Fortinet Championship preview: TOUR's fall swing begins in Napa

We hope you enjoyed the "extensive" two-week offseason because it's officially over, with the fall swing signalling the beginning of the PGA TOUR's 2023-24 season.

The schedule once again debuts with the Fortinet Championship in Napa, as two-time defending champion Max Homa looks for his third consecutive win in the event before he heads off to the Ryder Cup.

Homa is joined in the field by Ryder Cup teammate Justin Thomas, with the event bringing the added intrigue of being the first tournament in the new FedExCup Fall series.

When: September 14-17
Where: Silverado Resort, Napa, California

How to watch (all times ET)

Last year's result

Homa won the tournament for the second straight season in one of the wildest finishes all year. The California native trailed Danny Willett by one stroke on the 72nd hole but slammed home an epic chip for birdie to post a 16-under for the week.

The Englishman still looked a safe bet to win, just needing a birdie putt under 4 feet. He didn't just miss that attempt, he failed to make the 4-foot comebacker to shockingly three-putt and end up in second place.

Recent winners

2022 - Max Homa (-16)
2021 - Max Homa (-19)
2020 - Stewart Cink (-21)
2019 - Cameron Champ (-17)
2018 - Kevin Tway (-14)

Featured/marquee groups

3 reasons to watch

Homa goes for three-peat

Four of Homa's six career PGA TOUR wins have come in his home state of California, and the 32-year-old is looking to do something that hasn't happened since 2011.

Homa went from last year's Fortinet Championship into a starring role for the United States in his first Presidents Cup. With his Ryder Cup debut coming in two weeks in Italy, captain Zach Johnson will be hoping for a repeat performance from the popular American.

JT hopes to show form

Thomas will undoubtedly be the most watched player in the field this week as the American desperately hopes to find form before the Ryder Cup. Despite his sparkling record in team events over his career, Thomas was the most controversial selection on the United States squad due to his very poor play in 2023. He missed the cut in three of four majors, with a 65th-place finish at the PGA Championship his only weekend activity.

Thomas actually missed the cut in five of his last eight events of the season and failed to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs when his chip on the 72nd hole of the Wyndham Championship lipped out. He hasn't played in Napa since 2019 but added the event as a tuneup for the Ryder Cup. Should Thomas' struggles continue this week, captain Johnson will face plenty of hard questions.

Drama of FedEx Cup Fall

The PGA TOUR has featured a fall series for years, but the FedExCup Fall debuts this year. The seven-event schedule begins in Napa and runs through the RSM Classic toward the end of November. While the top 50 players from last year are locked in for all the lucrative Signature Events on next year's schedule, the players that fell outside that number have plenty to play for this fall.

• Players ranked 51st or worse will keep playing for points in the fall season and carry over their points from last year's regular season and FedEx St. Jude Championship
• Nos. 51-70 already have top-125 eligibility but can earn spots in the first two Signature Events of the season after Kapalua
• The top 10 players on points list after the conclusion of the fall swing who aren't already eligible for Signature Events will qualify for the first two after Kapalua
• The players who fall outside the top 125 at the conclusion of the fall series will not be fully exempt on the PGA TOUR. Nos. 126-150 will be relegated to conditional status.

Betting odds

Max Homa +700
Justin Thomas +1,300
Sahith Theegala +1,600
Cam Davis +2,200
Beau Hossler +2,500
Stephan Jaeger +2,500
Eric Cole +3,000
Andrew Putnam +3,500
Brendon Todd +3,500
J.J. Spaun +3,500
Akshay Bhatia +4,000
Davis Thompson +4,000
Justin Suh +4,000
Lucas Herbert +4,000
Alex Noren +4,500
Chez Reavie +5,000
Mark Hubbard +5,000
Sam Stevens +5,000
Webb Simpson +5,000

Odds via theScore Bet