Fantasy Golf Predictions
Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, & Predictions – The Northern Trust
Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for The Northern Trust
2018 Northern Trust Fantasy Preview
Unhappy with not winning in 2018 and sitting just 80th in the FedExCup standings, Brandt Snedeker was a man on a mission last week.
A former Wyndham Championship winner and sponsored by the brand, Snedeker became the latest inductee into the 59 Club at Sedgefield Country Club by posting an opening round of -11 to take a comfortable lead.
But he faltered from there somewhat, not helped by weather delays and that ‘after the lord mayor’s show’ feeling, and others came back into the picture.
D.A. Points, a lover of Donald Ross tracks, Brian Gay, David Hearn and C.T. Pan – with his wife on the bag for one week only, all contended, as did Webb Simpson when he tied for the lead late on Sunday, but there was one man who would not be stopped.
Snedeker completed a wire-to-wire – albeit not as handsome as that sounds – victory to propel himself up the FedExCup rankings and fire himself into form ahead of the play-offs.
And so we look ahead to the 12th annual edition of the ‘post season’, where huge sums of prize money and prestige are up for grabs.
It kicks off this week with The Northern Trust, played at Ridgewood CC in Paramus, New Jersey, where the top-125 players in the FedExCup ladder will do battle to ensure they tee up at the Dell Technologies Championship a week on Thursday.
Justin Thomas of the United States plays his shot from the 16th tee…
Justin Thomas of the United States plays his shot from the 16th tee during the final round of the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club on August 12, 2018 in St Louis, Missouri. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
Last Week’s Fantasy Results
Hats off to Sneds for his win after making history with his 59 on Thursday.
Our Top Tier pick was Webb Simpson last week, who charged up the leaderboard to finish T2 along with our Sleeper Report pick C.T. Pan. Both were strong selections last week, especially the Pan pick, who was lightly owned on DFS.
The T2 finish by Webb marks our 12th runner-up finish this season.
Brandt Snedeker celebrates on the 18th green after making his birdie…
Brandt Snedeker celebrates on the 18th green after making his birdie putt during the final round to win the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club on August 19, 2018 in Greensboro, North… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
The 2018 Northern Trust Field
It’s a veritable who’s who of American golf this week, with most of the big guns teeing up.
Rickie Fowler will take an extra week to recover from the muscle injury that has dogged him for the past couple of months, but otherwise there’s big guns (Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Justin Rose), Major champions (Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Francesco Molinari) and those seeking a road back to glory (Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Tiger Woods).
There’s a strong European feel, with Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood in the house, among others, while 2018’s rookie champions like Aaron Wise and Satoshi Kodaira will also be looking to make their mark.
Thanks to their fine showings at the Wyndham, Nick Taylor and Harris English have bumped Tyrone van Aswegen and Martin Piller out of the top-125, while Bud Cauley – who hasn’t played since May after suffering a car accident – has just about hung on to his spot and will take to the tee.
Tiger Woods of the United States reacts after making a putt for…
Tiger Woods of the United States reacts after making a putt for birdie on the 18th green during the final round of the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club on August 12, 2018 in St Louis,… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
This Week’s Course Preview
A former Ryder Cup venue, Ridgewood CC only pops up on the PGA TOUR circuit every once in a while as a rotational host for this tournament.
It last hosted an event in 2014, the Barclays Championship as it was known then, with Hunter Mahan downing a trio of stars, including Jason Day, by two strokes.
We don’t know a massive amount about the layout then, although noticeably the last two champions at Ridgewood – Mahan and Matt Kuchar – are guys who like to plot their way around a golf course, rather than blowing it away with sheer power.
Designed by A.W. Tillinghast way back in 1929, Ridgewood still has that classic tree-lined feel, although the greens have been slickened somewhat since the famed architect’s heyday and at the 2014 Barclays ran at 12.5 on the stimpmeter.
At that event four years ago, the layout measured 7,319 yards for its Par 71, with three Par 5s, but with new tee boxes added there is the opportunity to add extra length as and when required.
Tillinghast is also responsible for the tracks at Baltusrol, Winged Foot, and Bethpage Black, among others, and he has been described as “a genius” by Gil Hanse.
There are three courses on the plot at Ridgewood, and this week the layout will comprise of an opening seven from the East Course, then five from the Central before concluding with six from the West.
That ensures variety, with a driveable Par 4 (the 12th, 291 yards) and the so-called ‘Hell’s Half Acre’ (the 13th, 626 yards) sitting rather neatly next to one another!
Rory McIlroy tees off from the eighth hole during the fourth round of…
Rory McIlroy tees off from the eighth hole during the fourth round of theThe Barclays Golf Tournament at The Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, New Jersey, USA. 24th August 2014. Photo Tim Clayton Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
Weather Forecast for Paramus, NJ
There could be some soft conditions to greet the players on Thursday, if the early forecast is to be trusted.
Thunderstorms are believed to be moving into Paramus overnight on Tuesday, and hanging around through Wednesday. Of course, how much rain these deliver remains to be seen.
The good news is that the tournament itself should be greeted with decent weather. There will be plenty of sunshine around on Thursday and Friday, according to the forecast, with wind speeds at a minimum.
The picture looks equally rosy at the weekend, with a bit more cloud around but still plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures around 82 degrees.
Last Year’s Results from The Northern Trust
Dustin Johnson opened with a round of 65 at the Old Westbury 12 months ago, and he never looked back from there.
But he was given a fantastic run for his money by Jordan Spieth, whose second round of 65 brought him into the mix as the joint leader at halfway on -6 with DJ, Rickie Fowler and Jhonattan Vegas.
Spieth actually led by three after 36 holes, but he was slowly reeled in by Johnson on the Sunday. The pair were locked on -13 at the end of play, and so extra holes were required to separate them: you may just recall DJ’s ludicrous 340-yard drive on the 18th which gave him the huge advantage, and he went on to make birdie to clinch the first title of the post-season playoffs.
Incidentally, the last time Ridgewood hosted this event Hunter Mahan (-14) won by two from Jason Day, Stuart Appleby and Cameron Tringale, with Matt Kuchar, William McGirt and Ernie Els rounding out the top five.
The Northern Trust 2017 – PLAYOFF – Jordan Spieth vs Dustin Johnson
Hey all Playoff shot´s from the Northern Trust 2017. (Monetization of PGA Tour Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/pgatour/featured. Sky:http://www.sky.de/ PGA Tour:http://www.pgatour.com/
Where to Play Fantasy Golf for The Northern Trust this Week
The ante is up for the players, and the same can be said for DFS gamers as well.
The prize fund has increased exponentially, and so there’s plenty of options for big cash wins this week.
- PGA $650k Drive the Green: For just $5 entry, you could nab the $100,000 top prize in this week’s big one. There’s 150-team multi entry too, so you can tweak your central line-up and see if you can produce a winner.
- PGA $550k Up and Down: If you’ve been saving up your bankroll then now might be the time to use it with the end of the season approaching. There’s another $100k up for grabs, but this time you’re competing against just 11,000 other teams.
This Week’s Fantasy Notes for The Northern Trust
A event with a top-class field at a course we know very little about….what a minefield!
Here’s an insight though: the last three Northern Trust winners have all been major champions (Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Jason Day), and two of those also beat major winners in Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson. There’s a clear theme of classy sorts rising to the occasion in this event.
There is a certain reliability to the players who feature on leaderboards at A.W. Tillinghast events: look at The Barclays in 2014, 2010 and 2008, the US Open in 2009 and 2006, the PGA Championships of 2016 ad 2005, and The Barclays of 2016; you’ll see what we mean.
As far as Ridgewood in particular is concerned, names like Mahan, Kuchar, Furyk, Na, Streelman, Stricker and Sabbatini have all finished inside the top-10 here. That suggests that accurate plotters may just have the edge over out-and-out bombers, which is a fair assumption given the thick tree-lines that fringe the fairway and tee boxes.
And, of course, it’s ideal if you’re in form. It’s unlikely that you will defeat a field of this quality from out of nowhere; instead, back proven winners who appear to be on the cusp of producing another excellent performance.
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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:
Jason Day (Odds: 14/1, FPPG: 80.0, GPFP: 87.24 Salary: $10,700)
The Aussie has a stellar record at Ridgewood, having finished T2 here last time out in 2014 and T5 in The Barclays of 2010.
What we really like about Day this week is his record in the big events: he’s a two-time WGC winner, he’s won a pair of FedExCup events, he’s taken THE PLAYERS Championship crown and he’s a major champion of course – winning the PGA Championship in 2015.
His record cannot be questioned, and neither can his form: he’s recorded four consecutive top-20s, and that includes two majors (T17 in the British Open, T19 in the PGA Championship) and a WGC (T10 in the Bridgestone Invitational).
Day remains the best putter on the PGA TOUR, that’s proven, and that’s handy ahead of a big tournament where the greens run pretty slick.
Key Stats:
- SG: Putting – 1st
- SG: Around the Green – 1st
- Scoring Average – 7th
Top-Tier Pick #2:
Francesco Molinari (Odds: 22/1, FPPG: 79.2, GPFP: 75.20 Salary: $9,500)
Even with everything he’s achieved this season, Francesco Molinari’s form is still holding up.
