Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Fantasy Golf: The Travelers Championship Preview

I hope everyone had a lovely Father's Day. Mine started at the local high school track with my 11 year old daughter who has been assigned an off-season conditioning program by her soccer coach so that we can beat Thailand 29-0 in 2031. On Sunday the workout began with some soccer stuff like juggling because nothing helps legitimize a sport in America like a drill that shares the same name with the answer to the game show clue "something a clown does." (Note that I am not a soccer hater. I love soccer but don't even get me started on the game's vocabulary like calling uniforms "kits" unless you want to see nineteen different facial tics).  

Once she finished juggling and made three balloon animals, the workout called for two timed miles separated by a five minute break. I should note at this point that there were two other dads on the premises who appeared to be using Father's Day as a license to put their kids through some kind of impromptu training sessions. I would ask "what have we dads become?" but I think my dad used to make us go sailing on Father's Day a/k/a family hell on the high seas so maybe we're actually evolving in a positive direction.   

The first mile went smoothly enough (and no I was not running with her as that seemed like an awful lot of potential effort, injury and embarrassment for minimal to no payoff). The second mile started-off fine but on the third lap some of the other kids joined her on the track and were clearly trying to race only for abbreviated stretches but, because my daughter is the product of my hyper competitiveness and the FGW's burning desire to kill all who stand in her way (thank God she doesn't have access to dragons), she couldn't help but engage in every sprint so when it came time for the last lap, she looked like John Candy from the racquetball scene in Splash.    


Here's your Father's Day dilemma dad. Do you (a) tell her it's ok to stop without finishing the second mile or (b) encourage/push her to keep going even if she has to walk it knowing that you will look like a raging asshole to any observer as your daughter completes the last lap on the verge of tears? I went with option (b) and I think it was one of those rare parenting moments when I got it right because she probably would've kept going anyway and at least she got the satisfaction of completing the workout so at least I was supportive? 

The lesson about parenting as always is this. It's a four part test with over ten thousand sub-parts. All questions will be written in Sanskrit and your answers must be in Klingon. There will be no partial credit. Your one hour starts now. Good luck.  

And now this. 

GOLFBABES TWEET OF THE WEEK

I'd tear a rotator cuff and probably fall down . . . 
THIS WEEK'S ANALYSIS

The rule of thumb for the Travelers Championship is that you take Bubba Watson if he is currently showing any kind of interest in the game. Unfortunately, that is debatable as he's coming-off a recent run of MC, T63, MC and he only has two top tens this year. His T12 at Augusta could be seen as a solid finish or a warning sign considering how he can dominate there when he's engaged. For reference, when he won here last year, he had already done the same at the Genesis Open and the WGC-Dell Matchplay. Then he finished T5 at the Masters. I would definitely factor him into my plans but not sure I'd make him the cornerstone of my gambling weekend. Just feels like we could get a disinterested effort.

I'll be shocked if Patrick Cantlay and Paul Casey don't have strong showings. Casey loves the course with three top fives and a T17 in the last four years while Cantlay shot a 60 here back in 2011 though he somehow managed to finish T24. At this moment, he may be the second best golfer in the world with one bad opening round at Pebble Beach as the only thing standing between him and an all-world five tournament run. And speaking indirectly of Brooks Koepka, I'm staying away this week. He can't possibly want to spend the weekend playing golf much less playing golf in Connecticut.

We're going to get a big showing from the middle tier guys like Daniel Berger, Russell Knox and Kevin Streelman. Also, Danny Lee has been playing some respectable golf lately and when he's doing that heading into a course he likes, you run with it. And finally I think we're due for a Patrick Reed resurfacing so prepare yourself for that bitter taste in the back of your throat that goes with seeing him on the Sunday leaderboard.        

