Fowler in the hunt after Day 1 of American Express

ERIN, Wis. — Like any other player at the U.S. Open, Roberto Diaz is using the practice rounds to check out the rough and the greens and to find out where he can be aggressive and where to be patient. Unlike most any other player at the U.S. Open, Diaz is also spending at least a little time scouting out a couch for a nap. Diaz is next up on the alternate list and has a better-than-average chance of taking the spot that currently belongs to Phil Mickelson, who will attend his daughter’s high school graduation in California and, barring a weather delay, won’t make his 2:20 p.m. tee time Thursday at Erin Hills. Diaz can’t roll in at noon, though. His instructions from the USGA are to be ready for the first tee time of the day — 6:45 a.m. — in case an injury, illness or something else unexpected besets one of the other 155 players in the field. “I’ll get up around 4:30, have breakfast, stretch out, get ready to go to the first tee,” Diaz said. “Then, there’s a time in between waves where I can go back in and rest, and then wait again.” It’s more than worth the trouble for the 30-year-old Mexico native who now lives in South Carolina and plays most of his golf on the Web.com Tour. He’s got two top-five finishes this year and currently stands at 11th on the money list. At U.S. Open qualifying, Diaz was among the 80 players vying for five spots at Canoe Brook Country Club in New Jersey earlier this month. He was in a two-man playoff for the final spot and lost on the second extra hole. That put Diaz seventh overall on the alternate list. The first six are already in. Diaz is waiting. He has no regrets about how things went down at Canoe Brook. “It’s over,” he said. “There’s nothing I can do about it. I made my mistakes, but I also had some good efforts and made some putts, so, no, there’s nothing I would change.” Diaz says he has never spoken to Mickelson and doesn’t know him at all. Because of a change in USGA policy, Diaz is allowed to play practice rounds on the course this year; in the past, alternates were relegated to the practice facilities. It gives him a good sense of the place. Now, if he could only control the weather. “I asked them, how’s the weather going to be?” he said. “They said with it being Wisconsin, there are going to be a lot of thunderstorms, either way, they just don’t know when.”

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The RBC Heritage bills as a quintessential position week for private leaguers. With the absence of a clear-cut favorite, or at least a bounty of several who you wouldn’t rule out to be the target, sprinkling in intriguing talent among the chalk is recommended for all, including front-runners. You can get away with it in this field. If anything, you’re encouraged to get cute so as not to be a sitting duck with nothing but chalk when those in pursuit select from all kinds of firepower on the board. As the second tournament in Segment 3 of PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, this strategy carries even more value. We have a long way to go to ration three starts each among the likes of Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Kevin Kisner, Brian Harman and Paul Casey, to name only five at everyone’s disposal at Harbour Town, so creativity and patience will be rewarded. Meanwhile, with the Masters in the books, qualification for THE PLAYERS is up next. The top 10 in the FedExCup standings at the conclusion of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of all action that weekend will gain entry. Once the PGA TOUR’s flagship event is in the rearview mirror on May 13, the fields for the U.S. Open and Open Championship will grow in earnest. For qualifying criteria for these events, the PGA Championship and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, as well as all currently exempt into any or all five, bookmark Qualifiers. Visit regularly because I update it weekly. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the RBC Heritage (in alphabetical order): Brian Harman Kevin Kisner Russell Knox Matt Kuchar Webb Simpson Cameron Smith You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Paul Casey; Brian Gay; Chesson Hadley; Dustin Johnson; Patton Kizzire; Marc Leishman; Ollie Schniederjans Driving: Patrick Cantlay; Paul Casey; Emiliano Grillo; Tyrrell Hatton; Dustin Johnson; Ian Poulter Approach: Jason Dufner; Brian Gay; Emiliano Grillo; Chesson Hadley; Zach Johnson; Patton Kizzire; Andrew Landry; Ian Poulter Short: Bud Cauley; Luke Donald; Emiliano Grillo; Tyrrell Hatton; Beau Hossler; Dustin Johnson; Patton Kizzire; Kevin Na Power Rankings Wild Card Xander Schauffele … A shout-out to loyal readers who stick by their guys. I often hear from apologists, er, diehard fans – you know who you are – of the likes of Charley Hoffman and Brandt Snedeker among others. From my vantage point as a fantasy analyst, I have an elevated appreciation