Dustin Johnson’s strange ride to the cusp of a Masters title is so 2020

When sizing up the field at the Houston Open, we can’t help but loop in next week’s Masters into the strategy. In fact, you must. Experience at Augusta National matters more than on any other host track all season, so you don’t want to spend now what you need to consider saving for later. However, the rise of so many candidates for the Masters eases our challenge for Houston. Whether you’re pacing or chasing, Phil Mickelson will serve the purpose in either event. You know he’s a three-time winner of the Masters, but it might surprise you that he’s also the all-time earnings leader in the tournament. (Tiger Woods is No. 2.) Also in the field at both is the (relatively) scuffling Jordan Spieth. He’s third on the money list at Augusta National with a win, two seconds and a T11. I’d endorse a Mickelson-Spieth exacta over the next two weeks, but not the reverse. If anything, you can comfortably holster Spieth for another major or, frankly, anytime. His litany of Future Possibilities covers the gamut. I have Justin Rose penciled in at the Masters (sixth in all-time earnings), as he should be in that the tournament is his most logical site of any all season. He’s not on my short list for Houston, either. Suddenly, Mickelson is a the obvious choice. The only other inside the top 23 on the all-time money list and currently exempt at the Masters who also is committed to the Houston Open is Ernie Els (12th), but he hasn’t cracked our consciousness in a while. (Matt Kuchar is 24th on the money list at Augusta National, but he’s always been a top-shelf bridge for a regular event due to this busy schedule among the elite.) Others worth considering in Houston: Henrik Stenson has never had a top 10 at the Masters, so you might as well keep it simple and invest while he’s in form and comfortable with the course. If you’re like me, never mind the fade at Bay Hill and accept the top-five finish. You never can win them all. Daniel Berger will be the two-time defending champion at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Enough said. I gave Rickie Fowler a serious look for the Houston Open because he’s hung up three top 10s and fits the rhetorical angle that he’s one of the handful of notables who hasn’t won in 2018. However I went into the season to burn him in a major, and will stick to that plan. Still, if you need to make some noise, he’ll be under-owned this week. As mentioned in the Power Rankings, the Houston Open is probably going to be the last hurrah for Charles Howell III in our world this season. His Future Possibilities confirm it. He’s perfect if you own a decent lead and consider who your opponents burn as net-positives since those golfers go off their boards. Keegan Bradley also presents well for front-runners. Last but hardly least, defending champion and course thoroughbred Russell Henley is right there for the taking. The problem with him is that gamers in pursuit will gobble him up, so league leaders can do the same, play defense and won’t miss him. (If you’re one of them, remember, you’ve earned it!) In addition to Spieth, Rose and Kuchar, I’m cool on Rafa Cabrera Bello (bridge), Jason Dufner, Tony Finau and Steve Stricker as primaries. Stricker would be fine to complement the lead in two-man formats, though. Looking ahead, the John Deere Classic will be contested opposite the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship again this summer. He played the JDC last year, but even though it’s tough to envision the possibility that he won’t return, we’ve never guaranteed these things. Two-man gamers are wise also to factor in Sean O’Hair, Bud Cauley, Lee Westwood and Byeong Hun An in Houston. FUTURE POSSIBILITIES NOTE: Select golfers committed to the tournament are listed alphabetically. Future tournaments are sorted chronologically and reflect previous success on the courses on which the tournaments will be held in 2017-18. The numerical values in parentheses represent the order of relative confidence of where to use each golfer if multiple sites are listed (e.g. 1 for strongest, 2 for next-strongest and so on). To present weighted confidence in real time, numerical values will not change all season no matter how many tournament remain listed for each golfer. All are pending golfer commitment. Daniel Berger … Houston (3); St. Jude (1; two-time defending); Travelers (2) Keegan Bradley … Houston (3); Memorial (5); WGC-Bridgestone (2) Jason Dufner … Fort Worth (2); Memorial (3; defending); U.S. Open (4); Wyndham (6); TOUR Championship (7) Tony Finau … Valero (5); Memorial (3); Greenbrier (2); Canadian (4) Rickie Fowler … Houston (4); Masters (8); Wells Fargo (7); PLAYERS (9); WGC-Bridgestone (3); THE NORTHERN TRUST (10); Dell Technologies (6) Bill Haas … Wyndham (2) Russell Henley … Houston (1; defending); Greenbrier (3) J.B. Holmes … Houston (2); Wells Fargo (7); Greenbrier (5) Charles Howell III … Houston (7) Chris Kirk … Valero (4); PLAYERS (3); Fort Worth (2) Russell Knox … Heritage (2); PLAYERS (8); Dell Technologies (7) Matt Kuchar … Masters (5); Heritage (1); Valero (10); PLAYERS (11); Fort Worth (6); Memorial (2); Canadian (3); WGC-Bridgestone (7); THE NORTHERN TRUST (9) William McGirt … Heritage (1); Memorial (4) Phil Mickelson … Houston (3); Masters (4); Wells Fargo (2); St. Jude (1); Open Championship (5) Ryan Palmer … Valero (1); Fort Worth (2); St. Jude (6) Scott Piercy … Houston (5); John Deere (6) Justin Rose … Masters (1); Wells Fargo (4); PLAYERS (9); Memorial (6); Open Championship (8); WGC-Bridgestone (7); TOUR Championship (2) Brandt Snedeker … Masters (7); Heritage (10); Fort Worth (11); U.S. Open (5); Travelers (6); Canadian (3); Wyndham (4) Jordan Spieth … Houston (11); Masters (1); Heritage (12); Fort Worth (2); Travelers (6; defending); John Deere (7); Open Championship (9; defending); WGC-Bridgestone (10); TOUR Championship (4) Henrik Stenson … Houston (10); Open Championship (6); WGC-Bridgestone (4); PGA Championship (7); Wyndham (8; defending); Dell Technologies (9); TOUR Championship (2) Kevin Streelman … Wells Fargo (3); Memorial (1); Travelers (2)

