Live leaderboard: Second round of Travelers

The west coast swing ends in the picturesque Pacific Palisades at The Genesis Invitational. The Riviera Country Club hosts and will play as a par 71, measuring 7,322 yards with poa annua greens. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $1.2M Pitch + Putt [$300K to 1st] STRATEGY The top 10 golfers in the world are in the field, which includes the likes of Dustin Johnson (+1600, $10,200), Rory McIlroy (+2200, $9,700), Cameron Smith (+2200, $9,100) and Collin Morikawa (+2000, $10,400). With its elevated Invitational status, a smaller field of 120 golfers will compete, with the top 65 and ties making it to the weekend. The smaller field gives you a better chance of getting your entire DFS roster through the cut, with 23% fewer players in the field than a regular tournament. Even with no water hazards, The Riviera CC notoriously plays difficult, ranking inside the top 10 in scoring relative to par over the past few seasons. The fairways are tough to hit, recording close to a 7% less hit rate than the TOUR average. Same goes in terms of hitting greens with about an 8 % fewer green-hit-in-regulation rate than the TOUR average due to heavy undulations that runoff to tight collection areas. When golfers miss these greens, gaining strokes Around-the-Greens (ARG) becomes more necessary than usual. We’ve seen winners here gain an average of 2.2 strokes ARG over the past five years. The par-3 sixth hole is famous for its bunker in the middle of the green, and the par-4 10th hole is arguably the best short par-4 on TOUR. The novelty eventually wears off with how difficult this course has played in years past, especially on the closing eight holes. The closing nine is a contributing factor to why we’ve only seen eight golfers since 2000 go on to win after having the 54-hole lead. Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green and those who are playing well Tee-to-Green are golfers we need to consider. Also, look at rostering players who perform well in par 4 efficiency on holes measuring 450 to 500 yards, with six in this range. For contrarian roster construction, build lineups will golfers who have distance Off-The-Tee. Even though it’s not a long course, past winners include Johnson, Bubba Watson (+4500, $8,500), who has won here three times, and J.B. Holmes. Last season, three golfers who finished inside the top 5 in driving distance here also placed inside the top eight for the tournament. GOLFERS TO CONSIDER Will Zalatoris (+2800 to Win, $8,800 on DraftKings) The last time we saw Zalatoris was in a playoff loss at Torrey Pines, where he led the field (on the South Course) in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (12.4). Last season, a top-15 finish at The Riviera CC came thanks to excellent iron play and solid navigation of the poa annua greens, which is what he should recall rather than his struggles a few weeks ago in San Diego. Zalatoris was able to gain 4.9 strokes on Riviera’s greens last season, the highest he’s achieved in any tournament during his professional career. His ball-striking has been elite, gaining strokes with his irons in seven-straight measured events. The former Demon Deacon performs well on par 4s measuring between 450 to 500 yards, ranking fifth over the previous 24 rounds. Scottie Scheffler (+2200, $9,200) got his first win last week, and it’s time for Will’s this week. Marc Leishman (+6000 to Win, $7,900 on DraftKings) The Aussie is always a threat in California, with a win at Torrey Pines and two top-five finishes here dating back to 2016. Leishman has a knack for playing these traditional courses well, finishing top five twice at Augusta National along with a pair of top five finishes at Muirfield Village (Memorial). He’s gained strokes with his irons in eight straight Genesis Invitationals and has shown he can compete with the best in the world. Leishman ranks 33rd in par 4 efficiency on holes measuring 450 to 500 yards and 15th in par 5 efficiency in the previous 24 rounds. Si Woo Kim (+9000 to Win, $7,300 on DraftKings) This three-time winner should feel comfortable with how well he plays on the West Coast. A 26th-place finish last week, gaining 1.63 strokes with his irons and 1.91 Off-the-Tee on Sunday and three top 11s in his California events this season (Fortinet Championship, The American Express, Farmers Insurance) are enough to give him a nod this week. A win at the 2021 American Express and a third place in The Genesis Invitational in 2019 make him one of the favorites in this range. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $1.2M Pitch + Putt [$300K to 1st] 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. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.

