Golf: Tiger at risk of missing cut, Finau shares early Memorial lead

The third tournament on the Florida swing is THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The tournament will play as a par 72, measuring 7,256 yards, and be putt on TifEagle Bermuda overseeded with Poa trivialis/velvet bentgrass greens. This tournament had usually been played in May, but with the move to March (in 2019), the playing surface is the overseed. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: $2.5M Fantasy Golf Millionaire [$1M to 1st + ToC Semifinal Entry] (PGA TOUR) STRATEGY The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is a Pete Dye design and probably his most notable. The course isn’t too challenging; it’s not even Dye’s most formidable track. Still, TPC Sawgrass can play tough when the wind picks up, especially if the golfers’ irons aren’t precise. With 88 bunkers and 17 water hazards that come into play on 17 holes, it’s easy to make big numbers. In 2019, the tournament recorded the ninth-most bogeys and fourth-most double-bogeys. Some of the difficulties are how Dye makes sure golfers don’t get “used” to the course. The layout doesn’t have back-to-back holes featuring similarities of any kind. They’ll dogleg in opposite directions, either into or against the wind, and vary substantially in distance. Par 5s follow par 3s, which precedes a par 4, and some of these par 4s are behemoths, with four measuring over 460 yards. There are also three under 400 yards, so golfers will need to adapt at every turn. Like last week, scoring on the par 5s is a must with the difficulty and uniqueness of the par 4s. TPC Sawgrass recorded the second-most eagles on TOUR in 2019 and the third-most in 2018. The greens will be small and fast, which means overall proximity and Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green will be a priority. Last season, the tournament was back in March after moving back from May in 2019. The course usually plays fast and firm in May, but the golfers have mentioned it playing softer the last couple of years and using more drivers Off-the-Tee. Winds are more troublesome in March, and temperatures are cooler, so golf shots will not roll out as much. The forecast looks like we’re going to have inclement weather, so keep an eye on it as we get closer to Thursday. Like other Florida courses, golfers with course history at TPC Sawgrass have done relatively better than those who haven’t spent much time here. The past five winners have an average of four starts before their win, with Si Woo Kim ($7,300) winning in his second start and Justin Thomas ($10,400) winning in his sixth. Pricing is generous this week, and lineups could skew more balanced. Contrarian lineups should consider pairing expensive golfers with players priced in the bottom half. In 2018, the top seven golfers in DraftKings scoring were below $7,300, with two below $7,000. In 2019, three of the top six golfers in DraftKings scoring were in the $6,000 range, with Jhonathan Vegas finishing third place in the tournament priced at $6,100. Last season, the average salary from the top six in DraftKings scoring was $8,266, and the total salary was $49,600, so a balanced lineup can work as well. GOLFERS TO CONSIDER Hideki Matsuyama ($9,600) Paying up for Collin Morikawa ($10,700) or the aforementioned Thomas is fine, but let’s deploy some strategy and roster Matsuyama, who’s projected to be lower-rostered than both golfers above as of now. Last week, Hideki finished inside the top 20 in tough conditions at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, gaining 6.29 strokes Tee-to-Green for the tournament. His golf was stellar over the weekend, but especially on Sunday, shooting 2-under and gaining 4.9 strokes Tee-to-Green, which ranked second to only Corey Conners ($7,300). It’s been feast or famine with Hideki here, finishing inside the top 10 in 2019 and 2016 but missing the cut in 2018 and 2021. Last season, his early departure came thanks to a poor front nine on Thursday, shooting 5-over, although he rallied back on the inward nine and on Friday to only miss the cut by one stroke. Let’s also not forget he led after the first round in 2020, shooting 9-under while hitting 15 of 18 greens and not missing a putt inside 10 feet. The tournament eventually got canceled due to COVID-19, so we weren’t able to see how he or any other golfer would have finished. Over the previous 24 rounds at TPC Sawgrass, Matsuyama ranks 10th in DraftKings points gained over the field. Daniel Berger ($8,800) Berger was nearly perfect at PGA National for three rounds, gaining six strokes with his irons and 6.1 on the greens. On Sunday, he hit a wall and struggled with his ball-striking, eventually finishing fourth after losing a five-shot lead coming into Round 4 of The Honda Classic. Still, it was Berger’s second top-5 finish of the year, and he remains inside the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green over the previous 24 rounds. A top 10 here in his second start was due to a hot putter, and Berger was fourth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green last year, which also led to a top-10. If/when Berger’s roster percentage increases, Brooks Koepka ($8,600) should be in consideration. A top-3 finish at the WM Phoenix Open and a 16th at the Honda Classic where he was 12th in Tee-to-Green are a couple of indications he’s playing well and maybe healthy for the first time. He’s immaculate on these greens and hasn’t missed