Brendan Steele wins season opener again

Only one thing can bump the lede this week – another reminder that the Farmers Insurance Open is scheduled to begin on Wednesday. As a result, the roster deadline for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf is 9:00 a.m. PT. That’s noon on the East Coast. Adjust accordingly. All right, hopefully you arrived here without too much trouble. Whatever your experience, thank you for making the effort and, as always, for your loyalty. Indeed, the Fantasy Insider now is Draws & Fades. RELATED: Five Things to Know: Torrey Pines | How to watch Wednesday start That’s it. Nothing else changes. It’s just a rebranding. Everything you’ve come to expect from this space remains, well, except for my lineup at PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. That’s over in Expert Picks where it always has been. Once ShotLink was removed from scoring, it became redundant to park it here, too. I’d ask for you to tell the others of the name change, but I learned long ago in this business that the more I help you, the less you share it. As a result of that, it’s still a strange feeling when any gamer spreads the word, but, and of course, it’s always appreciated. With that message out of the way, you know what to do at the Farmers Insurance Open. As noted in Monday’s Power Rankings, the North Course at Torrey Pines will surrender much lower scores in comparison to the South, so exploit it. With the North co-hosting the first and second rounds, PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf gamers can map out a maximum of six starts on it. Weather conditions should be similar in both rounds, so it won’t matter if you load up with four in either round or split it into three per. POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Scottie Scheffler (+110 for a Top 20) … Consider him as an extension of the Power Rankings proper. Paid off sneaking inside the cut line at The American Express with a Sunday 67 and a T25. You love to see it. He’s 0-for-2 at the Farmers but connected for a T7 at the 2021 U.S. Open, so he deserves our trust. DRAWS Daniel Berger (+200 for a Top 10) … It took him a while but he finally got over on Torrey Pines for a T7 at the 2021 U.S. Open. He’s been dynamite just about everywhere for two years, so it’s fair to say that he’s a snub from the Power Rankings. Jordan Spieth (+160 for a Top 20) … He’s never contended at Torrey Pines – last year’s T19 in the U.S. Open equaled his best finish in six Farmers starts (2014) – but this is as simple as being able to trust in him again. His last missed cut anywhere was here last year, but that’s a long time ago. The site is a coincidence. Dustin Johnson (+100 for a Top 20) … This is just his second start of the season and first in over three months since a T45 at THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT. It’s especially hard to believe given the time of year because he didn’t qualify for the Sentry TOC, but don’t let that fool you into a no-play. He’s logged 30 rounds in this tournament where he’s 6-for-9 with three top 20s (albeit it’s been six years since his most recent) and another four en route to a T19 at the 2021 U.S. Open. Go ahead and let this dog eat. Brooks Koepka (+150 for a Top 20) … He never makes it easy on us, but I believe his rhetoric about wanting to perform consistently stronger in non-majors. He wouldn’t put himself out there if that wasn’t the case. A T4 in last year’s U.S. Open is his only top 40 among two paydays in four appearances at Torrey Pines, so he’s had success here. Yeah, yeah, that was a major, but the stage showcases the best for a reason. Joaquin Niemann (+275 for a Top 20) … His 3-for-3 record at Torrey Pines is highlighted by a T31 at the 2021 U.S. Open, but he closed out his first two Farmers with an 80 and a 75, respectively. So, as every touring professional can attest, it’s just a matter of putting four rounds together. Although he closed out the fall with a pair of missed cuts, he’s battled for paydays at an exponentially higher rate than even gamers realize. Keegan Bradley Corey Conners Talor Gooch Billy Horschel Sungjae Im Matt Jones Maverick McNealy J.T. Poston Brandt Snedeker Matthew Wolff Odds sourced on Monday, January 24 at 5 a.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm. FADES Hudson Swafford … It’s not wrong to label The American Express as a putting contest, but only when you accept that those putts better be for par breakers. He averaged 13 greens in regulation per round to rank T21 and converted a higher percentage into par breakers (55.77%; 29-for-52) than everyone else. He used the same formula to prevail at Corales in 2020, and he acknowledged his timely knack for finding the hole that week. Putting isn’t necessarily a strength, but it’s not a liability, either, so we need him to put it on display in consecutive starts. At Torrey Pines, he’s cashed only once (T13, 2016) in five trips, so we can play the role as spectator this week. Mackenzie Hughes … Off to a blazing start this season with a T4 (ZOZO) and a solo second (RSM) baked into a 5-for-5 record. He’s also signed