Style Insider: PGA Championship fashion recap

For the first time this season, I faced the classic dilemma in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, and if you play long enough, you will, too, if you haven't already. Just like THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK the week before it, the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD was a 78-man competition with no cut. So, barring mid-tournament withdrawals and disqualifications, all gamers went eight rounds without any zeroes. Movement in the ranks was projected to be slight during the fortnight, which is why I labeled the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open as a position week. The difference-makers in each of the last two tournaments were the bonus points awarded the starters in the final round. They receive one-tenth of the FedExCup points earned. This is where philosophy meets long-range strategy. I've never espoused a rule of gaming that would advise you to bite on burning the last start for a golfer if he's in contention entering the final round, but I tend to lean that way with my own decisions. RELATED: Power Rankings | Sleeper Picks Jon Rahm rode my bench during the first three rounds at Sherwood. After opening with respective scores of 68 and 67, he sat T22 and five strokes off Justin Thomas' 36-hole pace. With only one start remaining on the Spaniard, I figured that my plan to holster it for the Masters would come to fruition, but I couldn't forget why I rostered him last week in the first place. Lo and behold, Rahm spun a field-low 63 in the third round to scale to outright second through 54 holes. I already had JT starting in every round, so I had visions of a massive Sunday, but that didn't deter me from my plan for Rahm. No matter how well I expect Rahm to play at the Masters (for which there are no shot-level bonuses but where there's a slight increase in bonus points because it's a major), he still has to execute. With that in my mind in real time before his final round this past Sunday, he had only one round to play at Sherwood and he had the most momentum. If I play him for the same possibility at the Masters, he's going to need to submit the same kind of performance that compelled me to roster him in the first place at Sherwood. So, I went for it, benched Tiger Woods (who finished T72) and Rahm landed in a two-way T2 worth 25 bonus points. The same finish at the Masters would yield 27 bonus points, so the decision paid off. Of all of the majors, the Masters has the easiest cut to survive, so I'm confident that I'll get four to the weekend at Augusta National. (Famous last words in fantasy; I get it.) Should Rahm prevail and offset the recent gain that no one can take away from me, I'll tip my visor because that's the way the ball bounces. Until then, as referenced in Monday's Power Rankings, ShotLink is not used at the Bermuda Championship, so fantasy scoring will be down about 8-15 percent overall. Therefore, the focus sharpens to target overall finish regardless of prowess off the tee that might otherwise influence you to build a lineup when ShotLink is plugged in. Although five events remain in Segment 1, only next week's Houston Open will be using shot-level scoring. ShotLink is not utilized at the Masters and the Mayakoba Golf Classic, and because the Plantation Course at Sea Island Resort is not lasered for The RSM Classic, shot-level scoring on the Seaside Course will not be used, either. The same setup is adopted for all three multiple-course tournaments on West Coast Swing in Segment 2. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for the Bermuda Championship (in alphabetical order): Emiliano Grillo Denny McCarthy Adam Schenk Brendon Todd Kristoffer Ventura Will Zalatoris You'll find my starters in Expert Picks Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Wyndham Clark Charley Hoffman; Beau Hossler; Peter Malnati; Brian Stuard; Justin Suh; Cameron Tringale; Harold Varner III Driving: n/a POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Henrik Stenson ... I fear (or respect, depending on your point of view) that newer fans of the sport won't appreciate how he's contributed to league championships over the years because he's evolved into a social media savant more than a leaderboard lurker. His concluding contribution to the European Tour's Mannequin Challenge essentially walked off the unofficial competition for his home circuit. Seriously, I didn't remember another one after that. More relevantly in our world, he's tailing off fast at 44 years of age, but the theory is that he'd be quicker to reconnect with his former self than others, so you might as well stow him on your bench in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf for this week at least. DRAWS Pat Perez ... I've been to his well and back with and without taking a sip that I can't remember where we are with him. He fulfilled the expectations of others on the paspalum at Corales (T21), which piggybacked a T9 at Silverado, itself in the wake of consecutive mid-tournament withdrawals due to a sore right ankle, but he's 0-for-2 since his last trip to an island. That said, he hasn't played poorly, only poorly enough not to cash. So, in the construct