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Rory McIlroy earned his 16th PGA TOUR win with a final-round 61 at the RBC Canadian Open. Here’s a look at McIlroy’s equipment: Driver: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70TX Fairway Woods: TaylorMade M6 (15 degrees), TaylorMade M5 (19 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White Irons: TaylorMade P-750 (4 iron), TaylorMade P-730 (5-9 irons) Shafts: Project X 7.0 Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48 degrees), TaylorMade Hi-Toe (52, 56 and 60 degrees) Shafts: Project X 6.5 Putter: TaylorMade Spider X Golf Ball: TaylorMade 2019 TP5 (No. 22) Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

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MELBOURNE, Australia – Notes and observations from the first round of the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf where teams played the Fourball format and hosts Australia share the lead with England and Korea. LEADING LIGHTS SMITH JOKE FIRES UP MATE: Cameron Smith says he was only joking but his verbal jab at Australian teammate Marc Leishman certainly had a desired effect as the local hopes surged to a 10-under 62 and a share of the lead at the World Cup of Golf with England and Korea. After Smith made a birdie at the par-4 3rd and a stunning eagle at the par-5 4th to kick start the Australians round the youngster turned to four-time PGA TOUR winner Leishman and smiled. “I gave Leish a bit of an uppercut under the ribs after four and said you can turn up at any time,â€� Smith said. Leishman grinned but seemingly took it personal as shortly after he stiffed an approach to the par-3 6th hole to make birdie and then made further inroads by making birdies on the seventh, ninth and 13th holes. Smith then played his role with three closing birdies in the final five holes. “It was very important for us to get off to a good start,â€� Leishman said. “You don’t want to be fighting back the whole tournament, and the scores were pretty good today, but it wasn’t that easy out there. So we’re happy to be tied for the lead.â€� POULTER SENDS WARNING: Ian Poulter knows team golf better than most. As a Ryder Cup star for Europe he knows a hot start in Melbourne is great, but not the key. “This tournament is won and lost on Friday and Sunday,â€� the English star warned after he a Tyrrell Hatton fired a 10-under 62 to share the lead after the opening round at Metropolitan Golf Club. Of course he was referring to the switching formats. Thursday’s opening round was Fourball, a format they will again play on Saturday. But still to come is the sometimes-diabolical Foursomes, or alternate shot format. “Foursomes is the day where you can take yourself out of the tournament pretty quickly,â€� Poulter said. “In Fourballs you’re always going to make birdies, there’s enough par-5s on the course, and hopefully you don’t make any mistakes. “Today’s about attacking the golf course and making as many birdies as you can. Tomorrow, you’re going to find yourself in situations where you know you can’t afford to miss it right or left, so you’ll be playing a little bit more conservatively. “You’ll be trying to be smart, not make silly mistakes, and if you get the opportunity to make birdie, then obviously go ahead and take it.â€� KOREA CHASING HISTORY: Former PLAYERS champion Si Woo Kim and his partner Byeong Hun An are hoping to bring Korea its first World Cup title. And that’s not all. With an eye to the 2019 Presidents Cup that will also be held in Melbourne the duo are hoping International Team captain Ernie Els might take notice. “The win would be great because I will be even happier because it’s not an individual event, it’s a team event and you’re playing for Team Korea,â€� An said after they posted a co-leading 10-under 62. Should they continue their success they hope to come together at the Zurich Classic Of New Orleans next year to further their case. “It will be very special if we can get some good results,â€� An said. “Team Korea’s best result is fifth so our goal definitely is to beat that. And if that happens, I think you can see us in Zurich next year.â€� NOTABLES VENEZUELA: Three-time PGA TOUR winner Jhonattan Vegas and his partner Joseph Naffah, who is ranked 2012th in the world, put up an inspirational 7-under 65. Naffah is lucky to be playing golf at all let alone on the world stage having gone through three back fusions. Read more about his incredible journey here. BELGIUM: Two years ago Thomas Pieters was a Ryder Cup star but a dip in form saw him miss out on the European team earlier this season. He proved his team golf ability hasn’t deserted him as he and Thomas Detry shot 9-under 63 to be tied fourth. DENMARK: The defending champions Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen have continued where they left off with a 9-under 63 leaving them just one shot off the lead heading to Friday Foursomes. USA: Matt Kuchar and Kyle Stanley posted a 6-under 66 on Thursday to sit midfield but only four shots off the pace. “Six under, it’s not hurt us, it’s not helped us, but we’re in decent position for the start off to the week,â€� Kuchar said. QUOTABLES We weren’t far away from thinking, okay, maybe it’s now time to go back home and close the season off right now. They put a cage through the front and they put six screws in my back …You have to feed off each other’s energy, especially tomorrow because you’re not going to have a perfect round of golf.That’s an awkward straight‑arm motion. I think I prefer the American style of letting it chuck. That straight‑arm thing, I’m definitely going to have another go at it. It’s awkward, but I think I could be pretty good at it, I think I could bring some heat. SHOT OF THE DAY

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