Quick look at the Sentry Tournament of Champions

The PGA TOUR will feature its second no-cut event in a row this week at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina. This event has been held in Las Vegas in each of the past two seasons but will move to South Carolina this year and host venue Congaree Golf Club. The field this week is limited to 78 players and this is a no-cut event, with all players getting in four rounds of play. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $300K Pitch + Putt [$100K to 1st] STRATEGY While Congaree will be hosting this event for the first time, it’s not the first time we’ve seen it on the PGA TOUR. It acted as the host club in 2021 for the one-off Palmetto Championship, an event that was added to the PGA TOUR schedule that year due to pandemic scheduling issues. Congaree is a long par 71 that measures in at 7,655 yards and features pure Bermudagrass on the greens. The designer is Tom Fazio, who has had a hand in designing other prominent venues like Conway Farms, Caves Valley and last year’s host venue, the Summit Club in Las Vegas. Congaree doesn’t challenge players much off the tee. Driving distance and driving accuracy numbers for the week were well above the PGA TOUR averages when the Palmetto was played at Congaree in 2021, and the leaderboard had plenty of shorter hitters in the mix that year. The course does get more difficult as the players get closer to the hole though and the greens at Congaree were difficult to play on and yielded an average three-putt percentage about 10% higher than an average PGA TOUR stop. Scrambling was also difficult here as players converted saves, on average, around 56% of the time when off the green. That was enough to ensure that the winning score that year was just 11-under par, with only seven players total reaching 10-under par or better. We could see the fall scheduling this year make the greens more receptive and with an improved field, expect a few more birdies. While you don’t want to discount what players are doing off the tee entirely, Congaree will certainly put more pressure on iron games and short games, so don’t be afraid to roster the shorter hitters if they are trending well in longer approach stats (>175 yards) and around the green. In 2021, both eventual winner Garrick Higgo and runner-up Doc Redman (tied with five other players) finished outside the top 30 in driving distance for the week, while gaining over 4.0 strokes on approach. GOLFERS TO CONSIDER Scottie Scheffler ($10,400) The venue this week certainly calls for a more all-around approach, so who better to go with at the top than the No. 1 player in the world in Scottie Scheffler? Scheffler has proven that he can handle any track, and his mastery of Augusta at such an early age speaks to the idea that he’ll be able to handle the tricky setup of Congaree on his first attempt just fine, too. With such easy-to-hit fairways, he shouldn’t lose out much off the tee to the bombers in the field this week and his approach game and short game have him ranked first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green stats over the last 50 rounds. At the Palmetto in 2021, five of the top seven finishers on the week gained over 8.0 strokes tee-to-green alone. Over his last nine starts, Scheffler has gained 7.0 strokes or more tee-to-green on five occasions, so if his putter shows up in any way this week, he’ll almost certainly be in the mix. As just the third most expensive player on DraftKings, taking the discount and starting with Scheffler is a perfect way to begin lineups. Russell Henley ($7,300) The field this week is even deeper than we saw in Japan, so diving down into the lower $7K range still offers us plenty of upside for our fantasy golf lineups. Russell Henley comes into this event ranked first in Strokes Gained: Approach stats and 12th in around the green stats over the last 50 rounds. While the course is longer, Congaree’s easy to hit fairways won’t put a lot of stress on Henley’s off-the-tee game and will feature plenty of mid-iron approaches which is where he excels. Rest is also something to consider here too. Henley didn’t make the trip over to Japan last week and has played a light schedule, with just a missed cut at the Sanderson Farms to show on his record for the fall. He’s finished T25 and T3 at this event the last two seasons though and the switch to the South East (which is where he hails from) and Bermuda greens should both be positive moves for the 33-year-old. Davis Riley ($6,900) For our cheaper value, I don’t have any concerns about going back to Davis Riley this week. He never adjusted to the time or course in Japan, ultimately finishing the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in T67. Somewhat lost in his terrible start to the week though was the fact he ended with rounds of 67-68 on the weekend, which is only a shot worse than what winner Keegan Bradley produced. Riley is another player who hails from this portion of the United States and should be excited to be playing on Bermuda greens again. He finished a strong T19 at the Sanderson Farms just three weeks ago and the large fairways here should mask his accuracy issues off-the-tee. Considering this is a no-cut event and we won’t be hampered too much by a blowup round, Riley has lots of appeal at under $7K on DraftKings this week. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $300K Pitch + Putt [$100K to 1st] Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game. Place your golf bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app. I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is wavegoodbye) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.

