07-19-17

Is your guy on the proper side of the draw?

Is there a proper side of the draw?

What time is the weather going to arrive?

Lace ’em up. Play ball.

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: $3,824,679; 36 events

• Wins:
• Seconds: 1
• Thirds:
• Top 10s: 10
• Top 25s: 16
• MCs (10): 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
AT&T Byron Nelson	Brooks Koepka	T-50	$18,090
DEAN & DELUCA	Bud Cauley	T-41	$24,050
Memorial	Dustin Johnson	MC	$0
FedEx St. Jude Classic	Billy Horschel	T-4	$252,000
U.S. Open	Rickie Fowler	T-4	$420,334
Travelers	Paul Casey	T-5	$248,200
Quicken Loans	Patrick Reed	T-17	$99,400
Greenbrier	Tony Finau	T-7	$228,975
John Deere Classic	Daniel Berger	T-5	$189,840

 

Thermometer:

With five of my last six picks landing T-7 or better, you’d think I’d be elated in my performance.

I wrote that last week.

I’ve updated it for this week.

I’m exactly what’s wrong with how difficult this game can be.

Racking up top 10’s are nice and it makes it look like I know what I’m doing.

Well, I do, but I haven’t pulled a winner in 36 events so I must be unlucky.

I selected DeChambeau in my league picking second-to-last in a 14-man weekly draft so I have that going for me, which is nice.

Whatever.

Last week:

Nicely done for those to spot the trend on DeChambeau (@A340Spotter) and jump on it! Tough for us dudes from Indiana to see Patrick Rodgers get so close again. As I wrote in my wrap-up column, Rodgers isn’t going anywhere and should be moving up gamer’s lists as I type. I’ll also point out that Berger holed a 50-something footer on the 72nd hole to jump from T-10 to T-5, good for about $45k. Hey, it all counts!

My Choice: Daniel Berger — T-5

Close Second: Brian Harman — T-10

Outliers: Jamie Lovemark — T-25 after final round 72, Danny Lee — WD (wrist, neck)

Gut Shot(s): Kevin Streelman — T-44

Rank Outsiders: Daniel Summerhays — T-12, Luke List — T-68, Nick Taylor — MC, Brandon Hagy — T-50

 

Keys this Week:

For those of you who read me consistently, I thank you. There should be absolutely zero surprises on anyone’s OAD lists this week. Well, unless you’re in the bottom 10% and you need Ben Curtis to save your day. Good luck with that.

It’s time to unload another heavy hitter and preferably one who understand what it takes to play the links, in bad weather and in wind.

The average winning age of Open Champions recently is closer to 40 than it is 30.

Taking a look a recent winners also suggests there is a country for relatively old men, at least by gaming standards.

Royal Birkdale, according to most of the participants, will be very difficult while also being very fair. Fair means that good shots won’t be punished but poor shots will be.

You better find some guys who can find fairways and greens and stay out of the bunkers and sand dunes.

As we start to wind down 2016-17, let’s take a look at what I have left to work with for the two final majors, one WGC and four FEC Playoff events plus the final regular Tour stops:

OWGR Ranking as of 7-19-17

4.) Rory McIlroy

6.) Jason Day

9.) Alex Noren

13.) Justin Thomas

14.) Tommy Fleetwood

15.) Adam Scott

17.) Rafael Cabrera-Bello

20.) Francesco Molinari

23.) Louis Oosthuizen

24.) Tyrell Hatton

27.) Brian Harman

28.) Kevin Chappell

29.) Bernd Wiesberger

35.) Branden Grace

36.) Wesley Bryan

 

My Weekly Finalists:

My Favorites: You can see the entire list at mikeglasscott.com 

My Choice: Adam Scott

Close Second: Tommy Fleetwood

Outliers: Andy Sullivan, Kevin Chappell, Marc Leishman,

Gut Shot(s): Webb Simpson

Rank Outsiders: Padraig Harrington, Ben An, Brendan Steele, Soren Kjeldsen

 

QUESTION(S) OF THE WEEK:

Remember, if you don’t see a guy in my choices, it’s more than likely that I have already selected them. Check the table above!

No Spieth, Garcia or DJ???

Right. All burned. Read the preview. Read the above.

The winner this week will be…

Wind-blown, beat up and make a shit-ton of pars. Royal Birkdale presents a stern test with Mother Nature serving as a catalyst and at par 70, par will be an excellent winning score this week. #Grinders.

Should I burn…

Yes.

Time to unleash the big, bad boys of golf. Most of you should have had this pick selected weeks, if not months, ago. With a big payday for the winner and a huge prize pool for the rest, time to get paid.

Leaders have it easy as there are a handful of choices that probably haven’t been taken off the board that should contend.

Those who trail will need to have their pick hit the top three while hoping some of the big names fall apart. Don’t worry, some always do in majors (see: 2017 U.S. Open).

Good Luck!