By making the transition Jack Nicklaus made when he tired of playing the robo-assassin to Arnold Palmer’s neighborly gunslinger, Tiger Woods has given the Masters gallery a chance to be part of something extra special.
Click here to read the full article…
| Do you like other ways of online slots and want to learn about their volatility? WHAT IS SLOT VOLATILITY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? will answer all your questions! |
The PGA Championship is in a once-traditional spot as the fourth major of the season, but it’s in its latest position in May as the fourth of six majors of this super season. Got that? Who cares, right? Golf has been back for 11 months and we’re treated to another visually stunning course for your high-definition viewing experience. The PGA of America operates the tournament but every shot at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island will be measured and recorded officially for ShotLink purposes, so all fantasy scoring opportunities are available in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. The absence of bonuses for Hole Outs, Driving and Putts wouldn’t be reason to deter you from investing in your preferred charges because it’s the PGA Championship, but referencing it here will eliminate confusion you might have otherwise. RELATED: Power Rankings | PGATOUR.COM Expert Picks Both Masters of 2020-21 did not and The Open Championship will not measure every stroke, so only actual scoring and scoring bonuses contribute to our cause in those majors, but there’s a important message as it concerns the two U.S. Opens. The 2020 U.S. Open that Bryson DeChambeau won included shot-level bonuses that were added after the conclusion of the tournament. The USGA has measured every stroke at the U.S. Open since 2017, but that data had not contributed to PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf until this season. And it won’t again at Torrey Pines next month. As marked with an asterisk in Appendix A on the How to Play page, the 2021 U.S. Open will be a scoring-only tournament. However, it shouldn’t influence your lineup decisions then, either, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf My roster for the PGA Championship (in alphabetical order): Bryson DeChambeau (+1600) Viktor Hovland (+2000) Marc Leishman (+6600) Rory McIlroy (+1200) Jon Rahm (+1400) Xander Schauffele (+2000) You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Daniel Berger; Sam Burns; Tony Finau; Collin Morikawa; Joaquin Niemann; Ryan Palmer; Patrick Reed; Scottie Scheffler; Cameron Smith; Jordan Spieth; Justin Thomas Driving: Daniel Berger; Keegan Bradley; Paul Casey; Corey Conners; Emiliano Grillo; Dustin Johnson; Jason Kokrak; Collin Morikawa; Joaquin Niemann; Scottie Scheffler POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD Joaquin Niemann (+6600) … If ever I’d have boycotted for one more slot in a Power Rankings that already was 20 deep, I’d have done it for him. The only reason he didn’t appear – well, other than I’m committed to a set number for every tournament – is because he’s yet to showcase his talent in the majors. He’s only 22 years old, so it’s going to change and he’s on a trajectory to be consistently strong in premier competition, but he’s only 3-for-8 with one top-35 finish in the set so far. Don’t let that stop you from investing with confidence, however, because this probably will be the event at which he establishes a personal best. He’s perfect in 16 starts this season with a pair of runner-up finishes among four top 10s and 11 top 25s. He gives you all you want in the stats, too. Odds sourced on Tuesday, May 18 at 5 a.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm. DRAWS Patrick Reed (+3500) … Snubbed from the Power Rankings because his Achilles’ heel is the approach game, so if scoring is favorable – it very well could be unless the winds pick up – he’ll drift into the pack relying too much on his phenomenal short game. That’s valuable insurance to be sure, but the depth of the waters around him could have him gasping for air. At worst, sprinkle in a few shares in DFS because he’s a big-stage performer. Hideki Matsuyama (+3300) … Started the week with him as a default inclusion in the Power Rankings as the 2021 Masters champion, but despite the accomplishment and all of the deserving accolades that go with it, it still was a spike in his recent performance over time. That said, his baseline is higher than most, so I’m not going to talk you out of him in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf or DFS. Bubba Watson (+8000) … He can’t be a Sleeper but there should be more chatter around the 42-year-old bomber right