for that devotion. Furthermore, it’s never my intent to slight your guy because he’s not in the Power Rankings or endorsed in this column. You know all about my purity and independence. Still, this applies to one particular reader who once told me that Schauffele should appear in every Power Rankings, which is actually a solid argument despite the bias. The 2016-17 Rookie of the Year is certainly headed in that direction rapidly, but he gets the next best thing for the RBC Heritage where he’s making his debut and where experience has mattered (although Branden Grace and Wesley Bryan may have extinguished that narrative with victories in the second and first appearances in the last two editions, respectively). Schauffele’s putting is the X-factor this week and he’s shown little signs that his surge since the U.S. Open last year won’t continue. Draws Beau Hossler … The silver lining of his playoff loss to Ian Poulter in Houston is that the Englishman went out and forced sudden death. Sure, how Hossler failed to execute once there was unfortunate, but he was tackled from behind. The first-time PGA TOUR member was firing on all cylinders. Jason Dufner … Furnishing a mixed bag of the decent with the forgettable this season, but he hasn’t has any trouble connecting at Harbour Town where he’s 8-for-8 since 2009. And now it’s time for redemption. His personal-best finish occurred just last year when he entered the final round as the outright leader before backpedaling to T11 with a 76. Patrick Cantlay … It was going to happen at some point. His consecutive cuts made streak since returning to competition 14 months ago came to an end at the Masters. However, that funnels directly into my philosophy that negative results on the biggest stages for emergent talents can be ignored due to the fact that a major really isn’t just another golf tournament. So, expect a rebound to the mean at Harbour Town where he finished T3 as a first-timer last year. Emiliano Grillo … He’s been tearing up tracks since wrapping 2017 with a T9 at El Camaleón. He’s 8-for-8 worldwide in 2018 with a T3 in his last start two weeks ago in Houston. Certainly could’ve been slotted in the Power Rankings as a result, but he’s making his tournament debut. Still, it’s a challenge to find another in this field who stacks up as statistically strong for Harbour Town. Ryan Moore … Given his propensity to play well on courses that scream and even whiff of classic design, it’s surprising that he hasn’t made the trip to Harbour Town since 2008. Don’t let that prevent you from investing. He keeps his ball in play and goes about his business with an underrated short game. Placed T5 at Bay Hill and T28 at Augusta National in his last two starts. Ollie Schniederjans … Tiptoe into him. The 24-year-old is a dynamic talent and even though he’s in the middle of just his second season on the PGA TOUR, he’s easily one of the most intriguing who hasn’t broken through for victory. He can be inconsistent with his irons, but he solved Harbour Town in his debut last year. Or maybe he’s just that comfortable here. En route to a T3 with four rounds in the 60s, he ranked T2 in greens in regulation and led the field in both proximity to the hole and strokes gained: approach-the-green. Bud Cauley … All kinds of yes. Six top 20s scattered about his 9-for-12 record this season, including in his last two starts. Also sparked a T9 here last year with a field-low 63 in the opening round. Tyrrell Hatton … The Brit is a perfect fit in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO for gamers who are keen to perhaps steal points from opponents who haven’t been paying attention. In this regard, he lines up similarly to how Branden Grace was projected to perform when the South African prevailed two years ago. Hatton has been on cruise control for the last seven months. He’s a terrific putter who contended through 54 holes here last year before settling for a T29. Aaron Baddeley (DFS) Bryson DeChambeau (DFS) Jim Furyk (DFS) Brian Gay (SERVPRO) Si Woo Kim (DFS) Patton Kizzire (SERVPRO) Francesco Molinari (SERVPRO) Kevin Na (all) Scott Piercy (DFS) Kevin Streelman (DFS) Fades Wesley Bryan … In a nutshell, he’s still finding his way. His victory here last year was a bonus that punctuated a year’s worth of leaderboard appearances dating back to the Web.com Tour in 2016. Since, he’s picked off only two top 25s worldwide and arrives having missed four consecutive cuts. Simply allow him to experience the thrill of being a defending champion for the first time. Brandt Snedeker … Maybe this is the week when it jells post-injury, but the tease of consecutive top 25s on the West Coast Swing two months ago has been just that. He won at Harbour Town in 2011 and has gone on to add five paydays in the last six editions, but let the course history buffs in your loop take the bait. Kevin Chappell … As consistently strong as he’s been for a while now, there