Rory McIlroy is getting reacquainted with Torrey Pines

BROOKLINE, Mass. – World top-five players Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas were all among those to break par in Thursday’s opening round of the U.S. Open. Adam Hadwin shot 4-under 66 in the afternoon to take the solo lead. Scattered across the first page of the leaderboard at The Country Club, though, are some lesser-known names who haven’t jockeyed for a PGA TOUR title in quite some time, if at all. It’s part of the U.S. Open’s mystique, as the world’s elite compete on the same playing field as dozens who earned their tee times via 36-hole Final Qualifying. The Country Club, after all, is where 20-year-old amateur Francis Ouimet beat British stalwarts Harry Vardon and Ted Ray at the 1913 U.S. Open. Here’s a look at four lesser-known names in the mix after Thursday’s opening round. MJ Daffue (3-under 67) The South African met two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen when he was in middle school, and the two remain close. Now after making a late decision to attempt U.S. Open qualifying due to crossing the fail-safe points threshold to secure his first PGA TOUR card via the Korn Ferry Tour, Daffue (sounds like Duffy) is on the leaderboard at The Country Club. He played collegiately at Lamar University, turned pro in 2012, and after a series of agonizing misses at Second Stage of Q-School, he earned guaranteed Korn Ferry Tour starts for the first time via Final Stage Q-School last fall. Money has been tight at times for the 33-year-old, who has admittedly battled depression amidst job uncertainty and loss – in 2013, his now-wife Kamie’s mom Jill tragically passed away after tripping on a street corner and being struck by a car. “My life is really good,” Daffue said after the opening round. “I have a great family, and everybody is healthy, and I think just being grateful for things has really given me a step back, and looking from the outside in … eventually, this is just a game. “We’re playing against the best in the world,” he added, “and this is just a privilege to be here.” Callum Tarren (3-under 67) The Englishman played collegiately at Radford University in Virginia and bounced around on various smaller tours before earning Korn Ferry Tour status via the No. 1 spot on the 2018 PGA TOUR China Order of Merit. He returned to Korn Ferry Tour Q-School in 2019, where after losing his swing during a 7-over 42 on the second nine of his opening round, he carded a final-round 65 to earn guaranteed starts on the number. After missing the cut at the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season-ending Pinnacle Bank Championship last August, Tarren flew home for the birth of his first child, daughter Sofia. He made it just in time, spent a couple days at home in England, and flew back to the U.S. for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, where he secured his PGA TOUR card. He secured his spot at The Country Club via Final Qualifying in Toronto, where he played in a twosome with Brandon Hagy. They completed the second round in 2 hours, 55 minutes, returning Tarren to a comfort zone of playing speedy rounds as a kid. His clubs arrived in Boston a day late, but based on his early returns at Brookline, he wasn’t fazed. “I’m kind of pinching myself,” said Tarren upon realizing he shared the U.S. Open lead through the morning wave Thursday. “Just excited with my start, and let’s see what the next few days hold.” David Lingmerth (3-under 67) The Swede and former University of Arkansas golfer wasted no time after earning his TOUR card via the 2012 Korn Ferry Tour. He recorded two runners-up as a TOUR rookie in 2013, and won the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday in 2015. For the former junior hockey standout, though, the golf game had fallen on hard times. Lingmerth hasn’t recorded a top-10 finish on TOUR since July 2017, and he has battled myriad injuries in his quest to recapture past form. He herniated two discs in his neck in 2017, and fractured his kneecap during a pickup hockey game in 2019. “There have been some tough days, not going to lie, and you start asking yourself those questions,” Lingmerth said. “But I’m pretty stubborn, and I’m not one to give up. Deal with the fact that I am where I am today, and I’ve just try to get better every day.” Lingmerth recently started working with coach Mark McCann – who also works with TOUR veteran Russell Knox – near his home base in northeast Florida. He’s optimistic, and early returns at Brookline suggest he’s on the right path. Hayden Buckley (2-under 68) The native of Tupelo, Mississippi, played at the University of Missouri on a 2 percent scholarship, essentially as a walk-on. Buckley’s junior golf results failed to attract buzz across the Division I landscape, but positive word-of-mouth reviews led Missouri coach Mark Leroux to offer him a spot on the team without seeing him hit a single shot. With a homemade swing, Buckley channeled an underdog mentality into a successful career as a Tiger, ultimately earning third team All-American honors as a senior in 2017-18. The same underdog mentality served Buckley well as he played the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour season on conditional status. He arrived at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in February 2021 as an alternate, and warmed up on the range Thursday morning – in the dark – without a tee time. A last-minute withdrawal provided Buckley a spot in the field, and he proceeded to win the event in a playoff and earn his first PGA TOUR card. Buckley entered the U.S. Open with just one made cut in his last seven starts, and he stands No. 112 in the FedExCup. He earned his way here, though, and is taking advantage.

