Electronic Arts announces new Next-Gen golf game: EA SPORTS PGA TOUR

The Masters Tournament needs no introduction. But, if you’re new, the PGA TOUR heads to Augusta National for the first major of the season, The 85th Masters Tournament. The course is a par 72, measuring 7,475 yards and be putt on bentgrass greens. The field is set at 88 golfers, and the top 50 and ties — within 10 shots of the lead — will make the cut. There are no alternates here, so if players WD before the tournament start, the field gets smaller. There will be 18 former Masters Champions teeing it up this week. We did a Course Preview of Augusta National back in November, so make sure to check that out. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: $4M Fantasy Golf Millionaire [$1M to 1st + ToC Entry] STRATEGY Last year’s tournament took place just five months ago, where Dustin Johnson (+950, $11,500) gained 19.1 strokes total en route to his victory, and much of the course will play the same. Tiger Woods will not be in attendance, but Brooks Koepka (+2800, $9,200) will be playing shortly after his knee surgery. Early reports say the course is playing much firmer and faster than November’s edition, and Johnson’s 20-under may be a thing of the past. Still, with course history and experience being such an important factor this week, we may see a similar leaderboard as we did in the Fall. There’s never a week where you should be blindly fading golfers who are in good current form, even this week. Last year, seven of the top 10 were ranked inside the top 25 in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green in their previous 12 rounds leading into the tournament. Still, course experience will be an essential factor, as it is every year at Augusta National. The players will also be without green books this week, and experience on and around the greens will be invaluable. The top five in Strokes Gained Total here since 2016 are Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy (+1900, $10,200), Jordan Spieth (+1150, $9,400), Jon Rahm (+1250, $11,000) and Justin Rose (10000, $7,200). First-timers will have an uphill battle this week, but it’s not impossible to do well with only having one or two starts under your belt here. Sungjae Im (+4150, $8,600) has been one of the best ball-strikers this year and contended last year, Collin Morikawa (+3150, $9,600) just won a WGC event and Joaquin Niemann (+5500, $7,400) is one of the best drivers of the ball on TOUR. All three have just one start here. Having all six players on your roster make the cut is a prerequisite this week if you want to win the Milly Maker. Username: ep3550(5) won the Milly Maker in November’s tournament, and he did it by rostering two players above $10,000 and four under $7,500. Of the top-10 finishers in DraftKings scoring last year, four were priced under $7,500 (Sungjae Im, Cameron Smith, Cameron Champ and Dylan Frittelli). Lineups must also have the eventual winner with such a high percentage of the field making the weekend. GOLFERS TO CONSIDER Bryson DeChambeau (+1150 to Win, $10,800 on DraftKings) No one has been better Tee-to-Green over the previous 24 rounds than DeChambeau. He’s the top-ranked player Off-the-Tee on TOUR, which will help on the four par 5s players need to take advantage of this week. The broadcasts will talk about his driving prowess ad nauseam this week. Still, people shouldn’t overlook the consistency of his irons and bentgrass putting, ranking 12th in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green and fourth in putting over the last two dozen rounds. His T21 back in 2016 in his best finish over the past five years, but he’s been one of the best players on TOUR since January, ranking fourth in Strokes Gained: Total. He’s won or done well on similar traditional American tracks like Muirfield Village and TPC Sawgrass and is the second-highest ranked playing in this salary range in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green over the last four rounds. Starting with DeChambeau and Rahm may be a trendy build, but these two are playing consistent golf and are the preferred plays in this range. Webb Simpson (+3500 to Win, $9,000 on DraftKings) You could find a reason to roster any of the players in this range. Brooks Koepka, for example, just had knee surgery but hasn’t finished outside the top 11 in his last three starts, with a runner-up in 2019. Still, Webb may go a little unnoticed this week, with narratives pointing to favoring the longer hitters. Augusta National is still a second-shot course, and although Simpson’s been a little off with his approach, he’s still one of the