After seven years, Phil’s back in Fort Worth

As golfers all over the world continue their pursuit of exemptions into THE PLAYERS and the last three majors, those with shreds of PGA TOUR status are just happy that the second half of the season is here. Beginning with this week’s Valero Texas Open, all of the remaining opens through the Wyndham Championship will host the maximum 156 golfers. Both the Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship are additional events that reserve space for 132, but both fields always dip deep into the overall pecking order. So, most of the guys with as little as conditional status (Category 31 in the Priority Ranking) can expect upwards of 11 starts over the next four months. J.T. Poston (107th in the FedExCup standings) and Trey Mullinax (125th) headline this category, so they’ll remain motivated to play as often as possible. However, because none in their category is fully exempt, any can play as much as he wants on the Web.com Tour and chase a 2018-19 PGA TOUR card through that circuit. It’s a critical decision because golfers cannot combine FedExCup points or PGA TOUR earnings with Web.com Tour earnings to qualify even for the Web.com Tour Finals. Without a head start on either tour, it makes sense picking one path from here on out. The timing of that decision also is important right now since the North Mississippi Classic launches the months-long sprint to the Finals. The Web.com Tour has only two dark weeks until then. For those committed to the Valero, long hitters who hits greens in regulation should emerge as the common thread among contenders. This plays right into our hands as PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO gamers. Since distance off the tee is most valuable among the variety of attributes for fantasy scoring, go ahead and lean heavily on this skill set. Course history also carries weight at TPC San Antonio, so you shouldn’t have any issue in compiling a short list of candidates who check both boxes and for whom you won’t be worried about reserving starts in Segment 3. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the Valero Texas Open (in alphabetical order): Kevin Chappell Charley Hoffman Billy Horschel Matt Kuchar Luke List Brendan Steele You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Chesson Hadley; Zach Johnson; Luke List; Ryan Palmer; Pat Perez; Xander Schauffele Driving: Keegan Bradley; Martin Laird; Ryan Palmer; Pat Perez; Kevin Streelman Approach: Keegan Bradley; Chesson Hadley; Zach Johnson; Chris Kirk; Martin Lair; Nate Lashley; Ryan Palmer; Scott Piercy; Kevin Streelman Short: Chesson Hadley; Beau Hossler; Martin Laird; Pat Perez; Shawn Stefani; Daniel Summerhays Power Rankings Wild Card Jimmy Walker … The 2015 winner also has another three top 15s in the tournament, including a T13 last year, so he’s managed just fine amid any distractions of it being a home game. More impressively, he continues to work his way back from his health concerns with a 6-for-8 slate in 2018 that included a pair of top 20s. Put it all together and he’ll blend well in any roster. Draws Adam Scott … The winner of the inaugural edition at TPC San Antonio hasn’t appeared since finishing T23 in his title defense in 2011, but the higher value in ball-striking projects to present him as if he never left. Currently 21st on TOUR in greens hit and fifth in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Also recently connected top 20s at PGA National and Copperhead. Xander Schauffele … Going back to his win at the TOUR Championship, he’s gone 12 consecutive (stroke-play) starts with a score or par or better in an opening round. Slots eighth in first-round scoring average, so he’s unlocked the combination to merge patience with aggression. To wit, since missing the cut in his debut at TPC San Antonio last year, he’s missed only three cuts. Probably best known for his putting, he ranks a seriously impressive eighth in distance of all drives, so there are numerous angles from which the 2016-17 Rookie of the Year can attack and excel. Zach Johnson … Strides in having survived 13 consecutive cuts thanks to a balanced skill set that’s avoided his known pitfall of sketchy putting. Ranks third in proximity to the hole and inside the top 30 in par-3, par-4 and par-5 scoring averages. The winner of the last two editions of the tournament at LaCantera (2008, 2009) is 3-for-5 at TPC San Antonio with top 20s in 2014 and 2015. Kevin Streelman … Easily could have boxed out for a spot in the Power Rankings, so do not hesitate to employ. He’s perfect in four trips to TPC San Antonio and fresh off a T7 at Harbour Town where no one went lower than his 7-under 135 on the weekend. Sits second in ball-striking, fourth in scrambling and first in bogey avoidance. Aaron Baddeley … Perfect in his last six starts and 6-for-6 at TPC San Antonio with two top fives and another two top 20s. His touch around and on greens is so strong that his