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The 2023 portion of the PGA TOUR season begins with spectacular views from Maui at the lovely Plantation Course in Kapalua for an incredible 25th year running, but to steal a theme from PGA TOUR player Kevin Kisner… this ain’t no holiday. Kisner (who has picked up a cult following using his phrase, “this ain’t no hobby”), is sadly not one of a field of 39 players in Maui for the first of the TOUR’s new designated events that sees a huge purse increase from $8.2 million to $15 million and FedExCup points for the winner also rise to 550. As such the holiday isle will see a stacked field with 17 of the top 20 players in the world gearing up for a shootout as Mother Nature isn’t ready for prime time just yet. Of course there will be breezes but the Coore/Crenshaw layout is designed for just that as Kapalua provides the largest targets off the tee and into the greens on TOUR. The Par-73 layout stretches to 7,596 yards but there’s plenty of tract playing down the mountain to shorten the length. Judging the elevation changes, uneven lies and just over two inches of Bermuda will provide the challenges, relatively speaking, this week. Defending champion Cameron Smith (not entered) set the PGA TOUR tournament scoring record on 34-under and did so without breaking the course record. That was left to Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and Matt Jones (not entered this week) as they posted 12-under 61 to establish the new mark. The fact is, the Golfbet crew cannot ignore the scoring stats this week when looking for a gaming or fantasy edge. Key Statistics Only players listed are competing this week; click stat headline for additional players; Stats from 2021-22 completed season. Strokes Gained: Approach the Green The first key in a shootout is finding as many Greens In Regulation (GIR) as possible. With some of the largest targets on TOUR I’m looking for the snipers who can hone in on flag sticks and create prime scoring chances. Of the last eight winners only Harris English (2021) has finished outside of the top seven in this category. Note: Billy Horschel (1), Tom Hoge (3), Tony Finau (4), Tom Kim (5), Cameron Young (6) and Collin Morikawa (13) all rank inside the top 15 of this stat so far THIS season. Birdie or Better Conversion Percentage Welcome aboard! Now, it’s time to pay off the approaches. TifEagle installed before the 2020 edition won’t be the issue. The greens will be ready, as they are annually, to accept eagle and birdie chances. Aggressive lines and speeds will pay off as the Stimpmeter (around 11 feet) is protection if the wind picks up. The last two seasons the Plantation Course has ranked in the top three on TOUR in this category. Of the last eight winners, six have ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 for the week. Note: Patrick Cantlay (1), Tony Finau (4), Jon Rahm (5), and Max Homa (8) all rank inside the top 10 of this stat so far THIS season. Par Breakers Nothing wrong with making pars this week as the absence of a cut will see all players complete four rounds. Those will grander aspirations and expectations will accept that birdies and eagles need to be the rule, not the exception. Of the courses used the last two seasons on TOUR, Kapalua has ranked first or second easiest in this category. Jon Rahm tied the TOUR record for most birdies in an event last year with 32. He didn’t win. Cameron Smith, who is not defending this season, circled 31 but also added three eagles. Note: Patrick Cantlay (1), Jon Rahm (2), Tony Finau (5), Seamus Power (7), Max Homa (8) and Brian Harman (1o) all rank inside the top 10 of this stat so far THIS season. Rounds in the 60s Of the top 15 players in 2022 only two of 60 rounds were posted at 70 or worse. In 2021 there were only seven from the top 12 finishers. With very similar conditions forecast this year this should hold again. Last year the top three players would have won the previous 23 Sentry TOC with their winning totals. The top 18 last year and top nine players in 2021 were all 20-under or better. Rounds under par are great but rounds in the 60s will be difference makers. Find guys who have no problem racking ’em up! Note: Seamus Power (8) ranks inside the top 10 of this stat so far THIS season. Justin Thomas has 20 career rounds of 63 or better, most on TOUR since 2015. The Bottom Line Not surprisingly two-time event winner Justin Thomas (Win: +1100; Top 5: +175; Top 10: -160; Top 20: -700) jumps off the page as does the hottest player from 2022 in Scottie Scheffler (Win: +900; Top 5: +140; Top 10: -225; Top 20: -1000). Xander Schauffele (Win: +1100; Top 5: +175; Top 10: -165; Top 20: -800) has had a ton of success in limited field, big money events and lines up almost as nicely. Sam Burns (Win: +2500; Top 5: +375; Top 10: +140; Top 20: -350) and Russell Henley (Win: +4000; Top 5: +550; Top 10: +220; Top 20: -200) have burning red hot track records on Bermuda surfaces also. Good luck! Responsible sports betting starts with a game plan. Set a budget. Keep it social. Play with friends. Learn the game and know the odds. Play with trusted, licensed operators. CLICK HERE to learn more at HaveAGamePlan.org

