Day: October 3, 2017

Fantasy Insider: Safeway OpenFantasy Insider: Safeway Open

October 3, 2017October 3, 2017| 23:57

It’s hard not to chuckle while contemplating the absence of an offseason, but we’ll rest over the holidays. Just like the 144 golfers at Silverado, it’s time for us to get back to work. The Safeway Open is the first of eight tournaments in the fall portion of the 2017-18 season. All but the Sanderson Farms Championship will contribute to your progress in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, but only the Safeway and the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open feature full fantasy scoring. The other five will measure only actual scoring for each round before rewarding one-half FedExCup points earned. Because there are only seven tournaments in Segment 1 and gamers are still allowed up to three starts per golfer per Segment, it’s unlikely that the strategies in non-ShotLink events will come into play much. Meanwhile, the game will now award bonuses based on FedExCup points at the conclusion of Playoffs, if applicable. This will parallel how points are collected in the One & Done game, which also renews for the Safeway Open. The Roster game awarded prizes for the winners and runners-up of each of the four Segments as well as the entire season. The top three in the season-long chase in the One & Done will collect. See both platforms at FantasyGolf.PGATOUR.com for details. Beginning with this week’s FI, I’m evolving Draws and Fades to cover more golfers in specified formats sans extended commentary and analysis. These cheaters should assist in case you’re looking for quick yeas and nays from me. If you’ve somehow missed it, Qualifiers, Medical Extensions, Reshuffle and Rookie Ranking are live on the site. So is my annual full-membership fantasy ranking. If you haven’t already, bookmark PGATOUR.com/Fantasy or navigate the MENU at the top of most pages. It’s awesome to be back with you for another season on the PGA TOUR. Never hesitate to reach out to me via discussion threads, Twitter (public or private) or email. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the Safeway Open (in alphabetical order): Bud Cauley Tony Finau Jamie Lovemark Kevin Na Sam Saunders Brendan Steele You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Brandon Hagy; Smylie Kaufman; Luke List; Phil Mickelson; Grayson Murray; Ollie Schniederjans Driving: Lucas Glover; Martin Laird; Ryan Moore; Chez Reavie; Harold Varner III; Richy Werenski Approach: Chad Campbell; Lucas Glover; Zach Johnson; Ryan Moore; Chez Reavie; Ollie Schniederjans; Webb Simpson; Vaughn Taylor; Richy Werenski Short: Scott Brown; Mackenzie Hughes; Zach Johnson; Phil Mickelson; Chez Reavie Power Rankings Wild Card Peter Uihlein … Here we go. He enters his rookie season on the PGA TOUR at the age of 28. It was a long time coming what with his promise and pedigree. While expectations will likely exceed his results unless he wins, if he hangs up four top 10s and finishes inside the top 70 of the FedExCup standings, consider it a successful foray. Just give him a start or two before diving in on a weekly basis. His win in the first leg of the Web.com Tour Finals is his only top 25 anywhere in his last six starts. Draws Matt Atkins (DFS) Scott Brown (DFS) Chad Campbell (SERVPRO) Lucas Glover (all) Brandon Hagy (all) Smylie Kaufman (DFS) Luke List (DFS) Grayson Murray (DFS) Vaughn Taylor (DFS) Harold Varner III (all) Richy Werenski (DFS) Fades Sangmoon Bae Jonas Blixt Graham DeLaet Cody Gribble Emiliano