The two-week offseason for the PGA Tour ends this week as players travel to Napa, California, for the 2022 Fortinet Championship. The season-opening event since 2013, the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa will serve as the stage and welcome recent Korn Ferry Tour graduates, seasoned PGA Tour veterans and everyone in between to kick off the 2022-23 season.
Getting off to a quick start is exponentially more important than years past as the FedEx Cup Playoffs has since taken on a new shape. With only 70 players qualifying for the postseason in roughly 12 months' time, rather than the 125 we are accustomed to seeing, each and every week means that much more for PGA Tour members.
Players that will likely not have to worry about the bubble come next August include Hideki Matsuyama, Max Homa and Corey Conners. The trio headlines the odds board at Caesars Sportsbook, and are expected to play in next week's Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club.
Homa, who has been fantastic in the state of California throughout his career, will look to successfully defend his title from a year ago. Other Californians who have the potential to contend include: PGA Tour Rookie of the Year nominee Sahith Theegala, last year's runner-up Maverick McNealy and two-time Fortinet Championship winner Brendan Steele.
Let's take a closer look at this week's tournament with odds provided via Caesars Sportsbook.
Event Information
Event: Fortinet Championship | Dates: Sept. 15-18
Location: Silverado Resort and Spa (North Course) -- Napa, California
Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,123 | Purse: $8,000,000
2022 Fortinet Championship field, odds
- Hideki Matsuyama (14-1): The former Masters champion captured two victories in his first six starts of the 2021-22 season. Contending a couple more times over the spring and summer, Matsuyama battled injury on his way to finishing T11 in the FedEx Cup. He starts his season in Napa for the sixth time in his career, and the results have been stunning. In five prior trips, Matsuyama has collected three top-six finishes and another top-20 result to boot.
- Max Homa (14-1): The defending champion is expecting his first child in what will be a hectic month of September. Homa's focus, for now, will be on defending his title before he participates in his first Presidents Cup next week. He arrives in his home state fresh off a T5 effort in the FedEx Cup finale and has done substantial damage on the West Coast. If Homa's irons cooperate, he will threaten for his fifth PGA Tour title.
- Corey Conners (14-1): The world No. 25 begins his season in search of his first victory since 2019. Conners is one of the best ball strikers in the world but has often fallen short both on and around the green. This is especially true in the state of California as three of his five missed cuts last season were in the Golden State. The Canadian could easily go around Silverado and hit 85% of greens in regulation. He may struggle to keep pace if he doesn't.
- Maverick McNealy (22-1)
- Cameron Davis (28-1)
- Sahith Theegala (28-1): The former Pepperdine standout is set for his third stroll around Silverado. Making the cut in his prior two showings, Theegala could be in line to finally break through on the PGA Tour. With heart-wrenching close calls at the Phoenix Open and Travelers Championship in his rookie season, the little experience under Theegala's belt should serve him well. Featuring little trouble off the tee, Theegala's wildness with the driver shouldn't hinder his chances to enter the winner's circle.
- Taylor Pendrith (28-1): Selected by captain Trevor Immelman for the international team next week, Pendrith has become a staple on the PGA Tour. Since returning from injury in July, the Canadian has five top-15 finishes in six starts including a runner-up performance at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Long and straight off the tee and competent with his scoring clubs, if the putter shows signs of life, Pendrith should be right there come Sunday.
- Tom Hoge (33-1)
- Davis Riley (33-1)
- Denny McCarthy (40-1)
- Emiliano Grillo (40-1)
Rick Gehman is joined by Jonathan Coachman and Patrick McDonald to preview the 2022 Fortinet Championship. Follow & listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
2022 Fortinet Championship picks
| Winner (33-1): The 33-year-old enjoyed his best season on the PGA Tour in 2022 and broke through for his first victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Proven to have what it takes to win in the state of California, Hoge rediscovered this form in the latter stages of the summer. After missing six straight cuts, Hoge collected a T4 finish at the 3M Open and clawed his way inside the top 10 of the FedEx Cup at the Tour Championship. He has garnered a mixed bag of results in Napa in seven prior trips, but the balanced nature of his game should serve him well at Silverado. | |
| Contender (40-1): The 2016 Fortinet Championship winner sprinted to the finish of his 2021-22 campaign. After struggling for most of the season, Grillo ended last season having connected on nine of 11 cuts. Two of such results were in the form of runners-up as he came close at both the John Deere Classic and the 3M Open. Known as a quality ball-striker, it was the putter which ultimately turned the Argentine's season around. Gaining strokes on the greens in his last five starts, if similar form arrives in Napa, he has the potential to claim his second Fortinet Championship trophy. | |
| Sleeper (125-1): The Californian fell off the face of the planet after his victory at the 2018 John Deere Classic but has now returned to the PGA Tour. At one point, Kim made only one 36-hole cut over the span of two years but experienced a fantastic backend to his 2021-22 season on the Korn Ferry Tour. Capturing 10 top-10 finishes in his final 15 tournaments, Kim reclaimed his PGA Tour status. He enjoyed some success at Silverado in the early parts of his career with a T3 finish in 2017, so if he truly is back to his old self, you'd have to imagine he shows up in his home state. | |
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