Four PGA TOUR events set for Open Qualifying Series

The first time admittedly was tough. And the second? “It was suffering from the get-go,â€� Camilo Villegas says. With those words came a smile of satisfaction, though. After all, the uber-fit Villegas enjoys testing his limits – and that’s exactly what he did that day when he rode with countryman Santiago Botero. Botero is a former professional cyclist from Colombia who has competed in the Tour de France three times – even winning a stage and donning the famous polka dot jersey for capturing its mountains classification in 2000. Botero represented his country in the Olympic Games four years later, too, the same year Villegas became a golf pro. Villegas was home in Medellin that day and had called a friend to see if he wanted to join him for a ride. His buddy showed up with Botero, the former individual time trial world champion who has since become one of Villegas’ close friends.  Suffice it to say their ride that day in 2007 was a bit more challenging than the 37-mile climb up the hill behind his home that Villegas took the first time he got on a bike. And he absolutely loved it. The passion born that day has continued. In fact, Villegas – who has inspirational tattoos saying “Attitudeâ€� and “Positive Energyâ€� on his right and left wrists, respectively — has been known to say that he has “obsessive cycling disorder.â€� When Villegas got back to his home in Jupiter, Florida, after those initial rides, he bought a bike. He doesn’t take it with him to tournaments – Villegas does spin classes and elliptical and cardio to stay in shape – but his off weeks are a different story. When the Colombian is at home in the Sunshine State, he usually rides five times a week. Tuesday and Thursdays, he bikes about 35-40 miles per day. The weekend when most of us rest are his big days – he’ll ride about 75 miles on Saturday and 60 or so on Sunday. Villegas’ longest ride? Well, he estimates that was 130 miles. And how long does it take? “It all depends,â€� he says. “You do the math. If you’re going solo and average about 22, 23 miles an hour.  If I’m going with a group, the group gets rolling around 26, 29, 30. “If you go to Colombia, it’s going to take a longer time.  If you go in Florida, it’s going to be a lot faster because it’s flat.â€� A ride that long, though, certainly isn’t the norm. Get close to 100 miles in a day and Villegas says your day is basically over. “You don’t have energy to do much more,â€� he explains.  And fatigue certainly doesn’t help Villegas’ golf game. The 36-year-old Colombian, who earned a degree in business from the University of Florida, is one of the most fit players on the PGA TOUR. Cycling is just one part of his workout, though. “You’ve got to mix it with a lot of things,â€� he says. “Obviously, when you start cycling so much, you’re going to get a pretty tight IT band and hamstrings and stuff.  You have got to balance it out.  “When I’m on the road, obviously, I do weights and a lot of explosive stuff and I do a lot of stretching and mobility.  No, it’s my peaceful spot, but the workout portion of golf-related stuff is another thing.â€� Villegas has developed a tight circle of friends who ride – both in Jupiter and his childhood home — many of whom are professional cyclers. He’s never ridden with Paul Casey, a TOUR player who rides seriously, but they talk about the sport frequently and he plans a trip  to the Italian Alps in 2018 that is similar to the one that the Brit took several years ago. No matter where he rides, though, Villegas enjoys the experience. The physical factor is obviously a part of it but he also finds a mental benefit to the journey. “It kind of keeps me in balance just because it’s a quiet spot,â€� Villegas  explains. “We come out here, there’s a lot going on.  I go home, I have family and friends, a little more social life.  “When I hop on the bike, I just try to follow a wheel or make the boys follow my wheel.  There’s a lot going on, but it’s a quiet spot.â€�

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The new structure of the PGA TOUR season couldn’t have paid off better right out of the gate than how THE PLAYERS Championship transpired. Needless to say that fans and gamers are in for a treat for several months. Tucked in between the tentpole tournaments are gems and wrinkles that have taken me to the place of wondering if this isn’t the best-constructed lineup we’ve ever seen, what is? After the Valspar Championship, the ride continues with the third of five doubleheaders next week. However, unlike the other four, both tournaments will be serving action on top of PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done. The Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship will anchor the Roster game, albeit without ShotLink technology. Meanwhile, the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play gets the stand-alone Bracket Challenge. Like all fantasy offerings, it’s free to play and if you’re already registered for any, your login transfers without additional effort. For the early peek, navigate to the Bracket Challenge. Browse the tabs at the top for familiar options. Prizes can be found on the Rules page. With the Wednesday start of the Match Play next week, some of my content will publish earlier than usual, so refer to my schedule beneath the Power Rankings as usual. It’s a tight window between the time the bracket is set on Monday night and when the tournament begins, but given the format, anything can happen. Remember to enjoy the process first. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for the Valspar Championship (in alphabetical order): Jim Furyk Sergio Garcia Adam Hadwin J.T. Poston Patrick Reed Webb Simpson You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Power Rankings Wild Card Brandt Snedeker … Every once in a while, he reminds us – and maybe himself – of the possibilities when he’s flushing his irons. Never confused for a ball-striker, he co-led the field at THE PLAYERS in greens in regulation at 81.94 percent (or 14.75 per round). It’s the first time he’s done that since averaging 16 per round on the massive targets at Kapalua in 2016. Yet, he still gained strokes on the field in putting – that’s no surprise – en route to a personal-best T5 in 10 appearances. He’s 8-for-9 at Copperhead with a pair of top 25s, both of which also are top 10s, but it’s been eight years since the latter, thus his spot here. Draws Jason Kokrak … Continues to put smiles on gamers of all formats. Arrives having connected 16 cuts made. That includes five top 20s in 2019 alone. He’s also recorded three top 15s at Copperhead, including a T8 last year. Currently seventh on TOUR in total driving, 22nd in GIR and ninth in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Branden Grace … It’s a good time to extend the reminder that he does his best work on par 70s and 71s. While Copperhead has four par 5s, it’s a par 71, so it threads the needle of our lowest expectations for him in advance. He placed T8 here last year while ranking second in strokes gained: putting and a surprising T9 in par-5 scoring. Worth fractional ownership. Steve Stricker … Copperhead won’t overwhelm the shorter hitters no matter the age, so he’s a plum for DFSers. Even better, the 52-year-old has a sparkling record on the track with five top 15s, including a T12 a year ago. He’s slowed on the PGA TOUR Champions in 2019, but he’s warm nonetheless. Kevin Kisner … He’s traded sporadic runs at titles with a stream of top 30s – five, in fact, upon arrival. It’s that under-the-surface consistency that conjures the feels of a foreshock. With that, his cachet and his proven fearlessness, he’s ideally suited in DFS at Copperhead. Joel Dahmen … After profiling as a speed-track threat in 2017-18, he’s fulfilling the opposite makeup this season what with a T9 at Torrey Pines and a T12 in his debut at TPC Sawgrass. Continues to flash a sturdy tee-to-green game with a knack to capitalize on par 5s, so he presents as a reliable piece to every DFS roster despite the fact that he’s a first-timer at Copperhead. Keegan Bradley Tyrrell Hatton Russell Knox Fades Gary Woodland … It’s relative. He hasn’t missed a cut in 10 months and he’s fifth in the FedExCup standings without a victory, but Copperhead has had his number in the last four years. He’s also cooled on the Florida Swing. Chalk it up as a sensible time to keep him on the shelf. Bubba Watson … Just his second appearance in the last eight editions (MC, 2017). Overall form has been solid but unspectacular. He has a title defense on deck in Austin and the Masters in three weeks, so focus your investments there and then. Brian Harman … Where did that come from? In case you missed it, the lefty tied for eighth at THE PLAYERS. While it equaled his personal best in the tournament, it was his first top 30 anywhere in nearly nine months. Yes, momentum is on his side, but let’s see him do it again before hopping aboard. It doesn’t help that he’s 0-for-3 at Copperhead since 2015. Zach Johnson … Has one more shot at redemption on the Florida Swing, but gamers shouldn’t hold their breath. He’s back at odds with his on-again, off-again putting. He always comes around for the payoff, and it could very well happen at Copperhead where his short game was on display for a T16 last year, but let him continue to solve the puzzle alone, at least for now. Ollie Schniederjans … Crashed the party at TPC Sawgrass with a third-round 65, but it was his only sub-70 of the event. Furthermore, the T16 it supported was his first top 30 in seven months. Also failed to break par in all eight rounds covering three starts at Copperhead. Chez Reavie … He profiles well to make the cut, and he’s 6-for-9 