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Short of winning any tournament, it’s arguable that emerging as one of the 30 at East Lake in Atlanta is the hardest objective on the PGA TOUR. Of the 35 unique winners this season, 15 didn’t advance to the finale of the FedExCup Playoffs. Identifying the most confident golfers at the TOUR Championship isn’t too hard. Just read the field. Reaching the summit is one reason why each qualifier is treated to exemptions into the first three majors of 2018 as well as spots in the first two World Golf Championships. It’s nothing short of a life-changing achievement for the eight first-timers in the field. The other lane of confidence isn’t as smooth and fluid, but it matters more when making decisions for your fantasy lineups. This is where you determine who deserves the attention and your faith as a fit at East Lake. Billy Horschel caught such a blazing heater in 2014 that a kneejerk reaction would be to ignore how he prevailed by three strokes in the TOUR Championship. However, upon closer inspection, his formula for success was no more out of the ordinary than the two champions since. Horschel, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy showcased the complete game en route to their titles. All four identifiers below align with what worked for them and what projects to work for this week’s champion. East Lake’s putting surfaces average 6,200 square feet and could touch 12-and-a-half feet on the Stimpmeter, but they are not dastardly, devilish or diabolical. From just about every metric, they’re easier on average to solve and they are fair. With that accepted component factored in, we can widen our focus to use bogey avoidance as the catchall for short game and putting. In a nutshell, that explains why East Lake is a ball-striker’s paradise. Something to keep in mind as your watch, listen to and/or read about the tournament, since Tiger Woods won the FedExCup without winning the TOUR Championship in 2009, which was the inaugural year of the first iteration of the current points structure, every champion at East Lake also captured the FedExCup. NOTE: Golfers inside the top 20 in each statistic in the FedExCup Playoffs are listed only if they are scheduled to compete in the TOUR Championship. * – Finished inside the top 10 at the TOUR Championship in 2014, 2015 and/or 2016. Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee 1  *Dustin Johnson 2  Jon Rahm 3  *Rickie Fowler 4  *Jordan Spieth 5  Brooks Koepka 6  Xander Schauffele T7  *Kevin Chappell T7  Charley Hoffman 9  Tony Finau 11  Jhonattan Vegas 12  *Paul Casey 15  *Justin Rose 16  *Justin Thomas 18  Patrick Cantlay Greens in Regulation T2  Patrick Cantlay T2  *Jordan Spieth 4  *Gary Woodland 5  Marc Leishman 7  *Justin Rose 8  Jon Rahm T9  *Sergio Garcia T9  *Dustin Johnson 13  *Rickie Fowler T16  *Matt Kuchar 19  *Paul Casey T20  Pat Perez T20  Kyle Stanley Proximity to the Hole 1  *Dustin Johnson 4  *Justin Rose T6  *Jason Day 10  *Jordan Spieth T11  Russell Henley T13  Daniel Berger 16  Jon Rahm 19  Brian Harman Bogey Avoidance 1  Patrick Cantlay 2  *Jordan Spieth 3  *Justin Rose T4  Pat Perez T4  Jon Rahm 6  *Dustin Johnson T8  *Justin Thomas 10  Marc Leishman T11 *Rickie Fowler T13  *Sergio Garcia T15  Daniel Berger T15  *Paul Casey T15  Webb Simpson T19  *Jason Day With only 30 in the field, the usual groupings below are sparsely populated, but half of the field is still represented. Jordan Spieth (2015) is the only prior winner of the TOUR Championship back this week. NOTE: The groups below are comprehensive to assist in data mining. Inclusion doesn’t imply automatic endorsement in every fantasy game as all decisions are specific to your situation. CONFIDENCE MEN Selected golfers with multiple cuts made sorted by rank on the tournament’s money list. BUILDING CONFIDENCE Sorted by best finish, selected golfers who are either finally finding form on the course or are still relatively new to the tournament but have enjoyed some success. OTHER SIGNS OF CONFIDENCE Sorted by most recent top 10s, selected golfers for whom it’s been a few years since their last.

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