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2021 Fortinet Championship: Can Rahm be stopped at Silverado?

By Josh Chandler

NAPA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Pat Perez hits from the bunker on the 18th hole during round three of the Safeway Open at Silverado Resort on September 12, 2020 in Napa, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
NAPA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Pat Perez hits from the bunker on the 18th hole during round three of the Safeway Open at Silverado Resort on September 12, 2020 in Napa, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /
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The PGA turns the page and begins the 2021/22 season this week in Napa Valley, for the 2021 Fortinet Championship.

One of the shortest off-seasons in sports is over after the PGA returns following a one-week hiatus and begins its new season this week at once was formerly known as the Safeway Open. Silverado Country Club’s North Course will host the newly rebranded Fortinet Championship to kick off the 2021-2022 golfing schedule.

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Silverado Country Club site of the 2021 Fortinet Championship

The PAR 72 design that is nestled in the heart of Napa’s wine country plays out at around 7,200 yards in length and was originally designed by famed architect Robert Trent Jones Jr before later renovations to Silverados North Course were undertaken by PGA Hall of Famer Johnny Miller. The North Course features tight tree-lined fairways that will place a strong emphasis on driving the ball well this week. Accuracy with approach shots will also be of importance this week into the tricky and sloping Poa Annua greens.

The course features four PAR 5’s and several short PAR 4’s that should lend itself to some low scores for the field of 156 that is set to tee it up this week.

Previous Winners

2020: Stewart Cink (-21)

2019: Cameron Champ (-17)

2018: Kevin Tway (-14)

2017: Brendan Steele (-15)

2016: Brendan Steele (-18)

The Favorites at the 2021 Fortinet Championship

(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

The odds used in this article are provided by WynnBet and are up to date at the time of the article. Make sure to check out WynnBet for all the latest odds. 

It was quite a surprise to see Jon Rahm +300 listed amongst the field of 156 that are set to tee it up in Napa this week. The world number one is one week out from leading Team Europe in the 2021 Ryder Cup and so it’s not exactly known why he has decided to make the trip to California this week for the Fortinet Championship. Regardless, Rahm is head and shoulders above the rest of the field and could win this by some margin this week, but at this price, I’ll pass and look to take some shots further down the board.

Webb Simpson +1200 follows Rahm near the top of the board and the American is one of several that will be looking to put the disappointment of not making the USA Ryder Cup team in the rearview mirror with an excellent performance this week. Last season wouldn’t have been what Webb would have hoped for at the beginning of the year but he started to turn things around towards the end of last season including a stretch where he recorded four top 20 finishes in his last five starts. Webb’s game should suit Silverado perfectly and although he hasn’t played here in a while he did record a 17th at the North Course the last time he played in 2017.

Both Hideki Matsuyama +1700 and Kevin Na +1700 appear next on the board. Hideki has played well at this event in the past with two top 5’s to his name, though he did miss the cut the last time he showed up at Silverado in 2019. Kevin Na comes into this week in superb form having recorded two top 5 finishes in his last four starts. Na has had some success at this event in the past as well with a handful of top 10 finishes at the North Course.

Will Zalatoris +2000 closes out the top of the board this week and he does so as the recent winner of the PGA’s rookie of the year award for 2020/21. Zalatoris had a terrific season that included three top 10 finishes in majors and a top 10 at the WGC FedEx St Jude in August. Will is a terrific iron player who should be able to fire at pins this week, it will just come down to how many putts the California kid can make.

I’d feel most confident backing Kevin Na amongst this group on the basis of his terrific form coming in, however, in an event that Jon Rahm could run away with I prefer to pass on this range and take some shots further down the board.

I’ll begin the card for this week’s Fortinet Championship with the talented Mito Pereira +5000 who has shown already that can go toe to toe with the best in the world after finding himself in the mix for an Olympic medal in the summer. Mito who won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour to win his automatic promotion onto the PGA tour has impressed already with two top 5’s and a top 10 finish in three of his last five starts worldwide. The Chilean has shown an ability to score well in these low-scoring events, and in a full-field event that is devoid of some of the PGA’s more well-known names, he has the potential to breakthrough for his first PGA win this week.

Pat Perez +7500 could excel in this spot after having found some form in recent starts and having had previous success in the state of California. Perez finished 9th at this event last year and he comes into this week having played some of his best golf in recent starts with two top 20 finishes in his last three events. Pat has been solid with his approach play in these starts and after having excelled in these types of tournaments in the past he could do well in this spot.

Sepp Straka +10000 has exhibited some nice golf in recent starts and he was 14th at Silverado last year. Straka has a 15th and 10th place finish in two of his last three starts and he has gained solid numbers with his approach play across all three of those starts. The Austrian can struggle with the putter from time to time, but his numbers putting on poa greens are by far his best. Sepp looks to have his game in pretty good shape at the moment so I’ll take a shot with him in this spot at triple digits.

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I’ll finish this week’s card for the 2021 Fortinet Championship with another at triple digits in Hudson Swafford +10000 who crushes it off the tee and has been playing some of his better golf of the year in recent starts with a 17th and 11th place finish in those starts. Like Straka before him, Swafford putts best on poa greens and after having gained strokes with his irons in three consecutive starts now, he could be on the verge of contending.

2021 Fortinet Championship

Mito Pereira +5000

Pat Perez +7500

Sepp Straka +10000

Hudson Swafford +1000

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