Arvidsson heads Herbert, Kang as players target top 15 at PGA TOUR Series-China Q-School

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – FedExCup hopefuls Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth have revealed their friendships with the most decorated Olympic athlete of all-time in Michael Phelps has been a difference maker in their careers, particularly their mental game. Phelps – the greatest swimmer in Olympic history with 28 medals in the pool, 23 of them gold – has turned his attention to athlete mental health since his retirement from the sport in 2016, revealing his own battles with depression and suicidal thoughts after the 2012 Olympics. The Baltimore native was at the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club in his hometown on Wednesday for the pro-am, paired with Spieth on the eve of the second FedExCup Playoffs event. And it was a great lift for former FedExCup champion Spieth after a roller coaster 79 to close last week’s Playoff opener at Liberty National that included back-to-back triple bogeys at the turn and left him in 73rd place. Despite the stumbles in New Jersey Spieth is in the midst of a resurgent season and is already certain of a place in the TOUR Championship at East Lake next week as he currently sits seventh in the FedExCup standings. But it is his first trip back since being runner up in the season long race in 2017, after which he suffered a lengthy win drought. That’s where his Phelps connection began to grow. “I pick his brain on the mental side of things now. He’s getting very involved in mental health, and it’s been something that I’ve actually worked on a lot in the last few years,” Spieth revealed at Caves Valley. “And that’s been a space that probably should be talked about more within athletes, their experiences across different sports, too. I’ve been really fortunate that he’s lent an ear and also bounced ideas off me. “(We have talked about) his passion to his preparation and what goes into his recovery… and without getting into details that are competitive advantages, I think he’s been a fantastic kind of friend. To have a golf lover be the most decorated Olympian of all time, it’s really good for our sport, and it’s even better that I’m able to access it.” But Spieth isn’t the only top PGA TOUR player getting great guidance from Phelps. Jon Rahm – who sits second in the FedExCup behind last week’s winner Tony Finau – has also benefitted. The Spanish star is looking to cap of the season with his first FedExCup after claiming his first major championship at the U.S. Open in June. “He’s been very open to my questions. Any time I have a question about anything, he would respond,” Rahm said. “He’s a great guy. He’s gone through a lot, and as an athlete he’s somebody to look up to very easily. “When you’re the greatest Olympian of all time, you definitely have a couple tricks up your sleeve, a couple good moments of wisdom in that sense… I’m not going to disclose too much on what I’ve asked him golf-wise, but he has helped me a lot. He has texted me every once in a while when I’m doing good or bad.” Rahm revealed Phelps was a big help after the recent birth of his first son Kepa, which came in the lead up to the Masters in April. Phelps had experienced a similar scenario with his own child being born during training in 2016. “He knows how hard it is to be there and then right after that, gone, I have to go train, and not see him. He did help me out with that,” Rahm added. “That’s not an easy feeling. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do, even if it’s the Masters. I really did not want to leave that room, but he helped me out with that.”

