DraftKings preview: TOUR Championship

The smile on Mac McLendon’s face was almost as big as the trophy he was holding. Next to him on the 18th green stood partner Hubert Green, holding an identical trophy but a smile not quite as wide. McLendon and Green had teamed together in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, to win the 1974 National Team Championship. For Green, it was his fourth title of the season. McLendon had a little different perspective as he was emerging from the depths of a four-year slump that left the former LSU golfer struggling to make cuts and even considering a career change, putting his accounting degree to use. The one-shot win by McLendon and Green over the uncle-nephew team of Sam and J.C. Snead and the pairing of Ed Sneed and Bert Yancey in the best-ball event at Walt Disney World allowed McLendon to stay in his chosen career and simply use an adding machine and ledger to count the $50,000 the two players split evenly. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me. I’m one year older than Hubert, but I look 10. That’s what Monday morning qualifying does to you,” McLendon said at a time on the PGA TOUR when non-exempt players had to qualify weekly. “My game left me, just totally left me, about four years ago. I came close to quitting the TOUR. I had some really bad times. But I’m not a quitter. Golf is my life, my profession. This makes it worthwhile. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.” No wonder why McLendon’s smile was so big. That victory began a solid run of play and was the first of four official PGA TOUR titles for Benson Rayfield McLendon, Jr., nicknamed Mac, born in Georgia but an Alabama resident for almost his entire life. McLendon died July 4 in Shoal Creek, Alabama. He was 76. Fresh out of LSU, where he led the Tigers to three consecutive Southeastern Conference titles and was a first-team All-American his senior year, McLendon had immediate success after turning pro, winning in his first start, at the unofficial Magnolia Classic, a Second Tour tournament held in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, played opposite the Colonial National Invitation, in 1968. That week, McLendon opened with a 5-under 65 and closed with a 66 to finish 72 holes tied with Pete Fleming. What made the tournament memorable was the nine-hole, sudden-death playoff that ensued, with McLendon finally prevailing over Fleming with a birdie as the sun was quickly setting. McLendon’s second TOUR title came in bittersweet fashion at the 1976 Southern Open at Green Island Country Club Columbus, Georgia. McClendon was the only player in the field to post four rounds in the 60s, and that was enough for him to defeat his friend, Green, by two strokes. Green passed in 2018. McLendon’s best season on TOUR came two years later when he won the Florida Citrus Open at Rio Pinar Country Club, the final event at the course before the tournament moved to the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, current site of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. That week, McLendon cashed the largest check of his career—$40,000—by again turning in four sub-70 rounds, including a 36-hole final day, to defeat a leaderboard full of future World Golf Hall of Famers. David Graham finished second, followed by Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite and Hale Irwin. The victory amazed even McLendon, who told the media following his victory, “I don’t know when I’ve hit the ball worse. I’ve heard players say they had won and they really weren’t playing well. Well, I just put that down as a lot of baloney. Now I know what they’re talking about.” What won McLendon that title in Orlando were the 111 putts he took for the entire week. The win also earned him a spot in the Tournament of Champions a month later in Carlsbad, California, where he tied for fourth. His win in Orlando was a harbinger of things to come in the Sunshine State. At the season-ending Pensacola Open in late-October, just over the border from Alabama, McLendon took a three-shot lead into the final round but couldn’t hold it, shooting a 1-over 73 on the final day to fall into a playoff with Mike Reid. McLendon defeated Reid with a par on the first playoff hole. He finished that season, his best, 22nd on the money list with $107,299 in earnings. In his career, McLendon played in 326 PGA TOUR events. He turned 50 on August 10, 1995, but never attempted to play PGA TOUR Champions. His final TOUR appearances came in 1981, fittingly, at the Pensacola Open and then a week later at the Walt Disney World National Team Championship, paired with Leonard Thompson. Following his TOUR career, McLendon worked in the financial services field in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a member of the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the Montgomery County (Alabama) Sports Hall of Fame. McLendon is survived by his wife of 55 years, Joan; his daughter, Amy (Jason) McLevaine; and two grandchildren. His son, Lance, preceded him in death. Funeral services will be July 8 at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church in Alabama.

