Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Fantasy Golf: Sentry Tournament of Champions Preview

Normally the first thing I do when researching these previews is go to last year's version for the same tournament and see how much I can regurgitate with a little polish to make it look original. However, as some members of the FGR's small but loyal (and often brazenly critical) readership may recall, I didn't start writing previews in 2017 until March because I thought it would be a good idea to completely abandon the subject matter that not only inspired this website, but is also right in the freakin' name of it.

Exploring other topics
seemed like a good idea at the time but, in hindsight, it wasn't just analogous to Coke abandoning the formula the company was built-on for the very strategically named "New Coke," it was more like Coke abandoning the production of soda altogether and retrofitting its plants to make leaf blowers. After six weeks of people telling me to stop dicking around and get back in my lane, I went returned to the comfort zone of fantasy golf faster than David Caruso went running back to being an over the top television cop after his doomed movie "career."* 


So let's get right to it. Jordan Spieth is the obvious pick after winning this tournament in 2016 and finishing 2nd and T3rd in his other two trips but we don't do obvious picks at the Fantasy Golf Report (and this is the year that strategy is finally going to payoff dammit). As detailed in the season preview, we see Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas having bigger years than Spieth and that starts this week. Rickie gets the nod over the defending champion Thomas in what is basically a toss-up for the one and done pick and starts a run of multiple wins in 2018.  

Down the in the value range you've got Pat Perez who ended 2017 on a roll and has had success at Kapalua and Cameron Smith who is one of the hottest golfers on the planet along with Brendan Steele and Kyle Stanley - both solid options at the price. Wesley Bryan stands-out among the bargain basement players as a guy who could make some noise over the likes of Ryan Armour, D.A. Points and Chris Stroud who might combine for one live shot on the Golf Channel this weekend (at which point the producer will scream into everyone's headsets "WHY IN THE HELL AM I LOOKING AT CHRIS STROUD RIGHT NOW?!?!).

Aloha. Would you like to come
over and see my fallout shelter?
The One and Done Pick: Rickie Fowler

The DraftKings Top Ten Value Picks


Justin Thomas
$11,100
Rickie Fowler
$10,500
Jon Rahm
$9,500
Marc Leishman
$9,000
Xander Schauffele
$8,500
Pat Perez
$8,000
Cameron Smith
$7,600
Brendan Steele
$7,400
Kyle Stanley
$6,800
Wesley Bryan
$6,200

Footnote

* It should be noted that Caruso had a bit of a movie run before he made it big on NYPD Blue that should've told him his calling was on the small screen. He basically spent 1982 getting his ass-kicked. First, he got choked by Louis Gossett, Jr. and then almost drowned during a plane crash simulation in An Officer and a Gentleman. Then he smashed Sylvester Stallone's fist with his face in First Blood. "Hey David it's your agent. Universal Studios just called about a romantic comedy with Chuck Norris who kicks you in the nuts and judo flips you into the street where you'd get run over and killed by Ally Sheedy on a motor scooter so they could meet and fall in love. It's called Forced Vengeance 2: Roundhouse My Heart. Interested?"

Email the Fantasy Golf Report at fgr@fantasygolfreport.com

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