Luka Doncic will leave for New York on Wednesday, and he will be one of 20 players sitting in the green room come NBA draft night at Barclays Center on Thursday.
Four tournaments remain in Segment 3 of PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. Each will be contested on the same course as last year and use ShotLink to measure every stroke. While we never can map out who starts where, angling at the greatest value for fantasy scoring is possible. Reviewing the top performers in the 2017 Travelers Championship, Quicken Loans National, A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier and the John Deere Classic, the last two yielded weekly high scores of 1,676 points and 1,669 points, respectively. Meanwhile, last year’s fantasy champ at TPC River Highlands touched 1,507 points. The QLN pacesetter totaled 1,348 points. The differences aren’t negligible for the picky and sometimes the best advice is the most obvious. Invest in what you know. This week’s field is loaded with a short list of prospective winners, many of whom we may not see again until Segment 4. At least make room on your bench for the possibilities. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the Travelers Championship (in alphabetical order): Daniel Berger Paul Casey Charley Hoffman Rory McIlroy Patrick Reed Jordan Spieth You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Jason Day; Bryson DeChambeau; Marc Leishman; Xander Schauffele; Justin Thomas Driving: Keegan Bradley; Jason Day; Bryson DeChambeau; Russell Henley; Kevin Streelman; Bubba Watson Approach: Keegan Bradley; Bryson DeChambeau; Russell Henley; Zach Johnson; Russell Knox; Kevin Streelman; Vaughn Taylor Short: Jason Day; Beau Hossler; Patrick Rodgers; Webb Simpson; Justin Thomas Power Rankings Wild Card Bubba Watson … This is as good a week as any to remind you that omissions from the Power Rankings aren’t default fades. Had the column gone 20 deep, he’d have appeared. This is also to say that I wouldn’t talk you out of any usage this week. He’s been a monster at TPC River Highlands with two wins among three top-six finishes contributing to his position atop the tournament’s all-time money list. However, his form has slipped over the last two months, enough to get bumped from the Power Rankings. You know the risk, you know the reward, so blend him in responsibly. Draws Kevin Streelman … With his walk-off binge to prevail by one in 2014, he’s among the posterized finishes at TPC River Highlands in recent memory, but that’s one of four top 10s in 10 trips, so he’s already a tremendous complement in every format. Last year’s T8 occurred amid a nice burst of form, something that he lacks upon arrival this time, but at third in greens hit, T27 in proximity and third in bogey avoidance, the ingredients exist for another leaderboard appearance. Russell Knox … Before Jordan Spieth slung a sand wedge in the direction of caddie Michael Greller after holing out from the bunker in the playoff last year, it was Knox who fired a seed with his cap after sinking the clinching par save from 12 feet to win the 2016 edition. The Scot has enjoyed a consistently strong 2017-18 that includes a T12 at last week’s U.S. Open, his career-best finish in 13 starts in majors. He’s 10th on TOUR in greens hit and T17 in proximity. He’ll also begin the tournament on Thursday with natural good vibes of this 33rd birthday. Zach Johnson … Hasn’t done anything to discourage us in weekly formats, but he’s not necessarily playing up to his price tag, either. However, with the breadth of this field, you can get away with hopping on the bandwagon. He’s a relative plus. Coming off a steady T12 at Shinnecock Hills and co-leads the TOUR in proximity to the hole. Brandt Snedeker … While it’s hard to believe that it’s been a year already since Spieth’s bunker hole-out to win the Travelers Championship, you can’t blame Snedeker for possibly feeling that it’s been one of the longest 12-month cycles of his career. Little did he know it at the time, but his T14 at TPC River Highlands last year would be his last tournament for five months. And while there have been whiffs of who we’ve always known him to be – a scorer with the sharpest touch around and on greens you’re ever going to find – he’s lacked consistency. Expectations are elevated this week as TPC River Highlands has been the site of many good memories. Given his form this time around, his record doesn’t resonate like other horses, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Since 2011, he’s 4-for-4 with top 15s in his last three trips. Keegan Bradley … One of two home games (with the Dell Technologies Championship). Not surprisingly, he’s been a fixture and a mild force at both. At TPC River Highlands, the 32-year-old is 7-for-7 with three top 25s, including a personal-best T8 last year. His scoring average in his 28 rounds is a sporty 68.50. Jim Furyk (DFS) Emiliano Grillo (all) Brian Harman (SERVPRO) Russell Henley (all) Billy Horschel (DFS) Chez Reavie (DFS) Fades Kyle Stanley … He’s been a man for the job on all kinds of tracks over the last 15 months, and it was just two weeks ago that he was a playoff victim at Muirfield Village, but he’s best suited for longer tests where his ball-striking with some pop off the tee can really