of the field on Bermuda and with enough on which to rely for something positive, it's time to refill the bucket. Cameron Tringale ... Among the most successful without a victory in 285 career starts, but he's been a steady contributor among the rank and file since regaining fully exempt status. Making his Bermuda debut but he's a great fit from tee to green and he's rested since a T21 at TPC Summerlin where he ranked T5 in greens in regulation and fourth in Strokes Gained: Putting. Beau Hossler ... He's not lighting stages on fire but he's still connected five paydays upon arrival with a top 25 baked in. Also placed T24 here last year while leading the field in both putting and converting scoring chances into par breakers. Ollie Schniederjans ... The Korn Ferry Tour's best putter is angling hard at a return to the PGA TOUR. In his last 12 starts, he's recorded five top 10s and a T12 to sit 35th in points. Work him in liberally in DFS. Wyndham Clark Maverick McNealy Scott Stallings Brian Stuard FADES Hudson Swafford ... As much as it must be respected that he ended his victory drought a month ago at Corales, it's necessary to revisit the fact that he authored a dynamite performance with his putter ... which failed him in two starts since with consecutive 75-71=MCs in Mississippi and Vegas. It's especially frustrating for full-season owners, but it's also a reminder why wins are bonuses, not expectations. Continue to assume the position of his baseline, which is to consider continuing to abstain. Danny Willett ... When he recorded the T4 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in early July, the fear was that it was a one-off. Sho'nuff. Since, he's just 3-for-8 without a top 30. Russell Knox ... Not so much streaky as consistent over time, his T11 here last year was a reflection of that profile. It's the opposite phenomenon now despite a T9 at Silverado to open the season because of the months-long slump that has defined his 2020. He's also 0-for-2 since that surprise performance. Jhonattan Vegas ... Reopened 2020 with three cuts made, but he's gone just 1-for-7 with a T52 at Silverado since. Brian Gay ... Originally on my short list for the Power Rankings, he was the first to get the axe, and it's as obvious as to why as it is hard to believe. Placed T3 here last year and T14 two weeks later at Mayakoba, but since is just 4-for-19 without a top 25. Vaughn Taylor ... Now a combined 0-for-7 since the Travelers, the last three shortfalls after sitting out five straight starts with a sore rib. Andrew Putnam ... This will be interesting. In advance of the birth of his first child - a girl in early March of 2019 - he rolled together a number of strong results before struggling immediately before and after Pepper arrived. Now, the 31-year-old is making his first start since the birth of his second child - a boy(!), Paxley, on Oct. 20 - but without a top-35 finish in over nine months. If the Nappy Factor takes hold, he'll rekindle the kind of form that lifted him inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking early last year. Ryan Armour Rafa Cabrera Bello Will Gordon Branden Grace Matt Jones Tom Lewis Troy Merritt Kyle Stanley RETURNING TO COMPETITION Shawn Stefani ... Presents as an intriguing play in DFS because the Texan has performed very well in the wind multiple times during his career, including a T11 at Port Royal last year. He's been out a month since calling it quits after one round at Corales with a sore back, but he's worth the dive, at least fractionally. However, given his conditional status, he's not a commended long-term own. Robert Garrigus ... Maybe the third time's the charm. He hasn't competed since withdrawing during his second round at Corales on Sept. 25 due to heat exhaustion. He had committed to a pair of Korn Ferry Tour events since, but withdrew early from both. Saddled with Past Champions status on the PGA TOUR, he doesn't have any fantasy value. NOTABLE WDs Zac Blair ... Just 1-for-4 with a T70 at Corales this season. Also no better than a T35 at Barracuda in his last 15 starts, a stretch that predates the hiatus. Sebastian Cappelen ... Currently 89th in the FedExCup despite only one cut made in three starts because it was a T11 at Corales. As a result, he's well-positioned to climb in the Reshuffle if the next reorder happened right now. Martin Trainer ... He's 0-for-4 this season and has gone 13 consecutive starts without a payday. Chad Campbell ... The 46-year-old is 0-for-3 since testing positive for COVID-19 in late June. He's in his second consecutive season on Past Champion status. POWER RANKINGS RECAP - ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Xander Schauffele T17 2 Matthew Wolff T50 3 Webb Simpson T17 4 Justin Thomas T2 5 Tyrrell Hatton T28 6 Rory McIlroy T17 7 Patrick Reed T14 8 Jon Rahm T2 9 Joaquin Niemann T17 10 Collin Morikawa T50 11 Jason Kokrak T17 12 Viktor Hovland T47 13 Harris English T28 14 Russell Henley T4 15 Bubba Watson T4 Wild Card Phil Mickelson 76th SLEEPERS RECAP - ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD Golfer Result Gunn Charoenkul T54 Joel Dahmen T8 Ryo Ishikawa T63 Takumi Kanaya T41 Cameron Smith T4 BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE GOLFERS ON THE PGA TOUR October 27 ... Fabián Gómez (42) October 28 ... none October 29 ... none October 30 ... none October 31 ... Mark Wilson (46) November 1 ... none November 2 ... James Hahn (39); Adam Hadwin (33)

