Straka shoots 63 at Barbasol Championship, still gets needled by twin brother

If you didn’t play PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live last week, it was wild. Six golfers shared the first-round lead, including PGA TOUR non-member Bryson Nimmer. Gather enough entries – there were 3,868 – and you’re bound to have one on board with him as the R1 leader at +10000, and there was! Talk about a chip and a chair… With Jon Rahm and the rest, scoring was diversified nicely, but the curveball on the weekend was that golfers went out in threesomes both days. (In the third round, split tees were used. For the finale, everyone went off No. 1.) So, there were no 2-balls valued at +750 and higher like usual. That didn’t stop our in-house veterans. Rob finished 17th for what was his third straight top 25. He’s connected for a top 25 in half of the 10 events played. Meanwhile, Glass recorded his personal best of 36th place. Still, as he laments below, his hope was for much better. It’s funny how expectations change when you get good at something, but by no means has guessing at golf become easy. Monitoring the interface for when Top 10 and Top 20 bets unlock ultimately can define the experience as fantastic or forgettable. The aggregate impact of logical strategies, educated decisions and a little luck is the backbone to every experience. Heck, even the entry that nailed Nimmer didn’t win the week. Bring all your clubs, because you never know which one will be the right one today. Register for PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live here and monitor Rob’s and Glass’ progress as Influencers. For a broader explanation of the format and FAQs, click here. TOURNAMENT TO WIN Rob … Cameron Young (+4000) First, it’s about time that Glass made me work for it last week. I’ll assume all the credit and give none to the golfers. So, you know, the usual. Turning the attention to the Wells Fargo Championship, this has the makings of a fresh face taking the title. Young already has connected for a trio of podium finishes, including shot-shapers’ stages like Riviera and Harbour Town. He’s also rested since that T3 at the RBC Heritage. Glass … Long Shot Golfer (+Big Odds) As is usually the case in this fantastic format, I’m going fishing before we tee it up. Last week, my buddy, Nate Lashley (+9000), sat three shots off the 54-hole lead and I was dreaming about LOTS OF GOLD COINS. Then I remembered that the World No. 2 was leading, and the dream was short lived. Back to reality, the theory stands up. If the best players entering these tournaments – Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth in the last four weeks alone – there’s no point in holstering the favorite on Wednesday morning. Reach for the stars. Dig deep. Catch lightning in a bottle. Find a genie in a bottle. DO SOMETHING. Speaking of reality, I can’t find a deep shot I love this week so I’m going with Keith Mitchell (+5500), anyway. Not many better off the tee, into the greens and he sits 12th in scoring average. T26 or better in five of his last six on his own ball, including four T13s or better. TOP 10 Rob … Jhonattan Vegas (+580) As my top Sleeper, I already was on board, so this is a natural fit in PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live. In his prime and continued to perform like it at 37 years of age, he pops often enough for top 10s that I was surprised that he was this long at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. His tee-to-green game is anchored by vintage irons that lay the foundation to rank 30th in adjusted scoring. Glass … Sung Kang (+1200) If you didn’t notice, the interface unlocked Top 10 and Top 20 markets more often for the Mexico Open at Vidanta. Assuming it continues, I will roll more dice as the season moves on. If there is a horse for a course over time and across TOURS at the old cattle farm, Kang is hard to argue against this week. Remember, deep dives can be changed daily, so I don’t have to be married to this selection, but his results here speak for themselves. Oh, and don’t look at his recent results on TOUR if you’re looking for supporting evidence as it’s, er, grim. I’m taking a calculated flyer until I crap out! TOP 20 Glass … Matt Wallace (+700) The Zurich Classic of New Orleans broke him out of a horrific, six-event MC streak on TOUR. He followed that outing with by opening in Mexico 70-66 before fading on the weekend. His three best paydays last year were on TPC San Antonio, Quail Hollow and Harbour Town, not exactly pitch-and-putt municipal tracks. He should be closer to +1200 than +700, so I’m wondering why he’s being protected. LET’S GAMBLE. Rob … Jacob Bridgeman (+900) As long as this window opens at the midpoint, I’m gonna give this confident kid a go. The senior at Clemson is only a week removed from taking the title at the ACC Men’s Golf Championship. Four weeks prior, he cruised to victory at the Linger Longer Invite. Before that and in between, he finished third once and fourth twice. He now sits ninth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and second in the Velocity Global Ranking a/k/a PGA TOUR University, but as an insurance policy, he went ahead and prevailed at PGA TOUR Canada’s qualifying event in Alabama in mid-March. To give you an indication of the respect (and fervor) for the 22-year-old, as of Tuesday night, PGA TOUR winners Austin Cook, Nick Watney, Kevin Tway, Camilo Villegas, Chesson Hadley, Jim Herman and Johnson Wagner all are available at the same kickback for a top 20. ROUND 1 LEADER Glass … Denny McCarthy (+8000) Local lad grew up down the street and will be eager to make amends after his MC in 2018. He goes out early enough on the back nine – the easier side – and will have tasty greens in light winds. It was hard to lay down my favorite FRL, Rory McIlroy, but it’s his first ticket to ride here. Remember, go ugly early so you can rebound as the round comes around. Rob … Brian Harman (+6000) Most of the others who have my attention with this bet are in the late draw, so I didn’t waste any time in circling the 2017 champion (albeit at Eagle Point). As Glass intimated, the inward walk of TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm should play about a half-stroke easier than its counterpart; both are par 35s. However, that’s not enough of a split for me to focus only on the guys who start on 10. The little lefty goes out in the second threesome on No. 1, so by the time I’m awake in Arizona, he’ll have signed his card, so I won’t need to wait to pivot, if necessary. He checks all of the boxes required to succeed on this track, and he’s 25th in first-round scoring average on TOUR. MAKE THE CUT Rob … Nate Lashley (-150) He’s mine, and he can be yours, too, for the prime value of 17 coins. Not your typical fountain of FedExCup points but the veteran has cashed in five of his last six starts, all for a top 30. Four were top 20s. Glass … Denny McCarthy (-143) If I’m going to back him to lead Round 1, I would hope he doesn’t fall asleep on Friday. He’s 26th in scoring average and fifth in scrambling, and that will come in handy this week. Plus, he’s the third-richest choice! All about them GOLD COINS. 3-BALL Glass … Matt Fitzpatrick (-118) over Scott Piercy and Charl Schwartzel Fitzpatrick is the favorite here and he should be. Piercy and Schwartzel both have made three cuts on the bounce, but Fitzpatrick’s ability to grind out pars and keep it on the sprinkler line is trumps. Rob … Anirban Lahiri (+116) over Camilo Villegas and Henrik Norlander Although you almost never feel this kickback because it’s worth such a small percentage of total coins accumulated by successful entries, it’s still fun to review the board. This is one of those weeks when Glass and I could have filled a page just with tasty R1 3-balls, and even just the options in the morning wave alone. To keep things fresh, I skipped over my R1 leader, Brian Harman, as well as my R1 3-ball from last week, C.T. Pan – both of whom are in Thursday’s early draw and who I endorse if you’re keen – in favor of the surging Indian. While I file this pick guessing that he’ll have the shortest odds, I’ll be mildly surprised if it’s more impressive relative to others that captured my attention. Lahiri is in my Power Rankings, while the other two are scuffling for different reasons. NOTE: While Glass and Rob typically stick with their selections as detailed in Pick ‘Em Preview, they are allowed the right to make changes at any time.

