Whether it’s collusion or other forces at work, the MLB free-agent market is at an impasse. One way or another, baseball’s business model is heading for change.
Welcome Back! The PGA TOUR returns to the mainland as the West Coast swing resumes in the California desert at the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta. This pro-am event has been around since 1960 and used four courses and five rounds to determine a champion until 2012. For the seventh year in a row the pros will only get four cracks at three different courses to find out who’s the best of the bunch this week. While each course has its own features, gamers will need to remember that only one, La Quinta Country Club, has been in use in 14 of the last 15 events. In 2016 Pete Dye’s Stadium Course and Jack Nicklaus’ Tournament Course were added to the rotation for the first time. When these tracks were added, course history from the previous two flew directly out the window. Speaking of rotation, the Stadium Course will host the final round for the third year in a row, meaning it will be the only course of the three to be used twice. Every pro and their amateur playing partner will play each course once with the top 70 and ties advancing to the weekend. If there are more than 78 players making the cut, only 60 will advance to the weekend. Jason Dufner was the first to take the title with the two new courses in play. His 25-under-par 268 was three shots lower than Hudson Swafford’s winning total from last year. Swafford will look to join “The Desert Fox” Johnny Miller as the only player to defend in the Coachella Valley. TALES OF THE TAPE Last year it was weird to see champion Hudson Swafford wearing a long-sleeve shirt under his polo as he held the trophy on Sunday. The final-round temperature only hit 61 and it was breezy so there’s no doubt that kept scoring quiet a day after Adam Hadwin posted 59 at La Quinta Country Club. Swafford took advantage of the greens he hit for the week by holing the important putts, those for birdie. His final round saw him circle three of the last four and become only the second player since 2012 to come from off the lead to win. His dominance of the par-5s is relevant because all three tracks play to par 72. ShotLink is only used on the host course but the stats above translate on all three tracks. The “regular” chart returns will return next week as well as a look back at the last THREE winners. Ch-ch-ch-changes! I do know that Swafford was the first, first-time winner since Jhonattan Vegas in 2011 and first since the reduction to four rounds in 2012. I’ll point out that Vegas is also the only rookie winner here and just the third international winner since the turn of the century. Jason Dufner needed two playoff holes to defeat David Lingmerth in the first edition with the two new courses in play. Both players carded 25-under-par 263 and both did it in two separate fashions. The champ opened 64-65-64 to carry a two-stroke lead into Sunday. The Swede made it a grandstand finish as he posted 62-65 (bogey free) to force extra holes. I’d point out that Adam Hadwin played in the second-to-last group in this edition for those of you paying attention. Dufner’s success was based on his strength, lighting up greens in regulation. This was his first top 10 in seven tries in the Coachella Valley but he entered the week on the back of consecutive top 10’s at The RSM Classic and Sony Open in Hawaii. When Dufner’s putter heats up, he can be a bother for the rest of the field. He circled a whopping 30 birdies winning in 2016. His putter has shown hints of warming as he circled 21 birdies last week at the Sony Open on the back of 18 at Kapalua. NOTE: Golfers inside the top 25 in each statistic on the 2016-17 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete in the CareerBuilder Challenge. * – Finished inside the top 10 at the CareerBuilder Challenge since 2016. Par-5 Scoring Rank Golfer 2 *Luke List 5 *Phil Mickelson 7 Jon Rahm 7 Brandon Hagy 12 Seamus Power 12 Rory Sabbatini 12 Kevin Tway 18 Nick Taylor Putting: Birdie-or-Better Percentage Rank Golfer 8 *Phil Mickelson 10 *Matt Every 11 Camilo Villegas 12 Grayson Murray 14 Sam Saunders 15 Jon Rahm 19 Scott Piercy 22 *Luke List 23 Brandt Snedeker 25 Tom Hoge Greens in Regulation Rank Golfer 1 Martin Flores 5 Ryan Armour 6 Lucas Glover 8 Cameron Percy 9 Robert Garrigus 12 J.J. Henry 14 *Luke List 15 Chad Campbell 18 Stewart Cink 21 Jon Rahm 23 *Hudson Swafford 24 Jim Herman Gamers playing the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO will want to revolve their rosters around avoiding the Stadium Course as much as possible this week. The last two years the Pete Dye design (par 72, 7,113) has played the most difficult of the trio. La Quinta (par 72, 7,060) is annually one of the easiest courses on TOUR and the last two years have seen it rate third easiest in 2016 and second easiest last year. The Nicklaus Tournament layout (par 72, 7,159) nipped La Quinta for the second easiest track in 2016 but rallied in the breeze last year to rank No. 39 of 50 in difficulty but still played 1.2 strokes under par. Having low scores in pro-ams is hardly earth-shattering