Grillo David Hearn Beau Hossler Sung Kang Chris Kirk Patton Kizzire Colt Knost … After nearly eight months off, finished 70th in his only start of the Web.com Tour Finals. Equipped with a Major Medical Extension, so give him time to shed the rust. Maverick McNealy … Making his pro debut. Set with a series of sponsor exemptions. Respect the learning curve. Patrick Rodgers Kevin Streelman Chris Stroud Aaron Wise Returning to Competition Scott Piercy … Sat out the Playoffs with a sore shoulder and hasn’t played since the Travelers in late June. Should be feeling good at Silverado, though. He opened last year’s T3 with a course-record 62. Plant him as a sporty option in DFS. Fabián Gómez … Hasn’t competed since the Quicken Loans National during which he withdrew after one round. An explanation was never released. It’s just as well, though, as he enters 2017-18 as a salary bargain at $332K. He’s fully exempt by virtue of his win at the 2016 Sony Open in Hawaii. Fits nicely at Silverado, too, with a T17 in 2015 and a T26 last year. Expect a little rust, but he’s a sensible contrarian in DFS. Kelly Kraft … A mid-round withdrawal due to a foot injury in the opener of the Dell Technologies Championship ended his Playoffs. He concluded the season without a top-55 finish in five starts after a T5 at Greenbrier. That’s been his M.O., however. It can be fruitful in reality, but it’s a dangerous angle for fantasy gamers. With an 0-for-2 slate at Silverado on top of the concern, he’s an easy no-play. Ernie Els … Scheduled to compete in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. It’ll be his first action since withdrawing during the Wyndham Championship with a sore rib. The Big Easy is burning a top-25 career earnings exemption on the PGA TOUR this season. He’ll celebrate his 48th birthday on Oct. 17. Power Rankings Recap – TOUR Championship Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Jordan Spieth  T7 2  Justin Rose  T10 3  Dustin Johnson  T17 4  Rickie Fowler  T26 5  Marc Leishman  T24 6  Justin Thomas  2nd 7  Paul Casey  5th 8  Jason Day  T17 9  Jon Rahm  T7 10  Kevin Chappell  T28 11  Webb Simpson  T13 12  Brooks Koepka  6th 13  Matt Kuchar  T10 14  Sergio Garcia  T10 15  Patrick Cantlay  T20 16  Gary Woodland  19th 17  Pat Perez  16th 18  Hideki Matsuyama  T26 19  Jason Dufner  T20 20  Daniel Berger  15th 21  Xander Schauffele  Win 22  Adam Hadwin  23rd 23  Tony Finau  T7 24  Brian Harman  T24 25  Charley Hoffman  T28 26  Patrick Reed  T13 27  Russell Henley  T3 28  Kevin Kisner  T3 29  Kyle Stanley  T20 30  Jhonattan Vegas  30th Power Rankings Recap – FedExCup Playoffs Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Jordan Spieth  2nd 2  Hideki Matsuyama  8th 3  Rickie Fowler  7th 4  Dustin Johnson  4th 5  Brooks Koepka  10th 6  Henrik Stenson  32nd 7  Rory McIlroy  58th 8  Daniel Berger  16th 9  Justin Thomas  1st 10  Paul Casey  11th 11  Matt Kuchar  14th 12  Patrick Reed  22nd 13  Francesco Molinari  37th 14  Kevin Chappell  27th 15  Charley Hoffman  20th 16  Marc Leishman  6th 17  Jason Dufner  30th 18  Brian Harman  25th 19  Jason Day  18th 20  Jon Rahm  5th 21  Tony Finau  19th 22  Kevin Kisner  12th 23  Zach Johnson  48th 24  Russell Henley  13th 25  Brendan Steele  33rd 26  Kyle Stanley  24th 27  Adam Hadwin  26th 28  Pat Perez  15th 29  Louis Oosthuizen  31st 30  Patrick Cantlay  29th Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR October 3 … none October 4 … none October 5 … Kelly Kraft (29) October 6 … none October 7 … none October 8 … none October 9 … none

