How Danny Willett found his game again and other important golf things you might have missed

PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO If you ever wanted a litmus test for course history, you got one. Even though Daniel Berger is an accomplished and dynamic two-time PGA TOUR winner, he’s a first-timer at the John Deere Classic. Yet, he’s as clear-cut the most-owned in any tournament in recent memory. Chosen by 64.9 percent of gamers who set lineups, that’s 18 percent greater than runner up Charley Hoffman, who himself hasn’t made the trip to TPC Deere Run since missing the cut in 2013. The attention and love overlooks the fact that Berger is just 24 years of age. More powerful and poised than polished, he embodies exciting possibilities for gamers in every format every time he laces up the spikes. And while investors are no doubt hoping for a continuation of form that yielded a playoff loss in his last start at the Travelers Championship, the chip on his shoulder placed there by Jordan Spieth doesn’t hurt. Rounding out the top five, recent winners Kyle Stanley (Quicken Loans National) and Brian Harman (Wells Fargo Championship) flank JDC defending champion Ryan Moore, who’s returning from a strained tendon in his left shoulder. You need to lower your focus to sixth and 10th to see tournament heroes Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker, respectively. Them changes. Notables not shown below include Bubba Watson (12th, 12.4 percent), Nick Watney (16th, 9.0 percent), William McGirt (18th, 7.6 percent) and Robert Streb (21st, 6.3 percent). NOTE: Rob’s Rating refers to where our Fantasy Insider slotted a golfer in his Power Rankings. Golfers in the Power Rankings and outside the top 10 in most owned PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO Once upon a time, well, actually several times not long ago, Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson were the 1 and 1a at the John Deere Classic. Theirs was (still is?) a combination of talent and timing as the majority of one-and-done worthies prepped elsewhere for The Open Championship. That both are relative locals is forever convenient, but their success at TPC Deere Run was never guaranteed, either. It’s 2017, however, and One & Dones don’t wait for anyone. Brian Harman prevailed both here in 2014 and two months ago at the Wells Fargo Championship. He loves to go low and you’re not going to find another in the field who’s as confident with a putter in his left-handed grip. So, he represents the No. 1 slot properly. Tournament debutant Daniel Berger ranks second. As conveyed above for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, it’s a sign of confidence from gamers, but it also can’t go overlooked that he may not value as strongly the rest of the way, or at least as obviously. Now, and finally, we arrive at ZJ in third and Stricker in fourth. It’s more impressive that the all-time earnings leader of the tournament was selected by 8.9 percent of you because he’s 50 years old. He’s owned by nearly three times as many gamers who plucked Charles Howell III at 10th. CH3 opened with a bogey-free, 8-under 63, two strokes lower than anyone else in Thursday’s morning wave. Notables outside the top 10 include Kevin Kisner (11th, 2.8 percent), Kevin Na (12th, 1.4 percent), Bubba Watson (15th, 0.8 percent), Daniel Summerhays (16th, 0.7 percent) and William McGirt (T20, 0.4 percent). Danny Lee, who slots sixth, withdrew after a first-round 74. PGA TOUR Champions One & Done presented by SERVPRO If the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship opened the season, would there be any doubt that Bernhard Langer would either threaten or even establish the record for highest ownership percentage in the history of fantasy gaming at PGATOUR.com? He’s the three-time defending champion (on different courses to boot) and the tournament ranks T2 among all events in total prize money. Instead, this is the 13th event contributing to the One & Done and the U.S. Senior Open Championship contested two weeks ago boasted the largest purse. So, Langer is way down – way down! – at sixth in ownership percentage at just 6.1. I can’t confirm it, but I wouldn’t rule out that gamers’ commitment at Caves Valley Golf Club equals all of the remaining gamers who have submitted a pick every week and have yet to burn Langer. In my preseason primer in January, I angled at using him this week. While tempted to deviate at Salem Country Club (where he placed T18), he paid off my patience in the opening round of the SENIOR PLAYERS. Langer carded a bogey-free, 7-under 65. Larry Mize leads after a nine-birdie 64, but he was not chosen by any gamer this week. Notables outside the top 10 include Kevin Sutherland (12th, 2.5 percent), local favorite Fred Funk (14th, 2.0 percent), Joe Durant (T16, 1.5 percent) and Colin Montgomerie (T16, 1.5 percent). Preston McClellan, the digital communications manager for the PGA TOUR and member of the Experts panel for PGA TOUR Champions One & Done presented by SERVPRO was the only gamer who selected Wes Short, Jr.