shine. Also just 4-for-8 at TPC River Highlands with but two top-55 finishes. Pat Perez … I love myself some Double-P, but he’s gone seven straight starts in individual competition without a top-35 finish. Granted, there were some challenging events sprinkled in, but that hasn’t stopped him before. This is also his first look at TPC River Highlands in nine years. Patrick Cantlay … It’s not often when he lands in this grouping, especially at the site of his career-low 60 (in 2011), but there are other chips on the board with which you can play. This is his first trip to TPC River Highlands in four years and he’s been a little more miss than hit lately. Only gamers in roster formats wishing to swing for the fences should consider. Luke List … Scuffled in his last four starts and just 1-for-6 at the Travelers from 2007-2016. Andrew Landry … His breakthrough title at the Valero Texas Open connects entirely with his all-or-nothing trajectory of the season. Consider that he’s 8-for-18 and that all four of his top-40 finishes are top sevens, the last of which was the coronation two months ago. Rory Sabbatini … The 42-year-old has been terrific through 2018. He’s 81st in the FedExCup standings and fills numerous analytical roles with full-season stats, but his record at TPC River Highlands is pedestrian. Since 2012, he’s just 2-for-4 with a T18 (2012) and a T56 (2016). Bottom line, this is a bonus opportunity for full-season investors. Bill Haas Adam Hadwin J.B. Holmes Si Woo Kim Jamie Lovemark Returning to Competition Chris Stroud … Be careful here. He hasn’t played since a sore knee forced him to walk off Colonial during the second round four weeks ago. He went 3-for-3 in advance of that start, but withdrew during the Valero Texas Open before that. He’s been perfect in nine starts with four top 20s at TPC River Highlands since 2008 and arrives having signed for 19 consecutive rounds of par or better on the track. So, as much as he screams sleeper, he’s at best a flier in DFS, and fractionally at that. Davis Love III … Committed to this week’s American Family Insurance Championship on the PGA TOUR Champions. It will mark his first live action since he withdrew from the Wells Fargo Championship before his second round due to discomfort in his back. The 54-year-old is in no-man’s land on both circuits right now. He’s 99th in the Schwab Cup standings and 204th in FedExCup points. He may present positively as back-end value for full-season salary gamers in 2018-19, but even if he struggles before that decision is due in a few months, it will be tough to invest in that hope. Notable WDs Louis Oosthuizen … Back-doored a T16 at the U.S. Open with a closing 69. At 65th in the FedExCup standings, he’s poised to build on that this summer. Andrew Putnam … The runner-up at the FedEx St. Jude Classic will have to debut at TPC River Highlands another year. He’s opting for another week off since his close call. Sits a comfortable 51st in FedExCup points. Greg Chalmers … First time he’s missing this tournament in 10 years, although he hadn’t recorded a top 35 since 2009, so maybe it’s just as well. Currently third on TOUR in strokes gained: putting but 165th in the FedExCup standings. His multi-year exemption for winning the 2016 Barracuda Championship expires in two months. Power Rankings Recap – U.S. Open Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Jon Rahm MC 2 Dustin Johnson 3rd 3 Rickie Fowler T20 4 Jason Day MC 5 Justin Thomas T25 6 Justin Rose T10 7 Rory McIlroy MC 8 Phil Mickelson T48 9 Brooks Koepka Win 10 Patrick Reed 4th 11 Hideki Matsuyama T16 12 Webb Simpson T10 13 Henrik Stenson T6 14 Bryson DeChambeau T25 15 Tommy Fleetwood 2nd 16 Louis Oosthuizen T16 17 Matt Kuchar MC 18 Jimmy Walker T56 19 Marc Leishman T45 20 Jordan Spieth MC Wild Card Paul Casey T16 Sleepers Recap – U.S. Open Golfer Result Byeong Hun An 67th Keegan Bradley MC Jason Dufner T25 Matthew Fitzpatrick T12 Emiliano Grillo MC Chesson Hadley MC Adam Hadwin MC Andrew Johnston 62nd Russell Knox T12 Alexander Levy MC Luke List MC Shane Lowry MC Graeme McDowell MC Thorbjørn Olesen MC Chez Reavie MC Patrick Rodgers T41 Ollie Schniederjans MC Cameron Smith MC Brandt Snedeker T48 Peter Uihlein T48 Jhonattan Vegas T41 Matt Wallace MC Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR June 19 … none June 20 … Charles Howell III (39) June 21 … Matt Kuchar (40); William McGirt (39); Russell Knox (33); Sangmoon Bae (32); Aaron Wise (22) June 22 … Dustin Johnson (34) June 23 … none June 24 … none June 25 … John Rollins (43)
According to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee, Sterling Brown, a guard for the Milwaukee Bucks who is black, was wrongfully arrested and mistreated because of his race by a police department with a history of excessive force against black people. The suit claims one of eight police
A National Basketball Association player on Tuesday filed a civil lawsuit in federal court alleging Milwaukee police used excessive force in a January arrest that he claims officers unnecessarily escalated from a simple parking violation. According to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee
Teams will be keeping tabs on the following players up until (and through) training camps begin around the country late next month.
