Fantasy golf advice from Round 2 of WGC-Mexico Championship

Here are nine tidbits from the second round of the World Golf Championship-Mexico Championship at the Club de Golf Chapultepec outside Mexico City that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Be looking for the Emergency 9 shortly after the close of play of each round of the tournament. Pain or Gain These were the top-five picked golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO: Without a cut this week, gamers can cross their fingers, rub their lucky rabbit feet and pray that the 72nd hole will matter for their selection. We haven’t seen a low one this week as the Poa annua greens are difficult to read and errant ball striking is causing bother. People’s Choice Tommy Fleetwood sits No. 1 on this list just as he does in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Game presented by SERVPRO. After two rounds, he’s 12 shots off the pace as both his iron game and short game continues to struggle. Normally he’d be an afterthought and a trunk slam but since there is no cut gamers can dream a bit. I’m subbing him out to hedge my bets, so I’m hoping this will trigger 63 or lower! Leader Raise your hand if you had Shubhankar Sharma leading after 36 holes. Now keep it up if you were lying! The 21-year-old playing in his first PGA TOUR event leads by two. His performance has been spectacular as the moment, field or course has not gotten to him, yet. He’s obviously feeling the pressure as he’s eagled No. 1 on both days by driving the green! He came home in 31 (-5) and is the only player in double-figures at 11-under through 36. Spanish Armada Most gamers would think Jon Rahm would be included in this section but his even-par round of 71 saw him drop 13 spots to T20. His countrymen Rafael Cabrera Bello and Sergio Garcia (#NappyFactor) are sitting two shots behind surprise leader Sharma. Garcia shared the low round of the day with Kyle Stanley, as they both posted bogey-free rounds of 65. Cabrera Bello, who signed for 67 after his bogey-free 66 to open, has finally gotten his putter to cooperate and leads the field in Strokes Gained: putting. X-Man If you’re not on board with Xander Schauffele, fine, my job is not to convince you. As a rookie he won twice, including becoming the first to win The TOUR Championship. With that on his resume, I doubt he’s too worried about those around him. The proof is he’s the only player bogey-free after 36 holes. He’s trending properly as well with T5 at WMPO after three rounds and hit the top 10 at Riviera in his last start. 3 up Stanley, as mentioned above, was on fire thanks to his short game (6-6 scrambling) and putter (2nd, strokes-gained). His bogey-free 65 moved him up 20 spots to T12 but those putting numbers are the exception, not the rule. Caution. … Charley Hoffman also was bogey-free with 66 as he moved up 11 spots to match Stanley at T12. Gamers who loaded up on the San Diegan on the West Coast Swing were left scratching their heads, as his best result was only T26 at WMPO. He’s squared just one bogey and one other this week. … Jordan Spieth is quietly going about his business and signed for a bogey-free 67 (T14). He committed to the Valspar Championship today as he looks to find form before heading to Augusta. The putter continues to be the issue, as he missed a couple of short ones that kept him from getting REALLY low. 3 down                               With only one player in double-digits under-par, I would have thought a round of 70 (-1) would have been a decent outing today. Wrongo. Just ask Rickie Fowler and Tony Finau, as they backed up opening 68s with 70s and each fell 12 spots to T20. Finau backers were licking their chops when he was eight-under and one shot out of the lead. A double and a bogey in his last four holes halted the momentum. Fowler’s short game abandoned him Friday, and I doubt that’s going to continue…. Chris Paisley raised just as many eyebrows yesterday as Sharma did when he fired 65 to trail by one. He started on No. 10 today and turned at seven-under, stalking the lead. He bogeyed the first five holes on the front and carded 40 for 75. He dropped 27 spots to T29. Time to Panic?!? After back-to-back 74’s, Matt Kuchar investors need to blindly hang on or move a stronger player into the lineup. I’m not his biggest fan on Poa annua. … Chez Reavie’s excellent recent run ran out of gas at Riviera (T78). The week off last week didn’t help, yet, as he’s opened 72-73 and is T49. … Patrick Cantlay posted 70 followed by a 75 in Round 2. I love the way he grinds so we’ll see how committed he is after hitting only five fairways and six greens Friday. Study Hall Tiger Woods announced earlier on Friday that he will be playing the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook next week followed by the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. He’s never played Innisbrook and is an eight-time champion at Bay Hill. … Hideki Matsuyama will not play at Valspar but will try and return at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. … Martin Kaymer updates his injury via Twitter.

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