Click here to read the full article…

THE OVERVIEW ORLANDO, Fla. — When it comes to Tiger Woods and his comfort zone at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, a remarkable sense of symmetry surrounds his total of eight victories. To wit, there have been eight different standings after Round 1 and eight different players who have been his runner-up: Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson, Michael Campbell, Stewart Cink, Bart Bryant, Sean O’Hair, Graeme McDowell and Justin Rose. Where the story has achieved a semblance of consistency is Woods’ blueprint for success at Bay Hill. In his eight wins, he has fired a solid sub-par second round (scoring average: 66.63) to roar inside the top 10, then assumed even greater control in Round 3 (scoring average: 68.36) to get into at least a share of first (seven times) or second. That, in turn, has afforded Woods a position he relishes — the chance to pretty much go head-to-head against a reduced list of competitors. The result has been vintage Woods as his final-round scoring average in the eight wins is 68.63, while the 12 players who have been second to Woods through 54 holes and the one who led him (O’Hair) have a fourth-round average of 72.31. Uncanny stuff, especially when you consider that some high-octane names have been in position through 54 holes to outplay Woods here — Love, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler, to name a few. Yet for all of that, Woods will be the first to polish some caution onto his story here. Mostly due to injuries, Woods hasn’t played in the last four tournaments at Bay Hill and the eight times when hasn’t won, he pretty much has been well back — five times outside the top 20, just once inside the top 10. “Just because I won here eight times doesn’t mean I’m going to win this week,â€� Woods said Tuesday, just three days after tying for second at the Valspar Championship. “I’ve got to do some serious homework (Wednesday) and really get to know and get the feel of how this golf course is playing this particular year.â€� THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER Jason Day Playing for the first time in a month, he’ll be well-rested on a course that’s treated him well (2016 win). Tommy Fleetwood Six top-10 finishes in his last nine worldwide starts for the new special temporary TOUR member. Rory McIlroy Hard to believe: In his last eight starts on American soil, he has exactly zero top-10 finishes. THE FLYOVER Want to make a birdie down the stretch at Bay Hill? Your best bet is the 511-yard par-5 16th. Last year, it was the only hole among the closing five holes at Bay Hill to play under par (4.393 stroke average). In fact, of the 900 holes on TOUR last season, it was the eighth easiest. THE LANDING ZONE The 458-yard par-4 18th isn’t the toughest closing hole in Florida – that belongs to the 18th at TPC Sawgrass – but it’s still one of the toughest on the PGA TOUR. A year ago, it ranked as the fourth toughest, playing to a stroke average of 0.283 over par as water on the right side challenges approach shots. Here’s a look at where all tee shots landed last year. WEATHER CHECK From PGA TOUR meteorologist Stewart Williams: “Below normal temperatures can be expected through Thursday as high pressure builds over the gulf and slowly moves east across Florida. Temperatures will be quite cool each morning, with lows in the low to mid 40s and highs generally in the upper 60s to low 70s each day. The high will shift east on Friday, producing more of a southerly flow. This will provide a quick warming trend with highs returning to the low 80s this weekend.â€� For the latest weather news from Orlando, Florida, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK “I thoroughly enjoyed being around him, being with him and we had so many great times — none more so than last time I won here. We were over there, I’m cleaning out my locker, and he’s over there having his ice tea thing and so he’s just sitting there and, hey, grab a seat. Absolutely, yes, sir. So we sat down, we just started to BS and have a great time together and I’m going to miss those times, for sure.â€�  BY THE NUMBERS 122.5 – Average clubhead speed off the tee for Tiger Woods this season. That’s more that 4 mph faster than his average in 2013 when he won five events. His average driving distance of 303.4 yards is 10 yards longer than his 2013 average. 0.478 – Strokes above par average for the field at the opening three holes at Bay Hill last year. That was the highest average of any opening three holes on TOUR last season. 72.890 – The field stroke average last year at Bay Hill. The 0.890 strokes above par made it the fifth toughest course on the PGA TOUR last season. 3,008 – Balls in the water at Bay Hill since 2003. The par-5 sixth has accounted for 21 percent of those balls (636). SCATTERSHOTS Australians enter on a two-year winning streak, with Jason Day winning in 2016 and Marc Leishman winning last year (when 10 Aussies were in the field). This week, there are six Aussies teeing it up – Day, Leishman, Stuart Appleby, Adam Scott, Cameron Smith and Curtis Luck. Matt Every’s two career PGA TOUR wins have been at Bay Hill. If he wins this week, he would become the first player to post his first three TOUR wins at the same tournament since 1934, when Leonard Gallett won his third Wisconsin PGA event. Bay Hill has some of the toughest par 3 holes on the PGA TOUR. When Tiger Woods won in 2013, he played the par 3s in 1 over – the worst par-3 performance of any Bay Hill champion in the last five years. On the flip side, Matt Every had the best performance at 3 under while winning his second consecutive Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2015. University of California junior Collin Morikawa is in the field this week thanks to the Arnold Palmer Cup exemption. The 20 participants of the Arnold Palmer Cup – a Ryder Cup-style tournament featuring the top male university/college golfers – vote on the player who best represents the “Arnold Palmer Legacy.â€�

Click here to read the full article…

He limped and he laughed. At Augusta National, Tiger Woods showed he wants to savor whatever he has left in his legendary career.

Click here to read the full article…