One & Done: the Memorial Tournament

Thank you, Kevin Kisner. If you follow my musings in the discussion threads beneath my columns and contributions, you might recall that he’s been my white whale in the Roster game. Spotted and on the line, but never captured (due primarily to technical difficulties of my own); that is, until at Colonial in the One & Done last week. Kisner is my first win of the 2016-17 season. (Yes, I also had him starting in the finale of the Roster game. It’s not quite the recent end of another drought assigned to silly curses that lasted 108 years, but it still feels great.) Kisner’s 500 FedExCup points propelled me into a healthy lead over Jonathan Wall, who connected wins with Dustin Johnson at Riviera and Rickie Fowler at PGA National. I haven’t burned either juggernaut yet and won’t at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. While I’m holstering DJ for the TOUR Championship, I have no need to burn him sooner, anyway. Given the available pieces on my board, my decision boiled down to three guys, two of whom I’m endorsing no matter where you rank in your league. Tony Finau is my pick. After Johnson at the top of my Power Rankings, Finau at No. 6 is next-highest who I haven’t burned. What Kisner delivered last week was a bonus because if Finau yields a top 10 at Muirfield Village, I’ll be happy. That’s always the goal. He’s finished a respective T8 and T11 in the last two editions of the Memorial, so all expectations align. Also note that this is the final event for Finau in Future Possibilities. The other dynamic value who has my attention is Byeong Hun An. It’s all coming together for the 25-year-old former U.S. Amateur champion. His devil-may-care philosophy off the tee is perfect in setting the table at Muirfield Village where he tied for 11th last year, but the investment is doubly supported by a strong run of form of late. While you may balk if you’re front-running, all two-man gamers need to be on board. Matt Kuchar rounds out the threesome in my focus. He’d be my pick if I was chasing, but I’ll probably keep him handy for the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey where he’s hung up a T2 (2013), a T7 (2015) and a T9 (2016) in the last three editions on that course. Kuchar is also serviceable as a bridge, so I’ll hold that card because I’ve earned it. If you’re still sitting on your Jon Rahm chip, end the uncertainty and cash it in regardless of your position. You’re already enjoying watching him perform, but just wait until you’re emotionally invested. It doesn’t get any better. Hideki Matsuyama enters with mild concern, but Muirfield Village is as smart a site to plug him in as any other remaining. If hesitant, Adam Scott sets up wonderfully if you need a jolt. In fact, the Aussie would have been my first pick, but I already called his name for Riviera. While I’d almost never talk you out of Jordan Spieth, note that the Memorial isn’t among his Future Possibilities. Yes, that’s a subjective smattering, but I loosened the reins for that section this season, and this tournament still didn’t resonate. Patrick Reed and Jason Day will get their turns, but later. Use Reed as a bridge, if necessary. Meanwhile, in the Fantasy Insider for the AT&T Byron Nelson, I wrote that if Day “converts on something special, he’ll be poised for a mammoth summer.” He lost in a playoff, so that qualifies as something special. I have him penciled in for the BMW Championship, but might be persuaded to reconsider if he stays hot. It’s funny how perspective changes when you take the lead! In addition to An, two-man gamers should look at Marc Leishman, Patrick Cantlay, Bud Cauley and Steve Stricker. If you’re thinking about Stricker for the John Deere Classic, he’s going to be facing a tough decision since the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship will be contested the same week (July 13-16). It’s the fourth of five majors on the PGA TOUR Champions. It already wouldn’t be unprecedented for him to choose the PGA TOUR over a major on the 50-and-over circuit. It was just last week when he placed T7 at Colonial instead of trying his luck at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. FUTURE POSSIBILITIES NOTE: Select golfers committed to the tournament are listed alphabetically. Future tournaments are sorted chronologically and reflect previous success on the courses on which the tournaments will be held in 2016-17. All are pending golfer commitment. Keegan Bradley … Memorial; WGC-Bridgestone; Dell Technologies Kevin Chappell … Dell Technologies Jason Day … U.S. Open; Canadian; WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship Luke Donald … Wyndham; TOUR Championship Jason Dufner … U.S. Open; TOUR Championship Tony Finau … Memorial Rickie Fowler … WGC-Bridgestone Jim Furyk … Memorial; U.S. Open; Canadian; WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Bill Haas … Wyndham Charley Hoffman … Travelers; Canadian Billy Horschel … St. Jude; TOUR Championship Dustin Johnson … Memorial; St. Jude; U.S. Open (defending); Canadian; TOUR Championship Zach Johnson … John Deere; Open Championship; WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Kevin Kisner … Wyndham Russell Knox … Travelers (defending); Dell Technologies Brooks Koepka … St. Jude; U.S. Open; PGA Championship Matt Kuchar … Memorial; Canadian; WGC-Bridgestone Martin Laird … Barracuda Marc Leishman … Memorial; Travelers; Open Championship Hideki Matsuyama … Memorial; PGA Championship; BMW William McGirt … Memorial (defending); Wyndham Phil Mickelson … St. Jude; Open Championship; PGA Championship Ryan Moore … Travelers; John Deere (defending); TOUR Championship Scott Piercy … John Deere; BMW Patrick Reed … Wyndham; Dell Technologies Charl Schwartzel … Memorial; U.S. Open; Open Championship; WGC-Bridgestone Adam Scott … Memorial; U.S. Open; Open Championship; WGC-Bridgestone; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship Webb Simpson … Greenbrier; Wyndham Jordan Spieth … John Deere; WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; TOUR Championship Brendan Steele … Travelers; Barracuda (already eligible for concurrent WGC-Bridgestone) Kevin Streelman … Memorial Bubba Watson … Travelers; Greenbrier; WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Gary Woodland … Barracuda; PGA Championship; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship

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