One & Done: WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

Both of this week’s tournaments are treated with stand-alone columns for PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO. Look for the edition for the Barracuda Championship on the FANTASY page. Also, if you play PGA TOUR Champions One & Done presented by SERVPRO, the 3M Championship begins Friday. Review the notables at the bottom of the page to assist you in determining your pick. Please remain standing for Chris’ near double-double. After finding Grayson Murray at the Barbasol Championship where the rookie broke through for his maiden title, the PGATOUR.COM producer moved Charley Hoffman into position at the RBC Canadian Open. A second consecutive victory wasn’t meant to be, but it was a second straight 300-point performance as Hoffman lost in a playoff to Jhonattan Vegas. If you’re keen in piggybacking the hot hand among us, CDJ isn’t your only option. We have a new leader. (I’m having trouble remembering who invited J-Wall to join us, but I’m positive that he’d happily show me to a mirror.) PGATOUR.COM’s equipment editor parlayed Jordan Spieth’s win at The Open Championship and Tony Finau’s T5 at Glen Abbey into a 700-point quinella and 44-point margin over yours truly. But hey, it’s about I had a little competition. And I don’t mind surrendering bragging rights, temporary as they may be. Many months ago and revisited on occasion since, I advised penciling in hopefuls for the last three tournaments of the FedExCup Playoffs. While tempted to deviate, I’ve stuck to my plan of anchoring the season with Rory McIlroy at TPC Boston, Jason Day at Conway Farms and Dustin Johnson at East Lake. Their respective dry spells have made it easier to remain patient, but it’s not like I’m waiting for a rank-and-filer to find a groove in which to time his selection. My confidence in each remains high. Because actual FedExCup points are rewarded as fantasy points, if I don’t threaten for the league title with that triumvirate, than I don’t deserve to win. However, the key to that reality is hidden within the basis of being able to be in position. Also explained many months ago and even before that, this One & Done format mimics that which is often required to win the World Series. You need to be built for both the long regular season and the playoffs. I had Justin Thomas earmarked for this week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, but he lost the job with his recent slump. He didn’t even crash into my Power Rankings. (He’s the Wild Card in the Fantasy Insider column.) But that’s OK because Justin Rose is a suitable surrogate. At No. 6 in the Power Rankings, the Englishman ranks second-highest (behind DJ at No. 5) of my available choices. McIlroy and Day are also in there and available, as are Kevin Chappell, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Lee Westwood, but there’s no reason not to plug in Rose right now. DJ’s win is his only top 10 in seven appearances, but I’d acquiesce that his consistently strong form since breaking through for his first major at the 2016 U.S. Open merits a 2.0-version of his career. In other words, it would be an upset if he isn’t piling top 10s on top of themselves at Firestone for years to come. Golfers who you might not miss in the Playoffs and warrant consideration this week include Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Charl Schwartzel and Paul Casey. If you need a jolt, don’t wait on Rose, Henrik Stenson and Adam Scott. If you’re front-running and perhaps limited with who’s still on your board, Marc Leishman is your guy. 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. Kevin Chappell … Dell Technologies Jason Day … WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship Jason Dufner … TOUR Championship Rickie Fowler … WGC-Bridgestone Sergio Garcia … TOUR Championship Branden Grace … WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship Bill Haas … Wyndham Billy Horschel … TOUR Championship Dustin Johnson … WGC-Bridgestone (defending); TOUR Championship Zach Johnson … WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Kevin Kisner … Wyndham Russell Knox … Dell Technologies Brooks Koepka … PGA Championship Matt Kuchar … WGC-Bridgestone Hideki Matsuyama … PGA Championship; BMW Rory McIlroy … WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; Dell Technologies (defending); TOUR Championship (defending) Phil Mickelson … PGA Championship Ryan Moore … TOUR Championship Louis Oosthuizen … Dell Technologies Patrick Reed … Wyndham; Dell Technologies Justin Rose … WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; TOUR Championship Charl Schwartzel … WGC-Bridgestone Adam Scott … WGC-Bridgestone; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship Jordan Spieth … WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; TOUR Championship Henrik Stenson … WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship Jimmy Walker … PGA Championship (defending); Dell Technologies Bubba Watson … WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Gary Woodland … PGA Championship; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship CHAMPIONS ONE & DONE NOTABLES 3M Championship TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, has hosted this mainstay on the PGA TOUR Champions since 2001. It’s a stock par 72 tipping at 7,114 yards and it’s a racetrack. Annually among the easiest courses on the schedule, the last five winners averaged 19-under 197. Golfers listed alphabetically. Rob’s serious considerations in bold. Stephen Ames … Flourishing in a breakout season with his first win and another six top 10s, including in each of his last four starts. T7-T14 burst since 2015 at TPC Twin Cities. Billy Andrade … Even though he’s fresh off a T3 at Royal Porthcawl, he’s too hot-and-cold to endorse most weeks, especially with only one top-55 finish in three starts at TPC Twin Cities (T17, 2015). Tommy Armour III … Two T9s in his last four starts. Three top 15s in six appearances at TPC Twin Cities, but only one top 30 in his last four. Olin Browne … Almost a horse for a course, or at least he used to be. Three top 10s among five top 25s in seven appearances, but last top 10 was in 2012 (T3). Can’t escape inconsistent 2017. Scott Dunlap … Sporty bridge. Top 20s in all three appearances and a scoring average of 68.00 in those 12 rounds. Meanwhile, he posted top 15s in the last two majors. Joe Durant … The defending champion suffered a neck injury at last week’s Senior Open Championship. If you give him the benefit of the doubt, you also overlook other strong options. Steve Flesch … Like so many newly minted 50-year-olds, the lefty has found his entry to the PGA TOUR Champions to be a fruitful one. Two fifth-place finishes among four top 20s in six starts. Jay Haas … Winner here in 2011, but only one top-35 finish since (T4, 2013). Still making more noise than most expect at 63 years of age, though. Four top 10s and 29th on the money list in 2017. Jerry Kelly … Right at home in the North and arguably more at ease in a non-major, but he hasn’t gone low a lot, so he sets up as a trap. Brandt Jobe … Hasn’t let up since breakthrough title at the Principal Charity Classic in June. Fifth on the money list with four top-three finishes, including in both of the last two majors. Bernhard Langer … It’s only newsworthy when he’s not a short-lister. In eight appearances, he’s won twice, finished second thrice and placed T3 last year. Scoring average in 24 rounds = 66.96. Tom Lehman … The native Minnesotan has managed only two top 10s in six tries, but you can understand how much it would mean if he converts. Terrific 2017 includes five top 10s. Jeff Maggert … Could be sneaky if you’re pacing. Only two top 10s and 40th on the money list this season, but he’s finished T3 (2014) and T7 (2016) in his prior trips to TPC Twin Cities. Scott McCarron … With four par 5s at TPC Twin Cities, he projects to establish a personal best. It wouldn’t be hard. Placed T17 in 2015 and T57 last year. Winner at Caves Valley three weeks ago. Colin Montgomerie … Two top 10s in three tries. Last week’s T23 at Royal Porthcawl wrapped his majors season with four top 25s. Corey Pavin … Survived and nearly conquered Royal Porthcawl where he finished second for his third top 15 in his last four starts. Three top 20s in four appearances at TPC Twin Cities. Tom Pernice, Jr. … The 2013 champ. No better than a T20 (in 2014) since. Only one top 25 in his last seven starts this season, but it came last week at Royal Porthcawl (T15). Kenny Perry … Two-time winner (2014, 2015). Five top-seven finishes in six starts. Scoring average of 67.00 in 18 rounds. Shares the course record (61). Won U.S. Senior Open a month ago. Gene Sauers … Finished T3 here in 2014 and posted top 25s in the last two majors, but still presents best at the Boeing Classic in late August. Jeff Sluman … Remains a surprising bridge at nearly 60 years of age. Ranks 14th in all-time earnings in this tournament with five top 10s including a T10 last year. Steve Stricker … Hasn’t won yet but hasn’t missed a beat in five starts, three of which resulting in a top-three payday. It doesn’t hurt that he’s not far from home this week. Kevin Sutherland … Got back on the horse with a T9 at the SENIOR PLAYERS. T15-T2-T3 and a scoring average of 67.11 at TPC Twin Cities since 2014. David Toms … It’s been just an OK season for the rookie. He’s 27th on the money list but has only three top 10s in 13 starts. It’s not bad, but it’s below expectations. Kirk Triplett … He’s traded three finishes outside the top 25 with a pair of T7s (in odd-numbered years). Converging trend with a runner-up and T9 in the last two majors. Duffy Waldorf … Typically substandard run through the majors precedes pedestrian record at TPC Twin Cities. Continue to target the Shaw Charity Classic in a month.

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