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Because there are numerous fantasy formats for short- and long-range investments, the implications of the rescheduled 2019-20 PGA TOUR season stretch far and wide. This primer focuses on everything that could impact your gaming. It’s a one-stop shop covering what’s happened since THE PLAYERS Championship was canceled in March. Every component is labeled, but don’t skim over any section because some attention crosses over. Links are provided throughout. Bookmark what you need if you already haven’t. If you have any questions, connect with me on Twitter and/or use the discussion space at the bottom of this page. MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY In our world, this is the most important matter in the wake of the hiatus. A fair amount of what’s organized in this primer is broken down in further depth here, but that wasn’t written specifically with gamers in mind. Since non-DFS formats rely on playing time for extended planning, it’s imperative to understand how membership status has been affected. This is to say that it hasn’t. All current PGA TOUR members are guaranteed to retain membership for the entirety of 2020-21. Golfers not on medical extensions cannot be demoted. Furthermore, because the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour Finals was canceled, the only two ways that current non-members can become members in 2020-21 is by winning a PGA TOUR event or by finishing with at least as many equivalent FedExCup points as the golfer who finishes 125th in the 2020 FedExCup. The membership minimum of 15 starts has been eliminated in 2019-20 for internationals who qualify for the home-circuit exemption. In short, don’t sweat consideration of an international either as a keeper for 2020-21 or on Draft Day based on how many starts he totals this season. MEDICAL EXTENSIONS Golfers who had made at least one start in 2019-20 and hadn’t fulfilled their terms when the hiatus started were given the option to reset their medical extension. Of the 17 eligible, only Charl Schwartzel and Morgan Hoffmann elected not to reset. The full explanation of the options and terms for all golfers on medicals can be found here. With decisions made, golfers on medical extensions will be treated as usual. It’s possible that any can be demoted or lose PGA TOUR status entirely. RESCHEDULED REMAINDER OF 2019-20 Fourteen tournaments remain, the last three of which comprise the FedExCup Playoffs. The first seven (through the 3M Open on July 23-26) make up Segment 3 in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. Although Segment 4 consists of only six events (sans the Barracuda Championship opposite the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational), strategy during that stretch still requires pause so that you can defend as a front-runner and zag as a chaser, particularly in the last two without a cut. The John Deere Classic has been canceled this year. It will return in 2021. In its place will be a new tournament sponsored by Workday with a field of 156 at Muirfield Village Golf Club on July 9-12. Muirfield Village will then host the 120-man Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide as originally scheduled the following week. FIELD SIZES In an effort to facilitate as much playing time as possible, three tournaments have increased their fields. Both the Charles Schwab Challenge (June 11-14) and the RBC Heritage (June 18-21) have reserved space for 144 golfers. That’s up from 120 and 132, respectively, and each retained its status as an invitational. Also, the Barracuda Championship (July 30-August 2) has expanded by 12 to accommodate 132 golfers. It’s a familiar size for that tournament, but all additional events were contracted to 120 golfers entering the 2019-20 season. OPEN QUALIFIERS Beginning with the Travelers Championship on June 25-28, six open qualifiers remain. The lineup includes the Workday event that has replaced the John Deere Classic, which annually also is an open. Refrain from referring to the open qualifiers as four-spotters, however. Only two openings in each of the tournaments proper will be reserved for the open qualifiers. Should any be considered not playable due to the pandemic, both spots will go to the next two TOUR members eligible for the field. PLAYOFFS Other than the one-week shift of all three events that includes the TOUR Championship starting on Friday, Sept. 4, and ending on Labor Day Monday, Sept. 7, the only change concerns FedExCup points awarded during the Playoffs. Instead of the customary quadrupling, points earned in the Playoffs will be tripled. Consider this when mapping out who you want where and when in One & Done situations. Fantasy.PGATOUR.COM no