Putnam, Johnson turn FedEx St. Jude Classic into 2-man race

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Each day at THE PLAYERS Championship, PGATOUR.COM’s staff writers will dive into the big issues and questions everyone is discussing. Spoiler alert — we don’t always agree. We’ll start with the evolving rivalry of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who are in the same group at TPC Sawgrass for the first two rounds. It’s the first time in four years – and in 17 years at TPC Sawgrass – that they’ve played a stroke-play event on the PGA TOUR. Tiger vs. Phil. Who you got this week? Mike McAllister (Managing Editor) – Would normally lean toward the guy in the better form, but I can’t get past this statement from Phil on Tuesday: “I just can’t believe I’ve actually won here.â€� His win in 2007 is his only top-15 result in his last 11 trips. Tiger’s just more consistent. By the way, Rickie will outplay both of them. Sean Martin (Senior Editor) - Tiger. The Stadium Course rewards strong iron players, and Woods is still one of the best in that area. Also, the course allows him to avoid hitting driver. He can navigate the course with his stinger. When he won in 2013, he relied heavily on a 5-wood. Mickelson’s struggles off the tee concern me on this course. Ben Everill (Staff Writer) – Tiger. Mickelson poked the beast a few times in the lead-up and while Tiger has been all smiles, you just know he wants to maintain his lead in their head-to-head match-ups. Cameron Morfit (Staff Writer) – When these two guys go at it, we all win. And based on their back-and-forth at the pressers, the winner will also be some made-for-TV, mano-a-mano tilt between the two at some undetermined future time/date/place. This week, I’ll pick Phil. He’s had the better of their rivalry lately and looked sharper at the Wells Fargo last week.    Rob Bolton (Fantasy Insider) – Mickelson. Better form. Recent winner. Helen Ross (Contributor) – This heavyweight battle goes to Phil. He’s coming off a tie for fifth at the Wells Fargo Championship, where he shot 9 under on the weekend. Woods, meanwhile, struggled with his putter last week and didn’t make a birdie in his final 18 holes. Jonathan Wall (Equipment Insider) – Tiger. While Phil’s comments were made in jest (I think), Tiger wants to make a statement.  Which one will be next to win a PGA TOUR event? McAllister – I don’t expect either to win this week at TPC Sawgrass. But I’m a sucker for the Hollywood finish (and no, I don’t mean Riviera next year). Phil at Shinnecock to complete the career Slam. Martin – Mickelson. Woods still seems like he’s trying to put all the pieces together. Mickelson has been very consistent this year. Everill – I am going to pretend Tiger listens to my advice to play in a variety of new TOUR events – which if he does, he will he capture a win for the ages. Morfit – I’d have to pick Phil. He has six top-10 finishes already this season, which is one more than his total from last year. When he said before this season that he had figured something out, he wasn’t kidding. He’s second on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting, and not missing as terribly with his driver.  Bolton – Mickelson. Implying that Woods will win again isn’t a reach, but it’s still presumptuous. Ross – I’ve got to go with Phil. I have no doubt Tiger will get it together but right now he seems to be beating himself. Wall - The win in Mexico was no fluke. Phil gets his elusive U.S. Open win next month. Who has benefited most out of their rivalry/friendship? McAllister – Mickelson would have won more tournaments but probably made less money if Tiger had never been around. Tiger never reaches his incredible heights had Phil not pushed him. Not sure if I would put it exactly 50/50 as mutually beneficial, but I don’t see it simply as one or the other. Martin – Woods. I don’t think Phil could say he benefited in any way from their rivalry. All Woods did was take wins from Mickelson. When I asked Phil on Sunday for memories from the third round of the 2001 PLAYERS – when Mickelson had a front-row seat for the “Better Than Mostâ€� putt – all Mickelson could say was, “I just remember that was a tough stretch of years for me playing against him.â€� Everill – Tiger. Early on, it gave him a natural “enemy,â€� someone to stoke his fire. And now, it is someone who relates to him as they head towards legend and veteran status. Morfit – Tiger has benefited the most recently. He said that when his back was a mess and he had shooting pain down his legs, Phil kept texting him encouraging words. When he couldn’t chip, Phil offered to give him a lesson. There was a good reason for that freighted hug at the Presidents Cup at Liberty National. Phil threw Tiger a lifeline, and Tiger hasn’t forgotten it. Bolton – Mickelson. He’s said it himself. Throughout his career, no one has benefited more. Ross - The motivation Phil gained as Tiger dominated the scene certainly made him a better golfer. But off the course, as Tiger has dealt with a myriad of back problems, Phil has been there to offer support and encouragement. So I would say both have benefitted in very different ways. Wall – Probably Tiger. He needed a rival and Phil gave him someone to chase on the course. As for the friendship, I think both are benefitting from it.  What will be the highlight moment of their pairing? McAllister – Would love to see Phil show up in his button-down dress shirt on the first tee Thursday. Would totally throw Tiger off his game. C’mon Phil, make it happen! Martin – I look forward to their interactions. I anticipate some fist bumps and laughs, at least early in the first round. They know they’re in the latter stages of their careers, so they are intent on enjoying themselves. As Woods said earlier this year, “Our friendship has gotten stronger over the years. We’re at the tail end of our careers, we both know that.â€� Everill – Mickelson will hit a shot on 17 that stops 3 feet from the hole. Then Tiger will hit it inside him. Morfit – Watching them try to one-up each other, which will direct my attention to the par 3s, where they’ll share the same starting point. I’ll also be interested to see whether Phil tries to show off by driving the par-4 12th hole, and, if he goes for it, whether Tiger then decides to do the same. (Or vice-versa.)  Bolton – The introductions on the first tee on Thursday afternoon. It means that we don’t have to wait any longer. Ross – The cheers at the first tee will be deafening. But it will be fun to see who one-ups the other — or if Pete Dye’s diabolical creation gets the best of them both. Either way, it’s must-see TV. Wall – Probably the laughs they share during a competition round. I’m still getting used to them being friendly on the course. 

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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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