Priesty’s Picks

Evin Priest casts his eyes over the 2022 Fortinet Championship in Napa, California where the PGA Tour will kick off its new season at the 7,100-yard Silverado resort.

Winner: Taylor Pendrith $26

In his last seven starts, the big-hitting Canadian has only had one result worse than 13^th, with a second place in that span. Pendrith will also be fired up that he’s just been given a captain’s pick for the International team at next week’s Presidents Cup.

Best value: Trey Mullinax $51

Mullinax has a win and a top five in the FedEx Cup playoffs in his past five starts. He is ninth on the PGA Tour for average driving distance at 317 yards per drive, and 26th on the PGA Tour for average birdies per round.

Top Aussie: Cameron Davis ($29 or $4.5 to top 10)

This is an easy one. Davis is the most in-form Aussie in the field and will also be buoyed by being handed a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup.

Best multi:

Defending Fortinet champion Max Homa to finish top 5 into Maverick McNealy to finish top-10, the two-leg multi paying $17.10. 

Good luck punters!

2019 The Open Championship Preview
Royal Portrush Golf Club; Dunluce
April  18–21, 2019

The 148th Open Championship will be contested at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland on Thursday, with the course to hold the tournament for just the second time ever, and first since 1951.

Francesco Molinari took home the trophy last year at -8, finishing two shots ahead of Kevin Kisner, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele in a four-way tie for second.

The course will become a big factor this year, as most players have never even seen the course, let alone played it before.

It looks as though Brooks Koepka could have an early advantage, as his caddie Ricky Elliott is from Portrush and knows the course better than most out there.

Koepka will enter the Open in a rich vein of form, having won the PGA Championship back in May, and finishing second in the US Open last month.

That means the American has placed at both majors, which shows his ability to be there when it matters in the big tournaments.

Koepka has a sixth-placed finish and a 10th-placed finish in his Open career, but the stars could be aligning for a shot at the trophy here.

While Koepka may be one of the biggest favourites for the tournament, he’s not the number one with the bookmakers, as Rory McIlroy holds that mantle.

McIlroy has been a mainstay on the final day of this tournament over the past five years, dating back to his win at Royal Liverpool back in 2014.

The Northern Irishman wasn’t able to defend his crown in 2015 through injury, but has since finished T5-T4-T2, which equates to three top-five finishes over the past three years.

The 30-year-old has 11 top 10 finishes to his name this season, and won The Players Championship back in March. He was also victorious by six shots at the Canadian Open last month, and is back in winning form.

As a side-note, McIlroy shot 61 on the course as a 16-year-old, which might not count for much on a course that has changed a little since then, but the happy memory can surely only be a positive for him.

Third on the favourites list is Spaniard Jon Rahm, who is shooting for his first major championship should he take out the Open.

It may be the right time for him, given Gary Woodland broke his duck at the US Open last month.

The 24-year-old is in hot form in recent weeks, finishing third in the US Open, second in the Andalucia Masters and winning the Irish Open over the past month.

Rahm has finished inside the top five of every other major, so expect him to be extra hungry this weekend.

Tip: Brooks Koepka top five @ $3.40

2019 US Masters Preview
August National Golf Club
April  11–14, 2019

The 83rd edition of the US Masters kicks off on Friday, and it’s shaping up to be a close finish once again.

Patrick Reed will be out to defend his crown after taking home the green jacket last year, although a number of superstars will be looking to kick start their 2019 majors calendar with a bang.

Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy is one of the favourites, with the 29-year-old looking to complete a career grand slam given the Masters is the only major he hasn’t won so far.

McIlroy will enter his 11th Masters outing on the back of some strong form, after taking out last month’s The Players Championship at Sawgrass.

McIlroy saw off Jim Furyk by one stroke as he finished at -16, with his impressive long game on show.

Back in 2011, McIlroy led by four shots after three rounds at the Masters, but had a disastrous day in the final round, finishing with a double bogey and triple bogey within three holes to record a score of 80, and fall outside the top 10.

If he can put the ghosts of 2011 behind him, he could be the man to beat at Augusta.

World No. 2 Dustin Johnson enters the tournament on the back of two wins in 2019, and is playing himself into form at the right time.

Johnson finished 10th in the 2018 Masters, and was tied for fifth in The Players last month, three shots behind McIlroy.

He was the PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2016, and with his win in the 2019 WGC-Mexico Championship in January, became the third player in Tour history alongside Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to win a Tour title in each of his first 12 seasons.

He’s only got one major to his name (2016 US Open), with his best performance in a Masters back in 2016 when he finished tied for fourth.

There are a number of other contenders who could realistically take home the crown, but none would be more special than Tiger Woods.

Woods already has four green jackets in his locker, but a fifth would just be that much more special, given what he’s been through.

On his day, Woods is still one of the strongest iron players in the world, and has regained enough form over recent events to be able to contend in this one.

In Woods’ last two majors, he finished in second at the PGA Championship and sixth at The Open, showcasing his ability to step up and come to play in the big moments.

He’s got enough tricks in the bag to be able to force this one down to the wire, and if it comes down to it, why wouldn’t you back Tiger during a playoff?

Tip: Dustin Johnson @ $11

Top Australian: Adam Scott @ $3.35