The PGA Tour 2022/23 season is back up and running and this week's golf betting tips play the Fortinet Championship at the North Course, Silverado County Club & Resort, Napa, California.
The 156 field with the top 65 including ties making it to the weekend will all be competing for a share of the $7M prize purse with the winner collecting the Fortinet Championship crown and a winner’s cheque for $1.26M.
Max Homa returns to defend his title after claiming the 2021 version with a shot to spare over his nearest challenger Maverick McNealy. Homa shot a sublime final round 65 to finish the tournament with a winning scorecard reading 269,-19.
The North Course at Silverado will be playing 7,166 yards long this week. It’s a stunning par 72 Bermuda grass layout where accuracy and precision will be the name of the game where just like last year I’d expect a birdie fest this time around.
Last weekend at the DP World Tours flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship crown went the way of Irishman Shane Lowry. The event was shortened to 54 holes which is just never the same but a huge congratulations to Shane for winning his first tournament in 2022.
Our tips were all in the mix but we’ll never know what would or could have been over the 72 holes. Well done if you got the place money for runner-up Jon Rahm.
The Super Banker Match bet NAP continues to perform with our selection Eddie Pepperell comfortably seeing off Alexander Bjork who couldn’t even make the cut. Keep a look out for these Banker Naps in the future, they very rarely let us down.
The weather is forecast to be partly cloudy but warm conditions with plenty of sunshine throughout. Breezes will peak at around 14mph.
This event will be screened on Sky Sports Golf with live coverage starting at 5.30 pm on Thursday evening.
So let’s move on with this week's Fortinet Championship betting tips.
Fortinet Championship Betting Tips
Maverick McNealy
For my first and main tip this week at Silverado I’m going to point you all in the direction of Maverick McNealy 28/1 EW 1-6 places BetUK.com. Now I’m going to be the first to admit here that I’d nearly given up on the 26-year-old native from California but I’m going on instinct here and my sixth sense says that McNealy will produce the goods this weekend in familiar surroundings.
Last year McNealy finished runner-up here and most probably, would have won if not for Homa’s magnificent seven under par final round. This young talented whiz kid with a degree in Science and Engineering certainly won’t be jumping ship to this LIV circus.
His father is one of the wealthiest businessmen in America so money won’t do to McNealy as it has done to others, well I hope not. McNealy only has four Top 20 finishes to go on this year with two of those being Top 10 places.
McNealy recently finished 8th at the John Deere Classic and 9th at the Barracuda Championship. On the stats front, the only figures that stick out could be the most important this week in California. McNeally ranks 5th on the PGA Tour for Putting Average at 1.721 and with birdies plenty on the North Course.
I’m going to give Maverick McNealy another chance this weekend on home soil with the crowd behind him to finally bag that maiden PGA Title when he’s crowned the Fortinet Champion 2022.
Stewart Cink
For my next suggestion I’m going to advise a player who landed my biggest ever winner to date, Stewart Cink was 150/1 when I tipped him to win the RBC Heritage last year, this time I’ve found a firm, Unibet, offering 125/1 EW to win the Fortinet Championship and I’m all over this one for value.
Now come on, without being disrespectful here, this is a much weaker field in Napa for a PGA event and as you are all well aware, I’m always on the lookout for when the firms may be treading on thin ice and this weekend the 125/1 on offer for Stewart Cink could end up melting fast.
I’m not going to rant on about lots of fine performances and stats this year for the veteran 49-year-old from Alabama because there simply aren’t any really. But two notable finishes in 2022 definitely worth a mention were 9th at the Wells Fargo Championship and an even better 7th at the Valspar Championship.
This talented major Champ who bagged the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry in 2009 has all the experience and expertise to make these bookies look foolish to the delight of us all as we collect some each-way money or possibly even hit the jackpot with an outright victory, that’s Christmas sorted .
Sahith Theegala
For my next prediction, I’m going to single out Sahith Theegala 30/1 EW Unibet. The young 24-year-old is playing in his back garden this week in the Golden State and that could be just what this kid needs to claim his maiden PGA Title.
He’s certainly been knocking on the door this year with no less than four Top 10 finishes which include 7th at the Valspar Championship, 5th at the Memorial Tournament, T3rd at the Phoenix Open and keep the best for last, T2nd at the Travelers Championship.
This new kid on the block is going to be a sensation on the PGA Tour and as advised with so many others in the past, a victory is imminent followed by many more, Theegala simply oozes talent, check this out if you are still undecided, Sahith Theegala ranks 1st on the PGA Tour this year for Total Birdies having successfully holed 433 of them.
Now as I mentioned above this will be a birdie paradise with plenty on offer and who better to rely on than Sahith Theegala, the figures don’t lie so hurry up and get on the local native Theegala to bag his maiden title this weekend in California not far from where he grew up.
For my final selection, it’s the customary match bet and for this week's NAP I’m liking the look of the defending champ, Max Homa, to successfully fend off Hideki Matsuyama over 72 holes @ 5/6 Nap Bet365.
In December 2020 we sadly 
OK Caddy, with you on Cink. GL 🍀& enjoy the Golf ⛳
Had McIntyre at 4/1 and Homa 9/4 in a £5 double yesterday! 😆
Think my lucks done for the year.
Crazy stuff I had switched over after Homas bunker shot at 18 and feel for the boy ..and anyone on him but dems the breaks! 😮 ⛳️