Rory Sabbatini jumps out to early lead at RBC Heritage

This is one of those rare moments, if not the only, when all you really need to do is remember to submit your picks and lineups. In recent weeks, I’ve written about strategy as Segment 3 of PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO nears its conclusion. This week’s Quicken Loans National is the antepenultimate event of 14 before The Open Championship launches Segment 4. With only A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier and the John Deere Classic remaining before all golfers are reset to three starts, you’re unlikely to miss any of the guys in this week’s field for whom you’d be burning the final start. This is the reality even after I shared last week that last year’s QLN scored the least of the last four tournaments (including the Travelers Championship) of Segment 3. That fact supported the advice to burn any last starts you had at TPC River Highlands. So, if you still have a start for your favorite, it’s a bonus. Burn it now. I’ve also written quite a bit about up-and-comers who demand your attention this summer and beyond. That content remains viewable anytime you want to revisit it. As it did with nine exemptions last weekend, The Open Championship will be adding to its field every week until it’s time for the tournament on July 19-22. Continue to monitor Qualfiers regularly. Weeks like this one are good for the fantasy soul. They simplify and clarify. Just don’t forget to head to the fantasy platform to lock in your decisions! PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the Quicken Loans National (in alphabetical order): Rickie Fowler J.B. Holmes Marc Leishman Francesco Molinari Kyle Stanley Tiger Woods You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Byeong Hun An; Kiradech Aphibarnrat; Tom Hoge; Si Woo Kim; Kevin Na; Jimmy Walker Driving: Byeong Hun An; Tyler Duncan; Beau Hossler; J.T. Poston; Kevin Streelman Approach: Stewart Cink; Tom Hoge; Kevin Na; Kevin Streelman; Tiger Woods Short: Kiradech Aphibarnrat; Beau Hossler; Jimmy Walker Power Rankings Wild Card Kevin Na … After flirting with fate and failing at Muirfield Village where he was a Draw before missing the cut – as a refresher, he zigs more often than most when he projects to zag – he deserves another chance at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. Still more effective as a short-game artist, he’s also 46th in strokes gained: tee-to-green and T20 in par-5 scoring. Also placed T22 here last year while leading the field in strokes gained: approach-the-green. Draws Si Woo Kim … When he celebrates his 23rd birthday concurrently with Thursday’s opening round, he’ll be extending the expectation of consistency. It wasn’t the narrative defining his burgeoning career until this season, and it includes ingredients to launch something quite special sooner than later for the two-time PGA TOUR winner. Although he missed the cut here last year, he makes sense on this course because of his knack to connect with a terrific tee-to-green game. Sits 50th on TOUR in the strokes-gained stat dedicated to measuring that. Anirban Lahiri … It’s easy to lean on the laurels of his steady T9 at the Travelers, but he was already trending toward it. It began, surprisingly, with his missed cut at THE PLAYERS. It was at TPC Sawgrass where he reversed a trend of four straight starts surrendering strokes to each field tee to green. Since the PGA TOUR’s flagship event, he’s connected five straight starts while gaining strokes on each field. His strokes gained: tee-to-green at TPC River Highlands measured a season-best 6.79. So, ride him while he’s hot, but understand that the fuel for his surge matters even more at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. Kevin Streelman … In Streelman we trust. He makes most cuts, resides among the best on TOUR tee-to-green and salvaging pars, and he finished T17 here last year. Continue to wear him out in every format. Adam Hadwin (DFS) Billy Horschel (DFS) Fades Gary Woodland … It’s been a tale of two seasons in 2017-18. Since opening with a 7-for-7 run that was punctuated with a playoff victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, he’s just 5-for-11 with no better than a T23 (Memorial) since. He’s also getting his first look at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. Bill Haas … Quite simply, even though it’s been awhile since he’s exhibited week-to-week consistency, we don’t need to force him. Yet, it’s an expectation in the 36-year-old that we must continue to possess. Now four months removed from the crash in California, he may only need a fresh start to a season to feel himself again competitively. From that standpoint, he’s on an early watch as a salary bargain entering 2018-19. David Lingmerth … If you’re confused as to why he’d even be included in this section as he occupies 153rd place in the FedExCup standings, it’s because he led each of the first three rounds in last year’s QLN before backpedaling to finish T5. He’s managed only two top 25s on the PGA TOUR since, including at last week’s Travelers, but his role is as a flier for DFSers, and fractionally at that. Ryan Palmer Patrick Rodgers Returning to Competition None. Notable WDs Ben Martin … His missed cut at the Travelers was the fifth in his last six starts. He’s gone 14 straight without a top 