Everybody on the Bland-wagon – Richard Bland oldest to emerge from pool play at WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play

Since you’re reading this, it’s assumed that you’re registered and ready to give the $1-million prize in the Perfect Lineup Challenge a try. Just remember that it’s a stand-alone game and not affiliated with the Roster game in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. Even if you want identical lineups, you need to make your selections in both games. Now that the FedExCup Playoffs are here, you can abandon the strategy not to chase bonus points in the Roster game. ShotLink will be measuring every stroke as usual, but because FedExCup points are quadrupled in the each of the last four events, bonus points are as well. This means that winner will yield 200 bonus points. When you figure that an average day of fantasy scoring distributes 85 points per golfer and a good day can mean as many as 115 or so, the bonuses in the Playoffs should be renamed motivational points. This simplifies the decision-making process. With no cuts in the last two events and with fields whittling down to 30 for the TOUR Championship, ration properly. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for THE NORTHERN TRUST (in alphabetical order): Patrick Cantlay Dustin Johnson Francesco Molinari Jon Rahm Justin Rose Jordan Spieth You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Jason Day; Tony Finau; Tommy Fleetwood; Brian Gay; Brooks Koepka; Hideki Matsuyama; Justin Thomas; Tiger Woods Driving: Rafa Cabrera Bello; Paul Casey; Jason Day; Tommy Fleetwood; Sam Ryder; Adam Scott; Kyle Stanley; Gary Woodland Approach: Rafa Cabrera Bello; Brian Gay; Zach Johnson; Matt Kuchar; Kevin Na; Ian Poulter; Sam Ryder; Tiger Woods Short: Jason Day; Brian Gay; Matt Kuchar; Alex Noren; Webb Simpson; Brandt Snedeker; Tiger Woods Power Rankings Wild Card Gary Woodland … The latest evidence on the fluidity of this badge. Last week, it was a scuffling Jason Dufner who occupied this space, almost as punishment. Sure enough, after a relatively strong pre-cut effort, he shot 2-over on the weekend to finish T66. Flip the coin over to find Woodland who should be consumed as an extension of the Power Rankings at Ridgewood. He placed T13 here in 2014, which doesn’t hurt, but he’s back on the rise since a T22 at the RBC Canadian Open with a T17 at Firestone and a T6 at Bellerive. Doesn’t mind throttling back when necessary as he’s more brains than brawn. Currently fifth on TOUR in greens hit. Draws Ian Poulter … It’s special to witness how he’s tackled distractions outside the ropes through simplification while improving his play, and at 42 years of age to boot. Opens 34th in points thanks to terrific form over the last five months. Just 1-for-3 at Ridgewood with a T15 in 2010, but let that bother only your opposition. Lest we overlook that he’s also hot on the heels of a return to the Ryder Cup. Matt Kuchar … In full disclosure, I may be giving my man-crush more benefit of the doubt than the rest of the world, but he did win at Ridgewood in 2010 and placed T5 in his return trip in 2014. It’s a classic track that caters to his strong tee-to-green game, so you can understand the success. However, it’s due to that success that he’s poised to be over-owned in DFS specifically. I’ll grant that his current form – four missed cuts in his last six starts of which one didn’t include a cut (WGC-Bridgestone) – you can afford not to play defense in this deep field. Kevin Na … Steady as he goes. While he’s let off the gas a touch since winning at Greenbrier, there’s enough fuel in the tank to suggest that he’ll be able to get to East Lake. Opens as the 19-seed and finished T9 at Ridgewood in 2014. Alex Noren … Gotta give him one more opportunity to dispute a negative trend even as he debuts in the Playoffs. The 39-seed ranks T12 in par-5 scoring and fifth in strokes gained: putting. Both stack up as critical components to tame Ridgewood. Branden Grace … He’s 82nd in the FedExCup standings, so you might as well burn him while you can. Ridgewood is a par 71, which defies the tilt to use him only on par 70s, but overall consistency mitigates general concern. Brian Gay (all) Tyrrell Hatton (DFS) Billy Horschel (DFS) Russell Knox (DFS) Marc Leishman (DFS) Xander Schauffele (all) Charl Schwartzel (SERVPRO) Kyle Stanley (all) Fades Ryan Moore … Coming off a predictable T6 at Sedgefield, which is an extension of a solid season, but he’s 0-for-3 at Ridgewood. For a guy best known as a horse for courses, that doesn’t project well this week. Phil Mickelson … Statistically strong as usual and you know he’ll be adored by the locals, but he’s yet to climb out from a relative slump since the U.S. Open that’s included multiple distractions both inside and outside the ropes. So goes Lefty, but we play a results-based game. He’s also gone five consecutive rounds at Ridgewood without a red number. Bryson DeChambeau … Ninth in points on the back of a wild season but enters with some worry over his right shoulder. The results have been uninspiring since he withdrew during his title defense at the John Deere Classic with the discomfort. The positive spin is that you can save a start or two because he’s tracking for a trip to East Lake. Bubba Watson … Inconsistency has killed our curiosity for this cat. He had been trending predictably on tracks where he’s performed well in the past, but he detached from that angle as well. For the record, he’s finished a respective T12, T31 and T30 at Ridgewood. Best only as a contrarian investment in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. Kevin Kisner … While impressive on their own, a T2 at Carnoustie and T12 at Bellerive are the only shiny objects in the rear-view mirror since May. He’s 40th in points and missed the cut at Ridgewood in 2014, so consider slow-playing him. Daniel Berger Pat Perez Brendan Steele Jimmy Walker Aaron Wise Returning to Competition Louis Oosthuizen … Couldn’t play the PGA Championship due to a sore back. Of course, his litany of maladies over the years prompts enough concern to look elsewhere, but he could still grant two starts in the Playoffs. At 74th in points, he’s assured of the opportunity, but his health may force otherwise. Lucas Glover … Didn’t compete after missing the cut at the U.S. Open and fell from 107th to 135th in the FedExCup standings. He’s committed to the opener of the Web.com Tour Finals, but it remains to be seen if he’ll qualify for a Non-exempt Medical Extension to begin 2018-19. Chad Collins … After reclaiming his card at the 2017 Web.com Tour Finals, he didn’t make one start on the PGA TOUR this season. No news has emerged to explain why, but he’s back in the Finals on a medical dispensation. Attempted a comeback at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open in March and placed T36, but that was his only rehab start of 2018. Notable WDs Rickie Fowler … Any injury is bad news for any professional athlete, but the timing of the partial tear in his right oblique couldn’t be worse what with the Playoffs upon us and the Ryder Cup at the end of September. We can’t assume the severity of the injury, but in a vacuum, it’s worthy of significant concern. He’s 17th in points, so we’ll see what he says in advance of next week’s Dell Technologies Championship. Rory McIlroy … Befuddled with his game, he’s sitting out the first event as a mental break. He didn’t play in the 2015 edition of THE NORTHERN TRUST, either, so this isn’t unprecedented. His best FedExCup finishes have occurred in Ryder Cup years, but this one isn’t following a similar trajectory. Opening 21st in points, he’ll get at least two starts. Two-time winner at TPC Boston. Henrik Stenson … The 50-seed is resting his left elbow. As I stated in multiple platforms last week, credit him for giving it a go to defend his title at the Wyndham Championship when he wasn’t 100 percent. Sure, he’s after a Ryder Cup berth and he finished T20 at Sedgefield, but it would have been understandable if he elected not to compete just as Si Woo Kim took a pass on his title defense at last year’s Wyndham (due to a sore back). Patrick Rodgers … Getting married in Europe. Opening 93rd in points, he’s unlikely to survive, but it depends on how the guys ranked worse fare. Last year, Michael Kim opened as the 95-seed, missed the cut at THE NORTHERN TRUST and fell to only 100th but that’s because 16 guys ranked lower missed the cut and one didn’t compete. Bud Cauley … It was curious that he committed in the first place given his recent return to hitting balls after suffering multiple serious injuries in the automobile crash in Ohio on June 1. At 122nd in points, he won’t advance in the Playoffs. Power Rankings Recap – Wyndham Championship Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Webb Simpson  T2 2  Rafa Cabrera Bello  T11 3  Shane Lowry  MC 4  Ryan Moore  T6 5  Brandt Snedeker  Win 6  Joaquin Niemann  T33 7  Billy Horschel  T11 8  Kevin Tway  T11 9  Julian Suri  T41 10  Chris Kirk  T11 11  Brian Gay  T6 12  Hideki Matsuyama  T11 13  Jason Kokrak  T57 14  Ollie Schniederjans  T57 15  Henrik Stenson  T20 Wild Card  Jason Dufner  T66 Sleepers Recap – Wyndham Championship Golfer  Result Abraham Ancer  T24 Ricky Barnes  T70 Danny Lee  T24 John Oda  T11 Johnson Wagner  T33 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR August 21 … J.J. Spaun (28) August 22 … none August 23 … none August 24 … Rich Beem (48); Cameron Tringale (31) August 25 … none August 26 … Ben Martin (31) August 27 … none