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A quick look at Friday’s second round of THE PLAYERS Championship. THE LEADERS Of the 45 winners of THE PLAYERS Championship, just one has come from the British Isles – Scotland’s Sandy Lyle in 1987. No Englishman has ever won. No Irishman has ever won. The chance of that statistical anomaly ending at TPC Sawgrass has considerable improved after 36 holes this week. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and England’s Tommy Fleetwood are 12 under and three shots clear of the field. One of their primary chasers, meanwhile, is Ian Poulter, who has come as close as any Englishman has to breaking the drought with runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2017. Certainly these things are, as Fleetwood said, a “strange coincidence,â€� and there’s no real relevancy on what goes on inside the ropes. In fact, neither Fleetwood nor Poulter seemed aware of the shutout until informed on Friday. “I’ve had plenty of seconds now so I will be trying to … get that No. 1 spot,â€� Poulter said. “It would be quite nice.â€� Poulter is 9 under and tied for third with Brian Harman, Abraham Ancer and local resident Jim Furyk, who shot the low round of the day with a bogey-free 64. They’ll be at the head of the chase pack hoping to prevent THE PLAYERS from turning into a two-man race this weekend. That could be difficult, as McIlroy and Fleetwood each entered this week in terrific form. McIlroy has top-6 finishes in his last five starts, and Fleetwood is, for the second consecutive week, the 36-hole co-leader. He hopes to avoid the kind of stumble he encountered last Saturday at Bay Hill when he shot a 76. “For the second week in a row after two days, I’ve put myself in the best possible position,â€� Fleetwood said after his 5-under 67 Friday. “A lot of positives, and clearly playing a lot of good golf. So take that and run with it, really.â€� Although McIlroy hasn’t been able to close the deal in his recent stats, he’s in a good frame of mind as he chases his first TOUR win in more than a year. He isn’t about to put pressure on himself to win; instead, he wants to keep a narrow focus. “I just need to keep seeing red numbers,â€� he said after his 65, his second-lowest round in his PLAYERS career. “That’s all I need to keep seeing. I don’t need a win.â€� Still, a win would be nice. Given that St. Patrick’s Day is on Sunday, perhaps the stars are lining up in his favor. ODDS AND ENDS You might think Jim Furyk got a raw deal when his birdie putt from 42-1/2 feet at the 17th hit the flagstick (which he opted to leave in) and bounced a foot away. But he thinks it was a good break. “I don’t think it had a chance to go in,â€� Furyk said. “I think it was going to run by and I was going to have a tough putt on the way back.â€� Sungjae Im became the youngest player to record a hole-in-one at THE PLAYERS. The 20-year-old Korean used an 8-iron at the 152-yard 13th. It was the 34th ace in PLAYERS history and the 12th ace at No. 13. With Ryan Moore’s ace yesterday, the 2019 PLAYERS becomes the first TOUR event since 2013 to have multiple aces in the same week. Kevin Kisner was part of the three-man playoff in 2015 when Rickie Fowler won at TPC Sawgrass. Now he’s back in the mix again after his second consecutive 68. Asked what playing well here four years did for him, Kisner replied, “Just put a lot of money in my checking account. Other than that, no much.â€� For the record, Kisner won $880,000 that year. The course conditions are expected to change at some point this weekend due to a cold front pushing through Ponte Vedra Beach. The winds were from the south in the first two rounds but are forecast to become a northerly wind following the cold front, which should make TPC Sawgrass more difficult. “If it gets firmer and faster and the wind blows from the north like they say it’s going to, it could be a really difficult test,â€� said Jim Furyk. Russell Knox has two PGA TOUR victories and one on the European Tour. “I pat myself on the back every day. It’s hard to win a PGA TOUR event or any event in the world,â€� Knox said. Having attended Jacksonville University and living in the area for 15 years, winning THE PLAYERS would obviously be extra-special. He loves being at home this week although he admits that doing “the dishes kind of sucks.