Tour Championship, even the Ryder Cup, not out of reach for Max Homa

Aloha 2021! And aloha 2020. After a U.S. Open contested in September and the Masters in November, I’m all for the normalcy of some tasty waves and cool buds, other fantasy players, to kick off the 2021 portion of the PGA TOUR schedule. I’m excited to hear Mark Rolfing’s facts about Maui and the Plantation Course at Kapalua. I’m excited to be jealous of the views, surf and weather in the dead of winter. I’m excited to complain about who I have on my bench and not in my lineup. Fantasy golf and real golf are back and I’m rested, healthy and ready to go! RELATED: Power Rankings | Expert Picks | The First Look Justin Thomas returns to Kapalua 2.0 to defend his championship one year after picking up the first win on the Coore-Crenshaw redesign and second overall. He’ll be joined by 41 others who will get four chances at the Plantation course to see who pockets the first $1.34 million winner’s check of the $6.7 million prize pool. The lowest total also adds 500 FedExCup points to the ledger for their triumph. Thomas will look to join Australians Stuart Appleby (three straight) and Geoff Ogilvy in defending the crown on Maui. Only Sergio Garcia and Daniel Chopra have won on their debut so that will give the seven first-time visitors hope! Playing almost 7,600 yards up and down the mountain, year 2 should give those an advantage who played the redesign last year. Before last year’s gusts and rain, the winning score hadn’t dipped below 19-under since 2008 so scoring is a must on this par-73. Only three Par-3 holes are on the card so tee-to-green play is the key this week. Wide fairways and massive greens will help in that department, plus there’s no water on the course. Hole the makeable ones and avoid the squares to contend! Recent Event Winners Stats Recent Winners and Notables 2020: Justin Thomas (-14, 278) Defeated Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele in a playoff to win for the second time. … Becomes the fourth multiple event winner. … 10th consecutive American winner. … Increased his victory total on the Pacific Rim to seven. … Led the field with 24 birdies. … In six visits he’s circled 20 or more birdies five times. … Worst birdie output is 18 in 2018. … Joins the list of the last five winners either first or second Putting: Birdie-or-Better Percentage. … Joins the list of the last six winners to finish top three Strokes-Gained: Tee-to-Green. … Entered the week on FIRE with two wins and five of his last six results in the top 10. Notables: 2015 champion Reed fired 66, the round of the day Sunday, and was the last man knocked out of the playoff on the third playoff hole. … 2019 champion Schauffele was bogey-free thru his first 43 holes; led after 36 and by one after 54 holes before being eliminated on the first playoff hole. … Patrick Cantlay (4th) posted 68, second best on Sunday, to cash his first top 10 in two starts. … Debutant Joaquin Niemann (T5) posted the co-lowest round of the week with 66 in Round 1. … 2018 champ Dustin Johnson (T7) streak of top 10 finishes is now at eight. … Collin Morikawa (T7) posted all four rounds in the red on his debut. … Jon Rahm (10th) hits the top 10 for the third time in three tries. … Only six players were 10-under or better. … Strangely, five of the top 14 were first-timers at Kapalua. … Preferred lies in play the final 54 holes. … Gusty NNE winds were on the menu all week and scoring was the worst since 2007. 2019: Xander Schauffele (-23, 269) Tied the course record with 62 in Round 4 to win by a shot on the last event before the redesign. … Sat five back of Gary Woodland (not entered this year) entering Sunday before posting his career best round … Holed out twice for eagle in the final round. … Posted 24 birdies (2nd) for the week. … Four of his five career victories are in limited field, no cut events. … Joins the last six winners by not finishing in the top 10 of Driving Accuracy. … Last of five consecutive winners to place in the top three in Bogey Avoidance. … Rolled into Maui after winning WGC-HSBC Champions and picking up T8 at Hero World Challenge. Notables: Justin Thomas (3rd) circled the most birdies on the week (25), fired 65 in the final round, but was still five back. … Johnson (T4) was the only player in the top 10 with a round above 72 as he posted 74 in Round 2. … Marc Leishman (T4) picked up his second consecutive top seven payday here. … In his second start, Bryson DeChambeau (7th) bettered his solo 26th paycheck from 2018. … The last time Webb Simpson entered he was T8 (-13). … Jon Rahm backed up his solo second from 2018 with T8. … Debutant Kevin Tway (not entered) shot 66 to lead after Round 1. … Debutant Rory McIlroy (T4; not entered) was the only first-timer in the top 10. … Winds were gusty before a perfect final round. … Top 15 players 10-under or better. 