Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Fantasy Golf: Sentry Tournament of Champions Preview

I'm sorry but I need to talk about COVID for a minute and specifically the Centers for Disease Control's "evolving" response to it. Let me begin by saying that no one initially supported the efforts of the CDC more than me for two reasons: 

(1) The people who work there passed and presumably excelled in the upper level versions of those college classes held in the "science" building that us English majors* limped away from like victims of an intellectual shark attack. Much respect to them for that as I always felt way stupider the seven or eight times I actually walked into that place; and

(2) I'm a lawyer which means that, by definition (sort of), I'm a rule follower 😉. And following their guidelines seemed to make more sense than drinking bleach and spitting on strangers at the Kohl's.    

Anyway, this most recent pivot to five day quarantine periods has raised my eyebrow. First of all, if you're going to do that, don't be lazy and just cut it in half. At least make it somewhat arbitrary like six days or 96 hours. Five days makes it seem like the loudest guy in the room just barked "MAKE IT HALF!!!" because he was exhausted and hankering for a burrito. 

And why change it now? I mean it's been almost two years. Not to mention, this isn't the first highly contagious virus the world has ever seen. Didn't we have quarantine periods we figured-out for those other viruses that we could've applied to this one? I assume someone wrote them down somewhere. Were those quarantine periods ten days? Five days? Half a fortnight? Seven sols? (Never waste an opportunity to reference The Martian . . . never).   

If I had to guess, I'd say the good people at the CDC were told to cut the quarantine periods against their scientific judgment so they just said "fuck it, make it five days . . . at least that way most of this witless country can count it on one foot." 

TWEET OF THE WEEK

And that leads us to one of my favorite recent Twitter trends. There were so many brilliant entries but this was my favorite.  



GOLF ANALYSIS YOUR AUNT RESEARCHED ON FACEBOOK

I'm picking Bryson DeChambeau this week and I'll level with you about this. A big reason why is so that I don't have to think about picking him again. There is, however, some merit to this decision. Kapalua can be overpowered as Dustin Johnson proved when he beat Jon Rahm by 8 shots in 2018 and Bryson has finished T7 and 7th the last two times he's played it. Also, it's not like he has a great track record at any other tournament where you'd feel like he's a lock so here is as good a place as any. And finally, 2022 is starting off like shit in general so we should expect nothing less from the golf season.

Your chalk picks are Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele and no one could fault you for choosing either one. Over the last five years they've combined for three wins and four other top tens. Between you and me, I'd pick Xander if I didn't think he was going to win the Masters this year.

The chart below only goes back to 2017 but, if we had drifted back three more years, you'd see Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed combining for two wins and two runner-ups from 2014-2016. They're both currently playing well as they were then so you would be in your right mind to evaluate them based on those past performances. 

Sam Burns and Talor Gooch are two of the hottest golfers on this or any planet right now. And no I did not have any money on Gooch when he finally won despite spending most of 2021 shouting "Talor Gooch is going to win this year!!!" at passing cars. 

Sungjae Im should be picked every week he plays.

Marc Leishman has some nice history here but then the pickings start getting very very slim as evidenced by the rare $7,500 to $7,1000 salary cap drop-off and that's frankly giving Kevin Na too much credit at $7,100. I say take a flyer on Phil because it will be fun and/or K.H. Lee because he's a big upside guy who has played well of late. You've never heard of most of the other guys in that price range anyway.

I'd love to throw FGR favorites Joel Dahmen and Max Homa in there but I don't see either of them making the final round coverage. At least not as golfers.    

One and Done Pick: Bryson DeChambeau

My sentiments exactly.
Other Guy I'd Pick: Xander Schauffele

Sleeper Pick: Jason Kokrak

DraftKings Top Ten Values

B. DeChambeau

$10,200

Xander Schauffele

$9,500

Sam Burns

$9,100

Jordan Spieth

$8,900

Sungjae Im

$8,200

Patrick Reed

$7,900

Talor Gooch

$7,600

Marc Leishman

$7,500

Phil Mickelson

$6,500

K.H. Lee

$6,000


As usual we have a lot of DNP's on this week's chart but there is some good information in there if you look hard enough. Like maybe sideline Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau until the Golf Channel mercifully stops playing Hawaiian music.

                                          THE BETTY WHITE MEMORIAL
                                     HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART

I never gave Betty her due but I've been catching-up this week and she was a genius. To that end, I'm going to leave this clip from The Golden Girls right here. 

 

DK PRICE

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

Jon Rahm

$11,000

T7

10th

T8

2nd

DNP

Collin Morikawa

$10,800

T7

T7

DNP

DNP

DNP

Justin Thomas

$10,600

3rd

1st

3rd

T22

1st

B. DeChambeau

$10,200

T7

DNP

7th

26th

DNP

Viktor Hovland

$10,000

T31

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Patrick Cantlay

$9,700

T13

4th

DNP

T15

DNP

Xander Schauffele

$9,500

T5

T2

1st

T22

DNP

Sam Burns

$9,100

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Jordan Spieth

$8,900

DNP

DNP

DNP

9th

T3

Hideki Matsuyama

$8,700

T41

DNP

DNP

T4

2nd

Brooks Koepka

$8,500

DNP

DNP

24th

34th

DNP 

Daniel Berger

$8,400

10th

DNP

DNP

T11

T14

Cameron Smith

$8,300

T24

DNP

DNP

T17

DNP

Sungjae Im

$8,200

T5

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Abraham Ancer

$8,100

T17

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Tony Finau

$8,000

T31

DNP

DNP

DNP

T9

Patrick Reed

$7,900

T21

T2

T25

DNP

T6

Harris English

$7,800

1st

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Jason Kokrak

$7,700

T35

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Talor Gooch

$7,600

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Marc Leishman

$7,500

T24

DNP

T4

T7

DNP

Kevin Na

$7,100

T38

T32

DNP

DNP

DNP

Billy Horschel

$7,000

T24

DNP

T25

DNP

DNP

Si Woo Kim

$6,900

DNP

DNP

DNP

10th

T30

Cameron Champ

$6,800

T31

T14

T11

DNP

DNP

Max Homa

$6,700

DNP

T25

DNP

DNP

DNP

Seamus Power

$6,600

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Phil Mickelson

$6,500

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Garrick Higgo

$6,400

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Branden Grace

$6,300

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

32nd

Cameron Davis

$6,200

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Lucas Herbert

$6,100

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Joel Dahmen

$6,100

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Erik Van Rooyen

$6,100

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Kevin Kisner

$6,000

T24

T14

DNP

T17

9th

Stewart Cink

$6,000

T31

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

K.H. Lee

$6,000

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Matt Jones

$6,000

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Lucas Glover

$6,000

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP


Footnotes

* Fun fact. I started as a business major, switched to economics and then took a very ill-fated run at math for a semester that ended in a flaming heap of me failing an open book multivariable calculus exam. I encourage you to click on that link and tell me: (a) what in the fuck they're talking about, and (b) what in the fuck I was thinking. A month later I found my sweet spot immersed in Chaucer and romantic poetry which is what ultimately led to the FGR. Somewhere my dad is beaming with pride. 

** I believe that is the FGR's first recorded use of an emoji and, for all of our sake, let's hope it's the last. 

Email the Fantasy Golf Report at fgr@fantasygolfreport.com

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Have you hashed out your Pat McAfee deal yet? Just sayin