Groundbreaking tourney pits men against women

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As golfers all over the world continue their pursuit of exemptions into THE PLAYERS and the last three majors, those with shreds of PGA TOUR status are just happy that the second half of the season is here. Beginning with this week’s Valero Texas Open, all of the remaining opens through the Wyndham Championship will host the maximum 156 golfers. Both the Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship are additional events that reserve space for 132, but both fields always dip deep into the overall pecking order. So, most of the guys with as little as conditional status (Category 31 in the Priority Ranking) can expect upwards of 11 starts over the next four months. J.T. Poston (107th in the FedExCup standings) and Trey Mullinax (125th) headline this category, so they’ll remain motivated to play as often as possible. However, because none in their category is fully exempt, any can play as much as he wants on the Web.com Tour and chase a 2018-19 PGA TOUR card through that circuit. It’s a critical decision because golfers cannot combine FedExCup points or PGA TOUR earnings with Web.com Tour earnings to qualify even for the Web.com Tour Finals. Without a head start on either tour, it makes sense picking one path from here on out. The timing of that decision also is important right now since the North Mississippi Classic launches the months-long sprint to the Finals. The Web.com Tour has only two dark weeks until then. For those committed to the Valero, long hitters who hits greens in regulation should emerge as the common thread among contenders. This plays right into our hands as PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO gamers. Since distance off the tee is most valuable among the variety of attributes for fantasy scoring, go ahead and lean heavily on this skill set. Course history also carries weight at TPC San Antonio, so you shouldn’t have any issue in compiling a short list of candidates who check both boxes and for whom you won’t be worried about reserving starts in Segment 3. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the Valero Texas Open (in alphabetical order): Kevin Chappell Charley Hoffman Billy Horschel Matt Kuchar Luke List Brendan Steele You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Chesson Hadley; Zach Johnson; Luke List; Ryan Palmer; Pat Perez; Xander Schauffele Driving: Keegan Bradley; Martin Laird; Ryan Palmer; Pat Perez; Kevin Streelman Approach: Keegan Bradley; Chesson Hadley; Zach Johnson; Chris Kirk; Martin Lair; Nate Lashley; Ryan Palmer; Scott Piercy; Kevin Streelman Short: Chesson Hadley; Beau Hossler; Martin Laird; Pat Perez; Shawn Stefani; Daniel Summerhays Power Rankings Wild Card Jimmy Walker … The 2015 winner also has another three top 15s in the tournament, including a T13 last year, so he’s managed just fine amid any distractions of it being a home game. More impressively, he continues to work his way back from his health concerns with a 6-for-8 slate in 2018 that included a pair of top 20s. Put it all together and he’ll blend well in any roster. Draws Adam Scott … The winner of the inaugural edition at TPC San Antonio hasn’t appeared since finishing T23 in his title defense in 2011, but the higher value in ball-striking projects to present him as if he never left. Currently 21st on TOUR in greens hit and fifth in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Also recently connected top 20s at PGA National and Copperhead. Xander Schauffele … Going back to his win at the TOUR Championship, he’s gone 12 consecutive (stroke-play) starts with a score or par or better in an opening round. Slots eighth in first-round scoring average, so he’s unlocked the combination to merge patience with aggression. To wit, since missing the cut in his debut at TPC San Antonio last year, he’s missed only three cuts. Probably best known for his putting, he ranks a seriously impressive eighth in distance of all drives, so there are numerous angles from which the 2016-17 Rookie of the Year can attack and excel. Zach Johnson … Strides in having survived 13 consecutive cuts thanks to a balanced skill set that’s avoided his known pitfall of sketchy putting. Ranks third in proximity to the hole and inside the top 30 in par-3, par-4 and par-5 scoring averages. The winner of the last two editions of the tournament at LaCantera (2008, 2009) is 3-for-5 at TPC San Antonio with top 20s in 2014 and 2015. Kevin Streelman … Easily could have boxed out for a spot in the Power Rankings, so do not hesitate to employ. He’s perfect in four trips to TPC San Antonio and fresh off a T7 at Harbour Town where no one went lower than his 7-under 135 on the weekend. Sits second in ball-striking, fourth in scrambling and first in bogey avoidance. Aaron Baddeley … Perfect in his last six starts and 6-for-6 at TPC San Antonio with two top fives and another two top 20s. His touch around and on greens is so strong that his inefficiency tee-to-green hasn’t been an obstacle here. A DFSer’s delight. Keegan Bradley (SERVPRO) Bill Haas (SERVPRO) Martin Laird (all) Jamie Lovemark (DFS) Trey Mullinax (all) Grayson Murray (DFS) Chris Paisley (DFS) Scott Piercy (all) Jhonattan Vegas (DFS) Fades Kevin Tway … Tied for third here last year, but he’s gone 21 consecutive starts without a top 25 upon in advance of his return. Perhaps TPC San Antonio is what he needs to turn it around, but use him sparingly if you can’t resist. William McGirt … This is relative. He’s a known horse for courses, and even though he’s 5-for-6 at TPC San Antonio, he still hasn’t hung up a top-30 finish and has yet to break 70 in 22 rounds. He tends to play harder courses better, too, but his below-average distance off the tee is a disadvantage. Danny Lee … For the savvy who believe that the third time is the charm, he’s a contrarian investment, but in the vacuum, he belongs here. Sat a respective T23 and T9 after 54 holes of the Houston Open and RBC Heritage, but finished T64 and T55 with big numbers in the finales. Just 1-for-4 at TPC San Antonio with a T63 in 2012. So, consider this a tip to keep an eye on him if you’re not already. Julian Suri … Authored a T8 at the Houston Open with a balanced approach, so he’s getting comfortable at this level. Still, as a shiny, new toy for DFSers, the gloss can suggest that he’s more valuable than stalwarts with teeth on which you should rely. Dylan Frittelli … The University of Texas product performed below expectations in Houston where he projected to contribute across the board. With no better than a T32 at the RBC Heritage in his last five starts, the end-loaded solo 11th at The Honda Classic appears as an anomaly as he endures the learning curve as a non-member of PGA TOUR competition. Jim Furyk J.B. Holmes Martin Kaymer Russell Knox Jason Kokrak Graeme McDowell Sean O’Hair Shubhankar Sharma Returning to Competition John Peterson … Wisely rationing his last five starts on a Major Medical Extension, he withdrew early from The Honda Classic due to an issue in his neck. So, this marks his first competition since the Waste Management Phoenix Open two-and-a-half months ago. Finished T11 at TPC San Antonio in 2015, but hasn’t cracked a top 35 on the PGA TOUR in over a year. Will Claxton … If you’re new to fantasy in the last few years, the likelihood is high that you’ve never heard of him. The 36-year-old is an Auburn product. After finishing inside the top 125 in the FedExCup standings as a rookie in 2012, he stumbled as a sophomore in 2013. He was then one of the first graduates of the Web.com Tour Finals in 2013. After going 4-for-8 to open 2013-14, he shut it down and had surgery on his left hip and hasn’t competed anywhere since. He’s been armed with 12 starts on a medical extension in the Web.com graduate reshuffle and now takes a step at returning. His commitment to the North Mississippi Classic will count as his first rehab start. Notable WDs Francesco Molinari … Didn’t hesitate to inform his followers on Twitter that he’s resting a sore shoulder and hopes to return to competition at the Wells Fargo Championship on May 3-6. He’s 106th in the FedExCup standings. Luke Donald … One of the inspirations to lifting him to No. 3 in the Power Rankings for the RBC Heritage, despite poor form, was that he’s remained busy. Alas, when he later held his press conference, he admitted that discomfort in his lower back has prevented him from competing more often. The issue, which he estimated to have been ongoing for a “couple of months,” thwarted an appearance at the Houston Open two weeks prior. He missed the cut at Harbour Town by only one stroke, and it stung that he whiffed on a birdie from inside five feet on his 36th hole, but the experience shouldn’t discourage us from considering the Englishman again in that tournament that he’s all but owned in the last decade. Camilo Villegas … Withdrew early from last week’s RBC Heritage as well. The 36-year-old from Colombia is 162nd in the FedExCup standings. The good news is that he and his wife revealed on April 1 that the couple is expecting its first child in several months. Power Rankings Recap – RBC Heritage Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Brian Harman  T23 2  Kevin Kisner  T7 3  Luke Donald  MC 4  Dustin Johnson  T16 5  Matt Kuchar  T23 6  Webb Simpson  T5 7  Paul Casey  MC 8  Cameron Smith  T32 9  Charley Hoffman  T23 10  Russell Knox  T40 11  Marc Leishman  MC 12  Adam Hadwin  WD 13  Zach Johnson  T42 14  Ian Poulter  T7 15  William McGirt  T70 Wild Card  Xander Schauffele  T32 Sleepers Recap – RBC Heritage Power Ranking  Golfer  Result Harris English  T32 Chesson Hadley  T7 Andrew Landry  T42 Steve Marino  MC Nick Watney  T32 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR April 17 … Nick Taylor (30) April 18 … John Peterson (29) April 19 … Matt Jones (38) April 20 … John Senden (47) April 21 … none April 22 … Eric Axley (44) April 23 … none

