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After a brief break following the TOUR Championship, the PGA Tour returns to action this week in Napa Valley, California for the Fortinet Championship. Max Homa will look to accomplish the rare "three-peat" this week, as he's captured the Fortinet title in each of the last two years.
In this article, you will find my Fortinet Championship Power Rankings, which gives golf fans a first look into the top 10 golfers who are primed to make a significant impact in this year's edition of the event. These players should be considered serious contenders at Silverado Resort & Spa this week when the tournament gets underway on Thursday, September 14, 2023.
Hopefully, these rankings provide some insight into the current landscape of the PGA Tour and the upcoming tournament. Players have been evaluated on recent performances, statistical analysis, course history, and this week's projected course fit. The 2023 Fortinet Championship promises to be a fun tournament for golf fans and annually provides an exciting event.
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#10. Andrew Putnam
We'll kick our Fortinet Championship Power Rankings off with a player that had a sneaky-good 2023 campaign, Andrew Putnam. The Tacoma native narrowly missed out on a spot in the Tour Championship, ultimately finishing 35th in the FedEx Cup Points Standings. Putnam was one of the Tour's best putters last season, finishing sixth in SG: Putting in 2022-23.
He's rolled the rock well at Silverado Resort & Spa, amassing a 70.50 career scoring average at the Fortinet and reeling off four consecutive made cuts in the Napa Valley event. Putnam comes into this year's edition with a full head of steam off nine consecutive made cuts and a T10 in his most recent start at the BMW Championship.
#9. Beau Hossler
While Hossler played his college golf at the University of Texas, he grew up in Orange County, California and has looked right at home in the state's famous wine country. The 28-year-old has reeled off three straight top-25 finishes at the Fortinet Championship, with a T16 two years ago standing as the highlight.
Hossler experienced a bit of a career renaissance in 2023, logging is best finish in the FedEx Cup Points Standings (58th) since his rookie year. His iron play remains wobbly, but he did thrive both off the tee and on the greens in 2023, finishing the season ranked 51st on Tour in Total Driving and 19th in Overall Putting Average.
BEAU HOSSLER. DART. pic.twitter.com/3KmVi2n2Ml
— Fore Play (@ForePlayPod) February 12, 2023
#8. Brendon Todd
The light-hitting veteran has been a feast-or-famine prospect at Silverado in the past. In seven career Fortinet starts, Todd has finished 26th or better (including a T9 in last year's edition) four times, while missing the cut in his other three tries.
He heads to this year's renewal in solid form, having made the cut in his last six starts of the 2022-23 season with a runner-up finish at the John Deere and a T7 at the Wyndham Championship within the last two months. His lack of distance off the tee means he's always forced to rely on iron play and putting, but his recent results on this Silverado layout indicate that it's a course on which he can compete.
Closing par save for Brendon Todd to remain in the solo lead @JDClassic 💪 pic.twitter.com/wn99vzeFlN
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 8, 2023
#7. Akshay Bhatia
It didn't take long for the 21-year-old phenom to pick up his first win on the PGA Tour, as the string bean lefty captured the Barracuda Championship to close out July. It was a nice glimpse into Bhatia's potential and bright future.
He'll look to add to the trophy case on a Silverado layout that will reward his excellence with the driver. Bhatia grades out eighth in this week's field in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee and ninth in SG: Ball Striking. The youngster impressed in the 2021 edition of the Fortinet, posting a T9 while still a teenager.
🚨💍#NEW: Congrats are in order for Akshay Bhatia and Presleigh Schultz. The couple took to Instagram this evening to share the engagement news pic.twitter.com/nTGGWlkbOB
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) September 10, 2023
#6. Stephan Jaeger
Jaeger has spent most of his career bouncing between the Korn Ferry and PGA Tours, often looking too good for the former and not sharp enough for the latter. However, the German solidified himself on the senior circuit in 2023 by finishing the season a career-best 56th in the FedEx Cup Points Standings while making a remarkable 26 cuts in 29 starts.
Jaeger's output can largely be attributed to his stability from Tee to Green, as he closed out the season ranked 23rd on the Tour in SG: T2G and second in Total Birdies.
Describe Stephan Jaeger's swing in three words. pic.twitter.com/cYzJCikXZn
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 3, 2023
#5. Eric Cole
One of the best stories on the PGA Tour in 2023, the 35-year-old career journeyman Eric Cole put forth the best season of his career by finishing 43rd in the FedEx Cup Points Standings.
Cole scored three top-10 finishes last season and will look to get the fall season off to a strong start at a Silverado North layout on which he missed the cut in his lone career appearance last year. His success in 2023 was powered by sharp iron play - he finished the season 34th on Tour in SG: Approach - and elite putting - second on Tour in Total Putting.
#4. Cameron Davis
After a sluggish start to 2023, the talented young Australian closed the season on a tear. Davis logged top-10 finishes in three of his final four starts of the summer and heads to the Fortinet with loads of positive momentum.
His track record at Silverado North is a mixed bag, with a T17 standing as the highlight among a T36 and two missed cuts across his last four appearances. Davis grades out well statistically, ranking second in the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green over his last 24 rounds.
#3. Sahith Theegala
The high-energy fan favorite narrowly missed the Tour Championship, landing on the bubble at 31st in the FedEx Cup Point Standings. Despite that disappointment, Theegala has reason to be optimistic as he heads to the Fortinet Championship, as he recorded top-15 results in his last two starts of the 2022-23 season in the FedEx St. Jude and BMW Championships.
The California native has looked at home in previous trips to Silverado. He logged a T6 in last year's Fortinet while gaining an impressive 8.8 total strokes, as well as a T14 while playing on a sponsor's exemption two years ago. Theegala's game continued to blossom during the 2022-23 campaign and the fact that he elected to play this event even though his top-50 status is secure for 2024 speaks volumes as to how he feels about his chances to win this week.
#2. Justin Thomas
Thomas heads to the Fortinet Championship as a player surrounded by question marks. The two-time major champion has been at the center of a media firestorm as of late thanks to his highly controversial selection to the U.S. Ryder Cup team as a Captain's Pick.
He will have a chance to silence the doubters this week in Napa Valley on a Silverado North Course on which he's historically performed very well. Thomas has finished T8 or better in each of his last three appearances at the Fortinet Championship.
Since missing the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2014, the 30-year-old has had plenty of time to regroup and work on his game. While things certainly weren't clicking last season, JT is still an elite talent that stands out in comparison to this week's group of entrants.
Justin Thomas is working hard on his golf swing ahead of the Ryder Cup.
Let's break down the footage. 🎥
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) September 6, 2023
#1. Max Homa
The Californian returns to Napa Valley in search of his third straight Fortinet Championship title. Homa has captured the last two editions of the Fortinet at Silverado, narrowly edging Danny Willett down the stretch last year and Maverick McNealy the year before.
Congratulations to 2021 and 2022 Fortinet Championship winner Max Homa. pic.twitter.com/JRiSZ4rI2G
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) September 18, 2022
Homa has firmly established himself as the "West Coast King", as four of his six career PGA Tour wins have come in his home state of California. After a bit of a swoon in the middle portion of 2023, the 32-year-old closed out the season on a high note by recording top-10 finishes in each of his last four starts of the 2022-23 campaign.
He leads this week's field in Strokes Gained: Total over the last 24 rounds. In addition to his quest for a Fortinet three-peat, Homa will be intent on sharpening his game for the upcoming Ryder Cup, in which he'll be playing for the first time in his career.
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