Horses for Courses: Silverado feels like home for Max Homa
3 Min Read
The FedExCup Fall has a familiar face defending at the Fortinet Championship, as Max Homa returns – again – to defend his title in California’s Napa Valley.
Silverado Resort will host the tournament for the 10th consecutive season. The North Course has provided the canvas for the last decade of competition there and will play 7,123 yards for the fourth straight season.
The par-72 track has produced two of the three lowest winning scores over the last three years, including Stewart Cink’s tournament scoring record of 21-under 267 in 2020.
Horses for Courses (odds via BetMGM)
Posting just two rounds in the 60s in his first four visits to the North Course at Silverado Resort, Max Homa (+750) finally cracked the code in the late summer of 2021. Posting 35-under the last two seasons, he’s now the two-time defending champion. Closing 65-65 in 2021, he made up two shots in the final round. Last year posting 68 on Sunday saw him come from off the pace again, highlighted by a chip-in birdie on the 72nd hole. Racking up 42 birdies and three eagles, the former Cal-Berkeley Bear has made Napa Valley his happy place.
Playing Silverado for only the second time in 2020, Stewart Cink (+8000) blasted his way to a record-setting victory by posting 267 (-21) to set the tournament scoring record. Closing with 65-65, he made up a two-shot deficit in the final round to lift the trophy. The 47-year-old became the oldest champion at the North Course, winning by two shots. Leading the field in Ball-Striking and GIR, his victory is his only result from three career visits.
Sacramento native Cameron Champ (+6600) won the 2019 edition in honor of his dying grandfather. The big hitter posted all four rounds in the 60s, led by three shots after 54 holes and won for the second time on TOUR. Cashing T25 the previous season, Champ has missed the cut in his two previous starts. Growing up just 60 miles up the road, Champ adds his name to the list of winners from the Golden State (three of the last five) at this event.
Kevin Tway (+17500) adds his name to the list of past champions entered this week. The 2018 winner via a three-man playoff also joins the group of past champions, apart from Homa, to not have another top-20 finish at Silverado. Coming from three shots off the 54-hole lead to force extra holes, Tway joined 2015 winner Emiliano Grillo (not entered) as the only first-time winners on TOUR and the only players to win a playoff.
Justin Thomas (+1400) is the second choice on the board at BetMGM this week. Playing Silverado for the first time since 2019, the Ryder Cup captain’s pick joins Homa as the only player in the field with more than two top-10 finishes in Wine Country. Placing T3 on his second visit in 2015, he returned the following season and added a T8. Over his last three visits, all top-10 paydays, he’s 41-under-par aggregate. His scoring average of 69.71 over 17 rounds suggests he enjoys Johnny Miller’s test at Silverado.
Oddsmaker's Extra
Sahith Theegala (+1600): Owns a 69.42 scoring average with T6 last year and T14 on debut in 2020 as the highlights.
Beau Hossler (+2800): Making his seventh consecutive start at Silverado. Posting 32-under during the last three seasons has resulted in paydays of T25-T16-T23.
Mark Hubbard (+6000): The NorCal native played at San Jose State and enjoys golf in this part of the world. Cashing T21-T16-MC-T13 over the last four seasons has produced an aggregate of 30-under par.
Justin Lower (+10000): Opening with 63 last season, the lowest round of the week, he led by one after 54 holes. Making his second visit, he hung on for T4.
Brian Stuard (+60000): In the last four seasons, he’s taken home checks for T12-MC-T3-T17. A fantastic long shot in any format.
September is Responsible Gaming Education Month. If you bet, set a budget and play within your means. To learn more, visit haveagameplan.org/pgatour.