now, so here you go. Finished T11 at Kiawah Island in 2012 and strides in with top 20s in four of his last five starts (sandwiching a T26 at the Masters), but he’s been a constant force for eight months now. Paul Casey (+6600) … Co-runner-up at TPC Harding Park in the 2020 PGA Championship and hasn’t lost stride. Always a sturdy complement to every roster game from PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf to DFS. Lee Westwood (+10000) … Reversed the trend last week, so I’ll respect it. Also flexed his muscle with the longest drive of the week at TPC Craig Ranch even if his 425-yard poke on the par-4 eighth hole in the third round got an assist from a cart path. (He birdied the hole, so he didn’t waste the gift.) Big-time players show up for big-time games. Done and done. Stewart Cink (+15000) … The PGA TOUR’s leader in greens in regulation and par-3 scoring is just a month removed from his second victory of the season over at the other Pete Dye design in South Carolina – Harbour Town. Tommy Fleetwood (+5000) … Sputtering but rising up enough to rule out extended troubles. Sparkling record in the majors tilts the balance. Matt Kuchar (+12500) … In a groove with top 20s in four of his last five starts and possesses the proper ball flight to tease. Victor Perez (+20000) … He’s rested since the Masters if for no other reason than he doesn’t want to play his way out of future events by falling short of Special Temporary Membership and running out of his allotted starts as a non-member. A two-way T18 at Kiawah Island would eliminate the worry. In his last two starts on Pete Dye designs, he finished T9 at TPC Sawgrass and fourth at Austin Country Club. Abraham Ancer Tony Finau Billy Horschel Si Woo Kim Jason Kokrak Shane Lowry Ryan Palmer Thomas Pieters Scottie Scheffler Adam Scott Steve Stricker Matt Wallace Gary Woodland FADES K.H. Lee (+15000) … The last automatic qualifier in the field by virtue of his breakthrough victory doesn’t even have a full week to celebrate. He’s not complaining, and he’s not unaccustomed to winning (twice each in Japan and his native South Korea), but this week’s set of variables presents an entirely different challenge. Brooks Koepka (+3300) … No doubt I’ll pay for this with his performance this week, but I’m used to that. Yet, I cannot, in good conscience, advise that that he’s warm enough since having surgery on his right knee two months ago. He’s missed the cut in both starts since. Yes, this is a major and we can’t get enough of the confident rhetoric that he’s delivered about being a favorite in these tournaments, but it’s not enough in which to trust because of the doubt of his physical health. Patrick Cantlay (+4000) … It’d take me a minute to determine because I don’t keep records of this, but I can’t remember if he’s ever been a Fade. Why would we have been, right? Well, as the old saying goes, there’s a first time for everything. Plain and simple, he’s missed four consecutive cuts in individual, stroke-play competition and he’s gone 10 consecutive rounds without a red number. Danny Willett (+25000) … He’s been flashing some form again for a few months, and he’s fresh off a T11 at the European Tour event that he hosted in England, but the combination of his uninspiring analytics and the possibility that last week was a heavy lift given the duties is enough to cause pause in even aggressive considerations. Kevin Na (+15000) … Forever my Kryptonite, but nope, not on this beast. Henrik Stenson (+30000) … It’s been 20 months since he recorded a top 20 in a full-field individual competition and the once-reliable cut-making machine has failed to cash in 12 of 20 starts since play resumed in 2020. Francesco Molinari (+20000) … Still absent form. Don’t hold your breath for him or others who are scuffling to find it at Kiawah Island. Christiaan Bezuidenhout Jason Day Rickie Fowler Sergio Garcia Sungjae Im Matt Jones Kevin Kisner Cameron Tringale Bernd Wiesberger RETURNING TO COMPETITION Webb Simpson (neck) and Dustin Johnson (knee) … Both appeared in Monday’s Power Rankings. Tyrrell Hatton … Intended to tee it up at Copperhead three weeks ago but that was thwarted by a positive test for COVID-19. As you know, I’ll never compare or rank motivations because, from our perspective, there’s too much focus on the outcome instead of the process, but we can agree that he’s hungry to get back to work. Might as well hop aboard ahead of the curve logjammed by conservative investors. Brendon Todd … Had to sit out the Wells Fargo Championship after testing positive for COVID-19. He’s cashed in 12 of his last 13 starts, so that’s valuable, but he’s just 99th in the FedExCup. He’s still the most