Man, I SWORE I posted it.

I’m swearing more now…

One and Done

Each week I’ll throw in my thoughts on the field and those to back and avoid in this wonderful format.

This Year:

Event	Golfer	Place	$$
Safeway Open	Brendan Steele	T53	14,610
CIMB Classic	Ryan Moore	T66	12,740
CJ CUP @ 9 BRIDGES	Gary Woodland	2nd	1,026,000
WGC-HSBC Champions	Ian Poulter	21st	93,500
Sanderson Farms	Cameron Davis	MC	0
Shriners	Aaron Wise	T15	101,675
Mayakoba Golf Classic	Charles Howell III	MC	0
The RSM Classic	J.J. Spaun	MC	0
Sentry TOC	Jon Rahm	T8	191,000
Sony Open	Marc Leishman	T3	307,200
60th Desert Classic	Andrew Putnam	T34	29,975
Farmers Insurance	Patrick Cantlay	MC	0
WMPO	Hideki Matsuyama	T15	113,600
AT&T Pebble Beach	Jason Day	T4	334,400
Genesis Open	Justin Thomas	2nd	799,200
WGC-Mexico Champ	Xander Schauffele	T14	128,000
Puerto Rico Open	Graeme McDowell	T42	10,500
The Honda Classic	Adam Scott	MC	0
Arnold Palmer Invitational	Rickie Fowler	T40	35,490
THE PLAYERS Championship	Sergio Garcia	T22	125,000
Valspar Championship	Patrick Reed	MC	0
Corales Punta Cana	Trey Mullinax	T61	6,450
WGC-Match Play	Paul Casey	T9	167,000
Valero Texas Open	Billy Horschel	MC	0
Masters	Rory McIlroy	T21	107,956
RBC Heritage	Matt Kuchar	2nd	745,200
Total Events: 26	Top 10s: 7	MC: 7	$4,349,496

Last Time: RBC Heritage

Back in the top 10 for the second time in four weeks but I still can’t crack the code. No wins = no fun but solo seconds (three of them) allow me to keep dreaming.

My Choice: Matt Kuchar – 2nd

He did everything but win, finishing one shot out of a playoff. Never had the best of it and fought hard, as usual, here.

Safety Dancing: In Order

Kevin Kisner: T41 and didn’t break par on the weekend. Disappointing for those who thought the home game would be win No. 2 this season.

Bryson DeChambeau: MC as the scientist reminded gamers he’s not a robot.

Webb Simpson: T16 after 65 on Saturday, his second massive Saturday in a row, put him in position. His 71 to close stalled him out.

Ian Poulter: T10 with his third consecutive final round over par here. He’s also T11 or better in those three starts.

Spicy:

Picks that should click but have more element of risk

Patrick Cantlay: T3 as his scintillating form continues at Harbour Town and on TOUR.

Jim Furyk: MC as his week off during the Masters didn’t help. Terrible result for course historians.

Luke Donald: T33 which included three rounds of red figures but it’s the second consecutive year he hasn’t factored at the event he used to run.

Picks for Dreamers:

Breakout performance from this group will get gamers back into contention

Jason Kokrak: T16 because he tripled the last. Massive kick in the nuts but his exceptional play, in general, carries on.

Cameron Smith: His 77 on Sunday at Augusta sadly followed him up the road as he MC.

Si Woo Kim: The momentum he created at Augusta went up in smoke as he wasn’t close to making the weekend.

Lucas Glover: 13 events, 10 cuts made, 10 top-25 paychecks. This was one of them. MC.

Picks for Noses:

Save them for another time. Each week I usually have a couple of these hit the top 10 so BUYER BEWARE!

Francesco Molinari: MC

Satoshi Kodaira: Looked like he ran out of gas defending for the first time as he posted 77-82 on the weekend for DFL.

Charles Howell III: MC as his streak of not hitting the top 20 here this decade continues.

 Six Beers In: 

Patton Kizzire – T45, Aaron Baddeley – MC and Brian Harman – MC

I should have had seven beers…

 

This Week

If you like to read about trends and past winners, I have you covered in The Confidence Factor Preview.

If you like to read about course horses and who excels in the bayou I have the main players at The Confidence Factor Horses for Courses.

My Choice: Ryan Palmer

Free Jon Rahm? Sure enough! I’ve burned both Patricks so I have no option there but these two bombers will make a ton of birdies and should contend.

Safety Dancing: In Order

Patricks: Cantlay is white hot and Reed’s short game will help here.