the cut in his past four tournaments at TPC Sawgrass. Max Homa ($7,500) Fourth in approach last week (+5.7) and gaining with his irons in four-straight events, Homa has now finished inside the top 17 in four of his previous five starts. He missed the cut on debut here but gained just under three strokes with his irons on his first appearance at TPC Sawgrass. He’s also playing well on par 5s, ranking fourth over the previous 12 rounds. Kyoung-Hoon (KH) Lee ($6,300) It wasn’t pretty for Lee other than Round 1 last week, where he gained 3.05 stokes Tee-to-Green, 1.9 through approach. He ended up in 42nd place, but finished 22nd in DraftKings scoring, proving he can score. He’s flashed in solid fields already this season, leading after Round 1 at TPC Scottsdale, shooting 65 and gaining 5.6 strokes Tee-to-Green. He’s also done exceptionally well on TPC courses, finishing runner up at the 2021 WM Phoneix Open (TPC Scottsdale), sixth at the 3M Open (TPC Twin Cities) last season, 13th at the 2019 Travelers Championship (TPC River Highlands) and 14th at the 2021 Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin. Even though he’s struggling with his irons, it’s getting better each tournament, losing less than the one prior. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: $2.5M Fantasy Golf Millionaire [$1M to 1st + ToC Semifinal Entry] (PGA TOUR) Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game. Place your golf bets at DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app. All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests. The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. 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Even though The RSM Classic is just the eighth tournament of the season, it signifies the conclusion of a long year of PGA TOUR action. So, it’s no doubt welcoming that neither course at Sea Island Resort is a grind. The Seaside Course is a par 70 at just 7,005 yards. In its seventh edition as host, it averaged a tournament-low 68.889 a year ago. The Plantation Course measures 7,058 yards, yet it’s a stock par 72. Its scoring average of 69.763 was more than one stroke lower than its debut in 2015. The 36-hole cut fell at 5-under last year. More on both tracks, the format and expectations beneath the ranking. Four consecutive top 20s upon arrival and six in his last seven starts. Perfect in five trips to Sea Island with a playoff loss in 2011 and a T7 in 2013. Season debut. It’s been two years now since he captured his first PGA TOUR title here. After a mild regression, he’s now a threat every time he competes. Like clockwork. He’s opened the new season T19-T15-T4. Ranked T2 in GIR at Mayakoba. He’s also 7-for-7 with three top 10s and a T13 (2016) at Sea Island. It took an illness to sidetrack him in Mexico, but that’s better than a swing-related malady. Seeking to avenge last year’s fade (T45) at the RSM; sat fifth through 54 holes. Since last year’s MC, he’s risen 100 spots in the OWGR to 27th. The lefty already has a pair of top 10s on the board this season. Also placed T10 here in 2013. One of the horses for the courses with a 4-for-4 record that includes a T13 last year. Two top 20s in his last four starts, including a T17 at the Safeway Open. Took three weeks off since launching 2017-18 in T17-T23-T19. Placed T6 in his rookie debut at Sea Island last year. Led field in proximity and birdie-or-better percentage. Making noise a little more often than usual. Top 10s in two of last three starts and five top 25s in his last eight. Three top 20s in four starts at The RSM Classic. Two of his 11 career top 10s have occurred in his only visits to Sea Island, so he’s adapted admirably. Placed T5 at THE CJ CUP four weeks ago. The FedExCup points leader is fresh off his breakthrough win, so a letdown is expected. Or maybe not. He placed T10 and T4 in his previous two starts. Co-led Mayakoba at the midpoint and played in the final threesome in the finale but finished T14. He’s 2-for-2 at The RSM Classic with a T10 last year. A consistent performer both early in the season (4-for-4 with three top 20s) and over the past five-and-a-half months (12-for-13 with seven top 20s). Among the plethora of locals. Although he has five top 25s in six tries, only one was better than a T20. Since the Presidents Cup, he recorded a pair of T31 in Asia. Off to a nice start with a T25 at the Sanderson Farms and a T10 at the Shriners. Making his fifth start at the RSM where he finished a personal-best T27 last year. Showcased his mettle with a T14 in Mexico after fading to a T10 in Vegas. In his debut at Sea Island last year, he was positioned inside the top 20 after 36 holes. Rank player comment POWER RANKINGS: THE RSM CLASSIC Defending champion Mac Hughes, Brandt Snedeker, Zach Johnson and Bubba Watson will be among the notables in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. For everyone who has worked as a course maintenance staffer in the Southeast, the last couple of years have tested that passion. Last year, Tropical Storm Hermine and Hurricane Matthew blew through the Golden Isles in the months leading up to The RSM Classic. This year, it was Hurricane Irma. But once again, after five dozen trees were removed and recovery from the storm surge was complete, both Seaside and Plantation are ready. As it pertains to the competition, preparation to challenge the field of 156 demands consistency since every golfer gets one round on the Plantation Course before the cut falls. Half the field