longer hosts One & Done gaming, but my solutions on how to address the new format for the TOUR Championship still apply. If however you modified your game in 2019 didn’t fulfill its intent or if you’ve yet to tackle it, you’ll find my ideas here. KORN FERRY TOUR GRADUATE RESHUFFLE At the start of the hiatus, three reorders hadn’t yet occurred. That has been trimmed to two for a total of four on the season. The third reorder is scheduled at the conclusion of the RBC Heritage on June 21. The last will take place at the conclusion of the new Workday event on July 12. For all things connected to this category, click here. How this category is prioritized at the beginning of the 2020-21 season is TBD as of this primer. ROOKIES One of the 21 rookies will win the Arnold Palmer Award as voted upon by eligible TOUR members. However, because there are no new members planned for 2020-21, it’s possible that next season will begin with zero rookies. At the conclusion of the hiatus, only Tom Lewis (five starts) hadn’t played more than seven times to exhaust his rookie eligibility and no non-members had achieved Special Temporary Membership [STM] en route to potentially qualifying as a rookie during the 2019-20 season. (With the equivalent of 188.133 FedExCup points, Erik van Rooyen has the most of all non-members.) The target for STM during the 2019-20 season remains the equivalent of 288.035 FedExCup points. The same target has been determined for the 2020-21 season. While the top 10 in Korn Ferry Tour points at the conclusion of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance on Aug. 27-30 will be granted exemptions into all additional events on the PGA TOUR in 2020-21, none will be a PGA TOUR member unless he’s already a former winner on the TOUR or if he wins three times on the KFT in the interim. QUALIFIERS The page dedicated to qualifiers into THE PLAYERS, the majors and the World Golf Championships has been updated for the resumption of the 2019-20 season. It’s also organized in a unique, temporary fashion to avoid confusion. Only the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and the Masters remain in calendar-year 2020, but because the last two majors apply to the 2020-21 season with criteria that has carried over from 2019-20, all tournaments for which the qualifiers are eligible are listed in chronological order. Traditional formatting will return at the beginning of next season. OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING The last update on March 15 was used to trigger exemptions for the top 50 into the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and the 2020 Masters. Revised dates for additional entries this summer were determined for the WGC-FedEx St. Jude and the PGA Championship. The OWGR issued a release on June 3 stating that it would restart the ranking with the Charles Schwab Challenge. Because other tours will not resume at the same time, the fantasy value of international non-members who play abroad regularly and will appear on the PGA TOUR is a little higher for all gamers, especially for those in formats with eyes on non-members hovering around the top 50 in the OWGR and with seven majors, five WGCs and THE PLAYERS scheduled through the summer of 2021.
Now that we’re getting back to golf – the PGA TOUR restarts the 2019-20 season with this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge, while the National Golf Foundation reports that 98% of courses in the U.S. are now open, with 84% of golf retail stores are open — it’s a perfect time to start making some important decisions. Namely, what is going in your bag this summer. The equipment industry as a whole has been on a speed chase for a good while now—designing clubs that are fast and forgiving, all while eliminating spin and maximizing launch conditions, have been the top priorities. However, this year some small tweaks to that idea started to creep into the conversation—stability across the face, sound, efficiency, manufacturing tolerances, and custom fitting are becoming just as important as the other buzz words we are used to seeing. And for the record, that’s a great thing. Here some key items from notable equipment manufacturers in 2020 and some thoughts on what’s to come (companies listed in alphabetical order). Callaway Golf The year of the Mavrik Callaway has been at or very close to the top of the driver food chain for a number of years now. It’s no surprise that this year’s offering is no different. Like 2019’s Epic Flash, the entire Mavrik line was engineered with the help of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and the results are an improvement across the board. New offerings in other categories include the Roger Cleveland-designed Jaws MD5 “raw” wedges