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Chris Stroud, Bobby Gates team up for Hurricane Harvey relief pro-amChris Stroud, Bobby Gates team up for Hurricane Harvey relief pro-am

October 3, 2017October 3, 2017| 22:34

HOUSTON — Inspired to raise funds to help people affected by the vast devastation from Hurricane Harvey, PGA TOUR players and Houston residents Chris Stroud and Bobby Gates, in partnership with Bluejack National, Houston Golf Association and Pro Links Sports announced the Hurricane Harvey Relief Pro-Am Fundraiser. This unique event, which takes place December 11-12, 2017, will bring together PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions and LPGA TOUR professionals to raise money for flood victims. “As a long-time Houstonian, I was compelled to call on the professional golf community to help our neighbors rebuild their lives after Hurricane Harvey,â€� said Stroud, professional golfer. “With the help of professional golfers from across the country, we will pool our resources and assist those in need over the coming months.â€� The golf event will be held on December 12 at Bluejack National in Montgomery, Texas, and will feature up to 20 golf professionals paired with corporate partners and amateurs to play in a Pro-Am format. Joining Chris Stroud and Bobby Gates in the event are Ben Crane, Ryan Palmer, Gerina Piller and Martin Piller. World Golf Hall of Fame member and major championship winner Mark O’Meara and major championship winners Stacy Lewis, Jimmy Walker, Fuzzy Zoeller and Steve Elkington, as well as Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup team member Patrick Reed have committed to participate in the Pro-Am fundraiser. On December 11, the eve of the Pro-Am, a draw party will be held featuring food, wine, live auction and live entertainment. “Immediately after the flood waters began to recede, my friends and I leapt into action helping our neighbors,â€� said Bobby Gates, professional golfer. “Those days cleaning out homes compelled me to want to do more for the communities impacted by Harvey. I’m excited to be a part of rebuilding the lives of those who live in our community and have lost so much.â€� Teaming up with the golf professionals to support the Pro-Am fundraiser are Pro Links Sports, management company for the Insperity Invitational and Houston Golf Association, host organization for the Houston Open.  To register, support and/or attend the Hurricane Harvey Relief Pro-Am, please visit http://www.harveyreliefproam.org/. Proceeds raised from the Pro-Am will go directly to individuals and families impacted by the floods. Families can apply for aid on the event website starting November 1, 2017.

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Top 10 rookies to watch on 2017-18 PGA TOURTop 10 rookies to watch on 2017-18 PGA TOUR

