`05-03-17

The Wells Fargo Championship has been relocated to Eagle Point in Wilmington, N.C., as its old home, Quail Hollow Club, prepares to host this summer’s PGA Championship.

The early week reviews have been strong on this Tom Fazio design as golf returns to Wilmington for the first time in 60 years.

One-and-done

Each week I painfully writhe and wretch trying to figure out the proper strategy to find a player that will hit the top 10. Wins are great but aren’t likely, so I’m satisfied with having a chance to hit the big money. Missed cuts are absolutely the death in this game, but even the surest of things don’t always happen in the reality world of fantasy golf. Remember, fade or follow, it’s up to you.

Gamers who are new to OAD must remember that the most lucrative purses, the majors, WGC events, THE PLAYERS and FedExCup Playoffs, are down the road and you’ll need to save some big boys for these events, all 12 of them.

 

Last Season: Il Disastro

Season total: $5,978,929; 47 events

• Wins: 2 (Matsuyama, Hoffman)
• Seconds: 0
• Thirds: 1
• Top 10s: 9
• Top 25s: 18
• MC: 8 (Mickelson, FIO; Oosthuizen, SHO; Chappell, Colonial; Casey, Memorial; Woodland, FESJC; Hearn, RBC Canadian; McGirt, Wyndham; Justin Thomas, DBC)

 

2016-17 season: Brand New Day

 Season total: $2,278,585; 25 events

• Wins:
• Seconds: 1
• Thirds:
• Top 10s: 5
• Top 25s: 7
• MCs (8): Grayson Murray (Safeway Open); Patton Kizzire (SFC); Jamie Lovemark (CB Challenge); Jimmy Walker (FIO); Charl Schwartzel (Genesis); Russell Knox (Honda); Henrik Stenson (API); Thomas Pieters (Zurich).

 

Event	Golfer	Place	Money
Safeway Open	Grayson Murray	MC	$0
CIMB Classic	Hideki Matsuyama	T-2	$756,000
WGC-HSBC Champions	Martin Kaymer	T-40	$62,000
Sanderson Farms	Patton Kizzire	MC	$0
Shriners	Chris Kirk	T-61	$14,190
OHL Mayakoba	Emiliano Grillo	T-10	$175,000
RSM Classic	Russell Henley	T-10	$150,000
SBS TOC	Brandt Snedeker	T-14	$122,000
Sony Open	Charles Howell, III	T-8	$180,000
CB Challenge	Jamie Lovemark	MC	$0
Farmers Insurance	Jimmy Walker	MC	$0
WMPO	Brendan Steele	T-16	$90,952
AT&T Pebble Beach	Phil Mickelson	65th	$15,120
Genesis Open	Charl Schwartzel	MC	$0
Honda Classic	Russell Knox	MC	$0
WGC-MC	Justin Rose	T-38	$64,000
Valspar	Bill Haas	T-41	$21,451
Arnold Palmer	Henrik Stenson	MC	$0
Puerto Rico Open	Luke List	T-37	$12,900
WGC-Match Play	Rory McIlroy	T-30	$74,000
Shell Houston Open	Jon Rahm	T-10	$182,000
Masters	Jordan Spieth	T-11	$223,200
RBC Heritage	Matt Kuchar	T-11	$114,045
Valero Texas Open	Charley Hoffman	T-40	$21,727
Zurich Classic	Thomas Pieters	MC	$0

 

Thermometer:

Not even a brand-new format, the team game, could jump-start my nothing-short-of-terrible season.

Whatever.

 

Last week:

My Choice: Thomas Pieters/Daniel Berger (MC)

Close Second: Branden Grace/Louis Oosthuizen (T-24)

Outlier: Russell Henley/Blayne Barber (MC)

Gut Shot: Si Woo Kim/Sung Kang (MC)

Rank Outsiders: William McGirt/Robert Garrigus (MC), Andrew Loupe/John Peterson (MDF), Steve Stricker/Jerry Kelly (T-14)

Yep, shoulda burned the OLD GUYS that I would have never even thought of having to use again.

I stink.

 

Keys this Week:

The cream usually rises to the top in events on new tracks but there’s not a bunch of that to choose from this week.

With the weather being squirrelly to start and the venue an unknown, I’m going to load up on guys who are regional and have been playing well.

I also don’t think having guys who can overpower the place and hole a few putts will hurt either.

We’ll know more on Monday of next week…

 

My Weekly Finalists:

I explain in more details in my preview what I’m looking for on the course.

 

My Favorites:

Jon Rahm: I’m more intrigued in thinner fields as his class should stick out like Paella at a pizza joint. Not many have the game to keep up.

Kevin Kisner: Just missed out with his buddy Scott Brown in a playoff last week and led the RBC Heritage with 12 holes to play his last time on his own ball.

Webb Simpson: I know he named his daughter Wyndham for a reason, I get it. He’s a member and there is NO WAY he’s joining a course where putting has to be No. 1 on the list of requirements, right? RIGHT?!?!

William McGirt: There aren’t many places where I don’t like him. His only win is on Bentgrass at Memorial which mimics Augusta National in spots. He was in the fight more than Kisner and Simpson at Harbour Town.

Paul Casey: He checks all of my boxes this week and the thin field makes him look even tastier.

Bill Haas: Everybody needs a safety valve and he’s about as safe as they come.

 

My Choice: Kevin Kisner

Close Second: Paul Casey

Outlier: Kevin Tway

Gut Shot: Webb Simpson

Rank Outsiders: J.T. Poston, Brian Harman, Patrick Rodgers

 

 

QUESTION(S) OF THE WEEK:

 

Dustin Johnson AND Phil Mickelson both omitted?

Yup. I know DJ has won three in a row but he was in the flow. I’ll wait for a few rounds under his belt before I jump back on each week!

As for Mickelson, I get nervy when I read about three inches of rough. He’s great in the conditions, I agree, but he doesn’t hit many fairways. I’d save him for Memphis or Royal Birkdale where he’ll make more sense.

 

Should I burn…

Throw a dart.

Drop a pen.

Have your dog pick.

48 weeks. 48 guys. Plenty to choose from!

Too bad Bud Cauley WD this week or he would have been included.

Ryan Palmer is also on a serious heater and will be one of the favorites at Colonial, his home track.

Luke List keeps recycling through my thoughts as well. 

 

Good Luck!