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PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO If you ever wanted a litmus test for course history, you got one. Even though Daniel Berger is an accomplished and dynamic two-time PGA TOUR winner, he’s a first-timer at the John Deere Classic. Yet, he’s as clear-cut the most-owned in any tournament in recent memory. Chosen by 64.9 percent of gamers who set lineups, that’s 18 percent greater than runner up Charley Hoffman, who himself hasn’t made the trip to TPC Deere Run since missing the cut in 2013. The attention and love overlooks the fact that Berger is just 24 years of age. More powerful and poised than polished, he embodies exciting possibilities for gamers in every format every time he laces up the spikes. And while investors are no doubt hoping for a continuation of form that yielded a playoff loss in his last start at the Travelers Championship, the chip on his shoulder placed there by Jordan Spieth doesn’t hurt. Rounding out the top five, recent winners Kyle Stanley (Quicken Loans National) and Brian Harman (Wells Fargo Championship) flank JDC defending champion Ryan Moore, who’s returning from a strained tendon in his left shoulder. You need to lower your focus to sixth and 10th to see tournament heroes Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker, respectively. Them changes. Notables not shown below include Bubba Watson (12th, 12.4 percent), Nick Watney (16th, 9.0 percent), William McGirt (18th, 7.6 percent) and Robert Streb (21st, 6.3 percent). NOTE: Rob’s Rating refers to where our Fantasy Insider slotted a golfer in his Power Rankings. Golfers in the Power Rankings and outside the top 10 in most owned PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO Once upon a time, well, actually several times not long ago, Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson were the 1 and 1a at the John Deere Classic. Theirs was (still is?) a combination of talent and timing as the majority of one-and-done worthies prepped elsewhere for The Open Championship. That both are relative locals is forever convenient, but their success at TPC Deere Run was never guaranteed, either. It’s 2017, however, and One & Dones don’t wait for anyone. Brian Harman prevailed both here in 2014 and two months ago at the Wells Fargo Championship. He loves to go low and you’re not going to find another in the field who’s as confident with a putter in his left-handed grip. So, he represents the No. 1 slot properly. Tournament debutant Daniel Berger ranks second. As conveyed above for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, it’s a sign of confidence from gamers, but it also can’t go overlooked that he may not value as strongly the rest of the way, or at least as obviously. Now, and finally, we arrive at ZJ in third and Stricker in fourth. It’s more impressive that the all-time earnings leader of the tournament was selected by 8.9 percent of you because he’s 50 years old. He’s owned by nearly three times as many gamers who plucked Charles Howell III at 10th. CH3 opened with a bogey-free, 8-under 63, two strokes lower than anyone else in Thursday’s morning wave. Notables outside the top 10 include Kevin Kisner (11th, 2.8 percent), Kevin Na (12th, 1.4 percent), Bubba Watson (15th, 0.8 percent), Daniel Summerhays (16th, 0.7 percent) and William McGirt (T20, 0.4 percent). Danny Lee, who slots sixth, withdrew after a first-round 74. PGA TOUR Champions One & Done presented by SERVPRO If the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship opened the season, would there be any doubt that Bernhard Langer would either threaten or even establish the record for highest ownership percentage in the history of fantasy gaming at PGATOUR.com? He’s the three-time defending champion (on different courses to boot) and the tournament ranks T2 among all events in total prize money. Instead, this is the 13th event contributing to the One & Done and the U.S. Senior Open Championship contested two weeks ago boasted the largest purse. So, Langer is way down – way down! – at sixth in ownership percentage at just 6.1. I can’t confirm it, but I wouldn’t rule out that gamers’ commitment at Caves Valley Golf Club equals all of the remaining gamers who have submitted a pick every week and have yet to burn Langer. In my preseason primer in January, I angled at using him this week. While tempted to deviate at Salem Country Club (where he placed T18), he paid off my patience in the opening round of the SENIOR PLAYERS. Langer carded a bogey-free, 7-under 65. Larry Mize leads after a nine-birdie 64, but he was not chosen by any gamer this week. Notables outside the top 10 include Kevin Sutherland (12th, 2.5 percent), local favorite Fred Funk (14th, 2.0 percent), Joe Durant (T16, 1.5 percent) and Colin Montgomerie (T16, 1.5 percent). Preston McClellan, the digital communications manager for the PGA TOUR and member of the Experts panel for PGA TOUR Champions One & Done presented by SERVPRO was the only gamer who selected Wes Short, Jr.

