06-08-16

If you’ve used this column as a FADE for the last three weeks, you should be winning your league CONVINCINGLY!

 

Back-to-back weeks of loose picks have forced me to where I should have been three weeks ago: Picking studs.

Of the current OWGR top 30 or so, I have the following players remaining:

1.) Jason Day

2.) Jordan Spieth

10.) Justin Rose

11.) Patrick Reed

12.) Branden Grace

13.) Sergio Garcia

18.) Brandt Snedeker

21.) Zach Johnson

22.) Charl Schwartzel

23.) Chris Wood

24.) Russell Knox

25.) Kevin Kisner

27.) Ben An

28.) Rafael Cabrera Bello

29.) Jim Furyk

30.) Justin Thomas

31.) Kevin Na

37.) Bill Haas

The internationals who don’t play on Tour probably will drop by the way unless Wood gets a go at Royal Troon. Based on what I have in front of him and that prize pool, there’s no reason for him to be the choice.

The good news is I have these players to choose from.

The bad news is I have these players to choose from.

With three majors, one WGC and four Playoff events left, there’s no need to keep the safety on.

Guys who aren’t playing well now (Snedeker, Haas, Furyk , Kisner & Rose (injured)) hopefully find form later in the summer. Guys like Day, Spieth, Reed will come down to which event you’ll believe them to be most comfortable. Remember, Day and Spieth both rake at East Lake. So does Furyk. And Rose. And Haas. And Snedeker. You’ll need just one of them at the end!

As of today, here’s the plan:

Jason Day: Oakmont

Sergio Garcia or Branden Grace: Royal Troon

Jordan Spieth: Baltusrol

Justin Rose: Waiting to see his return after a back injury that kept him out of the BMW PGA at Wentworth and Memorial last week.

Let’s see who has already made the ultimate fantasy sacrifice already:

Frys.com	Brooks Koepka	T-41	$21,000
Shriners	Scott Piercy	T-25	$44,832
CIMB	Anirban Lahiri	T-21	$78,400
WGC-HSBC Champions	Adam Scott	T-70	$42,000
Sanderson Farms	Patrick Rodgers	T-20	$41,356
OHL Mayakoba	Patton Kizzire	T-58	$13,764
RSM	Brendon de Jonge	T-33	$27,049
HTOC	Brandt Snedeker	T-3	$381,000
Sony	Kevin Kisner	T-5	$220,400
CB Challenge	Ryan Palmer	T-17	$75,897
Farmers	Phil Mickelson	MC	$0
Waste Management	Hideki Matsuyama	WIN	$1,170,000
AT&T Pebble Beach	Jimmy Walker	T-11	$143,500
NTO	Dustin Johnson	4th	$326,400
Honda	Luke Donald	T-61	$13,115
WGC-Cadillac Champ	Henrik Stenson	T-28	$79,428
Valspar	Danny Willett	T-22	$52,959
Arnold Palmer	Scott Brown	T-27	$41,934
WGC-Dell Match Play	Rickie Fowler	T-53	$63,000
Puerto Rico Open	Graham DeLaet	T-11	$66,000
Shell Houston Open	Louis Oosthuizen	MC	$0
Masters	Bubba Watson	T-37	$50,250
RBC Heritage	Matt Kuchar	T-9	$147,500
Valero Texas Open	Charley Hoffman	WIN	$1,116,000
Zurich Classic	Daniel Berger	T-20	$64,909
Wells Fargo	J.B. Holmes	T-53	$16,589
THE PLAYERS	Rory McIlroy	T-12	212,625
AT&T Byron Nelson	Jason Dufner	T-24	54,020
Colonial	Kevin Chappell	MC	$0
Memorial	Paul Casey	MC	$0

 

2015-16 season

Season total: $4,533,917; 30 events

• Wins: 2
• Seconds: 0
• Thirds: 1
• Top 10s: 6
• Top 25s: 15
• MC: 3 (Mickelson, FIO; Oosthuizen, SHO; Chappell, Colonial)

 

Last week: Paul Casey (MC; $0)

All three of my “choices” were dire (MC, T-74, MC) but well done to those who had faith in McIlroy, Kuchar and DJ this week.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG THIS WEEK!?!?!

 

Thermometer:

Absolute zero

 

Keys this Week:

• Handling the heat
• Course management
• Power preferred

 

My Five Finalists:

1.) Dustin Johnson*

2.) Phil Mickelson*

3.) Harris English

4.) Gary Woodland

5.) Ryan Palmer*/Brooks Koepka*

*already burned

 

My Choice: Gary Woodland

Close Second: Harris English

Long Shot Special: Ben Crane or Seung-Yul Noh

Verdict: There are not enough tournaments remaining for splitting hairs as this will be No. 31 of 43. Time to start cooking with gas and making a move. Commit to your major players, then Playoff players and work backwards from there. Or, LIGHT IT ON FIRE NOW to catch up and hope the big boys don’t fire down the stretch.  Woodland gets the nod because I’m looking for a winner this week, not a good finish. I don’t have time for shiny, happy top 10’s.

Stratagem:

Those of you leading or contending, Mickelson makes the most sense as this field will be WAY EASIER than “defending” at Baltusrol. Harris English should be the easy second choice if Mickelson is gone and you’re not a Woodland fan. I’d be surprised if Koepka or Palmer were around for most of you but no complaints there either with Koepka getting the slight lean as he wins more often.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Why no love for DJ?

ANSWER OF THE WEEK: Because he’s hit the top seven in four of the last five majors. That’s why.