2018: Dustin Johnson (-24, 268) Trounced the field by eight shots to become the third multiple winner. … Sat one off the 36 hole lead before 66-65 blew the doors off the contenders. … Leading money winner and has made the most eagles in event history. … 65 and 66 were the best and co-second best rounds of the week. … At 33 he’s the only winner in the last six who wasn’t in their 20s. … Of the last six winners thru 2020, all have finished T7 or better in Par-4 Scoring. …. Won TNT and blew a seven shot lead at the WGC-HSBC Champions so he was in decent nick. Notables: Jon Rahm (2nd) made 21 birdies on debut. … Hideki Matsuyama (T4) closed with 66 for his third top five in three starts. … Marc Leishman (T7) led after 18 and 36 before coming undone with 76 in Round 3. … Top 14 players all 10-under or better. … Wind gusts of a minimum 30 MPH daily yet only five rounds from the top 20 finishers were OVER par. Key stat leaders Top golfers in each statistic on the 2019-2020 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week. * – Top 10 finish here since 2016 or past champion Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green 1 *Justin Thomas 2 *Hideki Matsuyama 3 *Jon Rahm 4 *Sergio Garcia 5 *Collin Morikawa 7 *Xander Schauffele 9 *Dustin Johnson 10 Scottie Scheffler (debut) 11 *Tony Finau 12 *Patrick Cantlay 15 Daniel Berger 16 *Webb Simpson 18 Harris English 19 *Bryson DeChambeau 20 Viktor Hovland (debut) 23 *Joaquin Niemann 26 *Patrick Reed Putting: Birdie-or-Better Percentage 2 *Webb Simpson 3 *Justin Thomas 4 *Bryson DeChambeau 5 *Patrick Reed 6 Daniel Berger 7 *Dustin Johnson 13 Scottie Scheffler 22 *Patrick Cantlay 24 *Jon Rahm 26 * Xander Schauffele 27 Cameron Smith 28 Sungjae Im (debut) 29 *Tony Finau Scrambling 1 Daniel Berger 2 *Xander Schauffele 3 *Brendon Todd 4 Kevin Na 6 Harris English 10 Abraham Ancer (debut) 11 *Jon Rahm 12 *Webb Simpson 16 *Kevin Kisner 17 *Bryson DeChambeau 19 *Hideki Matsuyama 21 *Patrick Reed 23 Lanto Griffin 25 *Justin Thomas 29 Carlos Ortiz (debut) 31 Sebastian Munoz

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Ah, that new season smell. Gotta love it. It also indicates a fresh start in all full-season fantasy games. This includes PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. In direct response to gamer experience and reaction, a new, simpler scoring system debuts at this week’s Safeway Open. Gone are most of the shot values and FedExCup bonus points. Instead, fantasy scoring largely will be determined by actual scoring with various bonuses applied. Every hole score is given a value. A par is worth 2 points, a birdie is 4 points, eagle is 6 points and albatrosses and condors are 8 points. Bogeys are worth zero, while double bogeys and worse subtract 1 point. Under-par rounds yield 1 point. Aggregate scores of 65 and lower are good for 3 points, while 60s and lower are worth 10. All field-low aggregate scores for each round net 10 points. Regardless of how many golfers may tie for low round, all golfers who sign for the second-lowest score in the same round are rewarded with 5 points. ShotLink will be used to award 5 points for hole-outs off the green from 100 yards and longer, 3 points for hole-outs off the green from inside 100 yards, 1 point for drives of 300 yards and longer that come to rest in the fairway, and 1 point for holed putts from 20 feet and longer. (To review every component of the game, read the Rules at FantasyGolf.PGATOUR.com.) Using Safeway’s two-time defending champion Brendan Steele as an example, if the new scoring system was in place last year, he would have totaled 212 fantasy points for the tournament. Comparing the extremes, his field-low-tying, 7-under 65 in the opening