08-03-16

With just a handful of events remaining and fields dwindling, make sure you’re getting bang for you last few bucks!

Remember, if you can’t laugh at yourself…

Banged a top 10 for the third consecutive major last week. Not much to crow about this year and it’s a shame there’s not ONE MOAR as I’m TRENDING in the proper direction. Let’s hope it carries over into the FedExCup Playoffs as I will have some weaponry at my disposal.

2016 Majors

Masters: Bubba Watson, T-37

U.S. Open: Jason Day, T-8

Open Championship: Sergio Garcia, T-5

PGA Championship: Branden Grace, T-4

 

Top Players Remaining:

3.) Jordan Spieth — East Lake, DBC or anywhere

11.) Justin Rose — East Lake, Barclays

20.) Zach Johnson — John Deere Classic next week

22.) Jim Furyk — Ultimate utility player who might power into some fields (see Wyndham) that he might not have played regularly.

23.) Charl Schwartzel–Barclays, BMW

25.) Scott Piercy– BMW

26.) Russell Knox — Travelers, Barclays

30.) Ben-An– not a member so don’t save him for the Playoffs!

32.) Bill Haas– Wyndham, Barclays

34.) Kevin Na– Another decent sub for most tracks

37.) Emiliano Grillo– Barclays

40.) Justin Thomas– Currently 15th in the FEC standings so I can wait for him to start heating up.

The good news is I have these players remaining.

The bad news is I have these players remaining.

 

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
Barracuda	Jon Rahm	MDF	$6,420
WGC-BI	Shane Lowry	T-36	$73,500
Barbasol	Kyle Reifers	T-35	$15,808
The Open	Sergio Garcia	T-5	$310,797
RBC Canadian Open	David Hearn	MC	$0
PGA Championship	Branden Grace	T-4	$405,000

 2015-16 season

Season total: $5,621,358; 39 events

• Wins: 2
• Seconds: 0
• Thirds: 1
• Top 10s: 9
• Top 25s: 16
• MC: 6 (Mickelson, FIO; Oosthuizen, SHO; Chappell, Colonial; Casey, Memorial; Woodland, FESJC; Hearn, RBC Canadian)

 

Last week: Branden Grace (T-4); $405,000

 

Thermometer:

Nice to have a sniff last week even with a triple-par-bogey open on Friday. And TNT thought Mickelson had the great comeback to make the cut on Friday? Grace opened four over and finished with six birdies for 68. Wooosh!

With T-8, T-5 and T-4 in the last three majors, I can smile. I was on the right angle (first-time winners) for the final but went with the “wrong” ones.

I’ve MC in the week before three of the four majors. The “other” major didn’t have an event. I have no idea what this means but it’s nothing short of bizarre.

 

Thoughts on TPC River Highlands

With 15-under being the average winning score it’s not hard to connect the dots to what’s necessary to win this week. Taking a look at the last five winners there’s a little bit of everything and that opens up a decent field even wider. Kevin Streelman was FROZEN entering this event and fired 64-64 on the weekend, including SEVEN BIRDIES IN A ROW ON SUNDAY to post and win. Ken Duke at 43 won in a playoff. Marc Leishman shot 62 on Sunday to win. Bubba Watson has won twice in the last six years.

If this tournament was in its usual spot following the U.S. Open I would suggest Watson or a total wild card. With it happening with only two regular season and four FEC events left, I’m leaning premium player regardless of their course form/history. It’s not a hard course so they shouldn’t need much adjusting.

 

 Keys this Week:

• #BubbaGolf
• Birdie busters
• Short track + first-timers paradise = wide open field

 

My Five Finalists:

1.) Bubba Watson*

2.) Brooks Koepka*

3.) Paul Casey*

4.) Ryan Moore

5.) Russell Knox

*burned

 

My Choice: Ryan Moore

Close Second: Tyrell Hatton/Russell Knox

Long Shot Special: Chris Stroud

Stratagem: Pro OADers will have left Watson for this spot from day 1 of the new season but this isn’t the only track he plays well as evidenced by use at Augusta.

If front-running, fire heavy ammo and make the chase pack pan for gold. The lead has been built, and as my man Rob Bolton says, it’s now time to sit back and watch them squirm.

Casey hit 35 of 36 GIR last weekend and finished 10th plus lost here in a playoff last year. #NotStretching.

Moore is THE course horse even though he hasn’t won.

Knox, who has already won this season, should feast tee-to-green and eat up the slow-ish greens.

Hatton is a lovely “throw away” as this will be his last start on TOUR this season. He also enters the week on a streak of three top 10’s on two different continents. #GameTravels.

 

QUESTION(S) OF THE WEEK:

• Why wouldn’t you use Zach Johnson this week?
• Who’s Tyrell Hatton?
• Where’s Jon Rahm?

 

ANSWER(S) OF THE WEEK:

• Because he’s the mayor at the John Deere Classic.
• You’re last, aren’t you? He doesn’t have status on Tour unless he were to win this week. If you picked him, you wouldn’t hardly care!
• I’m not going to be the one to talk you out of him, sorry. He’s class but I’ve burned him on his worst start as a pro!

 

Good luck!