Kyle Stanley: Paired with Finau, they will have a birdie putt on almost every hole as well as they attack with irons.

Defending Champs: I’m not sure anyone has ran Piercy out there yet but five top 10s suggest we should have!

J.B. Holmes: They’ve tried this before with success (T5) and Bubba has won the event before it was a partner’s game.

Spicy:

Picks that should click but have more element of risk

Scott Brown: Neither him or his partner, Kevin Kisner, took advantage of a home game last week (MC, T41). They were defeated in 2017 in a playoff and led after 54 holes last year (T16). Unfinished business.

South Africa I: Friends forever Louis and Charl team up again. They didn’t make a bogey in their final 45 holes last year but Schwartzel’s form isn’t good.

Picks for Dreamers:

Breakout performance from this group will get gamers back into contention

Knox/Stuard: Two very steady performers and one former champ.

Kokrak/Stroud: Not many wins here to rely upon but Kokrak is crawfish boil hot.

Hoffman/Watney: California love cashin’ checks here.

 

Picks for Noses:

Save them for another time. Each week I usually have a couple of these hit the top 10 so BUYER BEWARE!

Adam Scott/Jason Day: Too good to be true, right?

Six Beers In: 

Julian Etulain/Andres Romero, Austin Cook/Andrew Landry and David Hearn/Seamus Power

 

History Channeled:

2017-18 Thermometer: FINAL

Event	Golfer	Place	$$
Safeway Open	Tony Finau	2nd	669,600
CIMB Classic	Paul Casey	T7	218,166
CJ CUP @ 9 BRIDGES	Keegan Bradley	T47	23,759
WGC-HSBC Champions	Hideki Matsuyama	T50	51,875
Sanderson Farms	Chesson Hadley	T2	464,400
Shriners	Patrick Cantlay	WIN	1,224,000
OHL Classic	Kevin Chappell	MC	0
The RSM Classic	Charles Howell III	MC	0
Sentry TOC	Kevin Kisner	T17	99,333
Sony Open	Brian Harman	T4	256,266
CareerBuilder Challenge	Jason Dufner	T36	27,189
Farmers Insurance	Jon Rahm	T29	43,872
WMPO	Alex Noren	T21	80,040
-AT&T Pebble Beach	Phil Mickelson	T2	488,400
Genesis Open	Dustin Johnson	T16	111,600
Honda Classic	Graeme McDowell	MC	0
WGC-Mexico	Tommy Fleetwood	T14	126,500
Valspar Championship	Ryan Moore	MC	0
Arnold Palmer	Tyrell Hatton	T69	18,067
WGC-Match Play	Patrick Reed	T9	163,000
Corales Puntacana	Patrick Rodgers	T22	27,850
Houston Open	Luke List	T24	54,162
Masters	Jordan Spieth	3rd	748,000
RBC Heritage	Cameron Smith	T32	35,510
Valero Texas Open	Billy Horschel	T11	136,400
Zurich Classic	Bud Cauley	MC	0
Wells Fargo Championship	Bryson DeChambeau	4th	369,600
THE PLAYERS	Francesco Molinari	MC	0
Ft. Worth Invitational	Adam Scott	T52	16,472
AT&T Byron Nelson	Jimmy Walker	T6	257,950
Memorial	Tiger Woods	T23	76,985
FESJC	Henrik Stenson	T26	50,820
US Open	Justin Rose	T10	270,151
FESJC	Xander Schauffele	MC	0
Quicken Loans National	Kyle Stanley	T32	36,841
A Military Tribute	Bubba Watson	T13	121,632
John Deere Classic	Zach Johnson	T16	81,366
British Open	Rory McIlroy	T2	694,250
RBC Canadian Open	Charley Hoffman	T29	37,743
Barracuda	Martin Laird	T15	51,000
WGC-Bridgestone Invite	Rickie Fowler	T17	104,250
PGA Championship	Brooks Koepka	WIN	1,980,000
Wyndham	Brandt Snedeker	WIN	1,080,000
THE NORTHERN TRUST	Jason Day	T20	101,160
Dell Technologies	Marc Leishman	T21	100,800
BMW Championship	Gary Woodland	T12	189,000
TOUR Championship	Justin Thomas	T7	279,900
Total Events: 47	Top 10s: 15	MC: 7	$10,967,909

 

2015-16 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 total: $6,533,509 45 events

• Wins: 1
• Seconds: 1
• Thirds: 1
• Top 10s: 12
• Top 25s: 20
• 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).

Thanks for reading!