Fantasy Golf Predictions
Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions – THE NORTHERN TRUST
Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for THE NORTHERN TRUST
THE NORTHERN TRUST Fantasy Preview
It was a case of six of the best at the Wyndham Championship, as half-a-dozen players made it into a playoff at the -15 mark.
Kevins Kisner and Na, Adam Scott, Si-Woo Kim, Branden Grace and Roger Sloan were the combatants, with the six-man field a tie for the most players in a playoff in PGA TOUR history.
Russell Henley, in truth, could have won it on the final hole but missed a birdie putt and then a regulation par effort to somehow snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. And then Scott and to a lesser extent Sloan both had chances to win it on the first extra hole.
After nobody could break par there, it was a replay on the second extra hole – this time it was Kisner with the golden chance to make birdie, and the South Carolinan made no mistake to end his own bizarre playoff hoodoo….no wins in five attempts is a strange record for a semi-regular TOUR winner.
But that has been put to bed now, and Kisner – up to 29 in the FedExCup standings – could yet go very deep into the conversation.
Another who will advance to the playoffs is Chesson Hadley, whose incredible hole-in-one at the sixteenth hole was enough for him to sneak into the top 125. The emotion he showed in his post-round interview confirmed that, often, the most captivating in pro golf are amongst those scrapping to save their career.
Either way, it’s off to the playoffs we go, with a stellar field heading to New Jersey for THE NORTHERN TRUST.
Last Week’s Fantasy Results
Last week our guy Kevin Na finished T2 before falling short in the playoff to Kevin Kisner.
We head into the first round of the playoffs with 5 total runner-ups and 9 total winners picked on the season. We’ll be looking to carry this solid momentum into the FedExCup stretch this week.
THE NORTHERN TRUST Field
Only one of the top 125 in the FedExCup standings has declined their invitation this week, and so Louis Oosthuizen will put his feet up and watch the rest of the big guns tackle Liberty National from home.
Otherwise, this has a major standard feel to it with Jon Rahm, the world number one, joined by the rest of the top-10 in the world including Dustin, Bryson, Rory, Collin, Xander, Brooks and co.
Patrick Reed, the 2019 winner at this course, will return to the scene as will Abraham Ancer, who was second at Liberty National back then and who won in his last start at TPC Southwind.
Spieth, Cantlay, Thomas, Hovland, Casey, Berger….you know the drill. This might not be a major in name, but it is in spirit.
This Week’s Course Preview
After the stop-off at TPC Boston, it’s back to Liberty National for the 2021 edition of this event.
On hosting duties in 2019 and 2013, when Adam Scott was the victor, Liberty National is an enjoyable slice of New Jersey real estate that serves up a decent assignment to the players.
This Par 71 track features just three Par 5s and measures a total of 7,410 yards, so it’s a good old stretch that, while offering up average width fairways, has thick rough to be avoided in the second and third cut.
Designed by Tom Kite in 2006, Liberty National is a traditional parklands layout with small Bentgrass greens that will run at around 12 on the stimpmeter, so there’s plenty going on here to test the very best players in the world.
Weather Forecast for Jersey City, NJ
It’s a rather unpredictable forecast to start the week in Jersey City.
Those dreaded words – scattered thunderstorms – are in the predictions, and as ever that could lead to significant rainfall and delays or they could slide by without being a factor.
One of the most noteworthy things is that the wind speeds could be down, according to the forecast, at around 7 mph. That is very unusual for this stretch, given that the breeze can howl in off the Atlantic, so that will be something to keep an eye on.
The temperatures are set at around the 84˚F mark, so it will be pleasant enough if the players can avoid the rain.
Last Year’s Results from THE NORTHERN TRUST
Although it took place at TPC Boston, Dustin Johnson’s winning total of -30 was a performance for the ages in winning THE NORTHERN TRUST last year.
Unsurprisingly, nobody could lay a glove on DJ at that lofty score, with Harris English next best on -19. It was the biggest margin of victory in a PGA TOUR event since 2006.
It’s worth a reminder of the last time this tournament stopped by Liberty National in 2019. Patrick Reed made two birdies in his closing five holes to claim the win, despite the advances of Abraham Ancer who also birdied 16 and 17 to set up a grandstand finish.
Dustin Johnson shoots 11-under 60 | Round 2 | THE NORTHERN TRUST 2020
In the second round of THE NORTHERN TRUST 2020, Dustin Johnson went bogey free and carded an 11-under 60 in his lights-out performance on Friday. SUBSCRIBE to PGA TOUR now: http://pgat.us/vBxcZSh The three-week FedExCup Playoffs begin with THE NORTHERN TRUST at TPC Boston.
Where to Play Fantasy Golf for the NORTHERN TRUST this Week
So here we go again – the FedExCup. There’s going to be plenty of great contests coming up in the next few weeks, but we can get started in some style with these two games at THE NORTHERN TRUST.
- PGA $1m Flop Shot: Okay, so it’s not quite the milly-maker, but still there’s a top prize of $250k to be won here – just $15 an entry will get you into the mix.
- PGA $200k Up-and-Down: Remember, this will be the last ‘full’ field event before the numbers start dwindling towards the TOUR Championship, so leverage your advantage now in this $55 entry contest – the winner pockets $50k.
This Week’s Fantasy Notes for THE NORTHERN TRUST
This is one of the best fields you could wish to see outside of a major, and Liberty National will provide the kind of examination of their technique that we should expect.
Scott won here with -11 in 2013 and Reed followed up with -16 six years later, so we can deduce from that that birdies are available but that you’d better make par on the tougher holes.
