Northern Trust Open: PGA Golf Odds And Predictions
Northern Trust Open PGA History
Every year when the field of 68 is announced for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the talking heads always like to expound on which teams were unfairly left out of the Big Dance – those on the “wrong side of the bubble.” Well, only the Top 125 in points qualified for the four-event FedExCup playoffs on the PGA Tour.
Seamus Power was the last guy in, while Martin Piller finished at No. 126. The biggest name to miss out was surely 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia – he had made every previous playoff and won this week’s tournament twice. Canada’s Corey Conners (No. 130), Ben Silverman (136) and David Hearn (138) also weren’t able to do enough last week to move into the Top 125.
The first playoff event is the Northern Trust Open from Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey, one of the oldest clubs in America dating to 1890. It’s a par 71 measuring at 7,385 yards and hosting this event for the first time since 2014. Only the Top 100 following it advance to the next round, the Dell Technologies Championship in Boston. Currently sitting at 100 is Ryan Palmer. Richy Werenski is 101st. Canada’s Nick Taylor is 119th; he jumped into the playoff field last week from 129th. A few guys who are guaranteed to advance to the next tournament are skipping this week, the biggest one being Rory McIlroy. Rickie Fowler is sitting out to rest an injury. Tiger Woods is in the FedExCup playoffs for the first time in five years.
Northern Trust Open Odds Favourites
Dustin Johnson is the world’s No. 1 player and also atop the point standings. He’s the +800 favourite to win this tournament for the second straight year. In 2017, he and Jordan Spieth finished 72 holes at 13 under at Glen Oaks Golf Club. DJ would beat Spieth in a playoff, making Johnson the only player on Tour with at least one playoff win each of the past two years. He also won this tournament in 2011 at Plainfield Country Club.
Spieth, having a rough season by his high standards, is +2000. Aussie Jason Day is +1000 and Brooks Koepka, winner of this year’s British Open and PGA Championship and the likely PGA Tour Player of the Year, is +1100. He hasn’t contended in three trips to this tournament. Day was the 2015 winner at Plainfield Country Club. Tiger is +1600 at Sports Interaction; he has finished runner-up twice in the event.
No Canadian golfer has won the Northern Trust Open, but Graham DeLaet was one of four runners-up in 2013 to Adam Scott. Adam Hadwin is +8900. He missed the cut last year and sits 70th in points.
Northern Trust Open Predictions
We like Johnson and Justin Rose for Top 10s, but the winner is Spain’s Jon Rahm at +1900. He comes off a T4 at the PGA Championship and tied for third at this tournament a year ago.