Making the case for all 6 MVP finalistsMaking the case for all 6 MVP finalists
Will Mookie Betts make history? Can DJ LeMahieu add a plaque to his star turn in New York? Baseball’s MVP races are too close to call.
Day: November 3, 2020
Red Wings lock down Mantha and bright futureRed Wings lock down Mantha and bright future
Detroit re-signed winger Anthony Mantha to a 4-year, $22.8 million deal, which will keep the 26-year-old with the team for his prime years.
Fantasy Insider: Vivint Houston OpenFantasy Insider: Vivint Houston Open
Hold your demand for a recount. While the exact timing of all repairs to fantasy scoring in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf is unknown in any given week, please know that adjustments in the wake of the Bermuda Championship will be made (if they haven't been already by the time you read this). This just happens to be one of those moments in time when the gremlins have hung on longer than expected. If you weren't aware of the glitches, it's possible that your total points in Bermuda and for the entirety of Segment 1 will have changed once the fixes are final. Naturally, it's also possible that your ranks overall - and in your league(s), if applicable - will be different than from when you reviewed them after receiving the usual notification on Monday. Likewise, our points and ranks in Expert Picks eventually will be updated to reflect the corrections. The technical difficulties aside, you shouldn't have experienced any problems as it concerns how many starts you have remaining for any of your golfers used in Bermuda. RELATED: Power Rankings | Expert Picks | Sleeper Picks Speaking of which, you're probably feeling the pinch on a couple of guys who make sense to play at this week's Vivint Houston Open. If you're down to one for any, consider the value of experience at the Masters in case you're rostering one of the 36 in the field at Memorial Park who is committed to next week's major. If he's relatively new to Augusta National or doesn't have a good record, you should be empowered (read: encouraged) to burn that start now. Another advantage in Houston is that it's the last stop of Segment 1 that will use ShotLink to contribute to PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. With five par 5s at Memorial Park, bonus points for Driving will help separate us. This edition of the FI is as topical as ever to alert you that the email address for fantasy has changed since the last time I've mentioned it in any space. Should you ever have any issues with anything concerning FantasyGolf.PGATOUR.com, or wish to submit a comment, a complaint or ask a question about the game and/or the pages associated with it, please email [email protected]. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for the Vivint Houston Open (in alphabetical order): Tony Finau Russell Henley Tyrrell Hatton Viktor Hovland Dustin Johnson Scottie Scheffler You'll find my starters in Expert Picks Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Wyndham Clark; Cameron Davis; Lanto Griffin; James Hahn; Sungjae Im; Denny McCarthy; Ollie Schniederjans; Adam Scott; Kevin Streelman Driving: Corey Conners; Cameron Davis; Dylan Frittelli; Sergio Garcia; Talor Gooch; James Hahn; Sungjae Im; Martin Laird; Doc Redman; Sepp Straka POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Brooks Koepka ... Of course, right? His influence on Tom Doak and the redesign of Memorial Park is documented, but he's also wildly inconsistent. Part of that has been due to an attitude in non-majors, while another component has been the combination of injuries to his left knee and hip. The attention to all of that has pushed old concerns about a torn ligament in his right ankle and a partially torn tendon in his left wrist off the page. (You don't remember those maladies, do you?) Assuming he's healthy and focused, he should be in every Power Rankings, and there's nothing quantifiable that can dispute either consideration, but his relative value in DFS and the threat of a missed cut in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf are too high to warrant a sweeping endorsement. Therefore, he's a contrarian. DRAWS Ollie