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WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Farmers Insurance and the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour today announced the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series, a string of three events in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Los Angeles designed to further the APGA Tour’s mission of bringing greater diversity to the game of golf. The APGA Tour Famers Insurance Fall Series will include: • Sept. 20-22 – APGA Tour Valley Forge, Bluestone Country Club, Blue Bell, PA, $25,000 purse • Oct.17-19 – APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Atlanta Championship White Oak Golf Club at the Clubs of Peachtree City, Atlanta, GA, $25,000 purse • Nov. 7-9 – APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series Finale – Wilshire Country Club, Los Angeles, CA, $30,000 purse The APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series will also feature a $15,000 bonus pool that pays an additional $7,500 to the player who is awarded the most points from each of the three events. Additionally, the top-3 ranked players from the Fall Classic, who aren’t previously qualified for the 2022 APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational will be invited to play in the 2022 APGA Tour event at Torrey Pines that is played opposite the PGA TOUR’s Farmers Insurance Open®. “As proud supporters of the APGA Tour and its work to grow diversity in golf, Farmers is honored to help extend the APGA Tour season by sponsoring the Fall Series and bringing more awareness to the talented players competing in these events,” said Jeff Dailey, CEO of Farmers Insurance. “We believe this extension will help create more playing opportunities inside the ropes for many impressive athletes while also championing programs and initiatives that can generate connections within the golf industry as a whole.” The three APGA Tour Famers Insurance Fall Series tournaments will each feature two separate youth-focused events. Each event will include an Advocates Foundation Farmers Insurance Youth Program that will bring kids from economically challenging backgrounds to the golf course for an introduction to golf, as well as career, health and wellness discussions. Additionally, the APGA Tour will partner with local First Tee Chapters to provide golf clinics and instruction to youth participants who are more experienced in golf. The clinics will be conducted by APGA Tour players, many of whom were either First Tee participants themselves or are currently volunteering their time with First Tee Chapters. In Los Angeles, the Advocates Foundation Farmers Insurance Youth Program at Chester Washington Golf Course will include 100 young people for a discussion on health, wellness and careers topics. Essay winners receive scholarships and an opportunity to attend the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open. APGA Tour players will also conduct a clinic for the youth participants, and students will have a chance for additional prizes. Sponsoring the APGA Tour Famers Insurance Fall Series is the latest in a series of actions Farmers has taken to help advance its commitment to diversity and growth in the game of golf. The national insurer has provided funding for APGA TOUR events and the organization’s athletes, sponsored players including Kamaiu Johnson and Willie Mack III, hosted the first-ever APGA event at a PGA TOUR tournament at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open and provided Mack with a sponsor’s exemption into the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open. Additionally, Farmers recently expanded its relationship with the Advocates Foundation and donated $110,000 for the organization’s career-and-wellness-focused youth programs. “As a Farmers Ambassador, it has been impressive and humbling to follow an organization that is doing so much to help provide resources and awareness to further diversity in the game,” said Rickie Fowler, “At last year’s Farmers Insurance Open, I was able to play a practice round with AGPA Tour star Willie Mack and meet several other APGA Tour players. Hearing their stories and spending time with them only furthered my understanding and appreciation for what Farmers is doing to support their development and the APGA Tour as a whole. Helping to remove the financial burden associated with the game is a top priority for both Farmers and the APGA. Ensuring players have access to the tools and support they need allows them to better focus on their career path and development in the game. Farmers was recently announced as the presenting sponsor of four Black College Golf Coaches Association events occuring in 2021-2022, as an additional step to help support and grow diversity in professional golf. The Black College Golf Coaches Association’s mission is to enhance and preserve Black college golf programs by fostering the development of coaches and players. “Farmers has been incredible in supporting our tremendous growth the past couple of years,” said APGA Tour CEO Ken Bentley. “Farmers and CEO Jeff Dailey have continued to strengthen the relationship by not only increasing financial support but by joining our efforts to help talented high school and college minority players. Together we are helping to bring greater diversity to the game of golf.” “The APGA Tour has been a blessing to me and my fellow competitors,” said two-time APGA Tour winner and Farmers Insurance Ambassador Kamaiu Johnson. “The APGA Tour gives us a place to develop and compete inside the ropes while helping us grow and make connections through the golf and business world as well. Farmers has played a massive role in the growth of the APGA Tour and the support that we receive as players. For me, personally, I am so thankful for all that Farmers does to support diversity to help golf better resemble the world we live in.” “The APGA Tour continues to grow and improve and much of that is due to Farmers,” said APGA TOUR champion and Farmers Ambassador Willie Mack III. “It’s exciting to know that we get three more events with the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series as we all work to chase our dreams of playing full-time on the PGA TOUR.” For more information about Farmers commitment to the game, visit Farmers.com/Golf.

