Wednesday, July 31, 2019

The Wyndham Championship Preview

I just spent half an hour stumbling around on Twitter trying to find some inspiration for the opening of this week's preview and came-up with nothing. Then I had this completely random idea of ranking the golf courses located in Maryland's 7th Congressional District because yes there are golf courses there scattered throughout the burning cars and roving bands of flesh-eating zombies and I think I've played them all. Let's go worst to first based on my best guess overlay of a Maryland golf course map with the congressional district map (I actually checked addresses because facts matter). 

16. Turf Valley Resort


Despite being a place that no human being would want to live, Maryland's 7th District does have a golf resort albeit not a good one. There are actually two uninspired golf courses which surround lodging that looks like it was inspired by the architectural movement of 1980's mall food court. The highlight of any trip to Turf Valley, however, is an encounter with the never not angry elderly attendants who manage the cart area. It's as if they recruited nothing but bitter retired toll-booth operators who were regularly passed-over for promotion to toll-booth manager. As you have probably guessed by now, I had an incident there. 


15. Fairway Hills Golf Club


This is the only course on the list that I've never played so I'm ranking it second to last based on (a) its crappy online reviews and (b) the fact that I've never played it which must mean something. Also, it's in Columbia, Maryland which is known only for overthought sensible civic planning so I'm guessing the same level of creativity was applied to the golf course.   


14. Hunt Valley Country Club


This is Baltimore County's answer to Turf Valley. Ask anyone about Hunt Valley Country Club and one of the first three things they will say is "I have no idea how they stay in business." It has to be some kind of front for black market fertilizer. There is no other explanation.  


13. Greystone Golf Course


I haven't played Gretystone in over twenty years and the reason is fear. I will always remember it as the most unnecessarily penal course I have ever played and, not surprisingly, the rounds regularly took 5+ hours which is quite a time commitment for a course located 45 minutes from civilization.  


12. Diamond Ridge Golf Course


Diamond Ridge is fine but I would challenge you to play it and then describe any hole in detail a week later. It's been awhile for me but I'm pretty sure there was a dog-leg left par four and a . . . no that's all I got. 


11. Clifton Park Golf Course


"What's that city daddy? . . .
Do human beings live there?"
The first of our Baltimore muni-tracks and I'd be lying if I didn't say that I miss playing it. Unfortunately, that comes with the territory when you become a country club liberal. Clifton Park has some fun holes including a downhill reachable par 4. It also gives you cool views of the city's skyline and takes you right across the street of some of Baltimore's more gritty neighborhoods which is part of its charm. If you don't like it, move to Palm Beach.

We're going to break here because I need to get some kind of preview out for the sake of continuing to convince myself that I am writer making a difference in people's lives. We'll pick-up with the top ten next week. 

And now this. 


GOLFBABES TWEET OF THE WEEK

THIS WEEK'S ANALYSIS 

Not much to say about the Wyndham Championship which is probably a good thing because the picks have been absolute dreck lately. Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker have far and away the best track records at Sedgefield CC which would indicate that it favors the straighter hitter who has the capacity to get hot with the putter. That would seem to describe all of the young guns these days but I'm going with Viktor Hovland because he's the only one still looking for a win. 


In the middle of the pack you have Bill Haas who clearly likes the layout and has shown some signs of life lately. I'm not ready to give-up on Zach Johnson yet. Especially on a course that would appear to suit his game when he's going for a paltry $7,200. And this week's sleeper as he has been several times before is Nick Taylor because eventually a broken clock is going to be right.  
These are the guys that Sedgefield features on its
website to entice you to join. I'm not exactly sure
I understand the marketing strategy but I like it. 

