Fantasy Golf: The Valero Texas Open Preview

This week is a perfect example of the "Tringale Rule" which is of course named after professional golfer Cameron Tringale who has been on the PGA Tour since 2010 with no wins. He has played in eleven majors and missed the cut four times, been DQ'd twice (an interesting accomplishment) and never finished better than T38. He has a respectable but unspectacular $13,127,013 in career earnings which puts him 151st all-time right between Jhonattan Vegas and Alex Cejka . . . the golfing equivalent of a two-bedroom townhouse in a neighborhood with good schools but no steakhouse (Outback doesn't count).  

So what is the "Tringale Rule" you may ask if you're actually still reading? Well the "Tringale Rule" (which I invented five minutes ago) is the perfect way to measure the strength of a PGA tournament field. To apply it, you will need two things: (a) Cameron Tringale in the field, and (b) DraftKings salaries. Then you just look-up Tringale's salary for the week and use the following chart to determine the strength of the field. 

This week Tringale's salary is $9,300 so the field by definition sucks and that was before Dustin Johnson bailed to go spelunking with Jeff Probst and Bobby Flay. But I'm going to write about it anyway because I find it soothing. Speaking of which . . . 

TWEET OF THE WEEK

I read tweets like this and feel like I should take comfort in the fact that I'm not alone but no one who feels like this really takes comfort in anything. 

GOLF ANALYSIS THAT HANDLES LIKE A MIATA

Scottie Scheffler seems like the obvious pick coming-off his second place finish last week and his T20 here last year. Not to mention, he was born in Texas, went to the University of Texas and just oozes Texas like Bum Phillips ranting about secession while riding a mechanical bull. The only thing the golf world loves to love more than Texas is bragging about donating 1/10th the cost of a corporate tent to local charities. Anyway, I'm picking Scheffler.

I have to admit that there was a temptation to pick Jordan Spieth this week but, if you actually think he's back, then grow a pair and save him for the Masters or the British Open. At least that's what I literally told myself. 

Corey Connors, Ryan Palmer, Matt Kuchar and Zach Johnson all bring that savory combination of current form and past success. You might be surprised to know that Zach Johnson has made 14 straight cuts since the PGA Championship and just finished T8 at the Honda Classic. I know I was. 

The rest of the picks are kind of sleeper/chalky for lack of a better word (that's two words). I am, however, very intrigued by the Kevin Chappell comeback story. He won this event and finished T7 at the Masters in 2017 and climbed to 23rd in the world. Then in 2018 he went out with an injury before coming back in 2019 and shooting a 59 at the Greenbrier on his way to a tie for 47th with your typical run of 71-59-73-72. He's since been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride of down weeks combined with glimpses of his old form. In other words, exactly my kind of guy.   

One and Done Pick: Scottie Scheffler 

Chappell was rocking the flat brim
and crafting artisanal cocktails before
they were considered insufferable

Other Guy I'd Pick: Ryan Palmer 

Sleeper Pick: Kevin Chappell 

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Scottie Scheffler	$10,400
Corey Connors	$9,500
Ryan Palmer	$9,400
Matt Kuchar	$9,000
Zach Johnson	$8,500
Harold Varner, III	$7,900
Ryan Moore	$7,900
Ben An	$7,500
Martin Laird	$7,100
Kevin Chappell	$6,900

Not a lot to see in this week's Historical Performance Chart unless you have a weird fascination with the letters "DNP." 

                                 THE MATT GAETZ COMPANION PASS

                                 HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART 

	DK Price	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
Dustin Johnson (O)	$11,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	T6
Tony Finau	$11,000	T61	DNP	T3	DNP	T68
Jordan Spieth	$10,700	T30	DNP	DNP	DNP	2nd
Scottie Scheffler	$10,400	T20	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Hideki Matsuyama	$10,100	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Abraham Ancer	$9,700	T42	T58	DNP	T42	DNP
Corey Connors	$9,500	1st	T26	DNP	DNP	DNP
Ryan Palmer	$9,400	MC	MC	T6	T4	T6
Cameron Tringale	$9,300	T17	MC	MC	T60	T40
Charley Hoffman	$9,200	2nd	T64	T40	1st	T11
Brendon Steele	$9,100	T42	T30	T62	T13	T8
Matt Kuchar	$9,000	T7	T51	T40	T42	T15
Cameron Davis	$8,800	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Lanto Griffin	$8,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Zach Johnson	$8,500	DNP	5th	MC	T29	T20
Keegan Bradley	$8,400	DNP	T45	MC	T37	DNP
Adam Hadwin	$8,300	DNP	DNP	T72	DNP	MC
Joel Dahmen	$8,200	T69	T75	MC	DNP	DNP
Rickie Fowler	$8,100	T17	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Aaron Wise	$8,000	DNP	MC	T72	DNP	MC
Sam Burns	$8,000	T23	DNP	DNP	DNP	MC
Harold Varner, III	$7,900	T23	MC	T40	T9	DNP
Ryan Moore	$7,900	3rd	7th	T18	DNP	DNP
Branden Grace	$7,800	DNP	DNP	T10	T9	T30
Charles Howell, III	$7,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	MC
Danny Willet	$7,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Matt Wallace	$7,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Andrew Putnam	$7,600	T36	T8	DNP	DNP	T72
Gary Woodland	$7,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Sebastian Munoz	$7,600	MC	DNP	T27	DNP	DNP
Byeong-Hun An	$7,500	T7	DNP	T40	DNP	DNP
Erik Van Rooyen	$7,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Phil Mickelson	$7,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	MC	T30
Jhonny Vegas	$7,400	T30	MC	T34	MC	T68
John Huh	$7,400	DNP	MC	T22	MC	T35
Sam Ryder	$7,400	DNP	T36	DNP	DNP	DNP
Denny McCarthy	$7,300	MC	T20	DNP	DNP	DNP
Doug Ghim	$7,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Lucas Glover	$7,300	T14	DNP	DNP	DNP	MC
Sepp Straka	$7,300	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Adam Long	$7,200	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
K.H. Lee	$7,200	T14	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Harry Higgs	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Martin Laird	$7,100	T36	T11	T18	DNP	T50
Matthew NeSmith	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Cameron Champ	$7,000	DNP	T73	DNP	DNP	DNP
Russell Knox	$7,000	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Tom Hoge	$7,000	MC	MC	DNP	T9	MC
Kevin Chappell	$6,900	DNP	T30	1st	T4	T66
Nate Lashley	$6,900	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Rory Sabbatini	$6,900	T36	DNP	DNP	MC	T26
Jim Furyk	$6,800	T23	T26	DNP	DNP	DNP
Andrew Landry	$6,700	MC	1st	DNP	T51	DNP
Brian Stuard	$6,700	T4	T36	MC	T55	T64
Doc Redman	$6,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Peter Malnati	$6,500	T23	T64	MC	T13	DNP

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