and the Odyssey Triple Track #7 putter. Highlights: From the fitting bays to the golf course, the buzz on the Mavrik Sub Zero driver has been: “It’s really fast.” Players are seeing significant ball-speed gains with Mavrik SZ and the improved acoustics have been pleasing in the “feel” category. Sub Zero has also created quite a bit of momentum on TOUR with players such as Xander Schauffele and Marc Leishman putting it in play with success. In irons, Callaway introduced the Mavrik Pro, which is a players cast iron with maximum forgiveness across the face, all while maintaining playability for the better player. These features are not common in castings, but the Mavrik Pro, with the help of AI, is definitely a conversation starter. Peyton Manning used these irons to win The Match 2 with partner Tiger Woods. Cobra SpeedZones and 33 revisions 2019 was a monster year for Cobra Golf. The F9 driver was arguably the driver of the year, and the anticipation for the next offering was high. January 2020 brought the SpeedZone line of metal woods and hybrids, which kept the momentum strong for CPG, and with the teasing of the new “Rickie Iron” at the TaylorMade Driving Relief match in early May, the last half of this year could get really interesting. Highlights: The keyword for the following clubs is … fun. The SpeedZone Xtreme driver is a fast, forgiving, high MOI machine; a swing-as-hard-as-you-can rocket launcher. Although length is a big part of the story here, forgiveness is the headliner. Make no mistake, this thing goes, but the main thing you will experience with Xtreme is just how easy it is to hit, solidly, and the overall pleasurable experience it brings with it. Weird way to classify a driver but that’s the first thing that comes to mind: fun. Continuing on the enjoyment train, the SpeedZone hybrids are a different kind of party. Yes, they are easy to hit, go a long way, and feel solid. However, it’s the versatility that makes these stand out. It’s a utility club in its purest form. The signature Baffler rails offer an extra tool in the rough and out of the fairway, and at address, it’s a club for the TOUR as well as your Saturday four-ball. Bottom line: Everyone in the market needs to consider these in the hybrid category. What to expect: Cobra has a very busy summer/fall 2020. New MIM wedges and a players utility are coming in the next 30-60 days, and in the fall, the now-famous Rev33 Rickie Fowler irons will become available in limited quantities – as well as MIM players cavity back irons. Mizuno Irons usually the story … but not this year If there is a golfer alive that doesn’t adore Mizuno irons, we’d be shocked. They have been near and dear to every golfer’s hearts and aspirations for decades. What’s not to love? They have the looks, the feel, the performance, and maybe the best of all, the history. They check off every box. However, 2020 is the year of the Mizuno metal wood. Highlights: In the driver category of 2019, one of the sleeper hits of the season was definitely the Mizuno ST190. This year, Mizuno cranked it up even further with the release of the ST200 line and its TOUR-inspired ST200G. From a performance level, it satisfies across the board, but what Mizuno has (as with all of its clubs) is the look. Clean, yet soft, lines on a black frame that not only inspires shotmaking but confidence. Since Mizuno metal woods aren’t as talked about as their forged iron counterparts, don’t overlook this one — it’s definitely worth a test. What to expect: Most likely the next generation JPX and Hot Metal line later this year. Ping Quiet, but not for long There hasn’t been any new Ping product in a good while, but we anticipate a big winter for the Solheim crew. Sometimes, silence is golden, and from what we can gather, what Ping has coming in irons and woods will be — yet again — a launch that gets people talking. What to expect: Just rumors, such as a new driver to succeed the G410, fairways, hybrids. Players cavity back (I210), IBlade replacement, and potentially, the TOUR-inspired PLD putters. In a nutshell a Ping kitchen sink, and who doesn’t love that? As mentioned, just rumors, but here’s hoping … PXG Gen3 irons and a Proto driver At this point, PXG has made a strong name for itself in the iron category. The launch of the highly anticipated Gen3 line was a success overall and will continue on well into 2021. It’s the metalwood portion of the catalog that will come next, and if the Proto driver is any sign of what’s to come, PXG could have a bright future ahead. Highlights: Without a doubt, the Gen3 T iron is the offering that will most turn better players’ heads. It’s a very workable, yet forgiving TOUR iron that will satisfy just about any player under an 8 handicap. In the Gen2 