accurate off the tee on the PGA TOUR and he’s third in Strokes Gained: Putting, but the 35-year-old will be challenged by the length The Ocean Course because his iron play remains substandard compared to his street value. NOTABLE WDs Matthew Wolff … Dealt with an injured right hand early in 2021 and the variety of results that have transpired adds to the mystery of his status. There wasn’t an explanation attached to his decision not to compete, but the 22-year-old has cited the challenge of adjusting to life as a touring professional. No doubt it’s easy for full-season gamers to be impatient (or worse), so if you’re in a competitive situation and he’s weighing you down, cut the cord and shop for an international non-member on the rise. With three majors and a World Golf Championship still to be played this season, you might be able to mitigate the temporary loss of one of the most compelling talents in the sport. Tiger Woods … This coming Sunday will mark three months since his automobile crash in California. Davis Love III … This is his third early withdrawal on the PGA TOUR since the API in early March. He’s missed a pair of cuts in the interim while making the occasional appearance on the PGA TOUR Champions. The winner of the 1997 PGA Championship has missed seven consecutive cuts in this major since the last time that Kiawah Island hosted in 2012. POWER RANKINGS RECAP – AT&T Byron Nelson Power Ranking Golfer Result 1 Jon Rahm T34 2 Jordan Spieth T9 3 Marc Leishman T21 4 Bryson DeChambeau T55 5 Daniel Berger T3 6 Scottie Scheffler T47 7 Ryan Palmer T47 8 Matt Fitzpatrick MC 9 Sam Burns 2nd 10 Will Zalatoris T17 11 Sergio Garcia MC 12 Aaron Wise T55 13 Charl Schwartzel T3 14 Matt Kuchar T17 15 Hideki Matsuyama T39 Wild Card Brooks Koepka MC SLEEPERS RECAP – AT&T Byron Nelson Golfer Result John Catlin MC Talor Gooch T39 Ben Martin T26 Wes Roach T61 Sepp Straka T26 BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PGA TOUR May 18 … none May 19 … K.J. Choi (51) May 20 … Branden Grace (33) May 21 … Stewart Cink (48); Gary Woodland (37); John Huh (31) May 22 … Scott Brown (38); Jason Kokrak (36); Dominic Bozzelli (30) May 23 … none May 24 … Bill Haas (39); Mark Hubbard (32) 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).
PONTE VEDRA BEACH – The youth explosion in golf has hit new heights with the top five ranked players in the world all under 30 for the first time in the history of the game. RELATED: WiretoWire: Inside Scheffler’s hot run at Bay Hill Scottie Scheffler’s win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, not far removed from his maiden PGA TOUR win at the WM Phoenix Open, pushed the 25-year-old to fifth in the official world golf rankings. The American now joins fellow youngsters Jon Rahm (27), Collin Morikawa (25), Viktor Hovland (24) and Patrick Cantlay (29) at the pointy end of the standings in the lead up to a highly anticipated PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass this week. Over the last eight years or so there has been a significant shift in the depth of young stars on the PGA TOUR and across the globe. In both 2015 and 2017 the TOUR saw a run of seven consecutive tournament wins by players in their 20s as the likes of Jordan Spieth (12 TOUR wins), Jason Day (12 TOUR wins), Bryson DeChambeau (eight TOUR wins) and Justin Thomas (14 TOUR wins) came of age. They were just the start. Current world No. 1 Rahm has six TOUR victories to his name, including the 2021 U.S. Open. Then came Morikawa and Hovland leading a new wave that included Scheffler plus others like South Korean Sungjae Im, Chile’s Joaquin Niemann and fellow American Sam Burns who all have two TOUR wins apiece. Already this PGA TOUR season, 11 of 19 wins have been by 20-somethings (although Hideki Matsuyama has celebrated his 30th birthday since his two wins). Morikawa has five PGA TOUR wins including two majors and another DP World Tour title. Hovland has three TOUR wins, two DP World Tour wins and an unofficial TOUR win at the Hero World Challenge late last year. Scheffler grabbed his first two TOUR wins in a 21-day stretch. Cantlay is the elder statesmen of the record setting youth set. But if he is to add to his six TOUR wins and a FedExCup title in his 20s, he’ll need to salute at TPC Sawgrass this week. Cantlay turns 30 on March 17. World No. 6 Rory McIlroy and No. 9 Dustin Johnson are the only 30-somethings in the current world top 10 at 32 and 37 years old respectively with Xander Schauffele (28, four TOUR wins), defending PLAYERS champion Thomas (28) and Australian Cameron Smith (28, four TOUR wins) all also in the top 10. In fact, 15 of the current top 25 players in the world are in their 20s.