Click here to read the full article…

There are 23 rookies enduring (embracing?) the learning curve on the PGA TOUR this season, but gamers aren’t exempt from a similar experience. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO launched for the 2015 PLAYERS, which means that it’s beginning its third full season this fall. It also means that it’s that time of year when new gamers are learning the ropes. The most common question right now is how to select players. Not that those gamers are aware, but the better question is when to select your players. If you’re navigating the platform at FantasyGolf.PGATOUR.com on Mondays and not familiar with where to go, you’re going to need to be aware of the process of turning over tournaments. You can choose golfers as far in advance as you’d like on the “My Roster” page. Simply click on “SELECT TOURNAMENT” in the upper right. When you do, three events populate a pop-up. (When you click on “More>>,” a slide-out of the entire season appears.) However, the actual field for every tournament isn’t loaded until sometime on Tuesdays. So, if you beat it, you run the risk of inserting a golfer who either didn’t commit or who committed but has since withdrawn. If this happens to you, you should receive an alert indicating that one or more of your golfers is not scheduled to compete. I tweet all field changes after the published field is released. You do not need to register for Twitter to read my public tweets. As the PGA TOUR travels north to South Korea for THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, set a reminder that the tournament is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 18. That’s 4 p.m. on the West Coast and 1 p.m. in Hawaii. Adjust accordingly. Despite my multiple notices last week, not to mention all of the other resources at your fingertips to indicate tee times, there were still gamers who either forgot about the location of the CIMB Classic or failed to read for top-of-mind awareness. It’s not as damaging in the One & Done, but if you’re chasing Segment and season-long prizes in the Roster game, it could cost you. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES (in alphabetical order): Paul Casey Jason Day Tony Finau Russell Henley Marc Leishman Justin Thomas You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Brian Harman; Anirban Lahiri; Luke List; Pat Perez; Patrick Reed; Xander Schauffele; Ollie Schniederjans; Cameron Smith Driving: n/a Approach: n/a Short: n/a Power Rankings Wild Card Patrick Reed … After four straight trips to the CIMB Classic, he was a surprising DNP last week even though he’s logged only one top 25, so it’s refreshing to see him back in action on Jeju Island. His love for travel is documented, but inconsistent ball-striking kept him from populating the Power Rankings. That said, his short game is so good that it barely matters. You may recall persistent attention to a regression in his greenside game early in 2017. It was reflective in his results. Well, it’s important to update that he went from ranking 178th in scrambling at the conclusion of THE PLAYERS to finishing the season 41st. The improvement was directly proportional to an uptick in overall form. Since scrambling is of value at Nine Bridges, he should remain on his current trajectory. Draws Adam Scott … Forgive his fizzling finish to the 2016-17 season as it coincided with the birth of his second child. All that means is that he’s slipped through the side door and into this week’s field. That presents opportunity in DFS. Starting anew in South Korea, the Aussie is determined to reconnect with the kind of electric ball-striking that yielded consecutive victories early in 2016. Lucas Glover … He possesses one of the lowest ball flights in the field and he’s one of the best ball-strikers of his generation. That combination alone makes him an easy fit at Nine Bridges. The bonus is his form upon arrival. A T7 in Malaysia was his second top 15 in his last three starts. Simply no need to overthink him in any format. Plug him in with confidence. Ian Poulter … Low ball flight, a course that won’t overwhelm him and more than enough inspiring form for months is all the reason DFSers need to buy. Byeong Hun An (DFS) Chad Campbell (all) Graham DeLaet (DFS) Brian Harman (DFS) Robert Streb (DFS) Nick