for a pair of 62s and a 63. I’m inclined to go all-in or abstain completely because he hasn’t made much noise at the Farmers (2-for-5, no top 25s), but he did finish T15 here at the 2021 U.S. Open. This typically means that he’d be a gamechanger in DFS. Mito Pereira … Given how he seemed to be everywhere last summer – because he was – it’s been odd not to follow him for over two months now. After opening his rookie season with a solo third at Silverado, he lowered his sails by comparison, so use the deep field at Torrey Pines as an opportunity to see how he fares in his debut. Cameron Champ Jason Day Rickie Fowler Emiliano Grillo Keith Mitchell Patrick Rodgers Jhonattan Vegas Gary Woodland RETURNING TO COMPETITION Bryson DeChambeau (+180 for a Top 10) … He’s in the Power Rankings, but it’s relevant to add here that this is his first start since citing a sore left wrist that precluded his appearance at Waialae two weeks ago. It shouldn’t be surprising given how he tests the limits of his body, but we also shouldn’t be concerned given his intelligence in resolving challenges. In other words, trust him. NOTABLE WDs Charley Hoffman … This stinks as it would have been his 25th appearance at the Farmers. The San Diego native hasn’t competed since missing the cut at Mayakoba in early November. He withdrew early from Houston with a sore back, and he was an early exit from last week’s Amex. Lucas Herbert … He’s committed to the DP WORLD Tour’s Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic. The recent winner of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship is juggling the welcome problem of calculating when to honor obligations on multiple circuits. We watch it happen every year with dual-tour members. K.H. Lee … Connected for his sixth consecutive payday last week, but closed with a 76 and a three-way share of 63rd place. Whatever. He’s rapidly become a favorite among hardcore gamers and he’s 74th in the FedExCup. Nate Lashley … After opening this season with three paydays in as many starts, he’s gone just 1-for-5 with a T51 at Sea Island. The 39-year-old deserves consideration only in the deepest of full-season formats. Ryan Moore … After missing the cut at The American Express, he’s down to three starts on his Major Medical Extension to earn 94.203 FedExCup points and retain status. His safety net is conditional status, but the 39-year-old is too close to the primary target to settle for that. Still, it makes it difficult to own him in any long-term format until he shows signs of escaping the worst-case scenario, not to mention the proof that he can put four rounds together again. Kelly Kraft … Has five starts on his medical, but he’s safe all season as a Korn Ferry Tour grad. It’s just that there’s only one paycheck on the board in eight starts this season. Chris Stroud … Yet another on a medical extension, his in the KFT graduate reshuffle category. With 14 starts remaining, he can spread those over quite a bit of the remainder of the season and not sweat it in the short-term. RECAP – THE AMERICAN EXPRESS POWER RANKINGS Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Jon Rahm T14 2 Patrick Cantlay 9th 3 Matthew Wolff MC 4 Scottie Scheffler T25 5 Sungjae Im T11 6 Seamus Power T14 7 Tony Finau T40 8 Corey Conners MC 9 Talor Gooch MC 10 Abraham Ancer T40 11 Justin Rose T33 12 Patrick Reed T55 13 Michael Thompson MC 14 Cameron Tringale MC 15 Will Zalatoris T6 Wild Card Si Woo Kim T11 SLEEPERS Golfer (Prop) Result Sebastián Muñoz (top 20) MC J.T. Poston (top 20) T25 Rory Sabbatini (top 20) MC Brendan Steele (top 20) MC Vince Whaley (top 20) T40 GOLFBET Bet, Result Hayden Buckley – Top 30 (+310) MC BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PGA TOUR January 25 … Andrew Putnam (33) January 26 … Adam Schenk (30); Nick Hardy (26) January 27 … Jonathan Byrd (44) January 28 … none January 29 … none January 30 … none January 31 … none

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Opportunity knocks in beautiful Puerto Rico this week, as Grande Reserve Country Club once again hosts a bevy of PGA TOUR players looking to push their seasons to greater heights. Core golf fans know it is weeks like these where players often come of age. Sure they’re not in Mexico City at a World Golf Championship, but some of the 120 players in Puerto Rico certainly will be in the future. Those with an eye on the FedExCup Playoffs know a few points here in this vibrant Caribbean destination could make all the difference, not to mention the two-year winner’s exemption and a spot in the upcoming PLAYERS Championship (if not already exempt) that are both up for grabs as well. RELATED: Power Rankings | Trainer set for Puerto Rico Open defense | No joke: Trainer dabbles in sitcom writing THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER THE FLYOVER The par-5 18th was the third easiest hole at Grande Reserve last season, playing to a 4.830 average, including 4.4 on Sunday, meaning those pushing down the stretch know an opportunity awaits. At 630 yards, it’s no pushover, but it did yield three eagles and 120 birdies last season. The hole borders the “Ensenada” Bay, which plays downwind. The two fairway bunkers on the right are very much in play off the tee, so players favor the left side. The risk of going for the green in two comes with the risk of using too much club, as recovery shots from behind the green can be very costly. WEATHER CHECK From meteorologist Joe Halvorson: Thursday will be breezy once again, with moisture levels becoming a bit more enhanced. This will allow for an increase in the shower coverage mainly prior to sunrise and after 4 p.m., along with potential that a few of these showers produce brief heavy rainfall. Showers will remain a possibility on Friday and Saturday, but a drying trend should keep the coverage fairly sparse – especially Friday afternoon through Saturday. Shower chances are expected to return Sunday afternoon ahead of an approaching cold front. For the latest weather news from Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, check out the PGA TOUR Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK Just in time for Puerto Rico… it’s a great course for me as evidenced by me doing well there last year. It’s been a long 10 months of struggling, but I’m just happy to be hitting the ball straight again… now that I’m hitting the right shots and missing in a narrower window I have a chance. BY THE NUMBERS 16 – Number of PGA TOUR rookies in the Puerto Rico Open field. There has not been a rookie winner through 18 events in this PGA TOUR season, the longest stretch to start a season since 2009, when rookies went winless the entire season. Three of the last nine winners here were rookies, so perhaps the drought will be broken. 5 – Number of Australians in the field. Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Adam Scott have brought their country three wins in the last six weeks, so maybe it is worth keeping an eye on Cameron Davis, Rhein Gibson, Cameron Percy, John Senden and Robert Allenby this week. 22 – Number of missed cuts for Martin Trainer since he won last season’s Puerto Rico Open. Trainer is a great character and broke a long drought last week at The Genesis Invitational, having kept a great perspective despite going through a big slump since his win. He’s most definitely someone to root for. He also has designs on being a comedy writer! SCATTERSHOTS Springboard to Stardom: Since the tournament’s inception in 2008, the Puerto Rico Open has helped elevate the careers of several PGA TOUR stars with strong play, including the likes of Jason Day, Tony Finau, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Emiliano Grillo. In his second season on TOUR, Day finished T2 in Puerto Rico, his best finish in his first 39 starts. Now he holds 12 TOUR wins, including a PLAYERS Championship and PGA Championship. Finau won his lone TOUR event at the 2016 Puerto Rico Open; since then, Finau has accumulated 28 top-10s, including six runner-ups. Past sponsor exemptions include Spieth (2013) and Koepka (2014). Spieth earned Special Temporary Membership soon after his runner-up finish in 2013 and was named PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year thereafter; He has since won the FedExCup (2015) and accumulated 11 career PGA TOUR wins, including three majors; Koepka, currently No. 2 in the world, has seven PGA TOUR wins, including four majors. Bryson DeChambeau lost in a playoff at the 2017 Puerto Rico Open and went on to win his first PGA TOUR title later that season at the John Deere Classic, his first of now five TOUR wins. After finishing runner-up at the 2015 Puerto Rico Open, Emiliano Grillo won the 2015 Safeway Open and was voted PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year.  Keep an eye on University of Georgia junior Davis Thompson. He’s No. 4 in the world amateur golf ranking and finished T23 at the RSM Classic in the fall. He was the Medalist at the prestigious Western Amateur and recently won the Jones Cup by nine shots. He shot 203 to set the scoring record at a tournament where past champs include TOUR winners Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Kyle Stanley, Corey Conners and DJ Trahan. Thompson will be pulling double duty on the island, as he will play in a college event in Puerto Rico on Sunday and Monday before teeing it up in the Puerto Rico Open. Oh, and his father Todd – he’s the tournament director for The RSM Classic and will caddie for his son. The Puerto Rico Open and non-profit organization Good Sports delivered $1 million in sports equipment and monetary contributions to 33 non-profits that benefit thousands of kids in Puerto Rico. The contribution was achieved thanks to Kids Pro Fun, a tournament campaign to positively impact the lives in the community. The campaign, supported by individuals, corporate donors and friends of the PGA TOUR, exceeded its goal and reached the largest donation and delivery made by Good Sports. 

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Justin Thomas and Adam Scott each completed rounds of 6-under 65 on Saturday and shared the lead when the second round finally ended in the rain-delayed Genesis Open.

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