October 3, 2017October 3, 2017| 22:03

After a short offseason, the 2017-18 PGA TOUR season begins this week at the Safeway Open in Napa, California. The season-opener will also mark the beginning of a new journey for the latest class of Web.com Tour graduates as they kick off their TOUR careers at Silverado Resort and Spa. After putting in countless hours – and years – these rookies have finally reached the biggest stage in golf, and they’ll be primed and ready to start making a name for themselves on TOUR. In the past few years, rookies have had an immense amount of success in the fall portion of the wraparound season, and with the talent level found in the incoming rookie class, 2017-18 is sure to be no different. Which PGA TOUR rookies are best positioned to make an impact as the 2017-18 season progresses? Here are the top 10 first-time Web.com Tour graduates to watch out for on TOUR this season. 1. Peter Uihlein. Son of Wally Uihlein, chairman and CEO of the Acushnet Company (the equipment manufacturer that owns Titleist), golf is practically engrained in the 28-year-old. While in high school, Uihlein earned Rolex Player of the Year honors with the American Junior Golf Association twice, becoming just the fifth person in history to win multiple times. The phenom went on to attend Oklahoma State University, where he competed on a winning 2009 Walker Cup team and became the fourth player in school history to win the U.S. Amateur. The Massachusetts native spent time as the top-ranked amateur in the world and was the recipient of the 2011 Ben Hogan Award. Uihlein was named the European Tour’s Rookie of the Year in 2013 after picking up a win and eight top-10 finishes in his first season. A fifth-place finish at the 2017 Puerto Rico Open earned him a spot in the Shell Houston Open, where he finished 23rd. The two finishes were enough to earn him a spot in the Web.com Tour Finals, where he eclipsed Ryan Armour for a victory in his first start on Tour (at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship). The former Cowboy has proved time and time again that he has what it takes to succeed, and the TOUR will just be another stage for him to showcase his talents. 2. Keith Mitchell. The 25-year-old University of Georgia alum has the power it takes to drive the ball on any stage. Mitchell finished the 2017 season with an average driving distance of 321 yards (the fourth-longest on Tour) and was in the top 10 in all-around stats. The Tennessee native amassed six top-10 finishes on the year, including a T3 finish at the News Sentinel Open presented by Pilot. After finishing the Regular Season at No. 26 on the money list, Mitchell went on to capture two sixth-place finishes in the Web.com Tour Finals and earn his first PGA TOUR card. Mitchell’s first TOUR appearance came in March 2017, after Monday qualifying for the Valspar Championship. He finished T11, which points to a bright future for Mitchell, who is in prime position to continue the legacy of Bulldog success on TOUR. 3. Sam Ryder. The Stetson University alum became the first Hatter to win on Tour when he blitzed the field at the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Heartland Chevy Dealers en route to an eight-stroke victory.  Ryder, who ranked first on Tour in total driving, played consistently throughout the season, notching 10 top-25 finishes. The Florida native came close to securing his PGA TOUR card last season but credits his additional year on the Web.com Tour with getting his game to where it needed to be. Now that he has the confidence to back his talent, expect Ryder to tackle the TOUR with the same gusto he used to tackle the 2017 Web.com Tour season. 4. Tom Lovelady. It’s hard to ask for a better rookie year on Tour than the one Tom Lovelady had. The 24-year-old University of Alabama graduate finished first in birdie average and putting average, picking up five top-10 finishes along the way. Lovelady will be joining roommates Justin Thomas and Bud Cauley on TOUR, both of whom experienced success in last year’s PGA TOUR season. Having familiar faces around should work in Lovelady’s favor, who admitted to struggling with doubts about his game at the beginning of the season. A mindset change mid-season freed Lovelady up to play to the level he’s capable of, which should translate into a strong rookie season on TOUR. 5. Marty Dou. The 20-year-old became the first Chinese-born player to capture a Web.com Tour title when he won this year’s Digital Ally Open. Before playing on Tour, Dou competed on PGA TOUR China, where he recorded four victories in 2016 to capture the Order of Merit. Dou will be joined on TOUR by fellow countryman and Web.com Tour graduate, XinJun Zhang. Look for Dou to continue to his record of success on the TOUR stage.  6. Austin Cook. The University of Arkansas alum played with incredible consistency over the course of the 2017 Tour season, missing only six cuts in 24 events. The 26-year-old made a brief appearance on TOUR in 2015, where he recorded five top-25 finishes. His past accomplishments on TOUR should allow him to feel comfortable and confident as he begins his rookie campaign. Don’t be surprised to see Cook in contention very early on. 7. Denny McCarthy. After locking up his card via the Web.com Tour Finals, McCarthy will join his fellow Class of 2011 members on TOUR. The University of Virginia alum had an incredibly successful amateur career, especially in his home state of Maryland, where he won two Maryland Opens and two Maryland Amateurs. He also played alongside fellow Web.com Tour graduate Beau Hossler on the U.S. Walker Cup team in 2015. The 24-year-old’s short game was his biggest asset in the 2017 Tour season, and he finished the season second in putting average, putts per round, and birdie or better conversions. McCarthy amassed five top-25 finishes in the last three months of the season, so expect him to continue to ride that wave of momentum as he enters his inaugural PGA TOUR season. 8. Lanto Griffin. Few people have proven that they can thrive under pressure quite like Griffin. The 29-year-old became the first player since 2004 to win on Tour after making the cut on the number when he picked up his first title at the Nashville Golf Open Benefitting the Snedeker Foundation. Griffin’s win came via an uphill, 20-foot birdie putt in a playoff against fellow graduate Abraham Ancer. Griffin finished at No. 22 on The 25 and finished inside the top-20 in three of the four Web.com Tour Finals events. The Virginia Commonwealth University alum has a never-say-die attitude, which should work in his favor on the PGA TOUR. 9. Conrad Shindler. The Texas A&M University alum picked up his first Web.com Tour title at the Rex Hospital Open, where he defeated former PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Chesson Hadley in a playoff. He went on to finish the season with an under-par scoring average, picking up four top-10 finishes along the way. The 29-year-old is close friends with PGA TOUR and major winner Todd Hamilton, whose advice should help Shindler acclimate quickly to his new stage. 10. Aaron Wise. As a sophomore, the South Africa native helped lead the University of Oregon to its first team NCAA Championship, going 3-0 in match play and also earning an individual title. The 21-year-old won the 28th annual Air Capital Classic Supporting Wichita’s Youth in landslide fashion, setting a tournament record for margin of victory after claiming the title by five strokes. Wise proved he had what it takes to go low that week, finishing with a tournament total of 21-under 259. Wise has shown that his youth isn’t an issue and he should be primed to continue the PGA TOUR’s current trend of young winners.

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MLB 10-day DL used 21 percent more often than 15-day listMLB 10-day DL used 21 percent more often than 15-day list

October 3, 2017October 3, 2017| 21:25

NEW YORK (AP) — Use of baseball’s shortest disabled list increased by 21 percent this year, the first season of its shortened length. There were 626 uses of the 10-day DL this season, up from 512 placements on the 15-day DL last season, according to the commissioner’s office. Use of the 60-day

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