best iron players on TOUR. Webb’s last three finishes here read 10th, fifth and 20th. He’s only missed one cut since 2015 and has one of the best short games, ranking second in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green over his previous 24 rounds. Justin Rose (+10000 to Win, $7,200 on DraftKings) You should only consider Rose if you’re a believer in course history being important this week. He’s also coming off a WD at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and didn’t play at THE PLAYERS, citing lower back pain. Rose has had ample time to rest and recover, and he should feel right at home here. Since 2016, only four players rank higher than him in Strokes Gained: Total, and three of those golfers are above $10,000 this week. Caveat: if we hear murmurs about his back flaring up, we should pass. If we don’t, and all is clear on the injury front for Rose, he could be an excellent low-rostered player to pair with some studs at the top. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $700K Flop Shot [$200K to 1st] Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game. For Masters odds, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DraftKings Sportsbook app. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF(IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN). 21+ (18+ NH). CO/IL/IN/IA/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions. I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is reidtfowler) 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 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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THE OVERVIEW PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Predicting the winner of THE PLAYERS Championship seems impossible. Not only is it the best field in golf, but TPC Sawgrass doesn’t favor one particular style, and it doesn’t give bonus points for the most decorated resumes. It could be a notable name … or it could be the Cinderella story. “It’s a course where no one really has an advantage,â€� said Rory McIlroy, who counts three top-10s – and three missed cuts – in his eight starts at TPC Sawgrass. Tiger Woods, the only two-time winner in the field this week, said Pete Dye’s Stadium Course generally has players hitting from the same spot. As a result, shorter hitters are just as apt to win as longer hitters. “So many guys have a chance to win here,â€� Woods said, “and that’s what makes this championship so difficult to win is that it’s open to a lot of players.â€� Perhaps it’s easier to figure out who won’t win this week. Of the 144 players in the field, here are a few players in which history doesn’t favor their chances entering Thursday’s first round: Si Woo Kim. No champion has ever successfully defended his title at THE PLAYERS. Nick Price has the best result of any defending champ, finishing in solo fifth in 1994. Jason Day. He won the Wells Fargo Championship last week, and the last PLAYERS winner to have won the week before was Tiger Woods in 2001. It’s happened just three times in tournament history. Day did win here two years ago, though, and he’s been pointing to this week as a huge one. However … Any past champion, especially in the last decade. There are just five two-time winners at TPC Sawgrass, and not since Hal Sutton in 2000 has there been a repeat winner in any 10-year span. Any UK golfer. Scotland’s Sandy Lyle (1987) is the only PLAYERS champ from the British Isles. So if you English (say, Justin Rose) or Irish (say, Rory McIlroy) … well, sorry. Any local resident. There are six North Florida-based players in the field, led by past FedExCup champ Billy Horschel (in fact, his remodeled house was recently featured in a local magazine). The last local winner was Fred Funk in 2005. Longtime residents Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh have combined for 46 PLAYERS starts, with a runner-up finish for each one. Neither is in the field this week. Any first-timer. Hal Sutton (1983) and Craig Perks (2002) are the only champs who won in their first start at TPC Sawgrass. And no PGA TOUR rookie has ever won THE PLAYERS; the best result was a T-2 by David Lingmerth in 2013. Any non-TOUR winner. Perks and Tim Clark (2010) are the only first-time winners of THE PLAYERS. Any player age 42 or over. Funk was 48 when he won; no other champ has been older than 42. So if you’re thinking Tiger or Phil on Sunday, better think again. Any lefthander. Mickelson is the only leftie to win at TPC Sawgrass. Promise we’re not trying to pile on, Phil. As for everybody else who doesn’t fall under one of the above categories – congratulations, you’ve got