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The Northern Trust 2021 betting tips and selections
Welcome to a new installment of betting tips from staff writer and host of the Pick the Pup Golf Show, Andy Lack.
The PGA Tour travels to Jersey City, New Jersey, this week for the Northern Trust, the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs. After Louis Oosthuizen’s withdrawal, 124 of the top 125 players in the FedEx Cup standings will be in attendance this week at Liberty National, a course we have seen only four times before in professional competition.
Liberty National is a par 70, measuring 7,353 yards on the scorecard with bentgrass greens and bentgrass fairways. The Robert Cupp and Tom Kite design has hosted this tournament in 2009, 2013, and 2019, and it was also the host course for the 2017 Presidents Cup. Liberty National is a course that has proven to cater to a balanced tee-to-green skill-set, and regardless of venue, this is nearly always a tournament won by a premier player.
This column is coming off a heartbreaking loss last week. Not only did we have Russell Henley, who lead the tournament for 69 holes, but we also had Kevin Streelman at an even bigger number, who held a share of the lead on the back nine and bogeyed the final hole to finish one shot outside of the playoff. With that being said, the thought process was sound, and we feel primed for a rebound. Let’s dig into my outright selections.
The Northern Trust 2021 betting tips and selections
Dustin Johnson (18/1, William Hill)
I was very close to selecting Brooks Koepka at a slightly bigger number, and I may live to regret that decision, but let’s roll with DJ here. The two-time major winner has won this tournament three separate times, and while they all came at different courses than Liberty National, Johnson did dominate Liberty in the 2017 Presidents Cup, ending the competition as the only player on either team to secure four points.
While I am aware that Johnson’s last six months have been underwhelming at best, this is always time of year when he tends to turn it on. Statistically, he is certainly trending in the right direction. In his last start, the 24-time PGA Tour winner gained strokes in all four major categories en route to a 10th-place finish. His +3.2 strokes on approach was his best iron week since February. I expect Johnson to be a massive factor down the stretch, and a win this week at one of his favorite tournaments on a familiar course would be a welcome start.
Rory McIlroy (26/1, William Hill)
This is my favorite bet of the week, and the most confident I have been in a player in quite some time. I believe that Rory McIlroy will win this week, and here’s the short-hand version of why. The four-time major champion gained 12.5 strokes ball-striking in Memphis, good for the best ball-striking week he’s had in over two years. Looking back at some of McIlroy’s results from 2014, 2017, and 2019, when he was at the peak of his powers, it was because of ball-striking numbers like that.
On a more narrative angle, something flipped for McIlroy at the Olympics. Judging from his quotes both before and after the Olympics, representing his country and competing on such a big stage clearly reignited something in him. He was right in the mix at the Olympics, and he followed that performance up with the best ball-striking week he’s had in two years in Memphis. McIlroy feels inspired again, and when a player is a hitting the ball that well, wins tend to follow extremely soon.
Justin Thomas (27/1, FanDuel)
I had no real plans to bet Justin Thomas this week until I saw his number. I’ll harken back to Justin Thomas’ last win, The Players Championship. The 14-time PGA Tour winner drifted to 20/1, and sure enough, he claimed victory at TPC Sawgrass. Comparing how he was performing before the PLAYERS to how he is playing coming into this tournament, there’s an argument to be made that there are more positives with his game right now than there was prior to his PLAYERS win. And yet, we are getting him at an even bigger number, in a field of 124 instead of 156, on a golf course that he’s been excellent on.
I’ve been critical of Thomas recently, and this is the first time I’m looking in his direction in months, yet I finally saw what I was looking for last week in Memphis. After struggling with his irons for over a month, Thomas gained 6.1 strokes on approach at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. The irons are definitively back, and he’s just about due for a spike putting week. I love the number and I love the ceiling. This was an easy decision.
Keegan Bradley (140/1, FanDuel)
I could have easily capped my card off with those three elite players, but at such massive numbers, these next two players deserve at least some consideration. While this was a very small bet for me compared to the three selections above, I love Keegan Bradley this week. Yes, I do believe that this tournament is going to be won by a top-end player, the Vermont native does feel like the most worthy party crasher.
Three of Bradley’s four career wins have come at a major, a WGC, and a FedEx Cup playoff event. Those all came on difficult golf courses that place a high emphasis on an elite tee-to-green game. The former PGA Championship winner continues to hit the ball beautifully, and he possesses an extremely underrated short game as well. Liberty National has shown us that it’s possible to get by here with excellent ball-striking and mediocre putting, so I will gladly take my chances on Keegan Bradley at a giant number.
Carlos Ortiz (200/1, DraftKings)
Hear me out on this one. This number is just too big for a player of Ortiz’s caliber, even in this field. While nothing about Liberty National screams Carlos Ortiz to me, the former Houston Open winner is really solid across the board from a statistical standpoint and possesses no glaring weaknesses. And even so, I do believe the Guadalajara native still has elite upside. Ortiz has shown us he is capable of gaining over nine strokes on approach on any given week, and there aren’t a lot of other players, especially in this price range, that even have that in their bag.
The University of North Texas product is coming off a week in Memphis where he gained over five strokes ball-striking, which is not the same as gaining over five strokes ball-striking at the Wyndham. Ortiz has displayed the ball-striking chops to compete in elite fields, and he has now gained off the tee in three straight measured starts, and on approach in five straight measured starts. I will gladly take my chances with the upside.
I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear
OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.
LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break
Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.
Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.
On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.
On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.
On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.
PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home
Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.
On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.
Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?
Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.
Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?
PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates
Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.
Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.
Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025
GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.
Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.
Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.
General Albums
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX
7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)
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‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
