Steve Palmer's Fortinet Championship predictions & free golf betting tips

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

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf red button from 3pm, Thursday

Best bets

Will Zalatoris
3pts each-way 25-1 Hills
Kevin Na
2.5pts each-way 22-1 Hills
Mito Pereira
1pt each-way 66-1Betfred
Ben Kohles
0.5pt each-way 300-1 Betfair, Betfred, Power
Brandon Wu
0.5pt each-way 250-1 Betfair, Betfred, Power

Tournament preview

Jon Rahm hogs the spotlight and dominates the betting for the Fortinet Championship - rebranded after years as the Safeway Open - but will the world number one have sufficient focus for his immediate challenge of 72 holes at a tight track with small greens?

Rahm's entry in the Fortinet is a peculiar one, coming soon after the FedEx Cup playoffs and a week before the Ryder Cup, and the Spaniard has every right to let his mind wander forward. Rahm is crucial to the chances of Europe retaining the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits and team captain Padraig Harrington has probably raised a few worried eyebrows about the Fortinet Championship.

The general 4-1 about Rahm is unattractive for a 156-runner event. The vast majority of his fellow competitors surely carry much more motivation for Fortinet success - and plenty are capable of toppling the favourite.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Will Zalatoris 25-1

A putting breakthrough has galvanised Will Zalatoris as 2021 draws to a close and this greens-in-regulation machine could be set for a glorious end to the year.

After injuring himself hacking from the Royal St George's rough at the Open, Zalatoris was left with a fortnight unable to swing a club, so he focused fully on his putting in practice. During that period of intense work on his stroke, his team noticed that the insert on his putter had caved in, becoming slightly dented in the middle and resulting in off-line putts.

Zalatoris was becoming increasingly frustrated with what he felt were perfect strokes getting poor results, but the cause has finally been identified. In his two tournaments since, carrying a new putter with a healthy face, the 25-year-old has been much more effective on the dancefloors.

Zalatoris was eighth in the Memphis WGC, but he was not allowed to play in the FedEx Cup playoffs because a quirk of the system meant he was not a full PGA Tour member. He has since been announced as Rookie of the Year, highlighting the nonsense of it all, but missing the playoffs will have freshened him up for the Fortinet Championship.

Zalatoris has finally been handed full member status - his 2020 Korn Ferry heroics have counted for something at last - and Silverado looks a perfect place to start his fresh campaign. Zalatoris is a Californian who loves putting on poa annua greens.

Next best bet

Kevin Na 22-1

There is a lot of love for Kevin Na in the States at the moment - the Korean-born American turns 38 on Wednesday becoming something of a national treasure - but Steve Stricker has not extended the same level of affection. Na was among those snubbed for a Ryder Cup wildcard.

Na could not have done much more to advertise his credentials for a place on Stricker's team. A runner-up finish in the John Deere Classic in July was followed by a playoff loss in the Wyndham Championship, then Na carded the joint-lowest 72-hole score in the Tour Championship. He is hitting his ball better than ever, but Stricker's apparent 'horses for courses' tactic means the short-hitting Na has not been considered for Cup action.

Billy Horschel took out his Ryder Cup frustrations at Wentworth last week and Na could follow that lead at Silverado. He grew up in California and lost a playoff at Silverado in 2015. Na seems a surefire Fortinet contender if in the right frame of mind.

Other selections

Mito Pereira 66-1

Ben Kohles 300-1

Brandon Wu 250-1

Joaquin Niemann is not the only talented Chilean on the PGA Tour these days. The career of Mito Pereira is taking off at the age of 26. He made his Korn Ferry Tour breakthrough last year, then won another two titles on that circuit this summer.

Pereira was part of that seven-man playoff for a bronze medal in the Olympics golf last month - a bold effort which came after he had contended for a maiden PGA Tour title in his preceding two starts. Fifth spot in the Barbasol Championship was followed by sixth in the 3M Open. Pereira is a solid driver well suited to Silverado.

Complete your staking plan with two outsiders who are on offer at massive prices. Ben Kohles is finally back on the PGA Tour after eight years away - and the 31-year-old can quickly remind everyone of his ability. Kohles was a top amateur before winning his first two events on the Web.com Tour (now the Korn Ferry) in 2012.

That barnstorming start to life as a pro marked Kohles down as a superstar in the making, but tough times followed. Two years of consistent golf on the Korn Ferry Tour have got him back where he belongs and Kohles is good enough to make an impact in the higher grade.

Brandon Wu, a Californian competing in his home state this week, followed a superb amateur career by quickly contending for titles on the Korn Ferry circuit. He won the Korn Ferry Tour Championship a year ago and finally gets his reward with a PGA Tour card for the new season. The pandemic meant the 2020 Korn Ferry stars had to wait for their upgrade, but Wu and Co are in business this week and the 24-year-old can thrive at Silverado.

Players to note

Webb Simpson
The world number 22 will feel unlucky to have missed out on a Ryder Cup spot. He won the US Open in California and is well equipped to handle Silverado.

Cameron Champ
The 2019 Silverado champion won the 3M Open at the end of July and must have every chance of further home-state glory.

Brendan Steele
The two-time Silverado champion must be respected at such a happy hunting ground despite dismal recent form.

Maverick McNealy
The Californian is one of the best maidens on the circuit and could shine in his home state over the next four days.

Silverado course guide

Course Silverado Resort and Spa (North Course), Napa, California
Prize money $7m ($1.188m to the winner)
Length 7,123 yards
Par 72
Field 156
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

When to bet By 3pm on Thursday

When to watch Sky Sports Golf red button from 3pm 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 overhauled by Robert Trent Jones Junior in the 1960s, then revised by Johnny Miller in 2010, prior to it hosting the 2015 Frys.com Open, which became the Safeway Open from 2016-2020. The Fortinet Championship is the new tournament name. Silverado took over from CordeValle Golf Club, San Martin, another Trent Jones Junior layout which was the Frys venue from 2010 to 2013. This 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. The first two par-fives (the fifth and ninth) are tricky – the fifth is a double-dogleg, while the ninth is a dogleg which demands a drawn drive and has a huge bunker right in front of the green – but the final two fives (the 16th and 18th) are more straightforward. The uphill 240-yard par-three second is a brute

Story of last year Stewart Cink combined with his caddie son to break the 72-hole scoring record at Silverado and triumph by two shots from Harry Higgs

Weather forecast Sunny and calm for the most part, with temperatures around 25C

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

Key attribute Accuracy

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