Steve Palmer's Fortinet Championship predictions, best bets, free golf tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Fortinet Championship at Silverado Resort on the PGA Tour.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm on Thursday

Best bets

Maverick McNealy
3pts each-way 25-1 Betfred
Justin Suh
2pts each-way 55-1 bet365
Davis Riley
2pts each-way 35-1 bet365
Brandon Wu
1pt each-way 125-1 bet365
Robby Shelton
1pt each-way 125-1 general

Click here to add Steve Palmer's Fortinet Championship tips to your bet365 betslip

Not got a bet365 account? Bet £10 & get £50 in free bets

Open account offer. Minimum deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as bet credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Minimum odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude bet credits stake. Time limits/T&Cs apply. 18+ begambleaware.org

CLAIM OFFER HERE

Next week's Presidents Cup must be weighing on the mind of some players in this week's Fortinet Championship, including the two favourites - Max Homa and Hideki Matsuyama.

Homa, the defending Fortinet champion, is representing the US for the first time as a professional next week. The Californian is well suited to Silverado and must be respected, but he is probably viewing this event as a gentle warm-up for Quail Hollow.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Maverick McNealy 25-1

Four of the last six Silverado champions have been Californian and Maverick McNealy can bolster that statistic with Fortinet Championship glory on Sunday.

McNealy came close to PGA Tour success last year - and both of his nearest misses came in his home state. He was runner-up to Daniel Berger in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, then second to Max Homa in the Fortinet Championship, beaten by only a shot. McNealy relishes competition in the Golden State.

McNealy's amateur career was outstanding - he challenged records set by Tiger Woods at Stanford and topped the rankings - then he made his professional debut in the 2017 Fortinet. He has played in every edition since, so has more course knowledge of Silverado than any other Tour venue.

McNealy, who rivals Woods for the title of the Tour's wealthiest player, exudes calmness due to his financial security. Winning trophies is all McNealy is interested in - the prize money counts for little - and this cocksure youngster is the most appealing play for a wide-open event. He has served his PGA Tour apprenticeship and appears ready for victories.

Next best bet

Justin Suh 55-1

A Korn Ferry Tour Championship triumph put the icing on the cake of a fantastic Korn Ferry Tour campaign for Justin Suh - and this exciting young talent finally has a full PGA Tour card in his pocket.

Suh was in the batch of college stars who burst on to the PGA Tour scene in the summer of 2019. Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Matthew Wolff and Suh were all expected to take the PGA Tour by storm. The other three made an immediate impact, but Suh, handicapped by an untimely wrist problem, did not get off to the same start, having to work much harder for his place at the top table.

This year Suh has delivered on that early promise, posting 16 top-20 finishes in his last 20 tournaments to become an almost permanent fixture on the Korn Ferry Tour leaderboards.

Suh came through a Monday qualifier for last year's Fortinet - and made the cut in the tournament - so the 25-year-old Californian has some course experience to draw upon for this home-state gig.

Other selections

Davis Riley 35-1

Brandon Wu 125-1

Robby Shelton 125-1

Davis Riley probably needed the PGA Tour close-season more than most - it gave him a chance to reflect on what was a career-best year and time to freshen up for his breakthrough quest. The 25-year-old strongly threatened a maiden title last season and it seems almost inevitable that this sweet-swinger gets off the mark at some stage.

Riley, who won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020, should start lifting PGA Tour silverware soon, while Brandon Wu probably also feels ready to make the step up.

Wu, another 25-year-old, is a third Californian in this staking plan. He won the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour Championship and has settled nicely on the main circuit this year. Wu was third in the Puerto Rico Open, then second to Jon Rahm in the Mexico Open, sixth in a high-class Scottish Open, and eighth in the Wyndham Championship last month.

Complete a team of five young masters with Robby Shelton, who is back where he belongs on the PGA Tour. Shelton finished third in the 2015 Barbasol Championship when he was still an amateur and it appeared he would quickly become a PGA Tour champion. Success on the main circuit did not follow, but he has won four times on the Korn Ferry Tour, most recently a month ago, and appears ready for the big time at the age of 27.

Players to note

Nick Hardy
The 27-year-old Illinois man impressed on the PGA Tour in the second half of last season and appears good enough to win at this level.

Will Gordon
The Carolinian made some PGA Tour waves in 2020 and is one to keep an eye on, having ended the Korn Ferry Tour season in style.

Silverado course guide

Course Silverado Resort and Spa (North Course), Napa, California
Prize money $8m ($1.260m to the winner)
Length 7,123 yards
Par 72 - four par-fives; ten par-fours; four par-threes
Field 156 The cut Top 65 and ties qualify for round three
Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Hideki Matsuyama (16), Max Homa (22), Corey Conners (25), Tom Hoge (45), Harris English (46)
Course records- 72 holes 267 Stewart Cink (2020) 18 holes 61 Chesson Hadley (2017), Ricky Barnes (2018)

Course winners taking part Emiliano Grillo, Brendan Steele (twice), Kevin Tway, Cameron Champ, Stewart Cink, Max Homa

When to bet By 3pm on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm on Thursday

Time difference California is eight hours behind the UK and Ireland

Course type Parkland

Course overview The Silverado Resort returned to the PGA Tour schedule in 2014 for the first time since 1980. The course was revised by Johnny Miller in 2010, prior to it hosting the 2015 Frys.com Open, which became the Safeway Open from 2016-2020, then the Fortinet Championship from 2021. Silverado is a resort course, but the fairways are reasonably tight, the rough is fairly thick, and tall trees line the cut and prepared, while the small poa annua greens are full of undulation. All the dancefloors are guarded by heavy bunkering, closely-mown run-off areas or water

Story of last year Max Homa edged fellow Californian Maverick McNealy by a shot

Weather forecast Warm and sunny throughout, temperatures peaking at 27C, and light to moderate breezes

Type of player suited to the challenge This is a classic tree-lined assignment, where finding the fairways is essential, then accuracy is required to small targets on approach

Key attribute Accuracy

Spotlight insight Four of the last six Silverado champions have been Californian

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

MORE FREE BETS

Sign up to emails from Racing Post Sport and get all the latest news and tips

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport