Justin Rose in control at Colonial

Ah, that new season smell. Gotta love it. It also indicates a fresh start in all full-season fantasy games. This includes PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. In direct response to gamer experience and reaction, a new, simpler scoring system debuts at this week’s Safeway Open. Gone are most of the shot values and FedExCup bonus points. Instead, fantasy scoring largely will be determined by actual scoring with various bonuses applied. Every hole score is given a value. A par is worth 2 points, a birdie is 4 points, eagle is 6 points and albatrosses and condors are 8 points. Bogeys are worth zero, while double bogeys and worse subtract 1 point. Under-par rounds yield 1 point. Aggregate scores of 65 and lower are good for 3 points, while 60s and lower are worth 10. All field-low aggregate scores for each round net 10 points. Regardless of how many golfers may tie for low round, all golfers who sign for the second-lowest score in the same round are rewarded with 5 points. ShotLink will be used to award 5 points for hole-outs off the green from 100 yards and longer, 3 points for hole-outs off the green from inside 100 yards, 1 point for drives of 300 yards and longer that come to rest in the fairway, and 1 point for holed putts from 20 feet and longer. (To review every component of the game, read the Rules at FantasyGolf.PGATOUR.com.) Using Safeway’s two-time defending champion Brendan Steele as an example, if the new scoring system was in place last year, he would have totaled 212 fantasy points for the tournament. Comparing the extremes, his field-low-tying, 7-under 65 in the opening round would have been worth 71 points, while his third-round, even-par 72 scored at just 40. Steele’s hole-by-hole scores totaled 174 points, or roughly 82 percent of his overall. Seventeen of his drives qualified for the 1-point bonus, worth eight percent. Naturally, low scores with lots of circles on the scorecard will be of greatest value, but tournament finish won’t have as great of an impact. And while a good round will land from 55-60 points, which means that overall fantasy scoring will be lower and sustain competitive balance, absorbing zeroes will penalize just as they did in the previous iteration. Thus, the primary objective remains to have four golfers contributing in every round. The contenders will separate themselves from the also-rans in the long-term. Meanwhile, all of my weekly staples are ready for the season. The Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions and Rookie Ranking are current. Navigate to the FANTASY page or via the MENU at the top for each. You’ll also find my annual full-membership fantasy ranking that includes all kinds of important pieces of information to assist gamers and commissioners. This year’s guide includes 245 golfers. The printable Cheat Sheet will be ready on Wednesday. Finally, debuting on Twitter on Wednesday is a new fantasy show starring yours truly. We’re targeting 2:00 p.m. ET. In addition to answering gamers’ questions, assisting with lineup decisions and responding to anything else on your mind, I’ll be discussing a handful of topics that have my attention right now. The show will launch from Twitter.com/PGATOUR. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the Safeway Open (in alphabetical order): Patrick Cantlay Emiliano Grillo Adam Hadwin Ryan Moore Joaquin Niemann Brendan Steele You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Anders Albertson; Bronson Burgoon; Cameron Davis; Sungjae Im; Martin Laird; Phil Mickelson Driving: Bronson Burgoon; Cameron Davis; Martin Laird; Hunter Mahan; Patrick Rodgers; Harold Varner III Power Rankings Wild Card Chez Reavie … With a 4-for-4 record at Silverado that includes top 25s in the last three editions of the tournament, he presents as a no-brainer. However, uncharacteristically inconsistent form pervaded his second half of 2017-18, so there’s reason to second-guess his projection. Given the renewal of a season, his tee-to-green proficiency and his greenside touch when he’s misfiring on top of repeated success on this course, history here wins the argument. Draws Chris Kirk … Perfect for the new fantasy scoring in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. He concluded 2017-18 with 12 consecutive cuts made and owns a 3-for-3 record at Silverado with a T8 in 2016. Bronson Burgoon … Sat T11 after three rounds at Silverado last year, but his backpedal of a 74 left him at T17. It was among a series of performances by recent Web.com Tour graduates who maintained a high level of execution in the season opener. It’s not out of the question to consider his return trip to fall into a similar vein as he opened his debut in the FedExCup Playoffs with a T11 at THE NORTHERN TRUST. It was his sixth top 20 of 2017-18. He finished the season at sixth in total driving, 54th in GIR and T17 in par-5 scoring. Brett Drewitt … If you’re keen on a flier in DFS, look no further than the Aussie. The one-time PGA TOUR member (2016-17) entered the open qualifier on a whim and co-medaled with a bogey-free 65 at Coyote Creek Golf Club in San José. He was in the area after dropping his parents off at the airport, who came to the U.S. for his wedding last week. The 27-year-old went 3-for-4 in the Web.com Tour Finals, so he’s warm. Fades Sangmoon Bae … The first winner at Silverado in 2014 didn’t return until last year due to his military obligation in South Korea. He missed the cut with two over-par scores. In his last start on the Web.com Tour, he won in Boise. It secured at worst a spot in the reshuffle this season, but he still has 10 starts on a Major Medical Extension to retain status in that category. No doubt his confidence has never been higher since returning to competition, but his recent connection with success is too much too soon for conservative gamers. Beau Hossler … Because the 23-year-old isn’t going to let us down most of the time, this is as relative as it likely will be rare. Despite logging a fantastic first season on the PGA TOUR in 2017-18 in which he missed only four cuts, Silverado wasn’t his cup of tea en route to a 74th-place finish in his debut. On paper, he offers several attractive angles, but he’s still learning which sites suit him best. It would be rushing to judgment to label him as streaky so soon in his career, but he closed out the season without a top 30 in his last five starts. Danny Willett … Making his debut at the Safeway Open, but the bigger news is that he’s renewed his PGA TOUR membership for 2018-19. The 2016 Masters champ had to sit out last season for failing to fulfill the membership minimum of 15 starts in 2016-17, but he’s sending the earliest message possible that it won’t be an issue again. He’s flashed some form in recent months, but he’s far from the world-beater we observed before he slipped on the green jacket. Injuries derailed his progress. Sam Burns … As he embarks on his PGA TOUR career officially, tiptoe into him at first. He was incredibly hot and cold during the Web.com Tour season and failed to factor in all of his last four starts. Now, that bodes well for the long-term because he’s already learned how to ride a wave, but it’s dangerous for weekly gamers. Returning to Competition Bud Cauley … Suffice it to say that this is a welcome surprise. When he had to shut it down due to multiple injuries suffered in a car crash four months ago, it was anyone’s guess as to when he’d be physically ready to compete again. He’s fully exempt for finishing inside the top 125 of the FedExCup, so he can play as often as he wants without worrying about status and long-range planning. Despite this good news and a T7 in last year’s Safeway, give him the opportunity shake off the rust and fall back into the routine. Luke Donald … Committed to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, it’ll be his first action since the RBC Heritage in April. He’s rested a sore back that first flared a year ago at this time. Equipped with 15 starts via a Major Medical Extension on the PGA TOUR, his restart in Europe gives us a free look at his form. He’s also expected to play in next week’s Sky Sport British Masters in England. Notable WDs None Power Rankings Recap – TOUR Championship Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Justin Rose  T4 2  Justin Thomas  T7 3  Brooks Koepka  T26 4  Tony Finau  T15 5  Rory McIlroy  T7 6  Dustin Johnson  3rd 7  Bubba Watson  29th 8  Billy Horschel  2nd 9  Bryson DeChambeau  19th 10  Webb Simpson  T4 11  Francesco Molinari  T21 12  Tommy Fleetwood  T11 13  Rickie Fowler  T7 14  Hideki Matsuyama  T4 15  Xander Schauffele  T7 16  Jason Day  18th 17  Paul Casey  T11 18  Tiger Woods  Win 19  Phil Mickelson  30th 20  Kevin Na  25th 21  Gary Woodland  T11 22  Keegan Bradley  T26 23  Patrick Reed  28th 24  Cameron Smith  20th 25  Kyle Stanley  T15 26  Marc Leishman  T21 27  Aaron Wise  T15 28  Patrick Cantlay T21 29  Jon Rahm  T11 30  Patton Kizzire  T21 Power Rankings Recap – FedExCup Playoffs Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Justin Thomas  7th 2  Justin Rose  1st 3  Jason Day  16th 4  Tiger Woods  2nd 5  Jon Rahm  23rd 6  Dustin Johnson  4th 7  Jordan Spieth  31st 8  Tommy Fleetwood  19th 9  Patrick Reed  22nd 10  Webb Simpson  11th 11  Brandt Snedeker  40th 12  Paul Casey  25th 13  Tony Finau  6th 14  Brooks Koepka  9th 15  Patrick Cantlay  20th 16  Francesco Molinari  T17 17  Xander Schauffele  15th 18  Rory McIlroy  T13 19  Gary Woodland  26th 20  Kyle Stanley  27th 21  Kevin Kisner  47th 22  Marc Leishman  29th 23  Beau Hossler  46th 24  Phil Mickelson  21st 25  Bryson DeChambeau  3rd 26  Bubba Watson  10th 27  Kevin Na  28th 28  Rafa Cabrera Bello  41st 29  Austin Cook  38th 30  Chesson Hadley  44th Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR October 2 … George McNeill (43); Zack Sucher (32) October 3 … Danny Willett (31) October 4 … none October 5 … Kelly Kraft (30) October 6 … none October 7 … none October 8 … none