Schniederjans ... To say that he fulfilled his projection as a Draw in Bermuda would be understating the obvious. We all know that he'll be back on the PGA TOUR in due time, but now he's banked enough non-member FedExCup points (190) to consider a realistic pursuit of the non-member top 125 category in 2021-22 instead of a spot in the Korn Ferry Tour reshuffle. He'll remain a spot-starter in our world in the meantime, so DFSers are encouraged to make room fractionally in Houston. Corey Conners ... DFS special. The tee-to-green surgeon has rested since a T8 at Sherwood where he was a surprising 14th in Strokes Gained: Putting and T4 in par-5 scoring. (Reminder: Like Memorial Park, Sherwood has five par 5s.) Scott Piercy ... The sharpshooter has connected top 20s for the first time since play resumed. He's been a top-20 machine for years, so it wouldn't have been misleading to have made room for him in the Power Rankings. Alex Noren ... He comes as us like a reverse-splits reliever in Major League Baseball. The Swede does his best work around and on greens - I know, shocking considering his heritage - but he's so good that even an average week tee to green is enough to lift him into contention. With ball-striking the ticket at Memorial Park, and given that he arrives having cashed in eight consecutive starts, six of which for a top 25, he's poised to make noise. Brian Harman ... His blend of finding fairways and sinking putts has yielded 10 consecutive cuts made, six of which top 30s. Dylan Frittelli Sergio Garcia Sungjae Im Hideki Matsuyama Kevin Streelman FADES Brian Gay ... A good friend of mine told me that because my Fade for Gay at the Bermuda Championship was, in his word, "tepid," he played Gay fractionally in DFS. I didn't specify that the Fade was relative, but the acknowledgment that Gay was on my original short list for the Power Rankings was all he needed to benefit while ignoring everything else I shared. All of that is to say that there's nothing relative about this week's Fade. It's evident that Gay has a love affair for Port Royal - he placed T3 in its debut last year - and that he still has the game to prevail at this level, but sustaining it for more than one week no longer is reasonable. What's more, he's facing a deeper field on a longer track in Houston. Jason Day ... If it isn't already, your cue for when to plug him in is when Ben Everill rosters his fellow countryman in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. Ben has twice this season - at the U.S. Open and the Shriners - but Day never got off the bench. Jordan Spieth ... Same old, same old until he presents a reason to reinvest. The value of ball-striking at Memorial Park is too great to roll the dice. This dynamic changes next week where he'll be able to spray it off the tee (within reason, of course) and lean on his putter and experience on the greens. Stay tuned. Francesco Molinari ... In his heyday, he'd be setting the tone for how to tackle a track like Memorial Park what with the value of ball-striking this week. However, this is just his second start of the last eight months due to a time-consuming relocation to California, and he's still reconnecting with his land legs. As he celebrates his 38th birthday this Sunday, he threads the rare needle of it being only and already 20 months since his last victory (Bay Hill). Hudson Swafford ... Had just the one good score in Bermuda - an opening-round 67 - and finished T63 due to continued struggles on the greens. Winning never is fluky, but his performance at Corales looks more and more like an anomaly over time. Justin Harding Adam Long Phil Mickelson Brandt Snedeker Jimmy Walker Danny Willett RETURNING TO COMPETITION Adam Scott ... Back in action since testing positive for COVID-19 ahead of the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD. He already hadn't played a lot in recent weeks, but he's used to considerable stretches of down time. Given that he makes most cuts and contends enough to make possible continued ownership of his schedule, the 40-year-old Aussie presents as a weapon at Memorial Park. Henrik Stenson ... Called it quits at the turn of his second round in Bermuda with