"HA HA HA I'm not sure this is a healthy
relationship because you always treat me
like shit when things don't go your way."
One and Done Pick: Paul Casey

Other Guy I'd Pick: Daniel Berger

Sleeper Pick: Brendan Steele

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Patrick Cantlay
$11,300
Paul Casey
$9,500
Bubba Watson
$8,900
Patrick Reed
$8,500
Kevin Streelman
$8,200
Daniel Berger
$8,000
Russell Knox
$7,700
Danny Lee
$7,500
Kyle Stanley
$7,300
Brendan Steele
$6,700

The fact that Kevin Streelman has won at TPC River Highlands and finished top ten three other times would seem to be an indicator that the course favors a straight-hitting methodical type but obviously Bubba's three wins put a dent in that theory. On the other hand, this is clearly just one of those courses where the tee shots speak to Bubba so you can't really use him as a baseline. It's still Kevin Streelman's party and we all know how unhinged those can get so you best prearrange your extraction plan or you'll have to shoot your way out. 

                            THE TIRED OLD RED UMBRELLA LOGO
                              HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART


DK Price
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
Brooks Koepka
$11,800
T19
DNP
T9
DNP
T51
Patrick Cantlay
$11,300
T15
DNP
DNP
DNP
MC
Jordan Spieth
$10,700
T42
1st
DNP
DNP
DNP
Francesco Molinari
$10,300
DNP
DNP
T47
T25
DNP
Jason Day
$10,000
T12
MC
DNP
DNP
T18
Justin Thomas
$9,800
T56
MC
T3
MC
DNP
Paul Casey
$9,500
T2
T5
T17
2nd
DNP
B. DeChambeau
$9,200
T9
T26
T47
DNP
DNP
Tommy Fleetwood
$9,200
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Marc Leishman
$9,100
MC
T17
T9
T39
T11
Tony Finau
$9,000
DNP
T17
T25
T25
DNP
Bubba Watson
$8,900
1st
MC
T25
1st
T31
Louis Oosthuizen
$8,800
DNP
DNP
T17
MC
W/D
Phil Mickelson
$8,700
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Brandt Snedeker
$8,600
MC
T14
DNP
T10
T11
Patrick Reed
$8,500
MC
T5
T11
MC
MC
Chez Reavie
$8,400
MC
T43
T47
T25
DNP
Jason Kokrak
$8,300
MC
T26
DNP
T48
DNP
Kevin Streelman
$8,200
T33
T8
MC
MC
1st
Charley Hoffman
$8,100
T15
T3
T25
DNP
T26
Daniel Berger
$8,000
T67
2nd
T5
DNP
DNP
Emiliano Grillo
$7,900
T19
T43
DNP
DNP
DNP
Viktor Hovland
$7,900
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Byeon Hun An
$7,800
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Ryan Moore
$7,800
MC
DNP
T17
DNP
T5
Sungjae Im
$7,800
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Keegan Bradley
$7,700
T47
T8
T25
T39
T31
Kevin Kisner
$7,700
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Russell Knox
$7,700
T38
T62
1st
W/D
T61
Adam Hadwin
$7,600
T42
T57
MC
MC
DNP
Andrew Putnam
$7,600
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Bud Cauley
$7,600
DNP
T35
T70
DNP
T11
C.T. Pan
$7,600
MC
T8
DNP
DNP
DNP
Danny Lee
$7,500
T15
T3
DNP
T25
MC
Joaquin Niemann
$7,500
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Russell Henley
$7,500
T6
DNP
T11
DNP
DNP
Lucas Glover
$7,500
DNP
MC
DNP
DNP
DNP
Abraham Ancer
$7,400
MC
MC
T56
DNP
DNP
Brian Harman
$7,400
T6
T35
MC
3rd
T42
Kevin Tway
$7,400
T6
T43
DNP
DNP
T26
Si Woo Kim
$7,400
T26
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
J.B. Holmes
$7,300
T2
DNP
MC
DNP
DNP
Kyle Stanley
$7,300
T15
T57
MC
T20
MC
Cameron Smith
$7,200
DNP
DNP
T34
DNP
DNP
Nick Watney
$7,200
MC
73rd
DNP
T39
T11
Aaron Baddeley
$7,000
MC
DNP
T34
T48
4th
Nick Taylor
$6,900
MC
DNP
T64
MC
DNP
Trey Mullinax
$6,800
T67
MC
DNP
DNP
DNP
Brendan Steele
$6,700
MC
T14
T17
T25
T5
Denny McCarthy
$6,700
T47
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP

Email the Fantasy Golf Report at fgr@fantasygolfreport.com

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