information. The rounds are already long enough so heavy rough, slick greens and tough pin placements aren’t going to be on the menu. Toss in usually perfect weather and the recipe for going low is optimum. As is the case in shootouts, the players who find the most GIR will be the ones with the most chances for birdie. This week, with all three courses playing par 72 and all less than 7,200 yards, there won’t be many acceptable excuses for scores worse than par. Anything in the 70’s this week will need to be followed with something in the low 60’s. Bogeys will almost feel like doubles especially if the 54-hole cut hovers around 9 under par like it was in 2016. With a birdie-fest on the cards, there’s not much mystery on why there aren’t repeat champions. A shootout on short courses should involve just about everyone this week so it’s your job to narrow it down. I’ve provided some help below!  Weatherman Rob Bolton has suggested in his Power Rankings the weather this week won’t be perfect as temperatures are stuck in the 60s but the wind looks to be tame. Be sure to look for my post-round recap Emergency 9 each night shortly after the conclusion of play! NOTE: The groups below are comprehensive to assist in data mining. Inclusion doesn’t imply automatic endorsement in every fantasy game as all decisions are specific to your situation. CONFIDENCE MEN Selected golfers with multiple cuts made sorted by rank on the tournament’s money list. BUILDING CONFIDENCE Sorted by best finish, selected golfers who are either finally finding form on the course or are still relatively new to the tournament but have enjoyed some success. OTHER SIGNS OF CONFIDENCE Sorted by most recent top 10s, selected golfers for whom it’s been a few years since their last.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady remains an impact player at age 40, following the path of 40 other athletes who have defied Father Time.
The Steelers’ star running back is a free agent and has already threatened to retire if he’s hit with the franchise tag again. So where should he go? Or is Pittsburgh the ideal spot? Our insiders weigh in.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry still tops the NBA in jersey sales, but Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks has surged to fourth for the first three months of the season.
NBC Sports Boston Bruins Insider Joe Haggerty takes his daily, link-filled trip around the NHL. Â
Former Presidents Cup star Graham DeLaet has received stem-cell treatment on his back and will remain sidelined while undergoing rehab, the Canadian announced Tuesday on his Twitter account. DeLaet said he recently underwent “conservative treatment that included an intradiscal stem cell injection to assist with my back mobility and long-term stability.â€� He added that the healing process is usually 7-10 days but that he continues to experience tenderness. DeLaet has been plagued by periodic back issues and was forced to withdraw from THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in Korea last October. It was his third WD of the 2017 calendar year. Prior to that, he had made two starts in the 2017-18 season – a tie for fourth at the Safeway Open and a T-54 at the CIMB Classic. DeLaet – who produced a 3-1-1 record at the 2013 Presidents Cup, tying Jason Day for the best performance on the International Team — also had to withdraw from THE NORTHERN TRUST, the opening event of the FedExCup Playoffs. Two weeks earlier, he had finished T-7 at the PGA Championship, his best result in eight major appearances. He said dealing with the back issues helped his mental approach on a weekend in which he shot 68-69, his two-day finish matching that of eventual champion Justin Thomas. “When I was out there, I wasn’t really thinking about where I was at on the leaderboard,â€� DeLaet told The Canadian Press the day after the tournament. “From a mental standpoint, it was actually kind of beneficial. Physically, obviously, I would have liked to have been healthy, but I kept my mind in a pretty good spot.â€� DeLaet has been working since 2011 with Canadian conditioning coach Dr. Craig Davies, who is based out of Orlando, Florida. Davies told The Canadian Press that DeLaet received acupuncture, dry needling and soft-tissue work, and also underwent several other approaches, in order to play at Quail Hollow. “Truth of the matter is, all of what we did would have been for not if it wasn’t for the fact that Graham has this playoff-hockey mentality where he can play through a lot of pain that a lot of players wouldn’t be able to play through. And if they could play through it, they wouldn’t have played at the level he could. It’s a massive testament to Graham,â€� Davies told the Canadian Press. For now, DeLaet’s return is uncertain. “While frustrating,â€� DeLaet said, “I am currently doing everything possible to rehab and return to the course fully healthy.â€�
