Golf Tips: Northern Trust Preview & Predictions

The FedEx play-offs begin this week with the Northern Trust at Liberty Nationa Golf Club, Jersey City, New Jersey.

The 125 field who have all qualified on the PGA Tour will be battling it out for this weeks $9.5 M purse and the title but more importantly for the chance to progress to next week’s FedEx event where only the top 70 in the field this week will continue at the BMW Championship in Maryland.

The Top 30 from Maryland will then qualify for the Tour Championship and battle it out at East Lake, Georgia.

This stunning par 71 parkland course overlooks the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty. It is surrounded with water not just of the course but also on it so the key attribute this week will almost certainly be accuracy. If the water hazards can be avoided around here then their are plenty opportunities for birdies to card a round in the low 60s.

The weather is forecast to see Tropical storm Fred having a say at Thursdays opening round but the weather is predicted to then stay calm , sunny and warm for the remainder of the tournament.

This event will be screened on Sky Sports Golf with live coverage starting at 12pm GMT on Thursday.

Before I continue I just want to thank everyone who are part of this amazing MFT community for all the kind messages and DMs.

Last week at the Cazoo Classic I advised Calum Hill would win his maiden European Tour Title at 28/1 and the young Scot from the kingdom of Fife duly obliged. He also won the matchbet Nap at 10/11 to make it yet another amazing and profitable weekend.

There surely has to be a major in there somewhere for our very own pairing, Calum Hill and his best friend Bob MacIntyre. Well done to everyone who collected and I know there was quite a few of you.

As I’ve mentioned with previous winners, I’m only to glad to have helped and I’ll keep doing my homework to the dissatisfaction of the bookies but more importantly to the delight of everyone involved in the MFT community.

So lets move on with some selections for this weeks Northern Trust.

Abraham Ancer

For my first and main selection I’m going to single out Abraham Ancer 35/1 EW Bet365. The 30 yrs old Mexican just recently bagged his maiden PGA victory when winning the WGC FedEx ST Jude Invitational last week so he will come here full of confidence.

The world No 11 beat my 80/1 selection Sam Burns in a play off which also involved Hideki Matsuyama. Ancer was runner up at the Northern Trust in 2019 when Patrick Reed just pipped him at the post but can go one better this time around.

Ancer is one of the most consistent players on the circuit and is always hovering around at the top of leaderboards. He has finished runner up on no less than four occasions, the above mentioned Northern Trust in 2019, The American Express and RBC Heritage both last year and this year he was runner up yet again at the Wells Fargo Championship. With far too many Top 20s, 10s & 5s to mention, worth noting was his T8th at the PGA Championship and T13th at The Masters.

With five Top 10 finishes in his last ten events including his maiden PGA victory, Ancer will almost certainly be a contender this week and it would come as no surprise if he made it two in two with another victory at the Northern Trust on Sunday evening.

Rory McIlroy

For my next selection I’m going to advise the one you all know by now is my favourite , well apart from our very own homegrown talents Bob MacIntyre and Calum Hill that is , yes it’s the one and only Rory McIlroy 22/1 EW Ladbrokes.

Rory just loves and really enjoys playing at these knockout events and has been showing some decent form recently to suggest another victory is on the way anytime soon.

The 32yrs old from Holywood was back in the winner’s enclosure lately after almost 18 months without a victory.

He silenced the critics when winning the Wells Fargo Championship where I said he would be back with a bang and he duly obliged at a generous 20/1 to the delight of us all at MFT.

He fared not too badly last time out at the WGC FedEx St Jude, finishing T12th, that was after returning from Japan where he finished just outside the medals at the Olympics in 4th place.

The Irishman was T7th at The US Open so it’s all coming together again under the watch of new coach Pete Cowan.

Rory won The Tour Championship in 2019 so knows this format only to well and he will be a contender here yet again this week from start to finish. If he can just get of to a better start than he did last week at the WGC FedEx St Jude where he was the best ball striker in the field by a long way gaining 12.35 strokes with his tee shots and approach play then he could well be the one they all have to beat this week.

Let’s all roar on Rory in New Jersey on his way to another victory at the Northern Trust.

Sam Burns

For my next pick I’m going to look for some good old value and for that reason I’m going to advise my 80/1 pick last week who just narrowly missed out finishing runner up at the WGC FedEx St Jude. Sam Burns is available at 66/1 Bet365 this week which actually surprises yet again just as I said last week at 80/1.

Every week the firms just seem to price the markets with value to be had if looking in the right places. I reckon they haven’t learned a lesson and overlooked Sam Burns once again but I’m not complaining. The recent Valspar Championship winner, another with a maiden PGA victory can back that up with 13th at the Travelers Championship and 18th at the Scottish Open .

Remember with this kind of price 66/1 then just a place represents amazing value and is going to return a tidy profit just as he did last weekend collecting 20/1 place money for us.

Webb Simpson v Cameron Smith

For my final selection it’s the customary matchbet and I’m going to recommend Webb Simpson to get the better of Cameron Smith 10/11 Nap Betfair.

Northern Trust Tips

• Abraham Ancer 35/1 EW Bet365
• Rory McILroy 22/1 EW Ladbrokes
• Sam Burns 66/1 EW Bet365
• Webb Simpson to beat Cameron Smith 10/11 Nap Betfair 72 hole matchbet

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