25 but hangs on at 125th in the FedExCup standings. This decision saves course history buffs who may have been holding their breath since he finished T5 at TPC Potomac last year. Mac Hughes … It doesn’t seem like all that long ago that he was checking off all of the boxes, personally and professionally. Yet, he’s 200th in the FedExCup standings with only six cuts made in 22 starts, none of which going for a top 40. No matter what happens the rest of this summer, the 27-year-old will get another season with fully exempt status for winning The RSM Classic late in 2016. And because it’ll be his contract year, he might be worth the plunge in deep salary formats. Vaughn Taylor … Finished T61 at last year’s QLN. Currently 97th in the FedExCup standings and an impressive 43rd in adjusted scoring. Nate Lashley … This is his second consecutive early withdrawal. He hasn’t used social media to explain why. The rookie hasn’t played since finishing T37 in Memphis. At 151st in the FedExCup standings, he’s in the no-man’s land of being safe to qualify for the Web.com Tour Finals but outside the bubble for conditional status as a last resort for 2018-19. Hunter Mahan … Since opening the season with a pair of top 20s, he’s just 7-for-14 with no better than a T35 (Corales). Still, don’t count out the veteran to make noise down the stretch. While he’s not angling at that at the moment, it wouldn’t be that surprising given his career achievements. He sits 161st in FedExCup points. Power Rankings Recap – Travelers Championship Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Daniel Berger  T67 2  Patrick Reed  MC 3  Justin Thomas  T56 4  Webb Simpson  MC 5  Charley Hoffman  T15 6  Marc Leishman  MC 7  Brendan Steele  MC 8  Ryan Moore  MC 9  Xander Schauffele  MC 10  Paul Casey  T2 11  Bryson DeChambeau  T9 12  Jordan Spieth  T42 13  Rory McIlroy  T12 14  Brooks Koepka  T19 15  Jason Day  T12 Wild Card  Bubba Watson  Win Sleepers Recap – Travelers Championship Golfer  Result Aaron Baddeley  MC Beau Hossler  T2 Dylan Meyer  MC Patrick Rodgers  T26 Vaughn Taylor  T47 Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR June 26 … Colt Knost (33) June 27 … none June 28 … Si Woo Kim (23) June 29 … Mark Hensby (46); Anirban Lahiri (31); Trey Mullinax (26) June 30 … Patrick Rodgers (26) July 1 … none July 2 … Brett Stegmaier (35)

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NOTE: If you play PGA TOUR Champions One & Done presented by SERVPRO, the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship begins on Thursday. It’s the second of five majors on the circuit and the first of three with a cut. See the possibilities at the bottom of the page to assist you in determining your pick. In a fantasy world not all that long ago, you’d have burned Zach Johnson at the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational and Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic, collected your FedExCup points or earnings and coasted into the following week on a heater. But as all good things come to an end, so did that exacta. Turning the page can be difficult – just ask full-season gamers who drafted Tiger Woods in the last couple of years – but it’s necessary. In fact, it’s a prerequisite for success and it embodies the essence of why fantasy sports are so important to the general fan base. It doesn’t mean that we still can’t root for ZJ and Stricker (and Woods) as fans, but our objective of defeating our competition is the only goal in fantasy. Colonial Country Club has been very, very good to Johnson. He’s 11-for-11 with two wins, a total of five top 10s and sits atop the tournament’s all-time money list, but he’s not a recommendation for even two-man gamers this week. Save him for your No. 1 or 2 slot when the JDC rolls around in mid-July as he replaced Stricker as the main man in their native region. The love for Jason Dufner among my fellow little leaguers is obvious and warranted. He’ll do just fine in bridging you to next week, if not reigniting the feels that ZJ once sparked. Note that this is the last regular PGA TOUR event among Dufner’s suggested Future Possibilities, so it’s nice when decisions are that easy. Colonial member Ryan Palmer is at worst the tail of the tandem for two-man gamers. His level of comfort and course knowledge is second to none. In the entirety of the season, Colonial is the only track at which he’d contend to be the pick in a classic one-and-done game like what’s offered at PGATOUR.COM, but due to how deep we are into 2016-17, he’s even more attractive to plug this gap. Giants such as defending champion Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia present better elsewhere, although I’d be a fool to pretend to talk you out of Spieth if you’re in an earnings-based format. Now that he’s decided to go back to his old putter for the DEAN & DELUCA, it’s a splendid time to pounce as you know some of your opposition won’t be in the know and mesmerized by his 0-for-2 “rut.” As for me, I’ve had my eye on Kevin Kisner for a while. It’s time to pull the trigger. You may recall that I was sizing him up for THE PLAYERS, but veered toward Garcia instead. Other than a mini-slump upon arrival, Kisner checks all of the boxes in terms of course fit and success. What’s most exciting is how he’s proven that the past is the past and it doesn’t dictate the future, so his little skid worries me zero. In addition to Palmer, two-man gamers should give long looks at Bud Cauley, Kyle Reifers, Nick Taylor and Sung Kang. 