06-29-16
Double dose of dumpster fire this week!
What could POSSIBLY go wrong?!?!?
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 good news is I have these players to choose from.
The bad news is I have these players to choose from.
With two majors, one WGC and four Playoff events left, there’s no need to keep the safety on.
Guys who aren’t playing well now (Haas & Rose) 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 (T-8; $247,806)
Sergio Garcia or Branden Grace: Royal Troon
Jordan Spieth or Branden Grace: Baltusrol
Justin Rose: Returned with MC at U.S. Open.
Jim Furyk: T-2 at U.S. Open caught my attention; T-21 at Congressional in back-to-back weeks suggests he’s more than fine. He’s on a tough, three-week stretch with Firestone, one of his favorites, this week.
Let’s see who has already made the ultimate fantasy sacrifice already:
Event | Golfer | Place | Money |
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 |
FESJC | Gary Woodland | MC | $0 |
U.S. Open | Jason Day | T-8 | $247,806 |
Quicken Loans | Patrick Reed | T-39 | $28,290 |
2015-16 season
Season total: $4,810,013; 33 events
- Wins: 2
- Seconds: 0
- Thirds: 1
- Top 10s: 7
- Top 25s: 15
- MC: 5 (Mickelson, FIO; Oosthuizen, SHO; Chappell, Colonial; Casey, Memorial; Woodland, FESJC)
Last week: Patrick Reed, (T-39; $28,290)
Back to ground zero after a LARGE DOSE of false hope last week with Day’s T-8.
Reed was T-14 entering Sunday and with decent scoring conditions, I was hoping for a low one to sneak into the top five. After 13 holes, I was hoping for a top 50…Another premium player crashes and burns and that’s the story of my season, again, in a nutshell.
Thermometer:
The thermometer went home.
Keys this Week:
- Experience
- Overpower par 70
- Par four prominence
My Five Finalists – WGC-BI:
1.) Shane Lowry
2.) Brooks Koepka*
3.) Jim Furyk
4.) Adam Scott*
5.) Jason Day*
*already burned
My Choice: Shane Lowry
Close Second: Jim Furyk
Long Shot Special: David Lingmerth
Verdict: I usually don’t subscribe to the defending champion angle but he covers it all this week:
- Big week last time out at Oakmont before finishing T-2.
- Won’t burn him in the Playoffs or in the last two majors with who I have left.
- Defending champ for the first time.
- With no cut and 10 of the top 50 absent, he won’t have to be beat as deep of a field like he did last year!
Stratagem: With no clear-cut stud that stands out any more than normal it affords gamers who’re trailing to take a flier. Leaders should pull the trigger on one of the big boys remaining because there are only about 20 guys of the 60 that can win this week, in my humble opinion. Lowry’s victory last year, his first ever on Tour, is THE exception, not the rule. Big boys win big boy events and the prize pool makes this decision even easier. Furyk and Kuchar are the safest plays this week. I would have taken a punt with Koepka this week if I had the chance. His recent form is flammable and his CV in past big events fits the bill as well.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Where’s everybody???
ANSWER OF THE WEEK: As I stated in my preview, the 100th French Open is being played this week and 10 of the world’s top 50, all Europeans, headed across the pond to play this special event.
DOUBLE RYDER CUP POINTS, BRAH.
Also, four of the six most recent winners in this event are gone, not qualified or out injured so it opens up the door for an outsider again.
My Five Finalists – Barracuda Championship:
1.) Brendan Steele
2.) Jon Rahm
3.) Colt Knost
4.) Martin Laird
5.) Bryce Molder
*already burned
My Choice: Jon Rahm
Close Second: Brendan Steele
Long Shot Special: John Huh
Verdict: If Rahm wasn’t bothered by Oakmont or Congressional, I don’t think this track is going to bother him either.
Stratagem: Leaders of the pack will plug in Steele, take their T-7 and merrily go about their way to the top of their leagues, easy-peasy. Knost makes a tasty choice if Steele is already gone and Gary Woodland doesn’t interest. I also don’t mind Molder as he’s played some of his best golf on bent/poa in this part of the world.
Rahm is delightful for two reasons: He’s fun to watch and he’s playing incredible golf. I wasn’t going to kick myself late on Sunday if he bags another top five against a field that isn’t nearly as deep as the one where he just beat 116 other guys. Huh just beats out Laird for the long shot special as they both simmered last week at Congressional.
Good Luck Chops!