It’s been a wild tournament so far with top contenders looking shaky, so we’ve revised our power rankings after each team has played a match.
CROMWELL, Conn. — Jordan Spieth reached the 18th green at TPC River Highlands during his practice round Tuesday at the Travelers Championship. He felt no need to try any shots out of the front bunker. “I know what it does,� he told caddie Michael Greller. Indeed. Spieth’s hole-out a year ago in the first playoff hole against Daniel Berger didn’t just produce a win. It also ignited a celebration that was just as memorable. Spieth’s club throw with his gloved left hand toward the back bank of the bunker. Greller’s casual rake toss to his left. Then the side bump/chest bump between the two. Spieth — and perhaps others in this week’s field — may very well hole out from that same bunker this week. It’s doubtful anyone, though, could recreate the impromptu and unfettered show of emotion that followed. “That was pretty special,� Spieth said. “I don’t think we could do that again, no matter how many times we tried.� It’s a good thing, considering Spieth admitted he basically “blacked out� after his ball rolled into the cup for the unlikely birdie. He knew the shot was a good one but thought the ball would roll a few feet past the cup, so he strained to pick up the read for the comebacker over the lip of the bunker. “Then it drops,� Spieth said, “and you just react.� The fortunate thing, according to Spieth, was that no one got hurt in the process. Spieth said that while he’s thrown clubs in the past, he’s never done it in celebration. But this time, he couldn’t help himself. In typical Spieth fashion, he explained in detail Tuesday how he usually twirls the club after a bunker shot or chip shot, so his hand slid halfway down the shaft instead of staying on the grip. That gave him better accuracy and control as he tossed the club. “If my hands are still on the grip and I really threw it, it could have hurt somebody,� he said. “Instead, it was like throwing a baton, like throwing the middle of the baton.� Meanwhile, Greller’s rake toss — the unsung moment of the celebration — was a nice, high lob to his left. Greller, incidentally, retrieved the rake after the awards ceremony and has it in his home. Then as Spieth climbed out of the bunker, he launched sideways at Greller, who opted for the full chest bump. “Better than the other way around,� Spieth said. “There’s been a lot of pretty bad celebrations on the PGA TOUR. There’s been a lot of missed high fives — I’ve been part of plenty of them. It’s pretty hard to miss when I’m going into Michael for a chest bump.� The holed shot didn’t end the tournament, though. Berger still had a 50-foot birdie putt to extend the playoff, and Spieth followed his celebration by helping to quiet down the frenzied crowd. Spieth’s win was sealed when Berger narrowly missed. “I don’t regret anything of the celebration,� Spieth said. “I thought it just pure emotion. … It felt the moment and that’s where I was living. Then it was OK, I had it now Daniel’s got his turn. You know, let’s chill out. Once that was done, then it was time to celebrate.� Spieth, of course, has seen the replays of the shot many times — “every single day� for the following week or two after the tournament. Then it pops up every now and then on social media. Bill Haas knows what it’s like to produce a highlight moment in a pressure-packed situation. His chip shot from a half-submerged lie in the water at the 17th hole finished inside 3 feet, allowing him to save par in a playoff against Hunter Mahan at the 2011 TOUR Championship. One hole later, Haas won not only the tournament but the FedExCup title. “That was a really good shot that worked,� Haas said Tuesday after walking off the 18th hole (no, he did not try to recreate Spieth’s shot from the bunker). “But I seem to remember the bad ones more than the good ones. The best players remember the good ones more.� Haas is being too humble, of course. After all, he has six TOUR wins along with that FedExCup title. Yet when Spieth and Greller talk about the moment, they don’t focus on the shot. Only what followed. “More about the celebration, for sure,� Spieth said.
Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp and manager Dave Roberts were ejected by plate umpire Tripp Gibson for arguing at the end of the top of the fifth inning of Tuesday’s opener of a split doubleheader with the Cubs.
For the second consecutive year, Chase Seiffert qualified for the Travelers Championship one week after his former Florida State teammate won the U.S. Open. Seiffert and Koepka will be reunited once again at TPC River Highlands after Seiffert shot 63 on Monday at Ellington Ridge Country Club in Ellington, Connecticut. Seiffert contended at last year’s Travelers Championship before fading on the weekend. It was one of three events that he qualified for in 2016-17. James Driscoll, Andrew Svoboda and Rick Lamb shot 66 to also qualify. Two of this season’s most successful qualifiers narrowly missed earning another TOUR start. Scott Strohmeyer, whose fourth-place finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship is the best this season by a Monday qualifier, shot 67. T.J. Vogel fired 68 to miss the mark by two shots. He has qualified for six events this season. Here’s a closer look at the players who earned spots in the Travelers Championship on Monday. CHASE SEIFFERT (63) Age: 26 Hometown: Panama City Beach, Florida Alma mater: Florida State PGA TOUR starts: 4 Cuts made: 3 Best TOUR finish: T43, 2017 Travelers Championship Notes: Seiffert made the cut in all three tournaments he qualified for last season. He was in fourth place, just two shots off the lead, halfway through last year’s Travelers Championship before shooting 3 over on the weekend. He has played just one PGA TOUR-sanctioned event in 2018, finishing T48 in the Web.com Tour’s Rex Hospital Open. Seiffert shot 64 to qualify for that event. JAMES DRISCOLL (66) Age: 40 Hometown: Jupiter, Florida Alma mater: Virginia PGA TOUR starts: 240 Cuts made: 118 Best TOUR finish: 2nd, 2009 Valero Texas Open and 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Notes: Driscoll, a Masachusetts native, is making his PGA TOUR return close to home. It will be his first TOUR start since the 2016 OHL Classic at Mayakoba. He won on the Web.com Tour in 2016 but has played just one event on that circuit in 2018. Both his runners-up on the PGA TOUR were playoff losses. He lost a playoff to Zach Johnson in San Antonio and Tim Petrovic in New Orleans. Driscoll also was runner-up in the 2000 U.S. Amateur, losing to Jeff Quinney on the 39th hole of the 36-hole final. ANDREW SVOBODA (66) Age: 38 Hometown: Roslyn Harbor, New York Alma mater: St. John’s PGA TOUR starts: 76 Cuts made: 31 Best TOUR finish: T2, 2014 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Notes: The three-time Web.com Tour winner is playing his first PGA TOUR event since 2015. He has missed the cut in four of five cuts on the Web.com Tour this season. He is 171st on the Web.com Tour money list. RICK LAMB (66) Age: 27 Hometown: St. Simons Island, Georgia Alma mater: Tennessee PGA TOUR starts: 28 Cuts made: 9 Best TOUR finish: T3, 2017 John Deere Classic Notes: Lamb has conditional status after finishing 150th in the FedExCup in his first TOUR season. He has made just one cut in nine starts this season, though. Lamb won on the Web.com Tour in 2016 and finished just two shots behind Bryson DeChambeau at last year’s John Deere. Lamb is 120th on this season’s Web.com Tour money list. FEDEX ST. JUDE CLASSIC QUALIFIERS T63. A.J. McInerney, 70-69-69-75 MC. T.J. Vogel, 70-74 MC. Omar Uresti, 70-75 MC. Ben Crancer, 75-72 THIS SEASON’S QUALIFIERS Qualifiers: 67 Made cut: 22 (32.8%) Top-10s: 3 (Scott Strohmeyer, T4 at Sanderson Farms; Trey Mullinax,T8 at Valspar; Julian Suri, T8 at Houston) Top-25s: 5 Most times qualified: T.J. Vogel (6)
A good or bad season before hitting the market could be a difference of millions of dollars. See who is (and isn’t) making the most of his contract year.