Since ShotLink will be measuring performance only at PGA WEST’s Stadium Course for this week’s CareerBuilder Challenge, the full array of fantasy scoring will not be in play in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. Only actual scoring will apply before bonus points are rewarded for your starters in the final round. This also will be the case at next week’s Farmers Insurance Open, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Feb. 8-11 and the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship on March 22-25. All are contributing events in Segment 2. Because of the fantasy scoring, how the Stadium Course stacks up against the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA WEST and La Quinta Country Club isn’t as impactful, but it’s not irrelevant, either. Note the scoring averages of each in the two years the three courses have co-hosted the tournament: 2016 68.936 = Tournament Course 69.148 = La Quinta 70.818 = Stadium Course (final round = 70.614) 2017 69.635 = La Quinta 70.744 = Tournament Course 71.588 = Stadium Course (final round = 71.299) NOTE: Only the Stadium Course is used for the final round of the tournament. The Tournament Course experienced the greatest change in last year’s inclement conditions. Although wind on Friday this week could even the Tournament Course and La Quinta overall, the forecast projects a return to the kinds of three-round averages logged in 2016. Our approach is simple. Since lower rounds correlate directly to higher fantasy scores, even modestly this week, consider building a lineup that consists of two golfers in each rotation. This leaves you with two golfers on both the Tournament Course and La Quinta in each of the first three rounds. Of course, if you commit to this plan, you’ll be burning one start on each of your six and in a low-scoring affair. So, if you’re inclined to resist, consider playing the Stadium Course on Thursday when the weather is expected to be the most favorable. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the CareerBuilder Challenge (in alphabetical order): Bud Cauley Jason Dufner Brian Harman Jon Rahm Chez Reavie Webb Simpson You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Tom Hoge; David Lingmerth; Luke List; Phil Mickelson; Patrick Reed; Brendan Steele Driving: n/a Approach: n/a Short: n/a Power Rankings Wild Card Kevin Kisner … It’ll surprise those who think he’s the biggest snub in the Power Rankings that last year’s T25 in his only top-45 finish in five tries in this tournament. He was bouncing off a T4 at Waialae at the time, so it made sense that he sustained form. The rub is that shootouts favor the random, so even the biggest chips on the board are neutralized. Without better evidence that this is a site where he’ll emerge, our expectations must remain tempered. It also doesn’t help that he’ll be putting on rye-Poa blends instead of his favored Bermuda. Draws Hudson Swafford … If he wasn’t the defending champion, he’d size up as sneaky because of his propensity to make cuts. He’s cashed in nine straight starts and 14 of his last 15. The worry is that he’ll be distracted by new experiences outside the ropes as last year’s winner, but he can lather in that attention since he’s already familiar with the rotation having competed in both previous editions. Tom Hoge … Multiple people associated with the TOUR have shared publicly or privately with me that they’re quite impressed with his game. And that was before last week’s career-best solo third at Waialae where he held the 54-hole lead and ranked third in proximity for the week. From my analytical perspective, the trending is there to corroborate what those experienced eyeballs have witnessed. He has two top 10s and a T25 already this season. The 28-year-old has also exhibited a comportment in his rhetoric that supports further investment. Austin Cook … To the avid fan, what he’s accomplishing is rare; that is, immediately fulfilling the promise that was projected years ago. Think Adam Hadwin or Bud Cauley, although injury interrupted Cauley’s ascent. Cook already has the win at The RSM Classic on the books, but last week’s T18 at Waialae was his fourth top 25 in full-field competition this season. He’s carried phenomenal form from last year’s Web.com Tour to the sport’s highest level and hasn’t blinked. Expect the same confidence and composure from the 26-year-old in his debut at the CareerBuilder. Zach Johnson … Look out. It’s been four years since he’s made the cut here but that hasn’t deterred him from returning. It’s also a slump that can’t last forever. Aside from that positive spin, he’s coming off a T14 at the Sony Open in Hawaii where he led the field in proximity to the hole and ranked T8 in greens hit. Yes, he’s thrived at Waialae, but the result was an extension of months of sound play (five straight top 25s). He likely won’t come cheap in DFS, but contrarians won’t care. Nor should they. Martin Laird … As a long-hitting ball-striker, he falls into the same category as Lucas Glover, who is one of my Sleepers this week. Laird was a Sleeper here last year and placed T9. He’s missed only one cut in 10 appearances and that was in 2010 when the tournament went five rounds. The Scot is a gem in all formats. Ryan Palmer (DFS) Brendan Steele (all) Fades Adam Hadwin … With a T6 (2016), a solo second (2017) and a 59 at La Quinta last year, course history buffs won’t think twice. However, his proficiency on and around greens has deserted him