The last stop in California will take place in Pacific Pallisades for The Genesis Invitational played at the Riviera Country Club. The course will play as a par 71, measuring 7,322 yards and will again be putt on poa annua greens. The field welcomes back top-ranked players like Dustin Johnson (+550, $11,300), Jon Rahm (+1200, $10,400), Bryson DeChambeau (+1700, $10,100) and Collin Morikawa (+3300, $9,500). One notable not in the field is Tiger Woods, who's hosting and will be in attendance but won't be playing as he is still recovering from his back surgery. This week will also have a smaller field at 121 golfers. Similar to Torrey Pines a couple of weeks ago, the chances of getting entire lineups through the cut is higher with fewer players in the field. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $1.2M Flop Shot [$300K to 1st] STRATEGY Even with no water hazards on the course, Genesis has played 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. These are also tough to hit greens registering about an 8% fewer green hit in regulation rate than the TOUR average due to the smaller than average, undulating greens, which have many runoff areas. Because of this, Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (ARG) becomes more important than usual. We've seen winners here gain an average of 2.41 strokes ARG over the past six 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 driveable par 4 on TOUR, but the novelty wears off with how difficult this course has played in years past, especially on the closing eight holes. The closing nine could contribute to why we've only seen eight golfers since 2000 go on to win after leading in the third round. Like Torrey Pines, Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green with a lean toward golfers who have distance off-the-tee are golfers we should be considering. Even though it's not a long course, past winners include Johnson, Bubba Watson (+5000, $8,900) and J.B. Holmes (+27500, $6,500), who all finished inside the top 20 in driving distance at the end of the year they won. GOLFERS TO CONSIDER Xander Schauffele (+1600 to Win, $9,900 on DraftKings) The fact Xander hasn't won since the Sentry Tournament of Champions in 2019 is remarkable given he's finished second seven times from then to now. More recently, he's got four runner-ups in his last eight tournaments, so it's only a matter of time until he wins again. Schauffele routinely plays well in California and putts great on poa annua, ranking top 20 over his previous 50 rounds. Xander's roster percentage could get out of hand this week, per usual, and if it does, we should be going with Patrick Cantlay (+1800, $9,600) as a potential contrarian play. Cantlay has a stellar record in California and has a solid history at similar courses like Augusta National and Muirfield Village. He's also played well at Riviera CC and just finished third last week and second the previous week. The excitement of having the top players in the same field could allow Cantlay to fly under the radar. Cantlay has gained a total of 18.2 strokes tee-to-green in his previous two starts and could be a "steal" if his roster percentage is single-digits at tee-off. Marc Leishman (+7000 to Win, $8,600 on DraftKings) Leishman looks to be back in form with a great start to the season, finishing fourth at the Sony Open and 18th at the Farmers Insurance Open. With two top 5s here since 2016, Leishman will want to follow in in his fellow countryman Adam Scott's footsteps and has the game to do it. Riviera CC is a classical American course that rewards a great tee-to-green game, and Leishman is gaining an average of 1.8 strokes tee-to-green and 2.3 strokes with his approach over his previous five tournaments. Leishman is another player who's historically done well in California and could keep it going this week at a course that should suit him well. Another Australian, Cameron Smith (+10000, $8,400), makes the list this week, and rightfully so. Smith is one of the TOUR's best poa putters, ranking 10th in Strokes Gained: Putting over the previous 50 rounds. A near win at Augusta National proved Smith is ready to take a big step forward this season. Even though he's lost strokes with his irons in three-straight events, they've gotten better losing less each event. A top 10 here in 2019 should help him navigate Riviera CC, but he hasn't played since the Farmers Insurance Open, and we've seen past winners here play at TPC Scottsdale or Pebble Beach, which is something to keep in mind. Talor Gooch (+17500 to Win, $7,200 on DraftKings) Gooch has been a little shaky to start the year but sets up nicely with how well he plays in California with top finishes over his career during the West Coast swing. Like Leishman, Gooch is another player who has done well on the correlated courses. Riviera CC will demand efficiency on long par 4s measuring between 450 to 500 yards, and Gooch has done well over his previous 24 rounds, ranking 37th in the field. Dylan Frittelli (+20000, $7,000) is another player in this range who could do well this week. He missed the cut here last season but finished in 28th place the prior year, gaining 2.7 strokes with his irons and 2.6 on these fast poa annua greens. Frittelli seems to have a knack for these courses with a top 25 at Muirfield Village and Quail Hollow, along with a top 5 last Augusta National back in November. Michael Thompson (+25000 to Win, $6,700 on DraftKings) We shouldn't spend too much time in this range with all the firepower up top, but if you decide to venture into this range, Thompson is someone to consider with how he plays courses similar to Riviera CC. He also finished T7 here back in 2019 and ranks 36th in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green over his previous 12 rounds. Thompson played well at Pebble Beach last week, gaining 2.3 strokes off-the-tee and 4.45 with his irons, but lost nearly three strokes around-the-green en route to his T34 finish. His short-game troubles may hurt him here if he's not accurate with his ball-striking, so tread lightly, especially in this range. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $1.2M Flop Shot [$300K to 1st] Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game. For sports betting, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DraftKings Sportsbook app. 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). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER(NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF(IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN). 21+ (18+ NH). CO/IL/IN/IA/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions. I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is reidtfowler) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