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PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf league championships will be determined at the TOUR Championship in two weeks, but they could be decided at THE NORTHERN TRUST this weekend. With no cuts at the BMW Championship and Playoffs finale, and with front-runners having the power to end-load rosters for a title-clinching stymie, what happens at Liberty National is critical. THE NORTHERN TRUST features the last 36-hole cut of the 2020-21 season. Of the 124 committed, only 65 are promised to have tee times in the third and final rounds. That means that as many as 59 will not. If you’re in pursuit, this is your last chance to be aggressive with an elevated likelihood to capitalize. Unless you connect for victory and the bonus points that go with it, and assuming that that makes a dent in your deficit, you’re going to struggle picking up points with all gamers guaranteed four rounds of contributions in the final two events. Ah, yes, the bonus points. They are quadrupled in reality, which means 200 fantasy points to owners of winners rostered in final rounds. As noted under “End of Tournament Bonus” in Rules, the structure of bonus points for the TOUR Championship will align with the first two events. When formulating your strategy, remember that opening position at East Lake is determined by seed upon arrival. Starting Strokes will give the best seeds placement at the top of the leaderboard before the first tee ball is aloft. Current league leaders likely will be saving starts for the highest seeds and those with a good track record at East Lake, but the latter projects to pack a stronger punch for the guys deeper in the standings. When the current structure was introduce in 2019, six golfers from outside the top 10 at the beginning of the TOUR Championship were among 11 who recorded a top 10 in the tournament. Rory McIlroy prevailed as the 5-seed. The runner-up was Xander Schauffele, who was seeded eighth. The same split occurred last year when an apples-to-apples comparison can be made because the conclusion of the reduction to tripled FedExCup points determined the opening seeds at East Lake. Although top-seeded Dustin Johnson won and the 3-seed, Justin Thomas, tied for second, six of the final top 10 opened outside the top 10. This may be obvious but it’s too important to omit: What you don’t want is to be left with a sixpack of guys outside, say, the top 15. Continue to manage accordingly by saving starts for guys you know you’re going to want at the TOUR Championship. Remember that you can use the tool on the platform to plug those guys in now if you choose. As for the BMW Championship, it’s the wild card of the trio because Caves Valley will be a new test despite previous experience for a handful as amateurs well over a decade ago. Always remember that when greens are unfamiliar, ball-strikers tend to contend. As noted in my Power Rankings for the FedExCup Playoffs, the track is a par 72 that can tip at 7,542 yards. RELATED: Power Rankings | Expert Picks PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for THE NORTHERN TRUST (in alphabetical order): Patrick Cantlay Paul Casey Dustin Johnson Collin Morikawa Jon Rahm Jordan Spieth You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Bryson DeChambeau; Harris English; Brooks Koepka; Rory McIlroy; Patrick Reed; Xander Schauffele; Scottie Scheffler; Adam Scott; Justin Thomas Driving: Corey Conners; Harris English; Matt Fitzpatrick; Viktor Hovland; Jason Kokrak; Joaquin Niemann; Xander Schauffele; Scottie Scheffler POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Tony Finau (+5000) … He hasn’t performed well in every Playoffs event since he debuted in 2015, but he’s performed well a lot. His record includes nine top 10s in 20 starts. To say that he’s scuffling upon arrival is fair, but it’s always relative to our elevated expectations given his talent and knack to adapt to the surroundings. So, the sensible thing to do is to give the 23-seed this week to prove that he deserves our attention at Caves Valley because he’ll present as a more intriguing choice for chasers in that ballpark. Front-runners won’t want to trust him with what’s at stake. DRAWS Cameron Smith (+3500) … Not the strongest fit for Liberty National, so he presents as a contrarian for chasers because he rises to the occasion in big events regularly. He’s also proven to be streaky. Keep that in mind when deliberating if he’s worth the reach after a T5 in his last start in Memphis. Matt Fitzpatrick (+6600) … Doubt that I convey that it feels that I go to his well too often but that’s, well, how it feels. When you’re a top-20 machine that makes most cuts, all fantasy formats are going to reward that kind of output. The 26-year-old Englishman still is getting his feet wet in the Playoffs – this is just his second spin – but his combination of splitting fairways and sinking putts works no matter what or where. Jhonattan Vegas (+10000) … He overcame a seriously inconsistent track record at Sedgefield with seriously strong form to finish T15 last week. Including a T16 at the Olympics, he’s recorded six top 20s in his last eight starts worldwide. His tee-to-green strength should do damage at each of the first two stops of the Playoffs. Tyrrell Hatton (+5000) … Despite testing positive for COVID-19 in late April, no complaints about 2021. He opened it with a victory in Abu Dhabi, got married in May and he’s on the inside track to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup. Yet, at 63rd in the FedExCup, it feels unfinished. He’s performed well enough in recent non-majors to deserve our confidence, but limit to DFS. Corey Conners Russell Henley Billy Horschel Jason Kokrak Joaquin Niemann Odds sourced on Wednesday, August 18 at 5 a.