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After a three-week stint abroad, the PGA TOUR returns to U.S. soil for the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open. Memorial Park Golf Course is dressed up as the host. Carlos Ortiz is poised to defend a TOUR title for the first time. As of Monday, 70 golfers in this week’s field of 132 competed in Memorial Park’s return to the PGA TOUR a year ago. That strong percentage is a reflection of the affinity for Tom Doak’s redesign. For a breakdown of the course, how the inaugural edition played out like a learning curve visible to the naked eye, and more, scroll past the projected contenders. Tony Finau, Patrick Reed, Adam Scott and Jason Day will be among the notables reviewed in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. There’s an argument that even the golfers who will determine the outcome of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open don’t yet know what they have in Memorial Park, including those who are back for a second start. Statistically, it tested as a bomber’s backdrop in its return. (It previously hosted the tournament in 1947 and from 1951-1963.) The average distance of all drives was a stout 296.2 yards. However, like all worthy tracks, it demanded precision and finesse for excellence. Memorial Park is a par 70 with five par 3s and three par 5s. It tips at 7,412 yards. That’s down 20 yards since last year, all as a result of a reduction on the 182-yard, par-3 ninth hole. In 2020, the course landed inside the top 10-most challenging in fairways hit (10th), proximity to the hole (10th), converting greens in regulation into par breakers (4th), scrambling (8th) and par-5 scoring (T1). The field averaged 11.16 GIR per round, 18th-lowest of the season. The scoring average of 71.025 was second-highest of all par 70s in non-majors last season, and it was just a hair easier than perennially challenging PGA National (71.102), host of The Honda Classic and typically in breezy conditions. Unlike PGA National, Memorial Park relented on the weekend, and seriously so. After opening with respective scoring averages of 72.303 and 71.318 in the first and second rounds, the field improved to average 70.279 in the third round and 68.735 in the finale. Conditions essentially were the same every day, so in conjunction with the golfers who were executing better (after surviving the cut at 3-over 143), there was a noticeable improvement in putting. Hole locations always influence scoring, but it was evidence of the comfort level achieved on the greens. Typically, this is realized year over year, and sometimes over three years, not round over round. En route to his breakthrough victory by two strokes, Ortiz ranked T8 in GIR. He led the field in scrambling and par-5 scoring, which is a potent combination. Just as lethal is that also slotted fifth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and Strokes Gained: Putting. He was perfect on 56 tries inside seven feet, 10 of which were outside three feet. There won’t be a need for the returning participants to engage in a slow dance in this week’s opener, but they will have to adjust to a larger green and the potential of new front hole locations at the par-3 second hole. Also, along with its shorter maximum length from tee to green, the area left of the green on No. 9 has been redone. There’s only one bunker now. Bermudagrass blankets the property. The longest rough is trimmed to 2¼ inches and 7,000-square foot putting surfaces will be running at 12 feet on the Stimpmeter. The only plausible threat concerning the elements will be wind – it’s Texas – which could kick up to 15 mph on Thursday and Sunday. Daytime highs will land in the 70s, although it might not reach 70 degrees on Saturday. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers; Fantasy Insider SUNDAY: Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Rookie Ranking * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday

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