are still times when we need to respect his relative weakness with the putter. Yet, tracks with small greens tend to favor average to below-average putters, so his T9 here in 2016 wasn’t a surprise. In sum, he’s a boon for full-season gamers and a mild risk for the weekly crowd. Charl Schwartzel … Suddenly 61st in the Official World Golf Ranking and poised to miss his first U.S. Open in 10 years. He hasn’t been positioned outside the top 60 since the first week of 2010, long before the USGA expanded the bubble for entry into the season’s second major via the OWGR. Just one top-45 finish in stroke-play competition on the PGA TOUR this season, and that was but a T28 at the limited-field CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES nearly six months ago. Luke List … This is relative as poor course history probably no longer applies to the 33-year-old for whom it’s all coming together. Rather, this is a nod that his primary weapon off the tee is neutralized at Harbour Town and the design caters to the contingent who can’t move it like he can where it matters more. Byeong Hun An Scott Brown Ross Fisher Matthew Fitzpatrick Bill Haas Martin Kaymer Ryan Palmer Returning to Competition Sung Kang … Walked off the Golf Club of Houston during the second round. An explanation wasn’t released. He’s managed only one top-55 finish in eight starts in 2018, so there’s no need to force him. Last year’s T11 at Harbour Town occurred amid a torrid April. J.J. Spaun … Since withdrawing during the Waste Management Phoenix Open, he’s missed two cuts in as many tries, yet he hasn’t appeared since The Honda Classic seven weeks ago. No news has surfaced to explain his time off, but at 43rd in the FedExCup standings, he can afford it. If you’re a risk-taker, you’ll attach to his terrific approach game on a track where it paid dividends in the form of a T6 in his debut last year. John Senden … Shed some competitive rust while missing the cut at the Web.com Tour’s Chitimacha Louisiana Open two weeks ago. Now has plans to remain on the PGA TOUR via a Major Medical Extension that grants him 13 starts. After the RBC Heritage, the Aussie has circled next week’s Valero Texas Open, the Wells Fargo Championship (May 3-6) and AT&T Byron Nelson (May 17-20) as probables. If you weren’t aware, he sat out 11 months as his son began to battle brain cancer. For an in-depth update on that story, click here. Notable WDs Branden Grace … The 2016 champ is stepping aside for the birth of his first child. It probably would be impossible to determine if the Nappy Factor influenced his execution leading up to it because he’s one of the more reliable pieces on the board just about every time he competes, especially on par 70s and 71s. He’s 9-for-9 this season with five top 25s. Steve Stricker … Enjoying a second consecutive week off because he’s likely headed for a busy summer. Currently atop the money list on the PGA TOUR Champions and continues to moonlight on the PGA TOUR where he’s 146th in the FedExCup standings. He and fellow Cheesehead, Jerry Kelly, who is No. 2 in earnings on the 50-and-older circuit, are getting set to ambush the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in two weeks. They teamed up to finish T14 in last year’s debut of the format. Vijay Singh … His comments to Golf Channel last week referencing that he’s thought about hanging it up at the Masters due to a regression in his ability to contend align with what he said immediately after he prevailed at the Toshiba Classic on March 11. The 55-year-old Life Member of the PGA TOUR is coming to terms with the reality of how the state of his game stacks up against the younger generations. He expressed a plan to dedicate more time on the PGA TOUR Champions. Lo and behold, you’ll find him at this week’s Mitsubishi Electric Classic later this week. Power Rankings Recap – Masters Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Justin Thomas T17 2 Phil Mickelson T36 3 Justin Rose T12 4 Jordan Spieth 3rd 5 Tiger Woods T32 6 Rory McIlroy T5 7 Jason Day T20 8 Dustin Johnson T10 9 Bubba Watson T5 10 Paul Casey T15 11 Alex Noren MC 12 Sergio Garcia MC 13 Matt Kuchar T28 14 Henrik Stenson T5 15 Jon Rahm 4th 16 Rickie Fowler 2nd 17 Ian Poulter T44 18 Hideki Matsuyama 19th 19 Kevin Chappell MC 20 Zach Johnson T36 Wild Card Kiradech Aphibarnrat T44 Sleepers Recap – Masters Power Ranking Golfer Result Patrick Cantlay MC Bryson DeChambeau T38 Matthew Fitzpatrick T38 Pat Perez MC Cameron Smith T5 Kyle Stanley 52nd Brendan Steele MC Jimmy Walker T20 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR April 10 … none April 11 … none April 12 … Matt Bettencourt (43); Russell Henley (29) April 13 … Davis Love III (54) April 14 … none April 15 … Chris Smith (49) April 16 … Michael Thompson (33)

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PGA: Kisner survives, others flop, in wild 3rd

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