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BLAINE, Minn. – Richy Werenski made a short birdie putt on the par-5 18th for an 8-under 63 to take the first-round lead Thursday in the 3M Open. The 24-year-old Werenski is winless on the PGA TOUR. He broke a tie with Michael Thompson with his ninth and last birdie on the warm, windy afternoon at the TPC Twin Cities. Defending champion Matthew Wolff, Tony Finau, Nick Watney, Ryan Moore, Xinjun Zhang and Max Homa were tied for third at 65. RELATED: Full leaderboard | Finau parts ways with caddie, shoots first-round 65 | Dustin Johnson withdraws citing back injury Dustin Johnson withdrew because of a back injury after a 78. His victory at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, last month did not spark a post-shutdown surge. After posting back-to-back 80s last week at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide for the highest 36-hole score of his pro career, Johnson’s first appearance at the 3M Open north of Minneapolis lasted just one round. At the end of his first nine, Johnson started the 599-yard, dog-leg 18th hole with a solid drive off the tee. With 209 yards to get to the flag, he used his 6-iron for a shot — “perfect,” he said — that was swallowed up in the pond just short of the rough. “Hit it right at it and never once did I think it was going to go in the water,” said Johnson, who did mention his back during a brief post-round interview. His next two tries met the same fate. Three penalty strokes later, Johnson finally landed his ball on the green for a tap-in putt and a quadruple-bogey nine on the scorecard. “Kind of the same last week. I just struggled with my iron play, and that makes it difficult,” he said. Watney, who was the first PGA TOUR player to test positive for the coronavirus, at the RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, failed to make the cut two weeks ago at the Workday Charity Open in Dublin, Ohio, after a two-round score of 150. The 39-year-old Watney, who has five career PGA TOUR victories, went back to the basics in practice last week — aim, balance, posture — while most of his peers played the Memorial. “I’m trying to put that to bed, get past it and hopefully play some nice golf after coming down with that,” Watney said. “It’s great to be up here after playing a good round as opposed to just other things.”

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