Fantasy Golf: The Genesis Invitational Preview

Last week held such promise heading into Sunday. I had recommended to my dedicated readers and taken a personal vested interest in Patrick Cantlay, Jason Day, Max Homa and Maverick McNealy, all of whom were positioned to win. In supporting roles I even had Matthew NeSmith, Nick Taylor and Brian Gay doing their part. I was ready to unleash the perfect storm of success, a truly rare occurrence for the FGR.

Alas, it was not meant to be as the guy I picked the prior week bounced back to win this week. I'm probably lowballing this number but I think that's at least the 573rd time a player I picked has missed the cut only to win the following week after I have pronounced him dead to me. I will learn nothing from this.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

I freely acknowledge that Tom Brady is the GOAT among quarterbacks but the inimitable David Simon is correct in his assessment of the golden boy and where he fits into the grand scheme of athleticism. 

GOLF ANALYSIS FROM THE FEBRUARY ABYSS 

We have every top ten ranked player in the field this week except for Webb Simpson and Tyrrell Hatton. Plus we have Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau, Adam Scott and Jordan Spieth who appears to be entering one of those enigmatic phases that great golfers go through on their way to becoming either (a) 2014 Rory McIlroy (good) or (b) 1994 Ian Baker-Finch* (bad . . . very bad). I see this week as a middling pause on that journey so I am staying away.  

In addition to the loaded field, we've got a slew of guys who play great here all the time including Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Adam Scott and Rory. Then you've got Bubba Watson who's won this thing three times along with guys like Marc Leishman and Kevin Na who have multiple top fives. It's a damn embarrassment of riches is what it is.

But we get paid to make the tough choices so we're taking Rory over D.J. and J.T. He hasn't won on American soil since the 2019 Tour Championship so he is beyond due. Xander Schauffele gets the nod over Koepka and Patrick Cantlay because he has been ridiculous in 2021 with a pair of runner-ups and a tie for 5th. For the sake of full disclosure, I have to say that I usually pick Xander in the wrong spot so I might change my pick to Cantlay at the last minute and not even tell myself. 

You pretty much have to pick Bubba here. I was going to qualify that with an "unless" but who knows what impacts Bubba's performance so just pick him. Max Homa, Kevin Na and Carlos Ortiz are solid mid-range picks but Jason Kokrak is also worth a look. Sam Burns is Sam Burns. 

Finally, I am convinced that both Talor Gooch and Doug Ghim are on the verge of breaking through. I'd tell you why but I'm up against the clock for my acupuncture appointment and, if I go in there with this unfinished preview hanging over me, she's going to drive an icepick straight into my forehead. No one wants that. Well maybe a few people.     

One and Done Pick: Xander Schauffele 

To Schauffele or not to Schauffele?
That is always the damn question.

Other Guy I'd Pick: Rory McIlroy

Sleeper Pick: Doug Ghim

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Rory McIlroy	$10,500
Xander Schauffele	$9,900
Adam Scott	$9,000
Bubba Watson	$8,900
Max Homa	$8,200
Kevin Na	$7,900
Carlos Ortiz	$7,800
Sam Burns	$7,400
Talor Gooch	$7,200
Doug Ghim	$6,900

This week's Historical Performance Chart honors what has to be the most cringeworthy advertising campaign since Bloomingdale's ran one in 2015 with a picture of a stalker in a nice suit staring at a woman with the tag line "Spike Your Best Friend's Eggnog When They're not Looking." Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey don't quite achieve that level of creepiness in their painful shilling for Uber Eats, but it sure as hell ain't for a lack of trying. 

It's hard to ignore Sung Kang's impressive record at the bottom of this chart but I have managed to do it. Remember, I just make suggestions and you make decisions (oh dear God he's quoting Peloton instructors now . . . well it was fun while it lasted).       

 
                                    THE WAYNE'S WORLD . . . PARTY TIME
                                        SHAMELESSLY . . . SELLING-OUT
                                     HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART

	DK Price	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
Dustin Johnson	$11,300	T10	T9	T16	1st	4th
Justin Thomas	$10,700	MC	2nd	T9	T39	T54
Rory McIlroy	$10,500	T5	T4	T20	DNP	DNP
Jon Rahm	$10,400	T17	T9	DNP	DNP	DNP
Bryson DeChambeau	$10,100	T5	T15	T41	W/D	DNP
Xander Schauffele	$9,900	T23	T15	T9	DNP	DNP
Brooks Koepka	$9,700	T43	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP
Patrick Cantlay	$9,600	T17	T15	T4	DNP	DNP
Colin Morikawa	$9,500	T26	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Daniel Berger (Out)	$9,400	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP	MC
Tony Finau	$9,300	T51	T15	T2	MC	MC
Jordan Spieth	$9,200	T59	T51	T9	T22	MC
Hideki Matsuyama	$9,100	T5	T9	DNP	MC	T11
Adam Scott	$9,000	1st	T7	T53	T11	T2
Bubba Watson	$8,900	MC	T15	1st	W/D	1st
Joaquin Niemann	$8,800	MC	T44	DNP	DNP	DNP
Viktor Hovland	$8,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Marc Leishman	$8,600	T43	T4	MC	MC	T5
Scottie Scheffler	$8,500	T30	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP
Cameron Smith	$8,400	MC	T49	T6	T28	T63
Will Zalatoris	$8,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Max Homa	$8,200	T5	T37	DNP	DNP	DNP
Matthew Wolff	$8,100	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Jason Kokrak	$8,000	MC	T37	T20	T22	T2
Abraham Ancer	$7,900	T43	T44	T68	DNP	DNP
Kevin Na	$7,900	MC	T33	T2	T4	MC
Carlos Ortiz	$7,800	T26	T9	DNP	DNP	T26
Russell Henley	$7,800	T17	T44	DNP	DNP
Sergio Garcia	$7,700	T37	T37	DNP	T49	MC
Si Woo Kim	$7,700	T37	3rd	MC	MC	MC
Cameron Tringale	$7,600	T30	DNP	MC	T8	T68
Francesco Molinari	$7,600	MC	DNP	MC	MC	T52
Gary Woodland	$7,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	T26
Matthew Fitzpatrick	$7,600	T30	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Cameron Davis	$7,500	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Corey Connors	$7,500	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
James Hahn	$7,500	T13	DNP	T14	T28	MC
Rickie Fowler	$7,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Brian Harman	$7,400	T47	T51	DNP	MC	T72
Henrik Norlander	$7,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Kevin Streelman	$7,400	DNP	MC	T41	MC	DNP
Lanto Griffin	$7,400	T37	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Sam Burns	$7,400	T23	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Adam Hadwin	$7,300	T26	75th	T6	T34	T16
Charley Hoffman	$7,300	MC	MC	T41	T4	T63
J.T. Poston	$7,300	T30	T28	DNP	T17	DNP
Luke List	$7,300	T30	T15	T26	MC	DNP
Maverick McNealy	$7,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Emiliano Grillo	$7,200	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Keegan Bradley	$7,200	MC	T51	MC	T34	MC
Matt Kuchar	$7,200	T2	T28	T26	T22	T8
Nate Lashley	$7,200	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Talor Gooch	$7,200	T10	DNP	T20	DNP	DNP
Brendan Steele	$7,100	DNP	MC	T49	T39	T39
Brendon Todd	$7,100	T56	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
K.H. Lee	$7,100	T13	T25	DNP	DNP	DNP
Russell Knox	$7,100	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Wyndham Clark	$7,100	T17	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Alex Noren	$7,000	T59	DNP	T16	DNP	DNP
Chez Reavie	$7,000	T10	MC	T73	MC	7th
Kyle Stanley	$7,000	T64	MC	MC	T39	DNP
Matt Jones	$7,000	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	MC
Cameron Champ	$6,900	MC	MC	MC	DNP	DNP
Doug Ghim	$6,900	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Joel Dahmen	$6,900	T5	MC	MC	DNP	DNP
Matthew NeSmith	$6,900	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Nick Taylor	$6,900	MC	T33	T41	T55	DNP
Charles Howell, III	$6,800	T59	6th	T37	T15	75th
Martin Laird	$6,800	T43	MC	T9	T8	T11
Tom Hoge	$6,800	DNP	MC	T53	DNP	DNP
Branden Grace	$6,700	MC	MC	T37	T22	DNP
Harold Varner, III	$6,700	T13	MC	T60	MC	DNP
Patrick Rodgers	$6,700	T30	T15	T26	T22	MC
Vaughn Taylor	$6,700	T13	T9	T20	W/D	MC
Charl Schwartzel	$6,500	DNP	W/D	T68	MC	T45
J.B. Holmes	$6,500	T51	1st	T60	T34	T11
Sung Kang	$6,500	T2	T64	T16	T22	T8

Footnote

* I know that Baker-Finch was never the player that Spieth was (and still could be) but he is the best I could come up with so put your fucking hand down. 

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