line, the P was the one that really turned heads, in 2020 its the T, and it’s for very good reasons. What to expect: Gen2 Forged wedges hit earlier this year and a small release of the new-look Proto driver is already getting positive buzz for its performance and enhanced (and simplified) weighting system. Expect new Gen3 metal woods early winter. Srixon/Cleveland A relatively quiet 2019, but a storm’s coming in 2020 The heading says it all. Srixon/Cleveland was quiet for the most part of 2019, but for a company that works on a leap year release schedule, Srixon/Cleveland garners as much curiosity (rightfully so) as anyone out there. Now, Cleveland Golf did release its game improvement line in 2019, which tested very well within the industry, but the headliners have always been Cleveland wedges and Srixon irons and metal woods. It’s no secret that Srixon irons have long been a favorite in fitting bays across the country (and on TOUR), and with the much-anticipated release of the new version this fall, Srixon/Cleveland will be a hot topic closing out 2020. What to expect: Rumor is that new Cleveland wedges will drop mid/late summer and the highly anticipated Srixon irons (and metal woods) later this fall. We did get a sneak peek at the Srixon driver on the USGA conforming list, but it’s no guarantee if that’s the version that will hit pro shops and retail. We shall see. TaylorMade SIM is everywhere Thus far, it has definitely been the year of SIM. The buzz is everywhere — TOUR, fitters, amateurs, and all other parts. Oddly enough, it’s not just distance that makes this driver notable. It’s the combination of speed/forgiveness and playability (all at a high level) that made the SIM a standout. It’s not often that a driver can be fast, stable, forgiving, and workable, but this one does it all. Highlights: We all know the drivers are the talk of the town, but the SIM Titanium fairway woods quietly impressed as well. With the reintroduction of the ever-popular V-Steel technology, TaylorMade has designed a fairway wood that is long, versatile, and will also stay in players’ bags for more than a season. That’s saying a lot, considering fairway woods get better and better as years go by. In addition, the TaylorMade SIM Max hybrid has been a sleeper hit on the TOUR — the recurring theme is the superb flight and turf interaction. What to expect: Wait for it … P750 and P730 iron replacements are rumored to be coming along with some other goodies as well. Like the Avengers franchise, TaylorMade just keeps on pumping out the hits, and it appears that trend will continue. Titleist SM8 and new metal woods? Without question, the release of the ever-popular Vokey SM8 wedge line came on like wildfire earlier this year. Not only with the general public, but especially on TOUR, with a huge percentage of staff and non-staff putting them in play. 2020 is also a year to expect new metal woods from Titleist; this may get pushed around as its typically around Father’s Day/U.S. Open week that we get our first sneak peek. Highlights: The Vokey line has always had multiple grinds to satisfy every type of golfer, but just recently the TOUR favorite Low Bounce K Grind made it on the Wedge Works website. The K Grind is a TOUR-inspired wedge used by multiple top 50 players and was designed for players that prefer very low bounce when squared up but appreciate some help out of the bunkers and the heavy rough. What to Expect: New driver, fairway woods and hybrids. Not 100% sure when we will get our first peek, but it’s sure to get people excited. The TS line of metal woods continues to impress two-plus years after its introduction, and Titleist has never been one to settle for anything but perfect. Wilson A traditional company with some very modern offerings Wilson Golf is as instrumental in golf history as any company out there. Multiple tournaments, majors, and memorable moments with a Wilson golf club in the middle of it all. Even with all that history in its back pocket, the Chicago-based company continues to push the envelope and design equipment to satisfy any player. With the game improvement LaunchPadiIrons, D7 Forged irons, and Staff HT wedges, Wilson not only offers a well-balanced line but also a line that honors the Wilson lineage. Highlights: The D7 Forged irons are a true players distance iron with a classic compact shape that is packed with modern tech to make it versatile and easy to hit. What to expect: Potentially a new Staff Blade in the next 12 months, which always creates a buzz. Gary Woodland’s U.S. Open with the current model put the spotlight on Wilson once again, and don’t be surprised if the next version elevates the conversation even further.
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