See below as we run through this week’s major tournament – the Northern Trust – including facts, odds and picks from our own golfing professional Cliff Jackson and 32Red’s Jack Milner.
NORTHERN TRUST
OVERVIEW: The FedEx Cup has been reduced to three events with the Northern Trust the first one, before the BMW Championship an the Tour Championship. 121 players have qualified for the Northern Trust, including 40 of the world’s top-50 player.
Bryson DeChambeau is the defending champion, but the clear favourite is world number one Brooks Koepka.
TOP TEN BETTING FROM 32RED:
32Red’s Sponsorship manager Jack Milner delivers a weekly verdict on each tournament.
There is a changing of the guard entering this year’s Fedex Cup with youth thriving on tour and JT Poston following recent maiden winners Morgan Wolf and Colin Morikawa when scoring last week at The Wyndham Championship.
Golf was to be taken over by the SB2K15 mob, with Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas set to be launched into golfing superstardom. The trio have struggled however, with the quarter major-less since JT’s PGA Championship two years ago, and Brooks Koepka proving a class apart on the biggest stage.
Whilst not there yet, I remain adamant the likes of Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schaufelle and Byron Dechambeau all likely to be the next group of players to set their sights on a maiden major success, and all likely to go well at The Northern Trust.
Bryson is the biggest price of the three, with last year’s winner too big at 45/1 to go back-to-back. Bryson shot four rounds in the 60s to win the first of The Fedex Cup play-offs and finally looks to be over the struggles at Augusta in April. Bryson led The Masters after an opening round 66 before shooting four rounds in the 70s thereafter however, was unlucky not to win last month’s 3M Open and will hopefully carry that onto a place where historically has gone well.
Course form should also help the chances of Patrick Cantlay, finishing T8 behind Bryson 12 months ago and T10 the year prior. Few score better than the 27-year old with Cantlay second only to Rory in terms of strokes gained on tour this term, and ranks inside the top ten for performance tee-to-green and scrambling, which should both prove vital around at Liberty National.
Xander Schaufelle is a proven performer on the big stage and offers similar appeal at 33/1. Xander is still amazingly just 25 years of age, wow I feel old, but if firmly established on tour and currently ranks fourth in the Fedex Cup points race. A consistent performer all season, he returned from a short break after The US Open to finish T41 (after a final round 78) at Portrush and T27 at the WGC in Memphis. He looks poised to go well.
Northern Trust Picks
Patrick Cantlay at 22/1 with 32Red
Xander Schaufelle at 33/1 with 32Red
Bryson DeChambeau at 45/1 with 32Red
Tiger Woods at 33/1 with 32Red
Our resident golf expert is Cliff Jackson. Cliff is a leading youth coach and PGA professional at the famed Seaton Carew Links – one of the oldest courses in the world.
The FedEx Cup means the business end of the golf season, the world’s best compete of the coming weeks and it serves up some great action.
I have been really impressed by Webb Simpson in recent weeks, he has really got his game nailed on at the moment and he would be my top pick. I would also give Collin Morikawa a great chance and I think at 33/1 is a good shout.
Webb Simpson at 18/1 with 32Red
Collin Morikawa at 33/1 with 32Red