Taylor (DFS) Fades Charl Schwartzel … Relatively speaking, of course. Because he makes most cuts, he’s usually insurance in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, but with no cut and no ShotLink this week, the focus is on overall production. That’s where we lose him. His last top 10 anywhere was a co-runner-up in Memphis in mid-June. Thomas Pieters … If not for a third-round 77 at TPC Kuala Lumpur, he’d have performed above his projection. As it was, he finished a forgettable T44, his fifth result outside the top 40 in five starts. Perhaps this is who he is, though, a mammoth talent who will emerge enough to rattle mainstream cages long-term while at the same time disappoint weekly gamers. As we continue to digest his profile, we’re benefited in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO because we’re not going to exhaust all three of his starts in Segment 1. For that reason and with no cut at Nine Bridges, park this contrarian on your bench. Daniel Berger … He was a surprising non-factor in his third spin through the FedExCup Playoffs, so there’s reason to approach him with caution. The wunderkind can be a frustrating own if you’re not in for the long haul. However, he sets up just like Pieters. Consider stowing him on your bench based on cachet alone. Gary Woodland … If ShotLink was in use at Nine Bridges, he’d battle for a spot on your roster. This isn’t to say that there isn’t merit to chase the leaderboard finish (and bonus points that go with it), but for as solid as he’s been since the birth of his child, he’s still without a top-15 finish in seven straight starts. Co-led the field in greens hit at TPC Kuala Lumpur but settled for a T28. Branden Grace Emiliano Grillo Adam Hadwin J.B. Holmes Charles Howell III Kevin Na Seung-Yul Noh Jhonattan Vegas Notables WDs Patrick Cantlay … It’s not nonsense to draw a parallel between his selective scheduling and the drip-drip of news released of Tiger Woods’ recovery from back surgeries. Both are so compelling in their respective contexts. Cantlay has been nothing short of fantastic as he’s ascended rapidly through the ranks. His ownership percentages in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO should rival some of the game’s most popular and decorated talents this season. Jason Dufner … Given the angle that projects success at Nine Bridges, he’d have been a likely contender as a tee-to-green force. Opened his season finishing fifth-from-last in the 78-man CIMB Classic. Mackenzie Hughes … What a difference a year and a victory makes. He was a fresh-faced rookie at this time in 2016, so he didn’t qualify for either stop in Asia. (No current rookies are eligible for THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES.) A month later, he prevailed at The RSM Classic and secured fully exempt status through 2018-19. It’s good to have options. Russell Knox … Remains in a funk. His T63 at the CIMB Classic extended his drought without a top 25 to seven consecutive starts. In the process, he’s drifted outside the top 60 in the Official World Golf Ranking, so the grind is on to qualify for all of the majors and World Golf Championships in 2018. He’s currently eligible for none. Ernie Els … Celebrates his 48th birthday on Tuesday, Oct. 17. Burning a career earnings exemption this season, but his fantasy value is all but gone. Power Rankings Recap – CIMB Classic Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Justin Thomas T17 2 Brendan Steele T13 3 Paul Casey T7 4 Hideki Matsuyama T5 5 Kevin Na T44 6 Xander Schauffele T3 7 Scott Piercy T63 8 Rafa Cabrera Bello T10 9 Chez Reavie T17 10 James Hahn T28 11 Ian Poulter T58 12 Gary Woodland T28 13 Charl Schwartzel T48 14 Keegan Bradley 2nd 15 Thomas Pieters T44 Wild Card Bud Cauley 67th Sleepers Recap – CIMB Classic Golfer Result Gavin Kyle Green T61 Charles Howell III T51 Sung Kang T3 Cameron Smith T5 Richy Werenski T63 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR October 17… Ernie Els (48) October 18 … none October 19 … Louis Oosthuizen (35) October 20 … none October 21 … none October 22 … none October 23 … none  

Click here to read the full article…

Jon Rahm is hopeful that he can emulate compatriot Seve Ballesteros by becoming only the second three-time winner of the Spanish Open.

Click here to read the full article…