| Last 6 Champions Strokes Gained Category | Average Strokes Gained | Average Finishing Position SG Category |
|---|---|---|
| SGOTT | 3.631 | 11 |
| SGAPR | 3.561 | 13 |
| SGARG | 1.866 | 23 |
| SGP | 2.801 | 20 |
| SGT2G | 9.058 | 2 |
Graphing the above Average Strokes Gained gives a visual check on the likely key areas required for success at this week’s Fortinet Championship.
Fortinet Championship Tips
Brendon Todd 33/1 (E/W) – followed a T22 in the 2021 edition of the Fortinet Championship with a T9 last year. Finished 47th in the regular season FedEx Cup making it to the penultimate playoff event, the BMW Championship. He has two runner-up finishes among six Top 10’s on Tour this year. His T7 in the recent Wyndham Championship is enough for him to place 2nd in this week’s Current Form table. The 38-year-old’s solid all-round game is reflected in his stats placing just outside the Top 10 in this week’s Stats Analysis. Returning to a course where he has previous strong showings is a plus and should fancy his chances based on field strength. Good each way value.
JJ Spaun 33/1 (E/W) – a regular at the Fortinet Championship, his best result around Silverado’s North Course is a T9 in 2020. Has secured his card for 2024, finishing 62nd in the regular season FedEx Cup. Statistically solid throughout the bag, he places 4th in this week’s Stats Analysis. He is also 31st on Tour this season for GIR and 26th for Proximity To Hole. Has the ability to grind out a score and will relish this week’s challenge from both a course and field perspective. The seasoned campaigner just needs the flat-stick to heat slightly and see a few putts drop early doors. Good each way value.
Follow PGAgolfbets on Twitter to stay up to date and receive notifications when previews and tables are updated or published online.