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!