a chance this week. THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER THE FLYOVER The closing three-hole stretch at the Stadium Course makes for arguably the most unique finish on the PGA TOUR. It starts with the easiest hole (the 523-yard par-5 16), followed by the iconic signature hole (the 137-yard island green 17th) and ends with the toughest hole (the 462-yard par-4 18th). Expect to see lots of balls find the water – since 2003, a total of 1,889 shots have been lost in the water at those three holes. THE LANDING ZONE The par-4 12th was redesigned prior to last year, shortened to 302 yards to make it drivable. Less than six percent of all tee shots found the green, though, as most players opted to use iron off the tee. In fact, just 47 of the 440 tee balls struck involved driver. Some subtle changes to 12 have been made this year to encourage more players to challenge the green. Hopefully we’ll see more than the two eagles made last year (by Luke List and Cody Gribble). WEATHER CHECK From PGA TOUR meteorologist Stewart Williams: “High pressure over the region will provide dry weather over the next few days. As the high shifts off-shore, warmer temperatures and higher humidity will return Friday into Saturday. Highs will likely reach the upper 80s Friday afternoon with the lighter winds. A weak low pressure system will try and form somewhere over the gulf Sunday into early next week. Right now the best chances for precipitation will remain across Southern Florida on Sunday with only a slight chance for showers expected for the final round.â€� For the latest weather news from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK You put a bunch of grass around that hole and it’s the easiest par-3 in the world.I’ve got the best seat in the house. BY THE NUMBERS 47 under – Tiger Woods’ cumulative score since 2000 at TPC Sawgrass – the most under par of any player in that span. Sergio Garcia is next at 35 under. 177 of 177 – Putts inside 5 feet made by Jason Day this season. He’s the only player with a 100 percent conversion rate from that distance this season and is the only player in the ShotLink era to enter THE PLAYERS Championship having not missed a putt inside 5 feet. Please note: Those numbers only include courses that have been lasered for ShotLink. Day has played several rounds this season on non-lasered courses, including Augusta National. 72.25 – Patrick Reed’s career scoring average at THE PLAYERS. That’s the second-highest of any tournament in his career, eclipsed only by … the Masters, in which he has a 72.75 scoring average. That obviously didn’t stop him from winning at Augusta National last month. 34 percent – Percentage of time players have made bogey or worse at the 18th hole since 2003. That’s the highest percentage of any hole on the course. Players make birdie or better just 10 percent of the time. SCATTERSHOTS Dustin Johnson enters this week as the world No. 1, but his place at the top is under attack. Four other players have a chance to supplant him at No. 1 – Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose. Johnson and Thomas are the only two who are guaranteed to be No. 1 with a win; the others must have other scenarios play out for them. The last time the world No. 1 changed hands at THE PLAYERS was when David Duval went from No. 3 to No. 1 (over Tiger Woods) after winning at TPC Sawgrass. Jason Day has spent at least two one-week periods practicing at TPC Sawgrass in recent months, although he’s only played one practice round. He said he’s been trying to get away from the cold weather and snow at his home in Columbus, Ohio, and he can think of no better place to practice. “The facilities back here are off the charts,â€� he said. “I think the best facilities that we play on or that they have on TOUR is here.â€� Rory McIlroy was about to hit his second shot at the first hole in his practice round Tuesday when he noticed something. “It didn’t look like there was any green there because the greens are so much smaller this week than what they were [last week] at Quail Hollow,â€� he said. “So it just takes a little bit of adjustment.â€� Patrick Reed plans to lean on his driver this week. “I always use driver,â€� he said. “I love the driver.â€� He said of the 14 non-par 3 holes, he’ll likely use driver perhaps a dozen times. He’ll avoid driver at 10 – “the fairway runs outâ€� – and will only hit driver on the drivable 12th if the wind is calm. “If not, you can bail out right there,â€� he said. Speaking of Reed, he was in the back of the media interview room when Tiger Woods was answering questions. Suddenly, Reed had the microphone in his hand. “Are you going to be wearing the Nike pink on Thursday,â€� he asked. To which Woods replied: “Whatever the Masters champion is wearing, I will wear.â€�

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Eight of the top nine players in the world are set to play the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, starting with reigning FedExCup champion Justin Thomas and including Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose, who round out the top three. Rose might be the hottest player on the planet after his bravura performance at the Fort Worth Invitational, which also moved him up to second in the FedExCup. He dominated from tee to green in picking up his ninth PGA TOUR victory, and now heads to the site of his first TOUR win in 2010, Muirfield Village. He might be just hitting his stride at 37. There’s also five-time Memorial champ Tiger Woods, playing the Memorial for the first time since 2015. He’s one of six players who have won it more than once, and the only one not in the World Golf Hall of Fame. (Yeah, we think he’ll get there, too.) Ten of the 11 Memorial winners in the FedExCup era have qualified for the season-ending TOUR Championship. Woods posted a T11 in his last start, at THE PLAYERS Championship. That was of a piece with his other starts in Florida, where he finished 12th at The Honda Classic, T2 at the Valspar Championship, and T5 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. He is still seeking his 80th TOUR win. PGA TOUR LIVE Thursday-Friday broadcasts will begin at 7:30 a.m. ET and end at 3 p.m. We will move to Featured Holes Coverage at 3 p.m., ending at 6:30 p.m. Here are the Featured Groups: (Note: Tee times TBA; FedExCup ranking in parentheses.) Jason Day (3), Dustin Johnson (9), Rory McIlroy (36) Three players who have tasted No. 1 in the world, three players who have already won this season. Of course, Johnson wins every year like clockwork, but Day and McIlroy broke through after failing to lift a trophy last season. McIlroy is the only one of the three to have won the FedExCup (2016), and also has the best record at Muirfield Village, albeit without having won: T10 in 2010, 5th in ’11, T15 in ’14, and T4 in ’16. (He didn’t play the tournament two of the last three years.) Day, who lives in Columbus, has lamented his poor record at the Memorial, but seems to be getting closer to winning after a T15 last year, his best result so far. Bubba Watson (7), Phil Mickelson (4), Jordan Spieth (30) Two lefties (Watson, Mickelson) join up with a young star who plays right-handed but is actually left-handed (Spieth). Watson, who has won twice this season, has come close to winning the Memorial with a T6 last year (final-round 73) and a third-place finish in 2014. Spieth opened with a 66 at Muirfield Village last year before fading with a final-round 73 for a T13 finish. He’s looking for his first win since The Open Championship last July. Mickelson broke a winless drought dating to 2013 at the WGC-Mexico Championship earlier this season, and while he has 43 PGA TOUR victories, none has come at the Memorial, where he has authored few highlights other than top-10s in 2002 (T9), ’06 (T4) and ’10 (T5). Tiger Woods (54), Justin Rose (2), Jason Dufner (62) Three players who have won a combined seven Memorial titles, with Woods accounting for five of them. Rose, the 2010 champion here, is coming off a convincing victory at the Fort Worth Invitational in which he had total command from tee to green and moved from 11th to second in the FedExCup. Dufner looked like he had shot himself out of the tournament with a third-round 77 last year, but rallied in the final round for the victory. Two of the three players represented the winning U.S. Presidents Cup team at Muirfield Village in 2013, and Rose is a shoe-in to make this year’s European Ryder Cup Team. Justin Thomas (1), Patrick Reed (6), Rickie Fowler (21) Thomas is making a strong bid to become the first player to successfully defend as FedExCup champion, and he and Reed are both winners already this season. Thomas, of course, is a two-time winner—one of five so far this season along with Jason Day, Patton Kizzire, Bubba Watson and Rose—and was in the mix to win the Memorial last year before finishing T4. Fowler is looking to break through for the first time this season after runner-up finishes at the Masters and OHL Classic at Mayakoba. He has flirted with winning the Memorial with a runner-up in his 2010 debut (final round 73), and a T2 finish last year, when the final round featured two rain delays and was completed near darkness.

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