inefficiency tee-to-green hasn’t been an obstacle here. A DFSer’s delight. Keegan Bradley (SERVPRO) Bill Haas (SERVPRO) Martin Laird (all) Jamie Lovemark (DFS) Trey Mullinax (all) Grayson Murray (DFS) Chris Paisley (DFS) Scott Piercy (all) Jhonattan Vegas (DFS) Fades Kevin Tway … Tied for third here last year, but he’s gone 21 consecutive starts without a top 25 upon in advance of his return. Perhaps TPC San Antonio is what he needs to turn it around, but use him sparingly if you can’t resist. William McGirt … This is relative. He’s a known horse for courses, and even though he’s 5-for-6 at TPC San Antonio, he still hasn’t hung up a top-30 finish and has yet to break 70 in 22 rounds. He tends to play harder courses better, too, but his below-average distance off the tee is a disadvantage. Danny Lee … For the savvy who believe that the third time is the charm, he’s a contrarian investment, but in the vacuum, he belongs here. Sat a respective T23 and T9 after 54 holes of the Houston Open and RBC Heritage, but finished T64 and T55 with big numbers in the finales. Just 1-for-4 at TPC San Antonio with a T63 in 2012. So, consider this a tip to keep an eye on him if you’re not already. Julian Suri … Authored a T8 at the Houston Open with a balanced approach, so he’s getting comfortable at this level. Still, as a shiny, new toy for DFSers, the gloss can suggest that he’s more valuable than stalwarts with teeth on which you should rely. Dylan Frittelli … The University of Texas product performed below expectations in Houston where he projected to contribute across the board. With no better than a T32 at the RBC Heritage in his last five starts, the end-loaded solo 11th at The Honda Classic appears as an anomaly as he endures the learning curve as a non-member of PGA TOUR competition. Jim Furyk J.B. Holmes Martin Kaymer Russell Knox Jason Kokrak Graeme McDowell Sean O’Hair Shubhankar Sharma Returning to Competition John Peterson … Wisely rationing his last five starts on a Major Medical Extension, he withdrew early from The Honda Classic due to an issue in his neck. So, this marks his first competition since the Waste Management Phoenix Open two-and-a-half months ago. Finished T11 at TPC San Antonio in 2015, but hasn’t cracked a top 35 on the PGA TOUR in over a year. Will Claxton … If you’re new to fantasy in the last few years, the likelihood is high that you’ve never heard of him. The 36-year-old is an Auburn product. After finishing inside the top 125 in the FedExCup standings as a rookie in 2012, he stumbled as a sophomore in 2013. He was then one of the first graduates of the Web.com Tour Finals in 2013. After going 4-for-8 to open 2013-14, he shut it down and had surgery on his left hip and hasn’t competed anywhere since. He’s been armed with 12 starts on a medical extension in the Web.com graduate reshuffle and now takes a step at returning. His commitment to the North Mississippi Classic will count as his first rehab start. Notable WDs Francesco Molinari … Didn’t hesitate to inform his followers on Twitter that he’s resting a sore shoulder and hopes to return to competition at the Wells Fargo Championship on May 3-6. He’s 106th in the FedExCup standings. Luke Donald … One of the inspirations to lifting him to No. 3 in the Power Rankings for the RBC Heritage, despite poor form, was that he’s remained busy. Alas, when he later held his press conference, he admitted that discomfort in his lower back has prevented him from competing more often. The issue, which he estimated to have been ongoing for a “couple of months,” thwarted an appearance at the Houston Open two weeks prior. He missed the cut at Harbour Town by only one stroke, and it stung that he whiffed on a birdie from inside five feet on his 36th hole, but the experience shouldn’t discourage us from considering the Englishman again in that tournament that he’s all but owned in the last decade. Camilo Villegas … Withdrew early from last week’s RBC Heritage as well. The 36-year-old from Colombia is 162nd in the FedExCup standings. The good news is that he and his wife revealed on April 1 that the couple is expecting its first child in several months. Power Rankings Recap – RBC Heritage Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Brian Harman  T23 2  Kevin Kisner  T7 3  Luke Donald  MC 4  Dustin Johnson  T16 5  Matt Kuchar  T23 6  Webb Simpson  T5 7  Paul Casey  MC 8  Cameron Smith  T32 9  Charley Hoffman  T23 10  Russell Knox  T40 11  Marc Leishman  MC 12  Adam Hadwin  WD 13  Zach Johnson  T42 14  Ian Poulter  T7 15  William McGirt  T70 Wild Card  Xander Schauffele  T32 Sleepers Recap – RBC Heritage Power Ranking  Golfer  Result Harris English  T32 Chesson Hadley  T7 Andrew Landry  T42 Steve Marino  MC Nick Watney  T32 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR April 17 … Nick Taylor (30) April 18 … John Peterson (29) April 19 … Matt Jones (38) April 20 … John Senden (47) April 21 … none April 22 … Eric Axley (44) April 23 … none

