05-17-17

It’s back to TPC Four Seasons for the final time.

After 35 years as host or co-host, the run ends this week as this event will move to Trinity Forest next year.

The list of winners here is a potpourri of players.

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: $2,343,790; 27 events

• Wins:
• Seconds: 1
• Thirds:
• Top 10s: 5
• Top 25s: 7
• MCs (9): 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); Kevin Kisner (WFC).

 

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
Wells Fargo	Kevin Kisner	MC	$0
THE PLAYERS	Sergio Garcia	T-30	$65,205

 

Thermometer:

HEY, MADE THE WEEKEND BAY BEEEEEE!

Yeah, it’s come to that.

I’m celebrating making the cut.

Sergio Garcia was four shots off the lead on a course he absolutely rakes and he posted 78 on Sunday to finish T-30.

If anyone asks me about how my OAD season is going, I’m just going to copy-and-paste the above sentence. #Nutshell.

 

Last week:

My Choice: Sergio Garcia — see above.

Close Second: Rickie Fowler — T-60; Francesco Molinari — T-6.

Outlier: Russell Henley — T-35; Pat Perez — T-22.

Gut Shot: Kevin Chappell — T-35.

Rank Outsiders: Daniel Summerhays — T-53; Billy Hurley, III — T-41; Patrick Cantlay — T-22; Russell Knox — MC.

Only one MC in there but only one top 10 as well.

 

Keys this Week:

In a thin field, there are two options for me this week.

One, take one of the best players and ride that wave and hope they do their job.

Two, since nobody really should have jumped out to a bigger lead at THE PLAYERS, this week would make for a lovely dark-horse/long-shot play.

I’m going to give you a bit from each column.

 

My Weekly Finalists:

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

 

My Favorites:

Dustin Johnson: Every time he plays he’ll be on this list. It’s up to you to determine his “value”. I’m saving him for a big purse on a big course.

Sergio Garcia: He’s won here twice and last year’s victory came on the heels of hitting it all over the shop at TPC Sawgrass. He’s in BETTER form this year.

Brooks Koepka: I’m not missing the boat again here. Whatever was bothering him is no longer.

Bud Cauley: There’s no chance I’m talking you out of this. None. He’ll need a similar putting week that Garcia had last year but he’ll hit all of the GIR.

Kevin Tway: Similar to Cauley, Tway has been on fire. With top five finishes in his last three starts and growing up in this weather, I like him even more.

 

My Choice: Brooks Koepka

Close Second: Bud Cauley

Outlier: Kevin Tway

Gut Shot: Smylie Kaufman

Rank Outsiders: Morgan Hoffmann, S.Y. Noh, Tim Wilkinson and Ollie Schniederjans.

 

 

QUESTION(S) OF THE WEEK:

 

Jason Day? Koooooooooch?

A couple of course horses that are sending gamers too many mixed messages at the moment. Day gets a break and has been known to turn it on late summer so I’m waiting. As for Kuchar, we’ve seen plenty (by his lofty standards) MC’s and quiet play on courses he usually plays well. When in doubt, I’m out!

Dude, Jordan Spieth grew up in Dallas!

He sure did. And his best finish in seven tries was when he was in high school. I won’t say he doesn’t care for the course but he’ll be on the list next year at Trinity Forest, a club he belongs to currently. Or save him for Colonial where he’ll defend.

 

Should I burn…

Throw a dart.

Drop a pen.

Have your dog pick.

48 weeks. 48 guys. Plenty to choose from!

Why do I keep leaving Ryan Palmer down here? He keeps on playing well so he’s in here again!

Louis Oosthuizen just does enough to lure me in as well.

 

Good Luck!