The Italian won the British Open, the Quicken Loans National and on the European Tour in the space of about a month, and the improvement from one of world golf’s nearly men is staggering.
The catalyst? His putting has improved – not massively, just enough – to compliment his always outstanding tee-to-green game.
That ball-striking class bagged him yet another top 10 – T6 at the PGA Championship – last time out, and he ranked third for SG: Tee to Green into the bargain.
Molinari is now one of the likeliest winners on Tour; at $9,500, he’s an absolute steal.
Key Stats:
- SG: Tee to Green – 3rd
- Scoring Average – 15th
- Par 4 Birdie or Better Leaders – 15th
Mid-Tier Pick #1:
Paul Casey (Odds: 66/1, FPPG: 72.3, GPFP: 83.16 Salary: $8,300)
The Englishman is one of the few players in the field that will have positive previous experiences of playing at Ridgewood: T7 in the Barclays of 2008 backed by T12 and T22 in the same tournament in 2010 and 2014.
There’s top-20s at Winged Foot and Baltusrol as well, so Casey is clearly on the money at Tillinghast tracks.
He’s lost a little bit of form lately, but in his last half-dozen starts there has been a T2 effort at the Travelers Championship backed by T5 at the Wells Fargo.
A prolific GIR merchant, Casey should enjoy the conditions at Ridgewood once again.
Key Stats:
- SG: Approach – 9th
- Total Driving – 12th
- Scoring Average – 14th
Mid-Tier Pick #2:
Kyle Stanley (Odds: 100/1, FPPG: 60.7, GPFP: 48,59 Salary: $7,300)
Another classy ball-striker, Stanley will find plenty of fairways and lots of greens in regulation, and that gives him half a shot of glory this week.
There’s been an uptrend in form from the 30-year-old recently too. He contended hard at the WGC Bridgestone, and while he missed the cut at the PGA Championship he opened up with a round of 68, so that’s hardly the end of the world.
His most recent victory, last year’s Quicken Loans National, came towards the east coast in Maryland, and he will be looking to add another win to his resumé this week.
Key Stats:
- Greens in Regulation – 8th
- Par 4 Birdie or Better Leaders – 44th
- SG: Tee to Green – 46th
Low-Tier Pick:
Ryan Armour (Odds: 200/1, FPPG: 59.1, GPFP: 47.30 Salary: $6,500)
The veteran continues to come up with the goods.
Take a look at his last nine starts. There’s two top-25 finishes, a top-15, a top-10 (last week at the Wyndham Championship) and a solo second (Quicken Loans). Not bad for a $6,500 also-ran!
Yes, there’s missed cuts, but two of those were majors and so we’re not going to lose sleep over that.
Armour continues to crush it from tee to green, and if he can just get a few putts to land he could cause a huge upset this week.
Key Stats:
- Par 4 Scoring Average – 31st
- SG: Tee to Green – 54th
- Greens in Regulation – 55th
Sleeper Pick for The Northern Trust
Billy Horschel (Odds: 100/1, FPPG: 57.8, GPFP: 87.24 Salary: $7,300)
Here’s a weird fact: there were loads of Floridians in the top-20 the last time Ridgewood hosted an event in 2014.
Appleby, Day, Els, Kuchar, Furyk, Fowler and Hoffman all either live or were born in the state; comfort on the east coast is clearly something to consider.
Given that the course looks suited to his green-pounding game and he’s in form, Horschel looks like a smart play this week.
The former FedExCup champion finished in T11 at the Wyndham Championship, based on a foundation of ranking third for SG: Tee to Green, and never shot a round worse than 68 all week.
Horschel is in a good place right now, and it will be interesting to see if he can cash in this week.
Key Stats:
- Total Driving – 10th
- Greens in Regulation – 12th
- Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders – 38th
Alternative Sleeper Pick for The Northern Trust
Kevin Kisner (Odds: 80/1, FPPG: 57.5, GPFP: 55.79 Salary: $7,300)
After a poor summer by his high standards, something has clicked for Kevin Kisner lately.
He finished T2 at the British Open and contended until the very last, and last time out was T12 at the PGA Championship with rounds of 64 and 67 into the bargain.
Kisner is the kind of player who will plot and plod his way around Ridgewood like previous winners Mahan and Kuchar, and as a two-time PGA TOUR winner we know he can take care of business when in the mix.
Key Stats:
- SG: Putting – 9th
- Approaches from 75-100 yards – 24th
- Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders – 29th
This Week’s Sample DraftKings 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 (2017-2018)
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