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm. FADES Hideki Matsuyama (+3300) … We forget how much of a workhorse he’s been for us over the years, and then we’re reminded of his vulnerability at the Olympics in his native Japan. He opens his eighth FedExCup Playoffs as the 14-seed, so he’s a virtual lock to advance to the TOUR Championship for, you guessed it, the eighth time. That’s crazy reliability and value, but he’s yet to record a top 10 in THE NORTHERN TRUST regardless of site. In his only previous trip to Liberty National in 2019, he finished T30. Of course that’s not terrible, but it’s a tip to holster him until Caves Valley when his long and strong, tee-to-green game can shine. Sam Burns (+6600) … He’s headed for stardom, not to mention his first TOUR Championship as the opening 10-seed, but he makes sense only in DFS situations, not in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf where familiarity in the Playoffs is of value. Si Woo Kim (+8000) … The course horse at Sedgefield was among the playoff victims on Sunday. It also was his first top-35 finish in official competition in two months. He’s gone nine consecutive starts in the Playoffs without a top 25. Sergio Garcia (+8000) … He should dissect Liberty National but he’s failed to break par in his last four rounds on the course. Sure, that dates back to the third round in 2013, but that’s still the reality. So, like with Smith above, the Spaniard can be a shrewd play if you’re in pursuit, but Garcia’s angle is his fit. His form isn’t that bad, either, however. Lee Westwood (+15000) … He hasn’t made much noise since the consecutive runner-up finishes in Florida several months ago, so the more curious matter is if he renews his PGA TOUR membership in 2021-22. The two-time winner paid his dues this season because of the six majors and 50 tournaments. With a normal schedule restored and at age 48, it’s reasonable to assume that this was a one-time return. Remember this wrinkle if you’re in a keeper league. Stewart Cink Lucas Glover Branden Grace Charley Hoffman Marc Leishman Phil Mickelson Ryan Palmer Cameron Tringale Gary Woodland RETURNING TO COMPETITION Garrick Higgo … Opening his Playoffs debut seeded 104th. He withdrew before the final round of the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational due to an illness. In the interim, he officially qualified as a rookie on the PGA TOUR. Danny Lee … Committed to the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron to open the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. He finished 183rd in the FedExCup but didn’t play after withdrawing during the John Deere Classic, citing an injured back. He later learned that he had a fractured rib. It prevented him from competing in The Open Championship. Seung-Yul Noh … Also in the field in Boise, and he’s also been nursing a rib injury since it forced him out of the Wells Fargo Championship during its second round. No matter what happens at the KFT Finals, the 30-year-old will have 16 starts via a Major Medical Extension to open the 2021-22 PGA TOUR season. NOTABLE WDs Louis Oosthuizen … The 8-seed is resting a sore neck for the second consecutive week. POWER RANKINGS RECAP – Wyndham Championship Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Webb Simpson T7 2 Sungjae Im T24 3 Jason Kokrak MC 4 Hideki Matsuyama MC 5 Louis Oosthuizen DNP 6 Patrick Reed DNP 7 Brian Harman MC 8 Russell Henley T7 9 Si Woo Kim P2 10 Seamus Power T60 11 Kevin Kisner Win 12 Brandt Snedeker MC 13 Will Zalatoris T29 14 Rory Sabbatini T10 15 Robert MacIntyre T65 Wild Card Rickie Fowler MC SLEEPERS RECAP – Wyndham Championship Golfer (BetMGM prop) Result Austin Cook (Top 20) MC Ryan Moore (Top 10) MC Cameron Percy (Top 20) T37 Scott Piercy (Top 10) T15 Camilo Villegas (Top 20) T46 BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PGA TOUR August 17 … none August 18 … Cameron Smith (28) August 19 … Jhonattan Vegas (37) August 20 … Zac Blair (31) August 21 … J.J. Spaun (31) August 22 … none August 23 … none Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. CO, IA, IN,MI, NJ, NV,PA, TN, VA or WV only. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700 (CO, NV, VA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA & WV), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), Call or Text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN), or call 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN).

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