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OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Phil Mickelson, a staple of every Ryder Cup team since 1995, is still trying to force his way into Steve Stricker’s line up but confirmed he’d accept a vice-captains role should he fail to make the squad. Mickelson sits 19th on the U.S. team points list with the top six automatic picks confirmed following the BMW Championship this week. Stricker will then select six more members to round out the squad after the TOUR Championship. After an opening round 4-under 68 at Caves Valley Mickelson needs a huge final three rounds to make a surge into Stricker’s thinking and even qualify for the TOUR Championship. The veteran came in as the last man qualified at 70th in the FedExCup and needs to finish in the top 3 to advance. As his second-round tee time approached he sat eight shots off the lead. “The only way for me to have a realistic chance of being picked is to get into the TOUR Championship and then play well in the TOUR Championship,” Mickelson said. “I’m certainly a long shot I would say, but I’m starting to play well, and if I can put together three good rounds, you never know.” Of course Stricker can pick anyone he likes and may yet still decide Mickelson’s experience, and the fact he proved his winning prowess by becoming the oldest major champion ever at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island in May, should be part of his squad. Mickelson was on winning teams in 1999, 2008 and 2016 but has lost nine times and holds a 18-22-7 record in 47 matches which is the record for most played and most losses. When asked directly about taking up a position amongst Stricker’s captaincy team that includes Davis Love III, Zach Johnson and Jim Furyk at this time, Mickelson admitted he’d consider it. “I love being a part of the Ryder Cup in any way, shape or form, so of course. But I’m not thinking about that right now,” he said.

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