Michael Kim went wild last year winning by eight while setting the tournament record of 27-under.
The Landlord is Zach Johnson but he’s not the automatic choice he once was in his “fifth major”.
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 |
Zurich Classic | Ryan Palmer | WIN | 1,051,200 |
Wells Fargo Championship | Phil Mickelson | MC | 0 |
AT&T Byron Nelson | Keith Mitchell | T59 | 17,301 |
PGA Championship | Brooks Koepka | WIN | 1,980,000 |
Charles Schwab Challenge | Jordan Spieth | T8 | 197,100 |
Memorial | Tony Finau | MC | 0 |
RBC Canadian Open | Jim Furyk | T27 | 55,100 |
U.S. Open | Tiger Woods | T21 | 117,598 |
Travelers Championship | Bubba Watson | T54 | 16,560 |
Rocket Mortgage Classic | Sungjae Im | T21 | 68,528 |
3M Open | Bryson DeChambeau | T2 | 563,200 |
Total Events: 37 | Top 10s: 10 | MC: 9 | $8,416,083 |
Last Week – 3M Open
20-year old Matthew Wolff also made eagle on the final hole, knocking my choice to T2 and no chance to win in a playoff.
Brutal.
My Choice: Bryson DeChambeau
Leading by two after posting 14-under thru 36 holes, DeChambeau trailed by one heading into Sunday. He staked his final iron to six feet, made the eagle putt and posted 20-under 264. It wasn’t good enough for a playoff. That’s fantasy golf sometimes. I went with the big boy, he does his job and it’s not good enough. Similar to my season in this format sadly!
Undaunted, we move on.
Let’s see how the other picks went. Sadly with no Wolff, I’m not patting myself on the back this week.
Frequent Flyers
Jason Day – T66
Adds to the general suggestion that when dominant putters don’t have an advantage, ball-strikers might be the way to go.
Patrick Reed – T23
What did four rounds in the 60s get you last week? T23 it appears if more than one was over 67!
Hideki Matsuyama – T7
Adds to the general suggestion that when dominant putters don’t have an advantage, ball-strikers might be the way to go. He’s played great as of late but it’s hard to imagine he’s available on many boards this time of year.
Spicy:
Picks that should click but have more element of risk due to recent form, etc.
Joaquin Niemann – T23
His 63-65 middle two rounds couldn’t push out 73 to open and 70 to close.
Rory Sabbatini – MC
Life is just a party and parties aren’t meant to last. His streak of excellent play ends.
Viktor Hovland – T13
Another monster Sunday, 65 after his 64 in Detroit, salvaged a few bucks for gamers.
Picks for Dreamers:
Doc Redman – MC
Hardly a surprise as the reality of TOUR life probably outweighed the preparation.
Wyndham Clark – T5
Led for 10 minutes on Sunday at 18-under but this was new territory for him. Held it together as best he could to cash his best-ever payday.
Tony Finau – T23
Hard to say this was a good idea on any level. A player of his ilk shouldn’t be celebrating this result. I guess it’s better than four consecutive MC though.
Picks for Noses:
Brooks Koepka – 65th
Yep. It is what it is for now. One-way traffic in the majors.
Six Beers In:
Sepp Straka – MC, Fran Tarkenton (HOF), Prince (RIP), Collin Morikawa – T2
This Week – John Deere Classic
More bent.
More Midwest.
Finally some course history!
Will any of it mater with the likes of Wolff, Morikawa, Clark, Niemann and Hovland around?
Maybe.
The record for FIRST-TIMERS IN THE EVENT is not good here.
Sean O’Hair is the last maiden to win and that was 2005.
Please read my preview for more details.
My Choice: Collin Morikawa
Posting 20-under and losing from the final group usually stings (see DeChambeau above) but not when you’re 22 and playing in your fifth TOUR event. He’s since accepted STM so he has nothing to worry about the rest of the regular season besides WINNING and getting into the FedExCup Playoffs.
Dots connected.
Frequent Flyers
Matt Wolff: I’ll suggest, for some humans, winning on TOUR is a massive deal. He’s not normal so I’m not treating him as such.
Brian Harman: Playing his best golf of 2019 as he returns to the site of his first win in 2014 and T10 last year.
Joaquin Niemann: Tick tick tick tick tick. He’s played some of his best golf in the Midwest this summer and last. This will be his second time in the event and he closed with 65 last year for T23.
Spicy:
Picks that should click but have more element of risk due to recent form, etc.
Sungjae Im: Still hasn’t closed the deal in spite of all the rounds in the 60s and top-10 paydays. Completely doable but also a first-timer here.
Wyndham Clark: His final nine holes were interesting last week but he held on for T5. Keeping the ball-striking going for the fourth week running will show me something.
Mackenzie Hughes: Just keeps chugging along making cuts but nothing that has suggested BREAK OUT. A comfortable T16 last year included 65-68-65 final three rounds.
Picks for Dreamers:
Zach Johnson: Don’t have to worry about using him anywhere else. Nothing outside the top 5 would make it worth it. His last top 10 was in 2018.
Daniel Berger: Went close his first time in 2017 as he played from the final group (T5) and picked up his best finish of 2019 last week (T15). Right, dream on.
Picks for Noses:
Michael Kim: Simply hasn’t played well.
Ryan Moore: Fits in the above column as well. Save him for Sedgefield, if necessary at all.
Six Beers In:
Denny McCarthy, Scott Langley, Vaughn Taylor, Kirk Ferentz
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!