One and Done Pick: Webb Simpson

Other Guy I'd Pick: Viktor Hovland

Sleeper Pick: Nick Taylor


DraftKings Top Ten Values


Webb Simpson
$11,200
Brandt Snedeker
$10,000
Viktor Hovland
$9,500
Sungjae Im
$8,300
Scott Piercy
$8,100
Jason Kokrak
$8,000
Bill Haas
$7,600
Bud Cauley
$7,300
Zach Johnson
$7,200
Nick Taylor
$6,800

This is clearly not a tournament that a lot of guys like to play on a regular basis as evidenced by the dearth of top tens on the chart but you will find your usual grinder suspects like Bud Cauley and Johnson Wagner down at the bottom with some positive results. 
                YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT THAT'S A KNEE BRACE IN THE 
                      PICTURE HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART 


DK Price
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
Webb Simpson
$11,200
T2
3rd
T72
T6
T5
Hideki Matsuyama
$10,900
T11
DNP
T3
MC
MC
Jordan Spieth
$10,600
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Collin Morikawa
$10,400
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Brandt Snedeker
$10,000
1st
DNP
T3
T43
T5
Paul Casey
$9,800
DNP
DNP
DNP
T3
T18
Patrick Reed
$9,700
DNP
DNP
T22
DNP
T24
Billy Horschel
$9,600
T11
T60
T5
MC
T47
Viktor Hovland
$9,500
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Matthew Wolf
$9,400
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Chez Reavie
$9,300
DNP
T37
MC
MC
DNP
Rory Sabbatini
$9,200
T57
T4
DNP
DNP
DNP
Joaquin Niemann
$9,100
T33
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Cameron Smith
$9,000
DNP
T7
MC
T18
DNP
Charles Howell, III
$8,900
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Alex Noren
$8,800
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Lucas Glover
$8,700
DNP
T28
T22
T18
MC
Martin Kaymer
$8,600
DNP
DNP
DNP
T14
DNP
Adam Hadwin
$8,500
DNP
DNP
T33
T51
DNP
Dylan Frittelli
$8,400
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Sungjae Im
$8,300
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Ben An
$8,200
DNP
MC
DNP
T18
DNP
Scott Piercy
$8,100
T45
DNP
T63
DNP
DNP
Jason Kokrak
$8,000
T57
T16
MC
W/D
DNP
Aaron Wise
$7,900
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Martin Laird
$7,900
T45
W/D
T63
T59
T14
Kevin Streelman
$7,800
DNP
T72
DNP
DNP
DNP
Russell Henley
$7,800
MC
DNP
T46
DNP
DNP
Abraham Ancer
$7,700
T24
DNP
MC
DNP
DNP
Kyle Stanley
$7,700
DNP
MC
T14
T51
MC
Bill Haas
$7,600
T45
MC
T22
T6
T2
Brian Harman
$7,600
DNP
DNP
MC
MC
MC
Doc Redman
$7,600
MC
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Branden Grace
$7,500
DNP
DNP
DNP
T47
DNP
Jason Dufner
$7,500
T66
T14
T22
T51
DNP
Russell Knox
$7,500
DNP
T28
DNP
MC
DNP
Daniel Berger
$7,400
MC
DNP
DNP
MC
DNP
Vaughn Taylor
$7,400
MC
T50
DNP
T47
DNP
Bud Cauley
$7,300
DNP
T42
T10
DNP
MC
Charley Hoffman
$7,300
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Kevin Tway
$7,200
T11
MC
DNP
DNP
MC
Nick Watney
$7,200
MC
MC
DNP
T31
T5
Troy Merritt
$7,200
DNP
T28
74th
DNP
T51
Zach Johnson
$7,200
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Corey Connors
$7,100
T45
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Danny Lee
$6,800
T24
MC
MC
DNP
MC
Harold Varner
$6,800
T53
T10
MC
DNP
DNP
Nick Taylor
$6,800
T8
DNP
MC
MC
DNP
Brian Gay
$6,600
T6
T50
DNP
DNP
MC
Johnson Wagner
$6,600
T33
T24
T5
MC
T38

Email the Fantasy Golf Report at fgr@fantasygolfreport.com.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

spot on about Clifton...Mt. Pleasant is my new home course but CP is in the rota.