Jason Day withdraw back the memorial tournament presented by nationwide

In Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf for the Mexico Open at Vidanta, I wrote that the goal is not to use Jon Rahm. He qualified for my roster as a obvious defensive measure, but the plan is sit him unless he’s contending for the title on Sunday. If he cranks out 25 points in R1, R2 and/or R3, so be it. The risk doesn’t warrant those rewards, no matter how likely you expect them against the field. RELATED: Horses for Courses | Sleeper picks The Mexico Open at Vidanta is the Spaniard’s second start of Segment 3 (T27, Masters). If he follows his schedule from the super season of 2020-21, he’d be making four more starts in this phase. However, even if he appears only at, say, the PGA Championship and the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, if you burned him at the Masters and will again this week, you’d be stuck with just one remaining. Ask yourself now how you’d rank the timing of his impact. Just like when Tiger Woods was a fixture in fantasy, the most challenging decisions in the extinct Yahoo! Format was how to ration 10 starts. Rahm isn’t at that level but he’s on the short list for whom we’re compelled to consider the possibilities to maximize – and leverage – his playing time. Here’s the gist… 1) You can play Rahm in all four rounds at Vidanta Vallarta – assuming he makes the cut, of course – and absorb the push with your opposition because a high percentage of it will do the same. In highly competitive situations, it’s a fair and reasonable exercise. OR 2) Because round-by-round scoring in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf is muted – unless, again, Rahm tosses up bogey-free, field-low 64s every day – stow him on your bench for the first two rounds. If he’s among at least five who make the cut, keep him benched until his position at the conclusion of three rounds. If in contention, burn the start as a defensive measure for the FedExCup bonus points. No matter what you do, including abstaining entirely so as not to put yourself in a position to be tempted in favor of long-range goals, it’s the middle of the season. Heck, I slow-played the big guy in Segment 4 last season and it proved to be the difference-maker in the FedExCup Playoffs because my nearest opponent, Ben Everill, had exhausted Rahm’s allotted starts one tournament too soon. POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Patrick Reed (+125 for a Top 20) … When you read in the Power Rankings that he was teased for Draws and Fades, you likely also figured that his odds to be the Wild Card were somewhere in the vicinity of (-10000). Thus, boom. Certainly, on cachet alone, he demands analysis, but he’s the reverse split for what projects to matter at Vidanta Vallarta, and he hasn’t connected for a top 25 in a full field since a co-runner-up at Bermuda on Halloween. I’d draw a direct line from his heavyweight status in that field to this one but it’s been six months and it’s not that simple. Even contrarian investors are scratching their heads at his inflated value this week. Pass. DRAWS Kevin Streelman (+175 for a Top 20) … If you ever wondered why I’ve lamented for an obnoxious period of time why he’s Kryptonite, use his last start at Harbour Town as proof. There he was on a track where he missed only one cut in nine tries prior. His record includes three top 10s and another top 20. He also was comin’ in hot since the start of the Florida Swing. Lo and behold, despite an endorsement in this space, he failed to cash. But I’m back on board in Mexico because I’m doubling down on the strong(-enough) form and discounting the occasional missed cuts. If there’s a tightrope separating short- and long-term confidence, he walks it, and we should know better, but I just can’t quit Streels. Davis Riley (+225 for a Top 20) … I’d prefer a top-40 or make-the-cut prop but the rookie already has demonstrated a level of comfort near the lead. In fact, he runs towards it on Moving Day as he’s T8 on the PGA TOUR in R3 scoring, but the learning curve has put him in his place more often in finales. It’s to be expected but with a P2 (Valspar) and a T4 (with Will Zalatoris at Zurich) as recent objects in the sideview mirror, hop on the bandwagon and attach emotion. It’s how we apply our own learning experience. Pat Perez (+300 for a Top 20) … What’s that you say? Paspalum?? Thank you. That’ll be all. (OK, so that’s getting off easy because he did miss the cut at Mayakoba in November, but he may still have been feeling the effect of a foot injury just prior to it. More recently, he’s 7-for-9 since the Farmers.) Callum Tarren (+500 for a Top 20) … Ease into a make-the-cut line here, but don’t be that surprised if he pops for more. The rookie from England landed a T5 on the paspalum in Puerto Rico, and he finished T7 at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Veritex Championship two weeks ago before making the cut (with fellow Brit, David Skinns) in New Orleans. He’s already one of the more proficient tee to green, and now his confidence is elevated. Wyndham Clark David