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The new structure of the PGA TOUR season couldn’t have paid off better right out of the gate than how THE PLAYERS Championship transpired. Needless to say that fans and gamers are in for a treat for several months. Tucked in between the tentpole tournaments are gems and wrinkles that have taken me to the place of wondering if this isn’t the best-constructed lineup we’ve ever seen, what is? After the Valspar Championship, the ride continues with the third of five doubleheaders next week. However, unlike the other four, both tournaments will be serving action on top of PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done. The Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship will anchor the Roster game, albeit without ShotLink technology. Meanwhile, the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play gets the stand-alone Bracket Challenge. Like all fantasy offerings, it’s free to play and if you’re already registered for any, your login transfers without additional effort. For the early peek, navigate to the Bracket Challenge. Browse the tabs at the top for familiar options. Prizes can be found on the Rules page. With the Wednesday start of the Match Play next week, some of my content will publish earlier than usual, so refer to my schedule beneath the Power Rankings as usual. It’s a tight window between the time the bracket is set on Monday night and when the tournament begins, but given the format, anything can happen. Remember to enjoy the process first. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for the Valspar Championship (in alphabetical order): Jim Furyk Sergio Garcia Adam Hadwin J.T. Poston Patrick Reed Webb Simpson You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Power Rankings Wild Card Brandt Snedeker … Every once in a while, he reminds us – and maybe himself – of the possibilities when he’s flushing his irons. Never confused for a ball-striker, he co-led the field at THE PLAYERS in greens in regulation at 81.94 percent (or 14.75 per round). It’s the first time he’s done that since averaging 16 per round on the massive targets at Kapalua in 2016. Yet, he still gained strokes on the field in putting – that’s no surprise – en route to a personal-best T5 in 10 appearances. He’s 8-for-9 at Copperhead with a pair of top 25s, both of which also are top 10s, but it’s been eight years since the latter, thus his spot here. Draws Jason Kokrak … Continues to put smiles on gamers of all formats. Arrives having connected 16 cuts made. That includes five top 20s in 2019 alone. He’s also recorded three top 15s at Copperhead, including a T8 last year. Currently seventh on TOUR in total driving, 22nd in GIR and ninth in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Branden Grace … It’s a good time to extend the reminder that he does his best work on par 70s and 71s. While Copperhead has four par 5s, it’s a par 71, so it threads the needle of our lowest expectations for him in advance. He placed T8 here last year while ranking second in strokes gained: putting and a surprising T9 in par-5 scoring. Worth fractional ownership. Steve Stricker … Copperhead won’t overwhelm the shorter hitters no matter the age, so he’s a plum for DFSers. Even better, the 52-year-old has a sparkling record on the track with five top 15s, including a T12 a year ago. He’s slowed on the PGA TOUR Champions in 2019, but he’s warm nonetheless. Kevin Kisner … He’s traded sporadic runs at titles with a stream of top 30s – five, in fact, upon arrival. It’s that under-the-surface consistency that conjures the feels of a foreshock. With that, his cachet and his proven fearlessness, he’s ideally suited in DFS at Copperhead. Joel Dahmen … After profiling as a speed-track threat in 2017-18, he’s fulfilling the opposite makeup this season what with a T9 at Torrey Pines and a T12 in his debut at TPC Sawgrass. Continues to flash a sturdy tee-to-green game with a knack to capitalize on par 5s, so he presents as a reliable piece to every DFS roster despite the fact that he’s a first-timer at Copperhead. Keegan Bradley Tyrrell Hatton Russell Knox Fades Gary Woodland … It’s relative. He hasn’t missed a cut in 10 months and he’s fifth in the FedExCup standings without a victory, but Copperhead has had his number in the last four years. He’s also cooled on the Florida Swing. Chalk it up as a sensible time to keep him on the shelf. Bubba Watson … Just his second appearance in the last eight editions (MC, 2017). Overall form has been solid but unspectacular. He has a title defense on deck in Austin and the Masters in three weeks, so focus your investments there and then. Brian Harman … Where did that come from? In case you missed it, the lefty tied for eighth at THE PLAYERS. While it equaled his personal best in the tournament, it was his first top 30 anywhere in nearly nine months. Yes, momentum is on his side, but let’s see him do it again before hopping aboard. It doesn’t help that he’s 0-for-3 at Copperhead since 2015. Zach Johnson … Has one more shot at redemption on the Florida Swing, but gamers shouldn’t hold their breath. He’s back at odds with his on-again, off-again putting. He always comes around for the payoff, and it could very well happen at Copperhead where his short game was