Tiger prepared for 3 straight tournaments

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The final piece of the puzzle is upon us. On Aug. 18, the last day of the BMW Championship, we learned the identities of the 16 players – eight and eight – who had qualified on points for the U.S. and International Presidents Cup Teams that will play at Royal Melbourne, Dec. 12-15. Eight more (four and four) will be added at the discretion of the captains (Tiger Woods and Ernie Els, respectively) next week, making the World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions and Bermuda Championship the last chance to make an impression. This year, though, there’s a twist: It’s possible, given Brooks Koepka’s knee injury, that he won’t be able to play, in which case Woods would get five captain’s picks. Someone could still come out of nowhere with a dominant performance this week, but absent that, here are the most likely players to get the call, plus a few longshots. U.S. TEAM Tiger Woods A lock. (He knows the captain personally!) Looked like he might make the team on merit after he won the Masters Tournament, but he missed the top eight. Healthy again, won the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. Gary Woodland spoke for many when he said Woods would be “dumb� not to pick himself. Woods is 24-15-1 in eight Presidents Cup appearances. Gary Woodland Great chance. Strange to think this 35-year-old hasn’t played on a Presidents or Ryder Cup team, but he will likely rectify that after a solo fifth at the ZOZO, where he played the final 36 holes with Captain Woods. “I feel pretty good about my chances,� said Woodland, who was coming off a T3 finish at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES the previous week. Rickie Fowler Good chance. Terrific player, great teammate, popular guy, and has been a fixture on U.S. teams for years. Hasn’t played much this fall as he was busy getting married on the beach, but it’s almost impossible to imagine him not making the team. Tony Finau Good chance. Only T59 at ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, but a T9 at Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, where he shot a third-round 62, was probably enough. Went 2-1-0 as a captain’s pick, including a 6-and-4 thumping of Tommy Fleetwood, at 2018 Ryder Cup. Given what a rough week it was for the Americans, that performance stands out. Patrick Reed Good chance. Didn’t play well at 2018 Ryder Cup, but it wasn’t a good course for him and he wasn’t on form. Traditionally beyond tough to beat in team golf, he won THE NORTHERN TRUST in August and finished a respectable T17 at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. Could do himself a big favor with a solid result at WGC-HSBC Champions this week. Kevin Na Decent chance. He would be a rookie, and a T46 at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP and T20 at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES didn’t help his cause, but the fact remains he’s one of the hotter players in the game. When he won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open it was his third victory in a span of just 30 starts, but he may need Woods to get that fifth captain’s pick. Phil Mickelson, Kevin Kisner, Chez Reavie Longshots. Kisner would probably have to win HSBC this week, although his WGC history is strong as the Dell Technologies Match Play champion. Reavie also finished in the top 15 in points, and also could make things interesting with a win at HSBC. Mickelson, Kisner’s partner at Liberty National two years ago, has played on every U.S. Presidents and Ryder Cup team since 1994, but even he admits he hasn’t done enough to justify a pick. And even winning the HSBC might not help him now. Now whether he winds up in Melbourne as an assistant captain …   INTERNATIONAL TEAM Jason Day Great chance. He’s easily the biggest name not to qualify on merit for the International Team, and the odds that he will be left out are remote. Hasn’t showed much form, but a victory in the star-studded MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins (Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama) prior to the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP was at least something.  Sungjae Im Great chance. The PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year last season, Im is tireless (35 starts last season), so if he gets hot, he could play every session. His short game is streaky, which may be why he hasn’t won, but consistency from tee to green yields results (seven top-10s, 16 top-25s last season) and makes him an attractive pick. What’s more, Im, 21, has a T3 (ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP) and solo second (Sanderson Farms Championship) already this season. Joaquin Niemann Great chance. Like Im, Niemann, 20, who won A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier to open the new season, will figure prominently into the International Team’s future and present. The first TOUR winner from Chile looks like a great bet to start learning the nuances of team golf at Royal Melbourne in December. Adam Hadwin Decent chance. The man from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, finished T4 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, and backed it up with a solo second at the Safeway Open, his best finish on the PGA TOUR since winning the 2017 Valspar Championship. “I feel like I’m continuing some of the momentum coming from last year,� Hadwin, 10th in the FedExCup, said at the Safeway, where he made eight birdies in the final round. Byeong Hun An Decent chance. An is a big talent who probably should have won by now, given how often he’s flirted with victory, but the fact remains he’s in form. He’ll be hard to ignore after a third-place finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship and two more top-10s at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, in his native South Korea, and ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. Branden Grace Sliver of a chance. Went 4-0-0 (largely with partner Louis Oosthuizen) at the 2015 Presidents Cup in South Korea. Also went 1-2-2 at the 2017 Presidents Cup, one of the better records amongst the International Team as they struggled mightily. Alas, Grace just isn’t in form and may have to win this week’s Bermuda Championship to justify a pick. Ryo Ishikawa, Jazz Janewattananond, Erik Van Rooyen, Justin Harding Longshots. A resurgent Ishikawa might have the best chance, as he’s won twice on the Japan Golf Tour this year and has played on two Presidents Cup teams. Realistically, though, all would probably have to win this week in Shanghai, or come darn close, to find their way to Melbourne.