Click here to read the full article…

HOUSTON – Scottie Scheffler got mad. Then he went low. A course record didn’t seem likely after a frustrating start to his day. Finishing up his delayed first round, he missed a 5-foot par putt on the last hole to sign for a 2-over 72. A poor tee shot to start his second round and another early bogey put him over the edge. “Anger can go a few ways on the golf course,” he said. “You can use it and get even more frustrated and more pissed off and you start thinking negatively. I used that anger today as a positive.” Scheffler finished Friday by signing for the lowest score in the short history of this renovated rendition of Memorial Park, which is in its second year hosting the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open. Scheffler’s 62 bested the previous record – set by three players in last year’s final round – by a stroke. It also was Scheffler’s fourth round of 62 or lower since the start of the 2019-20 season (his rookie year), the most on TOUR in that span. That includes a 59 shot in last year’s FedExCup Playoffs. Scheffler leapt from outside of the cut line and into contention. At 6-under 134 (72-62), he’s four back of leader Martin Trainer. Scheffler is seeking his first PGA TOUR win, and it’s about the only thing missing from the 25-year-old’s sterling resume. He was the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year and 2020 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. He has qualified for the TOUR Championship in both of his seasons and has finished in the top 10 in the past three majors. He capped his Ryder Cup debut by birdieing the first four holes in his Singles match with Jon Rahm to dispatch the World No. 1, 4 and 3. Winning may have been far from Scheffler’s mind after Thursday’s start, however. He double-bogeyed his third hole to fall to 3 over. He thought he’d sorted out his swing after a quick range session between Friday’s rounds. Then he duck-hooked his tee shot off the first tee. A bogey on the fourth hole was the last straw. “After I bogeyed No. 4 I basically told myself I’ve had enough of this crap,” he said. “That’s what I told my caddie, too, walking down the fifth fairway. Hit a nice putt on six and just kind of turned the round around from there.” He birdied six of seven holes from Nos. 5-11, then added birdies at 15 and 17. He missed just four fairways in the second round after hitting fewer than half in his opening round. His 12 greens hit were three more than in the opening round. “This golf course can be pretty challenging from the Bermuda rough and you’ve got to hit the ball in play,” he said. “If you’re hitting it in the rough to elevated greens that you can’t hold just because you’re hitting knucklers out of the rough, so it was very important to get the ball in the fairway.”

Click here to read the full article…

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Si Woo Kim had a hole-in-one on the way to a 62 for a two-shot lead over Doc Redman and Rob Oppenheim through three rounds of the Wyndham Championship on Saturday. Kim, who’s at 18 under after 54 holes, made history three years ago when at 21 he became the youngest winner of THE PLAYERS Championship. Now, he’s seeking his first victory since — and playing strongly wherever he tees it up. RELATED: Leaderboard | Round 3 update: FedExCup Playoffs, Wyndham Rewards | Final stretch in full swing at Regular Season finale Kim has broken 70 in nine of his last 10 rounds, including all four at TPC Harding Park to finish tied for 13th at the PGA Championship. He has continued that stellar play at Sedgefield Country Club, where he won his first PGA TOUR event in 2016. Redman had a 63, while Oppenheim set a career low on TOUR with a 62 in second at 16 under. Billy Horschel shot a 65 and was three strokes back at 15 under. Mark Hubbard (64) and Jim Herman were another stroke back at 14 under. Herman shot a 61, a career best and tied for lowest round of the tournament. But it was Kim’s sizzling play that stood out in this one. He got going when his 8-iron on the 161-yard, third hole found the cup for his third ace on tour. Kim clipped the cup on the par-3 12th, settling 14 inches away for another birdie. Kim kept it up with birdies on the 15th, 16th and 17th holes to take the lead. Oppenheim was bidding for a 60 when he birdied the next-to-last hole to move to 17 under. But his only bogey of the round on the final hole dropped him back. Oppenheim, 40, has put himself in line to make the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time, moving up from 145 on the list to a projected 77, with the top 125 making it to THE NORTHERN TRUST next week. He’d love to add his first TOUR title to the mix, too. Redman, 22, is also seeking his first PGA TOUR win. He joined the tie for second after matching his career low score of 63. Redman took bogey on his opening hole, then had eight birdies the rest of the way. The PGA TOUR moved up tee times, grouped competitors in threesomes and sent them off on the first and 10th tees to beat the bad weather expected later Saturday. The early, dry conditions set off a run of low scores that contenders had no choice but to keep up with throughout the round. In all, 52 of the 77 competitors finished with rounds in the 60s. There were two 61s, the lowest score this week, from Jim Herman and Zach Johnson, the Payne Stewart Award winner who is striving to make the Playoffs after a subpar season. Johnson was projected at 109 in FedExCup points after starting the round outside the Playoffs at 129. Past champion Webb Simpson (65) and Peter Malnati were at 13 under.

Click here to read the full article…