Click here to read the full article…

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Most golfers want the absolute maximum amount of spin possible with their wedges for more control. Bryson DeChambeau, however, was searching for the opposite. As most golf fans know by now, DeChambeau uses single-length irons and wedges, which means his wedges are longer than standard; they’re 37.5 inches to be exact (around 35 inches is normal for a wedge). According to DeChambeau, using wedges with longer lengths means he creates so much spin that he actually wants to reduce spin for the control he wants. His solution? “Dullerâ€� wedge grooves. “Because of my longer clubs… I produce too much spin, and so I went to a duller wedge groove,â€� DeChambeau told PGATOUR.COM. Before the 3M Open – where he finished T2 – DeChambeau was honing his golf game in the Bahamas when he grabbed a PXG 0311 wedge from a rental set. He says he wanted to see if there was “any difference in the metalsâ€� between the PXG wedge and his previous Cobra wedges. While he said there’s “more to be understoodâ€� about the PXG 0311 wedges, DeChambeau has used a full set of them (52, 56 and 60 degrees) since putting them in play at the 3M Open. DeChambeau isn’t using the newest versions of PXG wedges, which are fully milled, however. He’s using the original 0311 wedges that were released in 2015. According to PXG Tour rep Matt Rollins, DeChambeau is the only TOUR player with these wedges in the bag. In fact, Rollins had trouble finding the now-outdated wedges on the PXG tour truck. “Well, in a deep dark corner of our drawer, we found them. By accident.â€� Rollins told PGATOUR.com. “We don’t have anymore [on the truck]. I’ve got to get some from the office…â€� While DeChambeau has used some Frankstein-esque wedge concoctions in the past, the PXG wedges are mostly stock, according to Rollins, but are made to be as light as possible in the head due to their longer lengths. He says their swing weights are E0. Rollins agrees with DeChambeau that the grooves are a major factor in determining spin, but he’s not completely sold that’s the reason why DeChambeau has found what he’s looking for in the PXG wedges. “Spin is affected two ways… the groove, and the interaction with the bounce,â€� Rollins explained. “If you don’t have the right bounce, it won’t spin like it should. And for some reason, this bounce just does it for Bryson. The groove is not that much different than our milled one. It’s different, but it’s not crazy. I would argue it’s more the bounce… because think (about it), his club comes in so much differently than everybody else’s.â€� Ben Schomin, Cobra’s TOUR Operations Manager and DeChambeau’s wedge maker at Cobra, agrees with Rollins, saying that the reduction in spin “could have just as much to do with bounceâ€� as it does with the grooves. Schomin also said that the older PXG wedges have provided a bit more predictability in DeChambeau’s spin rates with the wedges; while the spin range was 5,000-12,000 rpm with his previous Cobra wedges, his range with the PXG wedges has tightened to 6,000-10,000 rpm. Cobra is currently building new prototype wedges with V-grooves, which are a less aggressive groove, according to Schomin. DeChambeau was also spotted testing Cobra King MIM wedges ahead of the 2019 FedEx St. Jude Invitational, but Schomin says that even though he liked the 52- and 56-degree wedges during testing, he still needs a 60-degree. “It’s all about the 60-degree wedge for him,â€� Schomin said. Over the next few weeks, we’ll keep an eye out for the new Cobra prototype wedges with duller grooves made for DeChambeau. DeChambeau has also turned back time with his driver. While he’s been using a Cobra King F9 Speedback driver throughout 2019, which was launched in late 2018, DeChambeau has switched into a Cobra King LTD driver first released in 2015. DeChambeau told PGATOUR.com that the switch is due to the bulge-and-roll of the face being more preferential to his inside-out golf swing. “The bulge and roll is a little bit different on [the LTD driver], as well as the design,â€� DeChambeau said. “It fits better for my inside-out path. Drivers are manufactured for ‘zero-zero’ (swing path and angle of attack) when they’re tested on robots, they aren’t tested for inside-out or outside-in swings.â€� Schomin theorizes that the LTD driver is a bit lower spinning, which is why DeChambeau likes the older driver’s performance at the moment. Schomin also says the company is working on a customized bulge and roll for DeChambeau, but that changing bulge-and-roll for a specific swing/miss could bring on other issues if a miss occurs in different places on the face. One thing is for certain: DeChambeau always keeps us on our toes when it comes to his equipment.

Click here to read the full article…

Click here to read the full article…