will open on the co-host, while the other half will take its turn in the second round. Only Seaside hosts the final two rounds. Bermudagrass greens will be receptive, so splitting fairways won’t be as much of a prerequisite as a coincidence on the shorter courses. As with any shootout, hitting greens in regulation and converting on those opportunities is key. Mac Hughes ranked T50 in GIR en route to victory last year, but he still averaged 13 per round. Of the five in the playoff from which he emerged, the Canadian authored the strongest short game. (Only Seaside is lasered for ShotLink purposes.) A primary motivation to introduce Plantation two years ago was so that all of the Web.com Tour graduates could plan on making the trip. That’s pivotal because the first reshuffle of 2017-18 will occur after the conclusion of the tournament. Once the calendar turns over in January, playing time for the guys near the bottom of the category will be reduced until fields expand to 156 in the second half of April. Mother Nature will walk off official competition in 2017 with primarily cloudless skies and a drop-off in the daytime high temperature. After peaking in the mid-70s on Saturday, it’ll be some 10 degrees cooler for the finale. Wind is almost always a variable along the coast, but it’s proven not to be as much of a challenge as other destinations. ROB BOLTON’S WRITING SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Columnist Rob Bolton will be filing his usual staples leading up to this week’s event. Look for the following columns this week. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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• FIELD: See the entrants for the event • COURSE: The Club at Nine Bridges, 7,196 yards, par 72. Located on Jeju Island, a resort destination just south of the Korean mainland, Nine Bridges opened in 2001 and is the only Korean course ranked among the world’s top 100. Designers Ronald Fream and David Dale deftly incorporated the layout into rolling pineland beneath Mount Halla, a dormant volcano that formed Jeju Island. The club was one of the first Asian venues on the LPGA schedule, with Se Ri Pak capturing the first tournament in 2002. Nine Bridges also is the longtime host of the biannual World Club Championship, where champions from top-level clubs around the world gather to contest a global title. The course actually features eight bridges – the ninth is metaphorical as a link from the club to members and guests. • FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 points. • CHARITY: The CJ Welfare Foundation and CJ Culture Foundation, supporting a wide range of projects from aiding retirees to fostering up-and-coming young artists and athletes. Among the initiatives is the “Silver Deliveryâ€� project, which gives part-time delivery jobs to retired seniors and resulted in CJ’s recognition by Fortune magazine among 56 companies “changing the world.â€� A new joint effort with UNESCO aims to expand education among girls in underdeveloped nations. • FIELD WATCH: Justin Thomas, making the second start of his FedExCup defense, and THE PLAYERS titleholder Si Woo Kim headline a limited field of 78 players set to tee it up in the CJ Cup’s debut. … TOUR Championship winner Xander Schauffele is one of 17 entrants who were at East Lake last month by virtue of making the top 30 in last season’s FedExCup points race. … The event has attracted 10 of the top 30 players in the world rankings, with No. 4 Thomas and No. 9 Jason Day heading up that list. … Kim, Day and Adam Scott are among 10 members of the International squad that competed in the Presidents Cup at Liberty National. Thomas is one of three U.S. Team members, joined by Daniel Berger and Patrick Reed. … Thomas and World Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els are among 10 major championship winners coming to Nine Bridges. • 72-HOLE RECORD: Debut event. • 18-HOLE RECORD: Debut event. • STORYLINES: The PGA TOUR expands its Asian outreach with its first standard event in South Korea, creating a three-week swing on that continent. The CJ Cup arrives just two years after a successful Presidents Cup near Seoul, where the International team nearly upended the favored Americans. … K.J. Choi, winner of eight TOUR titles, and Kim are among 16 Korean pros seeking to give the event a homegrown winner in its very first edition. The list also includes former U.S. Amateur champion Byeong Hun An and three-time European Tour winner Jeunghun Wang. … Also among the Korean faction is Sangmoon Bae, who tees it up for the third time since returning from mandatory military service in his homeland. He has missed the cut in both starts of his fledgling comeback, including the Safeway Open two weeks ago. • SHORT CHIPS: Two CJ Cup entrants have won debut events in the TOUR’s not-too-distant past – Scott (Dell Technologies Championship, 2003) and Choi (The National, 2007). … A total of 21 players will make their third start in as many events of the new 2017-18 season. Emiliano Grillo is playing a fourth consecutive week when you factor in the Presidents Cup. … Nine Bridges wound up serving as LPGA host for four years, with Korean pros winning all four editions. After Pak won the inaugural crown, Grace Park made it one of her six LPGA titles. • TELEVISION: Wednesday-Saturday, 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. ET (Golf Channel). • PGA TOUR LIVE: None. • RADIO: None.

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