of late and he’s been a non-factor exponentially more often than he’s threatened. Quintessential trap. Kevin Chappell … He placed T8 in this tournament in 2013 with a closing 62, but it’s his only top 25 in five tries. It’s also a reminder that he’s best suited when a shootout isn’t expected. Bubba Watson … Ah, the promise of a new year. He actually held on nicely while learning how to flight a different golf ball in 2017, but his return to a more familiar orb has salary gamers salivating at just $1.223 million. No need for weekly gamers to rush him back into play, though, especially at a tournament where he’s ending a six-year hiatus and where a shootout will occur. Use this as an opportunity to observe and learn. Brandt Snedeker … As he debuts with his new caddie, Matt Hauser, we can’t forget that Sneds is still feeling his way back from the sternum injury that sidelined him for nearly five months in the second half of 2017. He returned for a T29 at Sea Island and played the QBE Shootout to quiet concerns of full-season investors. His mid-tournament withdrawal from the Indonesian Masters was due to heat stroke, which shouldn’t overshadow that he kept his commitment to compete overseas at all. Despite that relative good news, this is his first look at the current rotation of tracks used for the CareerBuilder, so you’re encouraged to let him ease into it alone. Russell Knox … Now that he’s reconnecting with usable form (with two top 10s among a 5-for-5 start to the season), he’s worth keeping an eye affixed, but he’s a flier at best in DFS in his first appearance on the current rotation of courses at CareerBuilder. Jimmy Walker … Continues to work back into playing shape as much as his health will allow. This is his first appearance in the CareerBuilder in five years and it figures to present a modicum of confidence at a site where he can watch putts drop, but we need to remain cautious. Keep him in your crosshairs for the Genesis Open in a month. By then, we should have his pulse. Maverick McNealy … This is a nice tune-up for his rookie season on the Web.com Tour, but only keeper leaguers should be dabbling at the moment. He’s done a masterful job of letting his future come to him, so there’s no reason to rush. Kevin Na Jhonattan Vegas Returning to Competition Steve Marino, Will MacKenzie and Shane Bertsch competed in The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay that launched the 2018 Web.com Tour season. All three are on medical extensions on the PGA TOUR this season, but only Marino and MacKenzie are worth looks in the deepest of full-season formats. (Both are committed to next week’s second stop in The Bahamas as well.) For the terms of all golfers on medicals, click here or use the following navigation at the top: MENU→Fantasy→Medical Extensions. Notables WDs Ollie Schniederjans … Also withdrew early from the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in the fall. Hasn’t used social media to explain this week’s decision, so it could be nothing more than a shift in scheduling after the commitment deadline. He’s 103rd in the Official World Golf Ranking after a T7 at the Sony Open in Hawaii and not yet exempt into any of the majors or World Golf Championships. In due time, he’ll be a fixture in all of them. D.A. Points … Placed T66 in both of the last two editions of the tournament and hasn’t cracked the top 40 in eight appearances overall. Last week’s T73 at Waialae extended his drought without a top 50 in a full-field event to eight months. Power Rankings Recap – Sony Open in Hawaii Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Brian Harman T4 2 Jordan Spieth T18 3 Justin Thomas T14 4 Marc Leishman T47 5 Kevin Kisner T25 6 Daniel Berger T14 7 Zach Johnson T14 8 Jason Dufner T18 9 Charles Howell III T32 10 Cameron Smith T18 11  Tony Finau T32 12 Russell Henley MC 13 Gary Woodland T7 14 Chez Reavie T18 15 Peter Uihlein MC Wild Card Si Woo Kim T58 Sleepers – Sony Open in Hawaii Golfer Result Jason Kokrak T47 William McGirt T65 Yusaku Miyazato MC John Oda T67 J.J. Spaun T47 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR January 16 … Jimmy Walker (39) January 17 … none January 18 … none January 19 … Brian Harman (31); Tommy Fleetwood (27) January 20 … Derek Fathauer (32) January 21 … none January 22 … Graham DeLaet (36); Marty Dou (21)
“If I had a career goal, it would be to be the best international golfer ever. Gary Player has nine majors. I’d like to think I’m going to give myself a chance to get close to that tally.” That’s what Rory McIlroy said at the end of 2017. Three months later, here we are at the start of another PGA Tour season. McIlroy said he hit the reset button on his mind and his body over the break and that he’s going into 2018 fit and in good form on the course. This obviously wasn’t the case last year. McIlroy battled a rib injury for most of the season and said, by the time October rolled around, he was ready to get off the course. “I was excited to be done,” said McIlroy on Tuesday. “I could have shut
While Brandon Ingram returned to practice for the Lakers, rookie Lonzo Ball remained out with a sore left knee and likely will not play vs. the Thunder on Wednesday.
