Fantasy Golf: The Texas Open Preview

You know it's a dead week on the PGA Tour when a picture of Jason Dufner slumped against a world map in an elementary school classroom grabs more headlines than last Sunday's winner.* But that's acceptable when we're inside of ten days until they tee off at what could be an epic Masters (more on that next week). This week we've actually got a "B" level field which means there are a couple of top tier guys trying to work-out some kinks before Augusta (McIlroy and Schwartzel) along with some grinders who have no problem playing the week before a major (Kuchar, Jacobson and Furyk). I'm going to avoid the former and ride the latter along with Brendan Steele who seems as comfortable with the layout of the TPC San Antonio (win in 2011 and T4th last year) as he is with his decision to eschew the life of a porn star that his parents had envisioned on the day they named him.

We're just doing one list this week as there is no one on there who you would feel compelled to save for a major unless you had your heart set on watching Jim Furyk ruin your Fathers' Day at Merion.  

The Overall Top Five

Second biggest golf story of the week?
Holly Sonders' spread in Golf Digest.
Way to hold that finish Holly.

1. Freddie Jacobson
2. Matt Kuchar
3. Jim Furyk
4. Cameron Tringale
5. Brendan Steele

Last Week's Report Card: D

1. Hunter Mahan - M/C
2. Steve Stricker - T38
3. Keegan Bradley - T10
4. Chris Kirk - T22
5. Jimmy Walker - T50

Ouch. I caught about 20 minutes of Friday afternoon's action but that was just enough to see Mahan miss a 2 foot birdie putt on the par-5 13th hole. Nothing special there. Mahan was simply joining Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson as 2013 high profile picks who have failed the FGR this year. The odds of picking those four guys in the same season and having them yield zero dollars have to be higher than picking ten Keno numbers and missing on all of them.** Then again, the grade is probably fitting considering the picture to the right of it.

Endnotes

"Jason would you please move
your head as we're trying to
discuss the Falklands War."

* Considering that my demographic is made-up of predominantly middle-aged dudes with just enough understanding of social media to get by at work, I'm going to assume that most of you were unaware that this photo has spawned a Twitter trend of celebrities "Dufnering" a la "Tebowing."

** The one time I played Keno, that was the bet I kept making which I guess is a sign of pessimism. Speaking of pessimism, Mahan, Fowler, Johnson and Watson teed it up 84 times last year and missed a total of 11 cuts. Excuse me, but I'll be over here Dufnering as I ponder my lost 2013 season.