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. Jason Bohn … Greenbrier Paul Casey … Travelers; WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Jason Dufner … DEAN & DELUCA; U.S. Open; TOUR Championship Harris English … DEAN & DELUCA Tony Finau … Memorial Sergio Garcia … Open Championship; TOUR Championship Bill Haas … Wyndham Charley Hoffman … DEAN & DELUCA; Travelers; Canadian Billy Horschel … St. Jude; TOUR Championship Zach Johnson … DEAN & DELUCA; John Deere; Open Championship; WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Chris Kirk … DEAN & DELUCA Kevin Kisner … DEAN & DELUCA; Wyndham Matt Kuchar … DEAN & DELUCA; Memorial; Canadian; WGC-Bridgestone Martin Laird … Barracuda Marc Leishman … DEAN & DELUCA; Memorial; Travelers; Open Championship Graeme McDowell … Open Championship; WGC-Bridgestone; Wyndham William McGirt … Memorial (defending); Wyndham Phil Mickelson … St. Jude; Open Championship; PGA Championship Bryce Molder … DEAN & DELUCA; Greenbrier Ryan Moore … Travelers; John Deere (defending); TOUR Championship Ryan Palmer … DEAN & DELUCA; St. Jude Scott Piercy … John Deere; BMW Webb Simpson … Greenbrier; Wyndham Brandt Snedeker … DEAN & DELUCA; U.S. Open; Travelers; Canadian; Wyndham Jordan Spieth … DEAN & DELUCA (defending); John Deere; WGC-Bridgestone; PGA Championship; TOUR Championship Kevin Streelman … Memorial Boo Weekley … St. Jude; Barbasol CHAMPIONS ONE & DONE POSSIBILITIES KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship Trump National Golf Club’s Championship Course in Virginia hosts for the first time. It’s a par 72 measuring 7,130 yards. The tournament’s purse of $2.8 million is tied for second-largest of the season. Only the U.S. Senior Open Championship at $3.75 million is greater. Golfers listed alphabetically. Rob’s serious considerations in bold. Stephen Ames … Chased his breakthrough win with top 20s in the last two. Hasn’t yet recorded a top 10 in a major. Tommy Armour III … The tour’s longest hitter has just one top 10 on the season (T2, Insperity). John Daly … Answered his breakthrough title at the Insperity Invitational with a T32 at the Regions Tradition, and that required a closing 65. Carlos Franco … Eighth in earnings but it’s a top-heavy season with a T2 at the Allianz Championship in February and a victory alongside Vijay Singh at the Bass Pro Shops Legends. Fred Funk … The tour’s most accurate driver has a T3, a T2 and a T4 in his last four starts, but he hasn’t recorded a top 10 in the Senior PGA since his debut in 2009. Jay Haas … Two-time winner (2006, 2008) has a total of five top-three finishes in this tournament in which he’s second on the all-time money list. Two top 10s in individual competition in 2017. Lee Janzen … Ranks 21st on the money list despite just one top 10 at the season opener at Hualalai. Miguel Angel Jiménez … A third-round 74 at the Regions Tradition (T20) thwarted a sixth consecutive top 10, but it’s his only score or par or worse all year. Bernhard Langer … Picked up his eighth career title in a major at last week’s Regions Tradition. The Senior PGA Championship is the only major on the PGA TOUR Champions that he hasn’t won. Tom Lehman … The 2010 champ is 11th on the 2017 money list with a win and no worse than a T16 in his last five starts. T6 at last week’s Regions Tradition. Ranks second in ball-striking. Scott McCarron … Fulfilled the expectation last week with a co-runner-up. Second in earnings this season with a win and another three top-six finishes. Rocco Mediate … The defending champion but on a different course. Only one top 20 in his last seven starts and sits 42nd in earnings. Colin Montgomerie … In three starts in this tournament, he has two wins and a runner-up. Arrives in uncharacteristically pedestrian form, however, and slots 44th on the money list. Kenny Perry … Only one finish outside a top 20 in his last eight starts. Currently sixth on the money list. Gene Sauers … Ranks third on the PGA TOUR Champions in ball-striking and leads in one-putt percentage. No top 10s in four starts in this tournament, but has four this season. T10 last week. Vijay Singh … Tournament debut. After winning the Ball Pro Shops Legends with Carlos Franco, settled for solo 64th at last week’s Region’s Tradition. Jeff Sluman … Hasn’t missed a major since turning 50 in 2007. Seven top 25s this season. Kevin Sutherland … While his top-10 streak ended at nine with last week’s T13, he’s now gone over 13 months without finishing outside a top 20. Fifth in earnings, highest among non-winners. David Toms … Quietly humming along at 18th on the money list. T6 at the Regions Tradition marked his major debut on the circuit. Kirk Triplett … Two top 10s and another pair of top 20s in four starts in this tournament. Strong major record overall. Four top 10s this season. Duffy Waldorf … Solid season features three top 10s and another three top 20s, but he’s converted on just two top 10s in majors since 2014.

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Top-ranked amateur Rose Zhang capped an unbeaten week as the Americans won six of the eight singles matches Saturday to beat Great Britain & Ireland in the Curtis Cup.

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