a sore ankle. He alerted his followers on Twitter, but he didn't cite which ankle was in pain. The Swede was the Wild Card last week (see Recap below), but that result, while fitting, wasn't the expectation. Pat Perez ... Withdrew at the midpoint of the Bermuda Championship. An explanation hasn't been released. He posted his 36-hole total of 1-over 143 early on Friday and sat well outside the cut line when he did, but sustained breezes kept scoring inflated enough for the cut to fall right on it. The sub-headline is that, without further detail, we probably can bury the concern over his injured right ankle. Currently 71st in the FedExCup. Greg Chalmers ... The 47-year-old lefty was a late scratch from the Shriners due to a sore neck and he hasn't competed since. He needs to be 100 percent, or as close to it as possible, because his next start is his last via a Major Medical Extension. To fulfill its terms, he needs no worse than a two-way T2 in Houston. Short of that, a solo fourth would secure conditional status for the remainder of the season. NOTABLE WDs Ian Poulter ... Opting for rest ahead of the Masters. He'll make the trip to Augusta National in outstanding form with a T5 in Scotland, a solo fifth at Wentworth and a T12 at Shadow Creek. K.J. Choi ... Remains committed to the Charles Schwab Championship. The 50-year-old who lives outside Houston remains fully exempt on the PGA TOUR via a career earnings exemption, but he doesn't carry any fantasy value at this level. POWER RANKINGS RECAP - BERMUDA CHAMPIONSHIP Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Will Zalatoris T16 2 Kristoffer Ventura MC 3 Peter Malnati T21 4 Denny McCarthy T4 5 Emiliano Grillo T34 6 Harold Varner III MC 7 Charley Hoffman MC 8 Stewart Cink T4 9 Doc Redman T4 10 Henrik Norlander MC 11 Justin Suh MC 12 Wesley Bryan MC 13 Brendon Todd MC 14 Tyler McCumber MC 15 Aaron Wise T26 Wild Card Henrik Stenson WD SLEEPERS RECAP - BERMUDA CHAMPIONSHIP Golfer Result Rafael Campos MC David Hearn T8 Kramer Hickok T8 Rasmus Højgaard T37 Adam Schenk T26 BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE GOLFERS ON THE PGA TOUR November 3 ... none November 4 ... Kevin Streelman (42) November 5 ... Jim Herman (43); Bubba Watson (42) November 6 ... Scott Piercy (42) November 7 ... Maverick McNealy (25); Joaquin Niemann (22) November 8 ... Francesco Molinari (38) November 9 ... David Duval (49); Ted Potter, Jr. (37)
PGA TOUR extends Player Advisory Council termPGA TOUR extends Player Advisory Council term
With the eligibility extension of the 2019-20 PGA TOUR membership into the 2020-21 season, as well as the absence of a Korn Ferry Tour graduating class, PGA TOUR Player Directors and the Office of the Commissioner have determined it is in the TOUR's best interests to extend the term of the Player Advisory Council (PAC) one year (from 2020 to 2021). The term extension will also apply on PGA TOUR Champions and the Korn Ferry Tour. The 16-member PAC advises and consults with the PGA TOUR Policy Board (Board of Directors) and Commissioner Jay Monahan on issues affecting the TOUR. The 2020 PAC's contributions were vital in the PGA TOUR's Return to Golf and continues to play a significant role in navigating the TOUR's response to the pandemic. The PGA TOUR will conduct an election at the beginning of 2021 to replace PAC Chairman Charley Hoffman, who will start his three-year term on the PGA TOUR Policy Board in January. Hoffman will replace Johnson Wagner as Player Director, joining Jordan Spieth (2019-21), James Hahn (2020-22) and Kevin Kisner (2020-22) on the PGA TOUR Policy Board. Wagner will fill Hoffman's spot on the 2021 Player Advisory Council. 2020 Player Advisory Council Ryan Armour Paul Casey David Hearn Harry Higgs Charley Hoffman (PAC Chairman through 2020) Billy Horschel Zach Johnson Russell Knox Anirban Lahiri Peter Malnati Rory McIlroy Ryan Palmer Jon Rahm Kevin Streelman Justin Thomas Harold Varner III
Who can Bears draft to fix their QB problem?Who can Bears draft to fix their QB problem?
Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles aren’t getting it for Chicago, so it may be time to look into next year’s quarterback draft class.