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The 2022 FedExCup Playoffs open with the last tournament of the season with a cut, so it could transpire as the last truly volatile experience. With all golfers promised 72 holes and with fields shrinking in the last two weeks, those will require a higher likelihood of correct guesses and at the most optimal of times. For now, it’s standard operating procedure at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. As the fellas below emphasize, the expectation is that opening short odds will win. If they’re right, riding your horse from the first tee to the finish line has merit. It also means that the five who cash likely will have connected with the R1 leader, Top 10, Top 20 and/or ties in 2-balls, which should be offered with cooperating weather. The wildcards, as we’ve witnessed at times, is whether Low6 posts bets for R2 and/or R3 leaders. Unlike catching Tom Kim at +12500 to win the Wyndham Championship, this week’s approach very much is about teamwork. So, if you never have stuck with your outright for an extended period of time, let him play at TPC Southwind, at least as long as he’s eligible. 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 Glass … Scottie Scheffler (+1500) The premise of this game suggests taking a long shot and adjust accordingly as the event rolls on. Scheffler didn’t mess around last year as he sat 13-under through 54 holes and was lurking for the final round. Right, the final round counts as well, but I’m not leaning on an outsider this week as big names (and big favorites) have won this event recently. Angles on bermuda, tough courses and big events are all covered this week. Rob … Patrick Cantlay (+1600) Yeah, I’m with Glass, but I already was going to size up a stud for this tournament, so maybe I should’ve said that Glass has the right idea! Indeed, the FedExCup Playoffs have a way of bringing out the best in the best. If Cantlay wins, it’d give him three consecutive victories in the Playoffs, albeit with the disclaimer that he wasn’t low aggregate in the TOUR Championship last year. (Speaking of which, factoring in Starting Strokes in this space in two weeks will be a hoot!) A win at TPC Southwind also would give him his first individual title since he captured the FedExCup, but he’s been close multiple times recently. The brilliance of his form has been as consistent as anyone’s; he’s just short on a break. By the way, don’t expect a first-time winner. It’s happened only once in the Playoffs, and it was way back in 2008 when Camilo Villegas broke through at the BMW Championship. TOP 10 Glass … Emiliano Grillo (+1000) The “outsiders” to crack the top 10 here recently have been first-timers Sam Burns (P2, 2021), Will Zalatoris (T8, 2021) and Chez Reavie (T6, 2020). The angle this week is finding someone who is hot and can handle a field of this depth. The Argentine rolls in with a T2 in two of his last three starts and will take his first crack at TPC Southwind like Burns and Zalatoris. Just hit all the fairways and greens! Rob … Russell Henley (+460) Another close call at Sedgefield validated his comfort and form overall, so it’s just a matter of getting a fair price. I targeted the vicinity of his kickback because it’s right around where I consider pivoting after R1 and R2 most weeks, at least when I cop the open window. His fantastic tee-to-green game alone oughta retain his position in this prop, but small greens allow average-to-bad putters a puncher’s chance. TOP 20 Rob … Taylor Pendrith (+270) Since these are free coins, I’ll take ‘em. OK, so they’re not free, but the rookie is performing like it’s a promotion to play. I get that the depth of this field is greater than each of his last four starts, but he rallied for top 15s in all, so, he has momentum. And if you need evidence of his class against the best, cue up the T16 at Torrey Pines and the T13 at TPC Sawgrass earlier this year. Perhaps best of all, he’s healthy, and because he took the four-month sabbatical to recover from the fractured rib, he’s still arguably fresher than everyone else right now. Glass … Max McGreevy (+2000) From the frying pan and into the fire after his T5 last week at Wyndham. I like a flier when boiling-hot. The boom or bust here is worth a watch because sometimes the brain frees up and all hell breaks loose. Knowing that the top 70 in the FedExCup is the next angle, he’ll need better than a top 20. Go for it, dude! Disclaimer: If it doesn’t, time to set the alarm for the window bright and early Saturday morning! Use the rules to your advantage, folks! ROUND 1 LEADER Glass … Matthew NeSmith (+11000) History tells us that the last three FRLs here in a limited OWGR field have posted 62 – Jon Rahm (2019), Brooks Koepka (2020) and Harris English (2021). That sample size suggests quality this week. It’s also worth pointing out that they posted such quaint totals in fields of only 78 players or less. With DOUBLE the field we have DOUBLE the chances, right? I’ll let the math folks figure that out, but I’m leaning on a bermuda, ball-striking longshot early to nip ahead. NeSmith opened with 65 on small greens at TPC River Highlands and got off to a hot start with 66 last week. The best part is that he’s goes off first Thursday morning and I have PLENTY of room to navigate throughout the day. Rob … Kurt Kitayama (+11000) Welp, I called it in last week’s Pick ‘Em Preview. I focused only on the early starters going off No. 1 at Sedgefield, but I didn’t go early enough. My pick, Mark Hubbard, went out in the ninth threesome and shot 70, while the coins for R1 Leader already were reserved for investors of John Huh in the opening threesome. So, yeah, I want a prop for merely having the correct half of the correct half of the draw. While I hold my breath for that, the par 35s at TPC Southwind are basically equal in their challenge, but Nos. 1-3 offer a springboard for everyone who can hit the ground running. We’re going to see a few birdie-birdie-birdie openers on the front, so that half of the draw again is my target range. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to jump on Kitayama in R1. He connected as the FRL at The Honda Classic and the Mexico Open at Vidanta, both with 64s. In his last three starts, he’s opened with 66, 68 and 67, respectively, so he hasn’t relented on his pattern of flooring with the light turns green. 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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