with three top 25s in tournament history, but he’s finished no better than T38 at Pebble Beach in his most recent four starts. With next week’s Match Play up next, an event for which he’s qualified only once before (2018), we can’t rule him out for looking ahead even though he’s known that he’d be in Austin for a while. Kevin Na … Hasn’t been the same since returning to action following a fractured pinky finger on his right hand. He’s cashed four of five times, but none went for a top 30. Remain patient. Brendan Steele … Continues to slump despite a T17 at Bay Hill two starts ago. Sits T4 in total driving and T8 in greens hit but 197th in strokes gained: putting and 185th in adjusted scoring. This is his first look at Copperhead in six years. Harold Varner III … After an impressive start to the seasons, he’s hits the skids with only one top 50 in his last six starts. Luke Donald … If you’re tuned into general chatter, then you already know that he’s getting massive support from the fan base for this latest return to competition. After sitting out almost six months following a back injury in 2018, he played a bit in the fall, and then launched his 2018-19 PGA TOUR season by missing the cut at Waialae. Then crickets until now. Armed with 14 starts on a Major Medical Extension, he’d get into events on sponsor exemptions, anyway, so it boils down to his physical fitness. He prevailed here in 2012 and his short game can shine at Copperhead, but we have to expect rust. Joaquin Niemann … The midseason outlook for the 20-year-old reveals a vastly different perspective than at this time last year when he was poised to turn professional. He’s buried at 135th in the FedExCup standings with only one top-35 finish all season. The good news is that he’s missed only two cuts, which is even more impressive given he’s 209th in strokes gained: putting. Austin Connelly Graeme McDowell Dylan Meyer Patrick Rodgers Returning to Competition Padraig Harrington … After originally targeting Pebble Beach to return to competition following a broken bone in his left wrist suffered during a fall in December, the 47-year-old finally is getting back inside the ropes at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia. Given that he’s sat out for four months since missing the cut at The RSM Classic, he’d be eligible for a Major Medical Extension on the PGA TOUR if he needs it for 2019-20. The three-time major champion is burning a career earnings exemption this season. Notable WDs Abraham Ancer, Tommy Fleetwood, Alex Noren, Cameron Smith … Each qualified for next week’s World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play via the latest Official World Golf Ranking. J.J. Spaun … He withdrew after opening THE PLAYERS with 4-over 76 due to pain in his left knee. He went into detail more on Twitter on Tuesday. Daniel Berger … He’s competed in each of the last four weeks, so this is a well-timed break. Currently 102nd in the FedExCup standings but still short of the projection to pay off for full-season salary gamers. Hang in there. Martin Laird … With missed cuts both in his last three starts and in his last three appearances at Copperhead, the Scot wasn’t going to be on our radars, anyway. Sean O’Hair … Since withdrawing during his opening round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he’s withdrawn early from three stops on the Florida Swing. No explanation has surfaced for his time away. Bronson Burgoon … No stranger to the early WD – this is his fourth since the start of last season – so the greater concern is his form. Since a co-runner-up at the CIMB Classic, he’s just 1-for-9 (T59, Honda). Power Rankings Recap – THE PLAYERS Championship Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Justin Thomas  T35 2  Francesco Molinari  T56 3  Henrik Stenson  MC 4  Sergio Garcia  T22 5  Rickie Fowler  T47 6  Rory McIlroy  Win 7  Xander Schauffele  MC 8  Ian Poulter  T56 9  Tommy Fleetwood  T5 10  Lucas Glover  MC 11  Justin Rose  T8 12  Brooks Koepka  T56 13  Rafa Cabrera Bello  MC 14  Patrick Cantlay  MC 15  Hideki Matsuyama  T8 16  Webb Simpson  T16 17  Dustin Johnson  T5 18  Adam Scott  T12 19  Bryson DeChambeau  T20 20  Jason Day  T8 Wild Card  Tiger Woods  T30 Sleepers Recap – THE PLAYERS Championship Golfer  Result Aaron Baddeley  MC Daniel Berger  T67 Scott Brown  MC Branden Grace  T72 Emiliano Grillo  T26 Chesson Hadley  MC Sung Kang  T47 Jason Kokrak  T47 Russell Knox  T35 Trey Mullinax  MC Kevin Na  78th/MDF Brian Stuard  MC Michael Thompson  70th Harold Varner III  MC Jhonattan Vegas  T3 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR March 19 … Marc Turnesa (41) March 20 … Arjun Atwal (46); John Merrick (37) March 21 … Brandon Hagy (28) March 22 … none March 23 … Johnson Wagner (39) March 24 … Jason Dufner (42) March 25 … Scott Stallings (34)

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