There is an emphasis on finding the fairways because the rough is thick when you miss the first or second cut, and that’s why many tend to club down here.
It makes sense to approach these small greens from the short grass, that’s for sure, because they’re quick enough to spit out any errant approaches. Note too that the Bentgrass green complexes are undulating, so will be a need to hit excellent irons and then chip well when slightly off line.
The wind may pick up – it really is unpredictable at Liberty National, and so that will be another factor to consider in our draft.
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Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win THE NORTHERN TRUST
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Top 5 Picks/Odds to Win THE NORTHERN TRUST
Top Tier Pick #1:
Collin Morikawa (Odds: 18/1, FPPG: 79.3, GPFP: 63.43 Salary: $10,400)
Of the principle figures this week, it’s easy to like the chances of Jon Rahm, but remember he hasn’t played for so long due to his Covid diagnosis.
Instead, Collin Morikawa holds plenty of appeal at a layout which should suit. He’s a proven fairway finder and the best iron player in the world bar none, and his short game has improved to the extent that he’s now a two-time major champion before the age of 25.
The second of those, the British Open in July, was sandwiched between top-fives at the US Open and the Olympic Games, so here’s a guy that saved his best golf for the biggest evens and the highest quality of competition.
That’s a very useful trait to have….
Key Stats:
- Birdie Average – 1st
- SG: Approach – 1st
- Greens in Regulation – 2nd
Top Tier Pick #2:
Abraham Ancer (Odds: 30/1, FPPG: 73.1, GPFP: 58.51 Salary: $9,400)
Now that Abraham Ancer has finally claimed his maiden PGA TOUR title, it will be interesting to see where his career goes from here.
There’s a possibility that he will freeroll into THE NORTHERN TRUST off the back of his outstanding victory at TPC Southwind, where both his long and short game were working in perfect harmony.
Accurate off the tee and an excellent iron player, Ancer should create chances at Liberty National, a venue he will have fond memories of following his solo second here in 2019.
The evidence suggests, on the whole, that Bentgrass is his favored putting surface too, and so all things considered the Mexican should be on the shortlist regardless of his triumph last time out.
Key Stats:
- Par 4 Scoring Average – 3rd
- Driving Accuracy – 7th
- SG: Approach – 27th
Mid-Tier Pick #1:
Joaquin Niemann (Odds: 66/1, FPPG: 77.3, GPFP: 61.82 Salary: $8,100)
It’s been solid stuff of late from Joaquin Niemann, who followed a T2 turn at the Rocket Mortgage Classic with a top-10 at the Olympics and T17 at the FedEx St Jude.
The short game is trending nicely, and for a player like Niemann that is often the missing ingredient – he is an excellent iron hitter who benefits from being able to sheathe the flat stick from time to time.
With Bentgrass his preferred surface, the stars could align for the Chilean at Liberty National.
Key Stats:
- Scoring Average – 10th
- SG: Putting – 17th
- Greens in Regulation – 39th
Mid-Tier Pick #2:
Kevin Na (Odds: 90/1, FPPG: 65.2, GPFP: 61.82 Salary: $7,500)
From top-tier pick last week to mid-tier this, we’re not expecting a drop-off in standards from Kevin Na.
He was outstanding with his irons at Sedgefield, and that form – allied to his always excellent chipping – should create scoring opportunities this time out too.
It would be a surprise if Na missed many fairways too, and if he can find something with the flat stick – he’s sinking a few at the minute, hence his run to the playoff at the Wyndham – then he can be a big player this week.
Key Stats:
- SG: Around-the-Green – 1st
- Par 4 Scoring Average – 28th
- Driving Accuracy – 33rd
Low-Tier Pick:
Cameron Tringale (Odds: 125/1, FPPG: 67.0, GPFP: 78.39 Salary: $7,300)
He’s been so consistent this season that Cameron Tringale has made 18/25 cuts and served up ten top-25 finishes.
That form has been built on the back of all-round excellence in all departments, and right now he really doesn’t have any weaknesses in his game.
Like many before him, if Tringale continues to play this well for much longer he will go very close to winning – could it be this week?
Key Stats:
- SG: Putting – 18th
- Scoring Average – 18th
- SG: Approach – 39th
Sleeper Pick for THE NORTHERN TRUST
Adam Hadwin (Odds: 200/1, FPPG: 51.0, GPFP: 44.88 Salary: $6,700)
A long period in the doldrums has given way to some improvement for Adam Hadwin.
He’s got the sort of grinding game that can work at Liberty National, and he takes with him to Jersey City much improved form.
Top 10s at both the 3M Open and the Wyndham Championship, with six out of eight rounds played at 68 or better, shows a player in great heart. Can the former Valspar Championship winner succeed in another quality tournament this week?
Key Stats:
- SG: Putting – 16th
- SG: Around-the-Green – 52nd
- Driving Accuracy – 75th
Alternative Sleeper Pick for THE NORTHERN TRUST
Lucas Glover (Odds: 250/1, FPPG: 57.9, GPFP: 54.38 Salary: $6,700)
We see Liberty National as a ball striker’s track for those who can putt a bit too, and in that sense Lucas Glover could outperform this salary.
Despite his season-long stats, the veteran’s putting has improved markedly in the past couple of months, and that led to a top-10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and, of course, that long awaited win at the John Deere Classic.
Ranking 55th for SG: Tee-to-Green, Glover has the all-round game to perform well at this track too.
Key Stats:
- SG: Tee-to-Green – 55th
- Scoring Average – 68th
- Greens in Regulation – 88th
This Week’s Sample Fantasy Lineup
Note: Sample lineups provided as examples only. Be sure to mix-and-match players to best fit individual contests.
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Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2020-2021)
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