The PGA Tour offseason was so long, I could hardly bear it. But after the arduous 17-day absence, we are back at it this week as we head to Napa Valley for the Fortinet Championship.
US Ryder Cup team members Max Homa -- the two-time defending champion at the Fortinet -- and Justin Thomas headline the field as they try to get into better form before Rome. They have a good chance to do so in a relatively weak field as well.
We finished off at the TOUR Championship with a monster week thanks to Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele, ending the week at East Lake up +11 units with our PGA Tour expert picks and golf best bets. Now, we'll keep 2023 going and reset at the start of the 2024 -- the only caveat there will be we won't have One and Done picks until we get to 2024. Let's take a break there.
And with that, let's get into our Fortinet Championship picks and best bets for the week.
Note: All odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook unless otherwise noted. Odds will be updated when made available. For more betting picks and advice, check out BetSided.
Golf betting record in 2023 through TOUR Championship: 51-144-2, +27.096 units (5-49 on outrights, 0.5 unit bets, 0.1 unit longshot bets | +11 units at TOUR Championship)
PGA Tour expert picks for Fortinet Championship: Winner, Top 10 picks
Top 10 pick for the Fortinet Championship: Justin Thomas (+200, DraftKings)
All of the Ryder Cup narrative around Justin Thomas is clouding the fact that he has been playing better, even if he hasn't been back to full JT levels (not even close). But I'm buying in on the narrative that he'll come to a course that should allow him to get hot with his approach play with wedges and get him into form for Rome. Perhaps that's a fool's errand, but I'm all the way in on Thomas showing up and finishing well at the Fortinet.
Outright Pick to win the Fortinet Championship (0.5 Units): Eric Cole (+3300)
Eric Cole missed the cut at the Fortinet last fall, but that was also his first PGA Tour start. Now, I clearly see things playing out much differently for him. Cole's erratic driving can be an issue, but he hits it plenty long and has been lethal over the past year with his combination of approach play and putting. For that reason, I'm all-in on him using that at a course that asks for it and picking up his first PGA Tour win.
Fortinet Championship picks and best bets
Max Homa to finish Top 5 at Fortinet Championship (+190, DraftKings)
Max Homa could be live to three-peat at the Fortinet Championship, though I'm not entirely going that route. Homa has started to trend back into form, which is good news for the Ryder Cup but also for a place that suits the best version of his game as well. He putts the lights out on Bent/Poa greens like we'll see this weekend and drives the ball so freakin' well. It's low odds for a Top 5 play, but I love it nonetheless.
Beau Hossler to finish Top 10 at Fortient Championship: (+275, DraftKings)
It's not customary to see Beau Hossler this high on the odds board, but it also might be deserved. He has three straight finishes of T25 or better at Silverado and, more importantly, has played some extremely solid golf as of late. His accuracy off of the tee should serve him well to be in the right positions, but he's been a plus with the putter and on approach in his last 20 rounds as well. That'll play this week and these odds for a Top 10 finish are juicy.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout to finish Top 20 at Fortinet Championship (+250, DraftKings)
Understanding that Bezuidenhout hasn't been great of late -- no finish better than T49 in his last six starts -- he's a great fit for this course. A great putter and a great wedge and short iron player, he's accurate enough to set himself up for scoring consistently at the Fortinet this week. In a field that leaves a lot to be desired, I like that profile for him to get into the Top 20, especially at these odds.
Longshot pick to win Fortinet Championship: Zac Blair (+12000)
ZB is vibin' a little bit right now, and by that I mean he finished T13 at the 3M Open before missing the cut at Wyndham. But in his last three starts at Silverado, Blair has a T12 and T4, along with a missed cut, to his credit. Gaining slightly on approach over his last 20 rounds and driving the ball accurately, he's at least a sleeper that I have my eye on.
