The Fantasy Golf Report: Fantasy Golf: The PGA Championship Preview

Nicely we have to own-up for final week’s dumpster fireplace earlier than we get to the enjoyment of previewing a significant. Arguably among the best week’s in FGR historical past was adopted by inarguably one of many worst. Of my ten suggestions for the AT&T Byron Nelson, three made the lower and that three didn’t embrace decide of the week Sam Burns, secondary decide Talor Gooch or sleeper decide Doc Redman. In fantasy golf parlance, that is known as the “FGR Triangle.” 

And that is not even the worst of it. On the subject of 2021 champion Okay.H. Lee, I truly wrote the next, “we do not count on the king of the center of the pack to copy something near that anomalous effort.” We had been appropriate solely to the extent that his successful rating in 2021 was -25 and his successful rating this 12 months was -26. Actually anomalous.    

Oh and whereas I used to be on a roll, I went forward and picked Georgetown to win the NCAA lacrosse championship. For individuals who do not monitor such issues, they entered because the #2 general seed and departed after a primary spherical loss to Delaware. DELAWARE!!! Who loses to Delaware? That’s like dropping to Lichtenstein. Or Kabukistan. 

Anyway, I goal to redeem myself this week (and most different weeks for that matter). 

TWEET OF THE WEEK

GOLF ANALYSIS

Southern Hills hasn’t hosted many majors however it’s produced high quality winners when it has together with Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen, Nick Worth* and Raymond Floyd. A deeper dive into the ultimate leaderboards from the 2001 U.S Open (Mark Brooks (2nd), Rocco Mediate (4th), and Tom Kite (T5)) and the 2007 PGA Championship (Woody Austin (2nd), Aaron Obherholser (T4), Kevin Sutherland (T9) and Scott Verplank (T9)) reveals an abundance of brief straight hitters in order that will probably be factored into this week’s equation.

You would be happy with me. My first run by way of the picks had me taking the contrarian place on Scottie Scheffler once more. Then I took a beat, partially got here to my senses and thought “hmmm” (that is the sound of me pondering) . . . “the most well liked participant in latest reminiscence grew-up in Texas and you are not going to choose him to win in Oklahoma? As an alternative you had been going to choose Justin Thomas simply because you’ll be able to’t get previous your conjured-up notion that he is actually the very best participant on the planet? Severely?” (That is the sound of me ridiculing myself).

From there it will get very difficult because the higher echelon of this subject goes eighteen deep – stopping simply in need of Bryson DeChambeau. I will permit myself three extra from that group and go together with Rory McIlroy (edging Collin Morikawa), Hideki Matsuyama (edging Xander Schauffele) and Shane Lowry (edging Joaquin Niemann). And even then nobody might fault you for taking Jordan Spieth, Cameron Smith and Brooks Koepka over all of them. 

Considerably misplaced within the Scheffler blowout was the truth that Rory had a runner-up at The Masters which he adopted with a fifth place end on the Wells Fargo. Hideki completed T3 final week and Lowry has completed T3 in his final two begins. Additionally, it is imagined to be windy with rain Friday evening adopted by a temperature drop on Saturday. These are portly Irish man circumstances and Lowry is immediately giving-off a really “Two-Time Main Winner” sort of vibe.

The following wave of Corey Conners, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Younger would possibly end increased than any three-man mixture of gamers I’ve already named, and sure, I acknowledge that is a whole lot of fucking mixtures. Younger and Conners rank high 5 in strokes gained off the tee and Fitzpatrick ain’t too shabby at 14th (MOM!!! . . . the FGR is quoting stats once more!!!). This suits properly into my Kevin Sutherland/Scott Verplank idea.  

Harold Varner, III has come into his personal this 12 months and most not too long ago completed T3 on the RBC Heritage after a T23 at Augusta. Our co-sleeper Christian Bezuidenhout, who I by no means decide as a result of his identify is simply too rattling lengthy and virtually unspellable, has made the lower in six straight majors. He isn’t a lot to take a look at however he’ll get you the place it’s essential go, very similar to the automobile Rip constructed for Mark Watney in College Ties.**   

“Who picked me? No I heard you. I simply do not know who that’s.”

One and Completed Decide: Scottie Scheffler

Sleeper Decide: Harold Varner, III

DraftKings Prime Ten Values

Footnote

* Throughout one of many all-time nice golf warmth checks, Nick Worth received six tournaments over a span of six months in 1994 together with the British Open and the PGA Championship. The latter he received by six photographs over doubtless the best main leaderboard ever: Corey Pavin, Phil Mickelson, John Prepare dinner, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Steve Elkington, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Loren Roberts, Tom Watson and Ian Woosnam. That is eleven main winners within the high ten for these scoring at residence or for these simply studying alone (HEYOOO!!!).

** Should you get that, we might be greatest pals instantly upon introduction.