Horses for Courses: Vivint Houston OpenHorses for Courses: Vivint Houston Open
The first redesign by noted course architect Tom Doak for the PGATOUR is featured this week as Memorial Park in Houston assumes the role host of the Vivint Houston Open. The TOUR returns to its roots as this municipal track is back on the schedule for the first time since 1963. The inaugural event in Houston took place in 1946 and the first one at Memorial Park debuted the following year, running until 1963. The Houston Open sat as the preparatory exam for Augusta National, for most of the last 15 years and returns to that position on the schedule, albeit accidentally, this time around. Tom Doak and Brooks Koepka (player consultant) have positioned only 19 bunkers through 7,432 yards on this Par-72 (36-36). The focus this week will be on excitement and scoring chances rather than grinding out pars and surviving. With five Par-5 holes, five Par-3 holes and a pair of Par-4 holes that can possibly be driven, a full array of shots will be required, not to mention a bunch of birdies, to pick up the trophy this week. Think ZOZO but with a few hundred additional yards and Bermuda on the greens. We all remember who was on the podium that week (Cantlay, Rahm and Thomas). RELATED: Power Rankings | Expert Picks | Sleeper Picks With a new test it’s always the ball-strikers who move to the forefront. With 28 acres of fairway, less than three inches of rough and only four holes with water, I would think scoring will be a major focus this week. Greens are large, averaging 7,000 square feet, and running slick with Mini-Verde Bermuda so hitting plenty of them will be the angle. The more GIR will give more scoring chances and it won’t hurt to have shorter clubs into those scoring holes. Lanto Griffin is the defending champion at the event and will lead the field of 132 as they look to get their hands on $1.26 million (winner) of the $7 million prize pool plus 500 FedExCup points. The winner won’t get into the Masters next week but will be eligible in 2021. Event Winners at Golf Club of Houston Recent Winners 2019: Lanto Griffin 2018: Ian Poulter (not entered) 2017: Russell Henley Key stat leaders Top golfers in each statistic on the 2019-2020 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week. Those listed in BOLD deserve deeper inspection if not already on your RADAR. Strokes-Gained: Tee-to-Green 2 Hideki Matsuyama 4 Sergio Garcia 8 Harold Varner III 9 Dustin Johnson 10 Scottie Scheffler 11 Tony Finau 13 Tyrrell Hatton 14 Russell Henley 16 Corey Conners 20 Viktor Hovland 21 Luke List 24 Emiliano Grillo 25 Cameron Tringale Par-5 Scoring 6 Wyndham Clark 6 Matt Jones 10 Hideki Matsuyama 10 Dustin Johnson 10 Kevin Streelman 10 Tyrrell Hatton 10 Ryan Palmer 10 James Hahn 18 Alex Noren 21 Cameron Davis 21 Sam Burns 21 Jhonattan Vegas 21 Sungjae Im 21 Scottie Scheffler Strokes-Gained: Putting 1 Denny McCarthy 3 Andrew Putnam 4 Kristoffer Ventura 8 Mackenzie Hughes 9 Maverick McNealy 11 Patrick Rodgers 14 JT Poston 16 Wyndham Clark 23 Troy Merritt 24 Beau Hossler 25 Patton Kizzire Top players at Bermuda Championship (entered this week) 1 Brian Gay P2 Wyndham Clark 3 Ollie Schniederjans 4 Matt Jones 4 Stewart Cink 4 Denny McCarthy 4 Doc Redman 8 Ryan Armour 8 David Hearn 14 Scott Piercy 16 Russell Knox 21 Maverick McNealy 21 Brice Garnett 21 Andrew Putnam 21 Sepp Straka 26 Paddy Harrington 26 Beau Hossler Top 25 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD (entered this week) 4 Russell Henley 4 Ryan Palmer 8 Corey Conners 11 Tony Finau 11 Dylan Frittelli 11 Lanto Griffin 17 Alex Noren 17 Scottie Scheffler 26 Brian Harman
Zac Taylor: Sunday's win validates the work players have been putting inZac Taylor: Sunday's win validates the work players have been putting in
One of the more surprising results of Week 8 came from Cincinnati where the Bengals handled the Titans rather easily en route to a 31-20 win. It was the second victory of the year for the Bengals and it allows them to go into the bye week with good feelings about themselves. On Monday, head [more]
Chiefs DT Tershawn Wharton thriving among NFL's defensive rookiesChiefs DT Tershawn Wharton thriving among NFL's defensive rookies
An undrafted rookie in Kansas City is off to a great start to his NFL career.
Purdue in the Pros: Week 8Purdue in the Pros: Week 8
Chicago Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks (96) puts pressure on New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field. Week 8: Oct. 30-Nov. 2 Drew Brees: The Saints defeated the Bears in overtime on Sunday, 26-23.
PFT's Week 9 2020 power rankingsPFT's Week 9 2020 power rankings
1. Steelers (last week No. 1; 7-0): They could be here for a while. 2. Chiefs (No. 2; 7-1): We're starting to take Patrick Mahomes for granted. 3. Seahawks (No. 7; 6-1): DK Metcalf is writing the opening chapters of a T.O/Moss career. 4. Buccaneers (No. 5; 5-2): They barely escaped a trap game. 5. [more]