Lipsky C.T. Pan Brian Stuard Odds sourced on Tuesday, April 26 at 6 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm. FADES Chez Reavie … He’s still splitting fairways with the best of ‘em, but his approach game has cost him time and again and it’s not like his putter is bailing him out. The 40-year-old bunter already is borderline unownable in full-season formats. Lanto Griffin … He’s gone five consecutive starts without a top 50 and his pedestrian tee-to-green game is uninspiring. He’s more valuable in the long-term, anyway. Adam Long … After a couple of months of failing to turn cuts made into top 25s, he finished T12 at the RBC Heritage thanks to a wicked-hot week with the putter. He missed only once inside 10 feet and was perfect on 65 looks from eight feet and in. The small greens at Harbour Town cater to that kind of performance, and he is a terrific putter, but it’s in the minority of expectations because ball-strikers and shot-makers tend to box out for most positions at and near the top of that leaderboard. The same narrative applies this week but not because the greens at Vidanta Vallarta are similarly sized. They’re unfamiliar, so good putters project to lag, pardon the pun. A payday is a fair expectation, and through 2021, he was consistent in delivering strong weekends when he made it, but the advice now is to invest fractionally at most. Rafa Cabrera Bello Brice Garnett J.T. Poston Scott Stallings Matt Wallace RETURNING TO COMPETITION Sebastián Muñoz … By the time he pierces the paspalum on Thursday, it’ll have been a month since his last competitive action (T26, Match Play). The Colombian was committed to the RBC Heritage until an injured back took precedent. The good news is that he’s connected six paydays in advance of his trip to Vidanta Vallarta. He’s also a good fit on paper for the test. At the same time, you likely wouldn’t have a need to put faith in his fitness in any situation other than an aggressive DFS ploy. NOTABLES WDs Daniel Berger … If not for a sore back, he’d have been a favorite this week. It’s the same malady that thwarted his title defense at Pebble Beach in early February, but he’s fared predictively well since. Just 65th in the FedExCup, however. Christiaan Bezuidenhout … Tag-teamed a T32 with fellow South African Charl Schwartzel in NOLA and now sits 94th in the FedExCup. Looking ahead, while not yet officially exempt, Bezuidenhout has been able to plan on a trip to the PGA Championship via his Official World Golf Ranking, but at 66th, he’s just outside the upcoming bubble for entry into the U.S. Open. Kevin Chappell … Since his status demotion (for failing to meet the terms of his medical extension), he’s 3-for-4 with a pair of top 20s. Remember, he wasn’t certain that he was going to continue to pursue playing time if he didn’t fulfill the medical, so his is an emerging compelling story. Of course, it also makes sense to table a long-term decision until the conclusion of the regular season, but we’re not often treated to peeks behind that curtain, so we can’t forget about it now. Meanwhile, it’s a bummer that he’s out at Vidanta Vallarta. His tee-to-green profile would have positioned him automatically for a make-the-cut prop. Nick Hardy … Placed a career-best T21 with Curtis Thompson at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and now ranks 190th in the FedExCup. Neither rookie has found his stride, so it was a timely injection of something positive. Charley Hoffman … This is his fourth early WD of the season. The first three were as a result of an injured back, and given his extended slump, it’s fair to attach it to either a continuation of the discomfort or a bad habit picked up while trying to play through it. Whatever the case, the 45-year-old is 180th in the FedExCup and not yet exempt for next season. (Worst case, and if he wanted, he’d be eligible for a career earnings exemption since he’s currently 36th all-time.) RECAP – ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS POWER RANKINGS Power Ranking Team Result 1 Scottie Scheffler & Ryan Palmer T18 2 Cameron Smith & Marc Leishman T21 3 Billy Horschel & Sam Burns 2nd 4 Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay Win 5 Max Homa & Talor Gooch T21 6 Danny Willett & Tyrrell Hatton T21 7 Collin Morikawa & Viktor Hovland T29 8 Sergio Garcia & Tommy Fleetwood MC 9 Keegan Bradley & Brendan Steele T4 10 Sungjae Im & Byeong Hun An T14 Wild Card Bubba Watson & Harold Varner III T4 OTHERS CONSIDERED Team Result Joaquin Niemann & Mito Pereira WD Will Zalatoris & Davis Riley T4 Adam Hadwin & Adam Svensson MC Matthew NeSmith & Taylor Moore T4 Sahith Theegala & Beau Hossler MC SLEEPERS Golfer (Bet) Result Graeme McDowell & Seamus Power (+4000 to win) MC Brian Stuard & Russell Knox (+6600 to win) T21 Aaron Rai & David Lipsky (+8000 to win) T4 GOLFBET Bet: Sungjae Im & Byeong Hun An (+300 for a Top 10) Result: T14 BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PGA TOUR April 26 … J.B. Holmes (41) April 27 … none April 28 … none April 29 … Justin Thomas (29) April 30 … none May 1 … Chris Couch (49); Sepp Straka (29) May 2 … none