on display for a T16 last year, but let him continue to solve the puzzle alone, at least for now. Ollie Schniederjans … Crashed the party at TPC Sawgrass with a third-round 65, but it was his only sub-70 of the event. Furthermore, the T16 it supported was his first top 30 in seven months. Also failed to break par in all eight rounds covering three starts at Copperhead. Chez Reavie … He profiles well to make the cut, and he’s 6-for-9 with three top 25s in tournament history, but he’s finished no better than T38 at Pebble Beach in his most recent four starts. With next week’s Match Play up next, an event for which he’s qualified only once before (2018), we can’t rule him out for looking ahead even though he’s known that he’d be in Austin for a while. Kevin Na … Hasn’t been the same since returning to action following a fractured pinky finger on his right hand. He’s cashed four of five times, but none went for a top 30. Remain patient. Brendan Steele … Continues to slump despite a T17 at Bay Hill two starts ago. Sits T4 in total driving and T8 in greens hit but 197th in strokes gained: putting and 185th in adjusted scoring. This is his first look at Copperhead in six years. Harold Varner III … After an impressive start to the seasons, he’s hits the skids with only one top 50 in his last six starts. Luke Donald … If you’re tuned into general chatter, then you already know that he’s getting massive support from the fan base for this latest return to competition. After sitting out almost six months following a back injury in 2018, he played a bit in the fall, and then launched his 2018-19 PGA TOUR season by missing the cut at Waialae. Then crickets until now. Armed with 14 starts on a Major Medical Extension, he’d get into events on sponsor exemptions, anyway, so it boils down to his physical fitness. He prevailed here in 2012 and his short game can shine at Copperhead, but we have to expect rust. Joaquin Niemann … The midseason outlook for the 20-year-old reveals a vastly different perspective than at this time last year when he was poised to turn professional. He’s buried at 135th in the FedExCup standings with only one top-35 finish all season. The good news is that he’s missed only two cuts, which is even more impressive given he’s 209th in strokes gained: putting. Austin Connelly Graeme McDowell Dylan Meyer Patrick Rodgers Returning to Competition Padraig Harrington … After originally targeting Pebble Beach to return to competition following a broken bone in his left wrist suffered during a fall in December, the 47-year-old finally is getting back inside the ropes at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia. Given that he’s sat out for four months since missing the cut at The RSM Classic, he’d be eligible for a Major Medical Extension on the PGA TOUR if he needs it for 2019-20. The three-time major champion is burning a career earnings exemption this season. Notable WDs Abraham Ancer, Tommy Fleetwood, Alex Noren, Cameron Smith … Each qualified for next week’s World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play via the latest Official World Golf Ranking. J.J. Spaun … He withdrew after opening THE PLAYERS with 4-over 76 due to pain in his left knee. He went into detail more on Twitter on Tuesday. Daniel Berger … He’s competed in each of the last four weeks, so this is a well-timed break. Currently 102nd in the FedExCup standings but still short of the projection to pay off for full-season salary gamers. Hang in there. Martin Laird … With missed cuts both in his last three starts and in his last three appearances at Copperhead, the Scot wasn’t going to be on our radars, anyway. Sean O’Hair … Since withdrawing during his opening round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he’s withdrawn early from three stops on the Florida Swing. No explanation has surfaced for his time away. Bronson Burgoon … No stranger to the early WD – this is his fourth since the start of last season – so the greater concern is his form. Since a co-runner-up at the CIMB Classic, he’s just 1-for-9 (T59, Honda). Power Rankings Recap – THE PLAYERS Championship Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Justin Thomas  T35 2  Francesco Molinari  T56 3  Henrik Stenson  MC 4  Sergio Garcia  T22 5  Rickie Fowler  T47 6  Rory McIlroy  Win 7  Xander Schauffele  MC 8  Ian Poulter  T56 9  Tommy Fleetwood  T5 10  Lucas Glover  MC 11  Justin Rose  T8 12  Brooks Koepka  T56 13  Rafa Cabrera Bello  MC 14  Patrick Cantlay  MC 15  Hideki Matsuyama  T8 16  Webb Simpson  T16 17  Dustin Johnson  T5 18  Adam Scott  T12 19  Bryson DeChambeau  T20 20  Jason Day  T8 Wild Card  Tiger Woods  T30 Sleepers Recap – THE PLAYERS Championship Golfer  Result Aaron Baddeley  MC Daniel Berger  T67 Scott Brown  MC Branden Grace  T72 Emiliano Grillo  T26 Chesson Hadley  MC Sung Kang  T47 Jason Kokrak  T47 Russell Knox  T35 Trey Mullinax  MC Kevin Na  78th/MDF Brian Stuard  MC Michael Thompson  70th Harold Varner III  MC Jhonattan Vegas  T3 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR March 19 … Marc Turnesa (41) March 20 … Arjun Atwal (46); John Merrick (37) March 21 … Brandon Hagy (28) March 22 … none March 23 … Johnson Wagner (39) March 24 … Jason Dufner (42) March 25 … Scott Stallings (34)

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