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PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf league championships will be determined at the TOUR Championship in two weeks, but they could be decided at THE NORTHERN TRUST this weekend. With no cuts at the BMW Championship and Playoffs finale, and with front-runners having the power to end-load rosters for a title-clinching stymie, what happens at Liberty National is critical. THE NORTHERN TRUST features the last 36-hole cut of the 2020-21 season. Of the 124 committed, only 65 are promised to have tee times in the third and final rounds. That means that as many as 59 will not. If you’re in pursuit, this is your last chance to be aggressive with an elevated likelihood to capitalize. Unless you connect for victory and the bonus points that go with it, and assuming that that makes a dent in your deficit, you’re going to struggle picking up points with all gamers guaranteed four rounds of contributions in the final two events. Ah, yes, the bonus points. They are quadrupled in reality, which means 200 fantasy points to owners of winners rostered in final rounds. As noted under “End of Tournament Bonus” in Rules, the structure of bonus points for the TOUR Championship will align with the first two events. When formulating your strategy, remember that opening position at East Lake is determined by seed upon arrival. Starting Strokes will give the best seeds placement at the top of the leaderboard before the first tee ball is aloft. Current league leaders likely will be saving starts for the highest seeds and those with a good track record at East Lake, but the latter projects to pack a stronger punch for the guys deeper in the standings. When the current structure was introduce in 2019, six golfers from outside the top 10 at the beginning of the TOUR Championship were among 11 who recorded a top 10 in the tournament. Rory McIlroy prevailed as the 5-seed. The runner-up was Xander Schauffele, who was seeded eighth. The same split occurred last year when an apples-to-apples comparison can be made because the conclusion of the reduction to tripled FedExCup points determined the opening seeds at East Lake. Although top-seeded Dustin Johnson won and the 3-seed, Justin Thomas, tied for second, six of the final top 10 opened outside the top 10. This may be obvious but it’s too important to omit: What you don’t want is to be left with a sixpack of guys outside, say, the top 15. Continue to manage accordingly by saving starts for guys you know you’re going to want at the TOUR Championship. Remember that you can use the tool on the platform to plug those guys in now if you choose. As for the BMW Championship, it’s the wild card of the trio because Caves Valley will be a new test despite previous experience for a handful as amateurs well over a decade ago. Always remember that when greens are unfamiliar, ball-strikers tend to contend. As noted in my Power Rankings for the FedExCup Playoffs, the track is a par 72 that can tip at 7,542 yards. RELATED: Power Rankings | Expert Picks PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for THE NORTHERN TRUST (in alphabetical order): Patrick Cantlay Paul Casey Dustin Johnson Collin Morikawa Jon Rahm Jordan Spieth You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Bryson DeChambeau; Harris English; Brooks Koepka; Rory McIlroy; Patrick Reed; Xander Schauffele; Scottie Scheffler; Adam Scott; Justin Thomas Driving: Corey Conners; Harris English; Matt Fitzpatrick; Viktor Hovland; Jason Kokrak; Joaquin Niemann; Xander Schauffele; Scottie Scheffler POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Tony Finau (+5000) … He hasn’t performed well in every Playoffs event since he debuted in 2015, but he’s performed well a lot. His record includes nine top 10s in 20 starts. To say that he’s scuffling upon arrival is fair, but it’s always relative to our elevated expectations given his talent and knack to adapt to the surroundings. So, the sensible thing to do is to give the 23-seed this week to prove that he deserves our attention at Caves Valley because he’ll present as a more intriguing choice for chasers in that ballpark. Front-runners won’t want to trust him with what’s at stake. DRAWS Cameron Smith (+3500) … Not the strongest fit for Liberty National, so he presents as a contrarian for chasers because he rises to the occasion in big events regularly. He’s also proven to be streaky. Keep that in mind when deliberating if he’s worth the reach after a T5 in his last start in Memphis. Matt Fitzpatrick (+6600) … Doubt that I convey that it feels that I go to his well too often but that’s, well, how it feels. When you’re a top-20 machine that makes most cuts, all fantasy formats are going to reward that kind of output. The 26-year-old Englishman still is getting his feet wet in the Playoffs – this is just his second spin – but his combination of splitting fairways and sinking putts works no matter what or where. Jhonattan Vegas (+10000) … He overcame a seriously