round would have been worth 71 points, while his third-round, even-par 72 scored at just 40. Steele’s hole-by-hole scores totaled 174 points, or roughly 82 percent of his overall. Seventeen of his drives qualified for the 1-point bonus, worth eight percent. Naturally, low scores with lots of circles on the scorecard will be of greatest value, but tournament finish won’t have as great of an impact. And while a good round will land from 55-60 points, which means that overall fantasy scoring will be lower and sustain competitive balance, absorbing zeroes will penalize just as they did in the previous iteration. Thus, the primary objective remains to have four golfers contributing in every round. The contenders will separate themselves from the also-rans in the long-term. Meanwhile, all of my weekly staples are ready for the season. The Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions and Rookie Ranking are current. Navigate to the FANTASY page or via the MENU at the top for each. You’ll also find my annual full-membership fantasy ranking that includes all kinds of important pieces of information to assist gamers and commissioners. This year’s guide includes 245 golfers. The printable Cheat Sheet will be ready on Wednesday. Finally, debuting on Twitter on Wednesday is a new fantasy show starring yours truly. We’re targeting 2:00 p.m. ET. In addition to answering gamers’ questions, assisting with lineup decisions and responding to anything else on your mind, I’ll be discussing a handful of topics that have my attention right now. The show will launch from Twitter.com/PGATOUR. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the Safeway Open (in alphabetical order): Patrick Cantlay Emiliano Grillo Adam Hadwin Ryan Moore Joaquin Niemann Brendan Steele You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Anders Albertson; Bronson Burgoon; Cameron Davis; Sungjae Im; Martin Laird; Phil Mickelson Driving: Bronson Burgoon; Cameron Davis; Martin Laird; Hunter Mahan; Patrick Rodgers; Harold Varner III Power Rankings Wild Card Chez Reavie … With a 4-for-4 record at Silverado that includes top 25s in the last three editions of the tournament, he presents as a no-brainer. However, uncharacteristically inconsistent form pervaded his second half of 2017-18, so there’s reason to second-guess his projection. Given the renewal of a season, his tee-to-green proficiency and his greenside touch when he’s misfiring on top of repeated success on this course, history here wins the argument. Draws Chris Kirk … Perfect for the new fantasy scoring in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. He concluded 2017-18 with 12 consecutive cuts made and owns a 3-for-3 record at Silverado with a T8 in 2016. Bronson Burgoon … Sat T11 after three rounds at Silverado last year, but his backpedal of a 74 left him at T17. It was among a series of performances by recent Web.com Tour graduates who maintained a high level of execution in the season opener. It’s not out of the question to consider his return trip to fall into a similar vein as he opened his debut in the FedExCup Playoffs with a T11 at THE NORTHERN TRUST. It was his sixth top 20 of 2017-18. He finished the season at sixth in total driving, 54th in GIR and T17 in par-5 scoring. Brett Drewitt … If you’re keen on a flier in DFS, look no further than the Aussie. The one-time PGA TOUR member (2016-17) entered the open qualifier on a whim and co-medaled with a bogey-free 65 at Coyote Creek Golf Club in San José. He was in the area after dropping his parents off at the airport, who came to the U.S. for his wedding last week. The 27-year-old went 3-for-4 in the Web.com Tour Finals, so he’s warm. Fades Sangmoon Bae … The first winner at Silverado in 2014 didn’t return until last year due to his military obligation in South Korea. He missed the cut with two over-par scores. In his last start on the Web.com Tour, he won in Boise. It secured at worst a spot in the reshuffle this season, but he still has 10 starts on a Major Medical Extension to retain status in that category. No doubt his confidence has never been higher since returning to competition, but his recent connection with success is too much too soon for conservative gamers. Beau Hossler … Because the 23-year-old isn’t going to let us down