01-11-17

It’s always nice to be in the fairway when birdies are required but most will find the big greens easy to hit regardless.

Another week where 20-something should win and Yahoo! is all about scoring!

The opening week is in the books! Both of us had the winner last week but only one of us was the real winner!

@MikeGlasscott

Points: 201
Rank: 13,873

Last Week:
It’s always funny to rack up over 200 points and go absolutely nowhere! For those of you who are loyal readers, thank you, and I just wanted to point out that I did give you winner last week. I even said it would happen:
SUPER SUBS
Justin Thomas: Took plenty to leave him out but I’m rarely right on him anyhow. Congrats on your win, JT!

Awesomesauce.

Not really.

I am rarely right on him. Congrats on his win.

Sigh.

I went KISS last week and rode all four rounds from Dustin Johnson (with Patrick Reed) and he won three of the four. My faith in Jason Dufner after two very solid rounds was repaid 72-75 on the weekend for a whopping eight points including, obviously, zero on Sunday.

This Week:
Remember, Yahoo! is a SCORING GAME ONLY. Nothing else matters so I’m loading up with guys who have played well here before and have no fear of getting low. Similar to last week, par is garbage but bogey is even worse. The lack of length and big greens should make for birdies galore.

 

Group A
Starts remaining in parentheses

Gary Woodland (10) — His recent form here (T-13, T-3) and his runner-up finish last time out makes him an easy selection from this junk drawer of a group.

Marc Leishman (10) — He’s racked up five top 20’s from seven starts at Waialae and has no problem with a bit of sea breeze.

 

SUPER SUBS

Bill Haas: I always worry about him when it takes 20-under to win because of his putter. He’ll be in here next week, easy, at Career Builder.

Branden Grace: I’m not sure he could play any worse and would expect a bounce-back performance this week after DFL last week at Kapalua. I’m not going to prove this theory, mind you…

 

Group B

Jimmy Walker (10) — Twice a winner in the last three years and is a bazillion under par in that stretch. He’ll be a frequent visitor in this column over the next six weeks.

Justin Thomas (10) — Fool me once, shame on me…Course record holder and winner last week is the only multiple winner on Tour this season. #Simples.

Hideki Matsuyama (9) — There are two reasons why he’s in this week for me IN THIS FORMAT: I do NOT have to start or play him but if he shoots 66 or better in round one, I can. He’s destroyed the Pacific Rim for two months and I’m not missing out if he continues again this week.

Charles Howell, III (10) — He’s made 15 cuts in a row. End of.

 

SUPER SUBS

Plenty to choose from in this group! My next four start with Paul Casey and would include Russell Knox, Brandt Snedeker and William McGirt. Old man Jerry Kelly makes a great sleeper! Jordan Spieth will start all four majors, three playoff events, Colonial and Dell Match Play.

 

Group C

Pat Perez (10) — He is currently in the form of his life and lands on a track where he’s racked up top 10’s over the years.

Daniel Berger (9) — I’ll be out of starts on him by 1 July. I can’t get enough.

 

SUPER SUBS

Big, deep, durrrty group here that will cause separation this week. Scott Piercy deserves a gander as does the sleeper of all sleepers, Zac Blair (T-6, third in two tries). Harold Varner, III is a scoring machine and will eat up the length. Chris Kirk’s chill factor has played well here over the years. The most interesting player is Keegan Bradley but undulating Bermuda can make me nervous the way he putts. Heck, I didn’t even see Zach Johnson way down there!

 

“Ned says…”

Ned Brown returns to drop his knowledge in Yahoo! as he did here last year. Ned is a legend in the gaming world and has cleaned up in Yahoo while most of you were in diapers! He’ll share his thoughts and picks here when he wants!

 

@ESoxGolf

Points: 233
Rank: 1,486

“I had a real slow start last week, partly due to I had Day in my lineup instead of Reed.

It didn’t hurt me too badly because I had Thomas, who won the tournament.”
–Ned

Ned, doing Ned things in Yahoo! again!

 

Group A

Gary Woodland (10) — It’s a bit thin this week in Group A, so a couple of players stick out. Woodland had a solo second place last time out at the Mayakoba and his recent record at Waialae is good with a T-3 in ’15 and a T-13 last year.

Bill Haas (10) — This spot comes down to Marc Leishman or Bill Haas. I’m taking a bit of a gamble with Haas. In recent years, he doesn’t make the trip out to the Sony, but he has been playing well with a T-4 at the WGC-HSBC and a T-13 at the RSM Classic.

 

SUPER SUBS

Marc Leishman, Branden Grace

 

Group B

Justin Thomas (9) — Already one of the key moments of this segment when Thomas continued his hot streak earning Yahoo! owners 82 points for the week. He missed the cut here last year, but tied for sixth place in ’15. You know if he does well and you faded him that you will be kicking yourself.

Jimmy Walker (10) — I was starting to kick myself when Walker got off to the hot start last week. He returns to a course where he has racked up championships in ’14 and ’15 before cooling off last year to a lowly T-13. A tough player to predict after his PGA Championship but deserves consideration in the one-and-done game.

Jordan Spieth (9) — Normally I would pass on Spieth this week and try to save a start on him but he led the TOC field with 25 birdies and an eagle. His final round of 65 earned his fantasy owners 20 points plus five bonus points for third place. We’ll see if that momentum carries over into the Sony.

Hideki Matsuyama (9) — Yogi Berra said when you come to a fork in the road you should take it. That’s the problem here. Matsuyama is overall the hottest golfer in the world however he has a poor history at the Sony. On the other hand Charles Howell III loves the Sony and is coming off a fall where he played some good golf. I’m hoping that Matsuyama’s form can overcome his history. Those that want less risk should go with Howell III.

 

SUPER SUBS

Charles Howell III, Jerry Kelly, Paul Casey, Brandt Snedeker

 

Group C

Pat Perez (10) — An injured shoulder kept Perez off the TOUR from the Spring till the late fall of ’16 and since then he is playing the best golf I’ve ever seen out of him. He tied for seventh at the Shriners, won the Mayakoba and came in T-3 last week at the SBS TOC. He has four top 10’s in 15 career starts including a T-9 in ’13 and a T-8 in ’14.

Scott Piercy (10) — Since Perez is such a solid pick, I can roll the dice a bit with this pick. Another player that played well at the Mayakoba was Scott Piercy, who finished tied for fourth place. His recent record at the Sony is good with a second place in ’15 and a T-13 last year.

 

SUPER SUBS

Zach Johnson, Daniel Berger, Jason Dufner, Chris Kirk, Ryan Palmer

 

FORE!

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