inconsistent track record at Sedgefield with seriously strong form to finish T15 last week. Including a T16 at the Olympics, he’s recorded six top 20s in his last eight starts worldwide. His tee-to-green strength should do damage at each of the first two stops of the Playoffs. Tyrrell Hatton (+5000) … Despite testing positive for COVID-19 in late April, no complaints about 2021. He opened it with a victory in Abu Dhabi, got married in May and he’s on the inside track to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup. Yet, at 63rd in the FedExCup, it feels unfinished. He’s performed well enough in recent non-majors to deserve our confidence, but limit to DFS. Corey Conners Russell Henley Billy Horschel Jason Kokrak Joaquin Niemann Odds sourced on Wednesday, August 18 at 5 a.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm. FADES Hideki Matsuyama (+3300) … We forget how much of a workhorse he’s been for us over the years, and then we’re reminded of his vulnerability at the Olympics in his native Japan. He opens his eighth FedExCup Playoffs as the 14-seed, so he’s a virtual lock to advance to the TOUR Championship for, you guessed it, the eighth time. That’s crazy reliability and value, but he’s yet to record a top 10 in THE NORTHERN TRUST regardless of site. In his only previous trip to Liberty National in 2019, he finished T30. Of course that’s not terrible, but it’s a tip to holster him until Caves Valley when his long and strong, tee-to-green game can shine. Sam Burns (+6600) … He’s headed for stardom, not to mention his first TOUR Championship as the opening 10-seed, but he makes sense only in DFS situations, not in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf where familiarity in the Playoffs is of value. Si Woo Kim (+8000) … The course horse at Sedgefield was among the playoff victims on Sunday. It also was his first top-35 finish in official competition in two months. He’s gone nine consecutive starts in the Playoffs without a top 25. Sergio Garcia (+8000) … He should dissect Liberty National but he’s failed to break par in his last four rounds on the course. Sure, that dates back to the third round in 2013, but that’s still the reality. So, like with Smith above, the Spaniard can be a shrewd play if you’re in pursuit, but Garcia’s angle is his fit. His form isn’t that bad, either, however. Lee Westwood (+15000) … He hasn’t made much noise since the consecutive runner-up finishes in Florida several months ago, so the more curious matter is if he renews his PGA TOUR membership in 2021-22. The two-time winner paid his dues this season because of the six majors and 50 tournaments. With a normal schedule restored and at age 48, it’s reasonable to assume that this was a one-time return. Remember this wrinkle if you’re in a keeper league. Stewart Cink Lucas Glover Branden Grace Charley Hoffman Marc Leishman Phil Mickelson Ryan Palmer Cameron Tringale Gary Woodland RETURNING TO COMPETITION Garrick Higgo … Opening his Playoffs debut seeded 104th. He withdrew before the final round of the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational due to an illness. In the interim, he officially qualified as a rookie on the PGA TOUR. Danny Lee … Committed to the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron to open the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. He finished 183rd in the FedExCup but didn’t play after withdrawing during the John Deere Classic, citing an injured back. He later learned that he had a fractured rib. It prevented him from competing in The Open Championship. Seung-Yul Noh … Also in the field in Boise, and he’s also been nursing a rib injury since it forced him out of the Wells Fargo Championship during its second round. No matter what happens at the KFT Finals, the 30-year-old will have 16 starts via a Major Medical Extension to open the 2021-22 PGA TOUR season. NOTABLE WDs Louis Oosthuizen … The 8-seed is resting a sore neck for the second consecutive week. POWER RANKINGS RECAP – Wyndham Championship Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Webb Simpson T7 2 Sungjae Im T24 3 Jason Kokrak MC 4 Hideki Matsuyama MC 5 Louis Oosthuizen DNP 6 Patrick Reed DNP 7 Brian Harman MC 8 Russell Henley T7 9 Si Woo Kim P2 10 Seamus Power T60 11 Kevin Kisner Win 12 Brandt Snedeker MC 13 Will Zalatoris T29 14 Rory Sabbatini T10 15 Robert MacIntyre T65 Wild Card Rickie Fowler MC SLEEPERS RECAP – Wyndham Championship Golfer (BetMGM prop) Result Austin Cook (Top 20) MC Ryan Moore (Top 10) MC Cameron Percy (Top 20) T37 Scott Piercy (Top 10) T15 Camilo Villegas (Top 20) T46 BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PGA TOUR August 17 … none August 18 … Cameron Smith (28) August 19 … Jhonattan Vegas (37) August 20 … Zac Blair (31) August 21 … J.J. Spaun (31) August 22 … none August 23 … none Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. CO, IA, IN,MI, NJ, NV,PA, TN, VA or WV only. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. 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