most of the time, this is as relative as it likely will be rare. Despite logging a fantastic first season on the PGA TOUR in 2017-18 in which he missed only four cuts, Silverado wasn’t his cup of tea en route to a 74th-place finish in his debut. On paper, he offers several attractive angles, but he’s still learning which sites suit him best. It would be rushing to judgment to label him as streaky so soon in his career, but he closed out the season without a top 30 in his last five starts. Danny Willett … Making his debut at the Safeway Open, but the bigger news is that he’s renewed his PGA TOUR membership for 2018-19. The 2016 Masters champ had to sit out last season for failing to fulfill the membership minimum of 15 starts in 2016-17, but he’s sending the earliest message possible that it won’t be an issue again. He’s flashed some form in recent months, but he’s far from the world-beater we observed before he slipped on the green jacket. Injuries derailed his progress. Sam Burns … As he embarks on his PGA TOUR career officially, tiptoe into him at first. He was incredibly hot and cold during the Web.com Tour season and failed to factor in all of his last four starts. Now, that bodes well for the long-term because he’s already learned how to ride a wave, but it’s dangerous for weekly gamers. Returning to Competition Bud Cauley … Suffice it to say that this is a welcome surprise. When he had to shut it down due to multiple injuries suffered in a car crash four months ago, it was anyone’s guess as to when he’d be physically ready to compete again. He’s fully exempt for finishing inside the top 125 of the FedExCup, so he can play as often as he wants without worrying about status and long-range planning. Despite this good news and a T7 in last year’s Safeway, give him the opportunity shake off the rust and fall back into the routine. Luke Donald … Committed to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, it’ll be his first action since the RBC Heritage in April. He’s rested a sore back that first flared a year ago at this time. Equipped with 15 starts via a Major Medical Extension on the PGA TOUR, his restart in Europe gives us a free look at his form. He’s also expected to play in next week’s Sky Sport British Masters in England. Notable WDs None Power Rankings Recap – TOUR Championship Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Justin Rose  T4 2  Justin Thomas  T7 3  Brooks Koepka  T26 4  Tony Finau  T15 5  Rory McIlroy  T7 6  Dustin Johnson  3rd 7  Bubba Watson  29th 8  Billy Horschel  2nd 9  Bryson DeChambeau  19th 10  Webb Simpson  T4 11  Francesco Molinari  T21 12  Tommy Fleetwood  T11 13  Rickie Fowler  T7 14  Hideki Matsuyama  T4 15  Xander Schauffele  T7 16  Jason Day  18th 17  Paul Casey  T11 18  Tiger Woods  Win 19  Phil Mickelson  30th 20  Kevin Na  25th 21  Gary Woodland  T11 22  Keegan Bradley  T26 23  Patrick Reed  28th 24  Cameron Smith  20th 25  Kyle Stanley  T15 26  Marc Leishman  T21 27  Aaron Wise  T15 28  Patrick Cantlay T21 29  Jon Rahm  T11 30  Patton Kizzire  T21 Power Rankings Recap – FedExCup Playoffs Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Justin Thomas  7th 2  Justin Rose  1st 3  Jason Day  16th 4  Tiger Woods  2nd 5  Jon Rahm  23rd 6  Dustin Johnson  4th 7  Jordan Spieth  31st 8  Tommy Fleetwood  19th 9  Patrick Reed  22nd 10  Webb Simpson  11th 11  Brandt Snedeker  40th 12  Paul Casey  25th 13  Tony Finau  6th 14  Brooks Koepka  9th 15  Patrick Cantlay  20th 16  Francesco Molinari  T17 17  Xander Schauffele  15th 18  Rory McIlroy  T13 19  Gary Woodland  26th 20  Kyle Stanley  27th 21  Kevin Kisner  47th 22  Marc Leishman  29th 23  Beau Hossler  46th 24  Phil Mickelson  21st 25  Bryson DeChambeau  3rd 26  Bubba Watson  10th 27  Kevin Na  28th 28  Rafa Cabrera Bello  41st 29  Austin Cook  38th 30  Chesson Hadley  44th Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR October 2 … George McNeill (43); Zack Sucher (32) October 3 … Danny Willett (31) October 4 … none October 5 … Kelly Kraft (30) October 6 … none October 7 … none October 8 … none

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Starting four shots behind Sunday, Patrick Cantlay closed with an 8-under 64 for a two-shot victory at the Memorial Championship.

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