â€� Vaughn Taylor made the cut for the first time in nine tries since THE PLAYERS moved to May. In fact, he’s among the contenders at 7 over through two rounds. Although his best finish is a T-8 in 2006, he’s seen what it takes to win – he was paired with Fred Funk in the final round. “A cool experience, one I’ll never forget,â€� Taylor said. “It’s good memories and hopefully I can make some memories of my own.â€� Cameron Champ withdrew with a back injury after eight holes Friday. He was 8 over at the time. That reduced the field to 141 players. NOTABLES JIM FURYK (64) – Bogey-free. Hit every fairway. His lowest score in 80 career rounds at THE PLAYERS. Yep, it was a good day for the local resident. (Click here for more) JASON DAY (66) – An eight-birdie day for the 2015 PLAYERS champ, who has missed just seven greens through the first 36 holes. RICKIE FOWLER (67) – Bounced back nicely, fueled by a hole-out from 80 yards for eagle at the par-5 second. DUSTIN JOHNSON (68) — He’s lurking at 7 under and is 5 under on the closing three holes this week. JON RAHM (68) — Same position as DJ, although a bogey at the 18th probably didn’t sit well. PATRICK REED (69) – Second consecutive 69. Entered this week with just three of 16 rounds at TPC Sawgrass in the 60s. BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU (69) — Was 4 under on his final 10 holes to give himself a fighting chance. JORDAN SPIETH (69) – Didn’t make the cut but seemed especially pleased after his round for this reason: “Putting’s back.â€� (Click here for more) WEBB SIMPSON (70) – Defending champ is lurking, but unlike last year, he’ll enter the weekend as a chaser. FRANCESCO MOLINARI (70) – Yet to solve the 18th this week, but his 70 at least assured him a weekend spot. TIGER WOODS (71) – If not for those two water balls at 17 … (click here for full story on Tiger’s round). BROOKS KOEPKA (71) – A couple of late birdies had him straddling the cutline, but he squeezed into the weekend. JUSTIN THOMAS (72) — Missed a 4-foot putt at 18, with the late bogey leaving him on the cutline. KEEGAN BRADLEY (73) – Tough day for the first round co-leader. Was ranked 3rd in field in Strokes Gained: Putting on Thursday, but ranked 138th in that category on Friday. PHIL MICKELSON (74) — A second consecutive 74 left Phil missing the cut for the sixth time in the last seven years. XANDER SCHAUFFELE (74) — The current FedExCup points leader failed to make the cut, thanks to back-to-back double bogeys. WORTH WATCHING 48-FOOT BIRDIE PUTT by Rory Sabbatini at the par-3 eighth. CHIP-IN FOR EAGLE by Ian Poulter at the par-5 16th. BIRDIE FROM THE TREES for Phil Mickelson at the par-5 second. RARE QUADRUPLE-BOGEY for Tiger Woods at the par-3 17th. THEY SAID IT It’s pristine shape, it’s wonderful setup, it’s terrific, and I just don’t play well. I don’t know what to say.Boy, we’re on a big negative day, aren’t we? BY THE NUMBERS 22,698 – Holes played in Tiger Woods’ PGA TOUR career. In just eight of those holes did he suffer a quadruple-bogey or worse, the most recent being Friday when he hit two balls in the water at 17. 43 — Number of times Jim Furyk has hit every fairway during a PGA TOUR round, including Friday’s 14-of-14 effort. 16 — Consecutive cuts at THE PLAYERS by Sergio Garcia, who extended his record streak by shooting 69-70 and is current T-20. 11 — Strokes needed by Brian Gay to play hole Nos. 15-18. He went birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie. That matches the best score in that four-hole stretch set by Rickie Fowler in the final round of his win in 2015. SUPERLATIVES STROKES GAINED LEADERS: Off-the-tee (Byeong Hun An, 2.451); Tee-to-Green (Keith Mitchell, 5.844); Approach-the-Green (Jon Rahm, 3.847); Around-the-Green (Patton Kizzire, 2.847); Putting (Jordan Spieth, 5.159); Total (Jim Furyk, 7.348). LONGEST DRIVE: 363 yards – Byeong Hun An on 18. LONGEST PUTT: 47-feet, 11 inches. Rory Sabbatini drilled a birdie on the par-3 8th. LONGEST HOLE-OUT: 152-yards – Sungjae Im and Justin Rose. Im aced the par-3 13th hole. Rose holed out from the fairway on the par-4 15th. MOST BIRDIES: 8 – Jason Day (66), Jim Furyk (64), Seamus Power (67) BOGEY-FREE ROUNDS: Jim Furyk (64), Jason Kokrak (68), Scott Piercy (68), Martin Trainer (69). HARDEST HOLE: Par-4 514th. Played to 4.291 with just six birdies, 33 bogeys, two double bogeys and three others.

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