Click here to read the full article…

BRESCIA, Italy — Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark sunk a 10-foot putt on the final hole to win the Italian Open on Sunday and avoid a playoff with home favorite Francesco Molinari. Olesen finished one stroke ahead of the Italian for his fifth European Tour victory and first Rolex Series win. When Olesen stepped up to the tee at the par-4 18th at Gardagolf Country Club, he held a two-stroke lead over Molinari. But ahead on the green, Molinari sunk a 30-foot putt for birdie to slice the lead to one stroke and prompt roars from the crowd. Then Olesen hit his second shot into a green-side bunker after driving into the rough. Olesen held his nerve, however, and got up and down. “I knew from the start it was going to be tight,” said Olesen, who entered the final round tied with Molinari one stroke behind Lee Slattery. “I never had that final putt to win. That’s why this one feels so amazing,” Olesen added. Molinari, the 2006 Italian Open winner, was coming off the biggest victory of his career at the BMW PGA Championship last weekend. A bogey on the 17th — only Molinari’s second of the entire tournament — ended up being decisive. “I don’t think I could have done more,” Molinari said. “I’m very satisfied with what I did. Complements to Olesen. He played great today and yesterday and he deserved this victory. I can’t complain. I was aggressive until the end.” Olesen also claimed his first European Tour victory in Italy, at the 2012 Sicilian Open. Slattery finished third, two strokes behind. 

Click here to read the full article…

ERIN, Wis. — To drive along the two-lane roads that wind through Wisconsin pastures on the way to Erin Hills, to see the rolling terrain of a golf course built on 652 acres that opened only 11 years ago, is sure to pose a natural question. What is the U.S. Open doing here? Forget for a moment that very few Americans were even aware of golf at the time, and the same could have been said about that two-lane road that led to Shinnecock Hills when it first hosted the U.S. Open. Then again, that was in 1896. The U.S. Open was in its second year. What raises questions about Erin Hills is that it’s the second time in three years for golf’s second-oldest championship to go somewhere new. And it’s even more pronounced because the U.S. Open now has 121 years of history behind it. “Listen, if you look at our next 10 U.S. Open venues, they are historical, tried-and-true sites that have these wonderful names associated with them,” said Mike Davis, the USGA’s executive director. “But we relish the idea of occasionally introducing a new golf course, because when you think about it, there’s no country in the world that has as many great golf courses as the United States, and we should celebrate that.” What is the U.S. Open doing here? The short answer is the USGA was lacking a good spot in the Midwest. The U.S. Open has been to Hazeltine and Oakland Hills, both now used more by the PGA of America. It went to Olympia Fields in 2003 and found Chicago politics involving the support staff to be tougher to manage than U.S. Open rough. And then along came a wonderful piece of property 40 miles west of Milwaukee purchased by Bob Lang, whose dream was to build a public course that could host a U.S. Open. The USGA saw it for the first time late in 2004, and the wheels were set in motion. Lang’s inspiration was “Open,” the book by John Feinstein on how Bethpage Black came to host the U.S. Open in 2002 (and later in 2009). David Fay, the former USGA executive director, recalls being in Lang’s office in the summer of 2005 when Lang asked if he would sign the book for him. “Here’s hoping a book will be written — in the not-too-distant future (i.e., when we’re both alive to enjoy it!) — on the U.S. Open at Erin Hills,” Fay wrote. They’re both alive, even though Fay retired (he’s working for Fox Sports this week) and Lang had to sell the course a year before it was awarded the Open. Only part of the success of Erin Hills will be based on how it plays this week and the quality of the winner. The real measure is if it returns. Because if it doesn’t, how would that look? “It would have to be a negative,” Fay said Tuesday. “My signature was on all those contracts through 2019. I would never go to a place if I were to think it was never going back. I would be disappointed if we didn’t return.” Chambers Bay in 2015 had all the drama a U.S. Open could want, ending with Jordan Spieth capturing the second leg of the Grand Slam when Dustin Johnson took three putts from 12 feet on the last hole. What it didn’t have was much grass on the greens, a product of either bad weather or bad agronomy, take your pick. It also had one hole where spectators couldn’t watch and others where they needed binoculars. Those can be fixed. Either way, Chambers Bay is on the clock. The idea of going somewhere new is part of U.S. Open history. When the U.S. Open was still in its infancy, there was a stretch from 1916 (Minikahda) through 1930 (Interlachen) went it was held on courses hosting a U.S. Open for the first time. That was to be expected. With more history behind it, the U.S. Open had 22 straight years of going somewhere it had been before, a streak interrupted by Pinehurst No. 2 in 1999. Just like now, there were spurts of new sites. The U.S. Open was at Olympic Club, Oak Hill and Southern Hills for the first time from 1955 to 1958. Those courses now have combined to host the U.S. Open 11 times. There was another stretch like that involving Champions (1969), Hazeltine (1970) and Pebble Beach (1972). Not all of them were love at first sight. “All you need is 80 acres of corn and some cows,” Dave Hill said when he was runner-up at Hazeltine in 1970. Hazeltine is where Payne Stewart won his first U.S. Open, and where Tiger Woods lost his first major when he had the 54-hole lead. It’s where the Americans captured the Ryder Cup last September. It has more than corn and cows. Whatever happens this week at Erin Hills, it’s worth trying to look it at through a wide lens. “What Erin Hills doesn’t have is history yet,” Davis said. “But everybody had to start somewhere.”

Click here to read the full article…