The Northern Trust preview: TV times and betting tips
It’s the first of the FedEx Cup play-offs in this strange season and we begin with the Northern Trust. The top 125 in the standings will tee up at TPC Boston with the top 70 moving onto next week’s BMW Championship. Here’s who we expect to contend in Massachusetts…
Venue: TPC Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Date: August 20-23, 2020
Course stats: Par 71; 7,342 yards
Course summary: Originally designed by Arnold Palmer, TPC Boston offers smaller than average bent-grass greens that typically run fast. The course offers variety, with both long and short par 4 and par 5 holes, meaning players will need to calculate the risk-reward approach.
Purse: $9.5 million
Defending champion: Patrick Reed (-16)
The Northern Trust TV coverage
Thursday: Sky Sports Golf from 7.30pm
Friday: Sky Sports Golf from 7.30pm
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf from 7.30pm
Sunday: Sky Sports Golf from 7pm
The Northern Trust betting: Each-way tips
Patrick Reed (28/1 with bet365) arrives here as the current Northern Trust champion and on the back of a great performance at the Wyndham. On a course that typically favours strong putters and consistent scrambling, Reed certainly fits the profile of a potential winner. The Texan ranks 1st in Putting Average and 30th in Scrambling, while also ranking high in Scoring Average on both par 4 and 5 holes. Seven top-10 finishes this season, including a win in Mexico, demonstrates the sort of form Reed is in and after a T9 finish last week he ticks a lot of boxes for me.
Daniel Berger (33/1) is another player who fits our profile for a potential winner here. Berger ranks 22nd in Putting Average, and 2nd in Scrambling, perhaps indicating why he has six top-10 finishes and a victory on tour this season. Berger also ranks 6th for Par 4 Scoring and 7th for Par 5 Scoring. Berger currently sits 7th in the FedEx Cup ranks and as one of the top performers since the restart he will be looking to transform his great season into an excellent one.
Matthew Wolff (70/1) has sprung into life towards the back end of this disjointed season, most recently finishing 4th at the PGA Championship. His impressive performances of late have caught my eye and, despite not fitting the profile perfectly, I can see him continuing his run of good form here. Two top 10s and a top 20 in his last six events mean he is hitting form at the right time heading into the play-offs. At this price, he has to be included as an each-way selection.
The Northern Trust betting: The long shot
Alex Noren (125/1) has found some form in the run up to the play-offs, with two top-10s in three events. Most recently, an impressive under-the-radar display secured him a T22 at the PGA Championship. Noren currently ranks 34th for Putting Average and 20th for Scrambling, while also ranking 15th for Par 5 Scoring Average. As a speculative long-shot selection Noren represents good value each-way at a big price.
The Northern Trust betting: Top tip
Bryson DeChambeau (12/1) has certainly turned a few heads over the course of this season. However, despite the controversy around his antics, you cannot question his undoubted talent and I am confident he will do well here. As well as fitting our profile perfectly, a strong putter who scrambles well when out of position, he has the added bonus of power off the tee. DeChambeau also has course and tournament form, winning the Dell Technologies Championship in 2018, the same year he won the Northern Trust at Ridgewood. With the progress he has made in his game over the last 12 months, I cannot ignore his appeal.
For more prices, visit bet365.
The Northern Trust: Field
- Justin Thomas
- Collin Morikawa
- Webb Simpson
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Sungjae Im
- Patrick Reed
- Daniel Berger
- Rory McIlroy
- Brendon Todd
- Jon Rahm
- Xander Schauffele
- Lanto Griffin
- Abraham Ancer
- Marc Leishman
- Dustin Johnson
- Sebastián Muñoz
- Kevin Na
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Tyrrell Hatton
- Cameron Champ
- Adam Long
- Kevin Streelman
- Tony Finau
- Scottie Scheffler
- Billy Horschel
- Joaquin Niemann
- Harris English
- Viktor Hovland
- Ryan Palmer
- Cameron Smith
- Byeong Hun An
- Patrick Cantlay
- Gary Woodland
- Matthew Wolff
- Tyler Duncan
- Adam Scott
- Nick Taylor
- Joel Dahmen
- Tom Hoge
- Kevin Kisner
- Richy Werenski
- Mark Hubbard
- Brendan Steele
- Adam Hadwin
- Jason Day
- Michael Thompson
- Carlos Ortiz
- Andrew Landry
- Tiger Woods
- Dylan Frittelli
- Matthew Fitzpatrick
- Mackenzie Hughes
- Danny Lee
- Jim Herman
- Paul Casey
- Corey Conners
- Max Homa
- Maverick McNealy
- J.T. Poston
- Doc Redman
- Sung Kang
- Talor Gooch
- Matt Kuchar
- Charles Howell III
- Denny McCarthy
- Bubba Watson
- Phil Mickelson
- Henrik Norlander
- Brian Harman
- Xinjun Zhang
- Sepp Straka
- Harry Higgs
- Harold Varner III
- Bud Cauley
- Vaughn Taylor
- Brian Stuard
- Patrick Rodgers
- Alex Noren
- Pat Perez
- Troy Merritt
- Robby Shelton
- Si Woo Kim
- Chez Reavie
- Nate Lashley
- Ian Poulter
- Matt Jones
- Cameron Tringale
- Rickie Fowler
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Jason Kokrak
- Emiliano Grillo
- Cameron Davis
- Matthew NeSmith
- Scott Harrington
- Ryan Armour
- Ryan Moore
- Brooks Koepka
- Brandt Snedeker
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Jordan Spieth
- Russell Henley
- Sam Ryder
- Sam Burns
- Zach Johnson
- Keith Mitchell
- Zac Blair
- Scott Brown
- Brian Gay
- Justin Rose
- Kyoung-Hoon Lee
- Charley Hoffman
- Keegan Bradley
- Graeme McDowell
- Adam Schenk
- Lucas Glover
- Luke List
- Scott Stallings
- Brice Garnett
- Scott Piercy
- Rory Sabbatini
- Beau Hossler
- Shane Lowry
- Tom Lewis
- Bo Hoag
- Wyndham Clark
Follow NCG on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest equipment and golf course reviews and exclusive interviews.
