Fantasy Golf: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Preview

I posted the first Fantasy Golf Report on June 21, 2011 and for the entirety of its 10+ year run it has been written from the perspective of a country club d-bag. Well that perspective is about to change (at least for now). Not the d-bag part but the country club part. And I know what you're thinking but alas, there is no great fiery crash/simply left the board no alternative story to tell. Probably came closer than I know a few times but my survival instinct for stopping one word short of getting thrown-out and/or punched in the face served me well. I also usually paid my dues on time.     

There are, however, other stories and I look forward to telling them one day after some time has passed and the statutes of limitations have expired (especially for that one incident . . . and that other one). Until then, I'm sure I'll keep doing other stupid non-golf related shit worth writing about because it's apparently in my DNA. Just last month I went on a lengthy drunken rant about how I was by far the best basketball player in a room full of superior athletes and almost ended-up stuffed in a very nice cedar golf locker. I assure you that will not change.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

I've had more different therapists than putters over the past 20 years. Most recently one asked me what kind of boundaries I had as a kid and all I could think of was "well, I had water on one side of my house and some low hedges . . ." Most weeks it goes like this.  

GOLF ANALYSIS WITH INCREASING CHANCE OF CLOUDINESS 

As a matter of laying some groundwork, we need to acknowledge that the field this week is hot garbage with only one top ten player and three from the top twenty. In the olden days of the FGR, I would convince myself that these circumstances called for picking some above average ham-handed dope because the field was not worthy of choosing a star. But then I was like, "hey dumbass, if there's a John Wick in the field, pick him and watch him rack-up the body count." 

So that's a whole lot of words to say I'm going with Patrick Cantlay. He is by far the best player in the field, finished 3rd here last year and started 2022 with a pair of top tens. I won't fault you if you want to apply the same theory and pick Daniel Berger, Jordan Spieth or Will Zalatoris but this feels like a go big or go home situation.

You have to find a place for Jason Day in your plan considering he has seven top tens in the last nine years with five of those being top fives. However, before you get too mesmerized by his tie for 3rd last week, remember that it was his first top five since the 2020 PGA Championship and he's missed the cut in six of his last thirteen tournaments. Also, he's Jason Day which is Australian for "fragile bird." 

I'm probably getting out over my skis on Cameron Tringale due in no small part to my counter compensating for the "Tringale Rule" established last year which he has now totally screwed-up by climbing to 49th in the world. Yes I absolutely take some credit for his recent success. And in a related story, I need to find a new journeyman to replace him. It could be Maverick McNealy which would have the added benefit of endless Top Gun references (you mean they aren't currently endless?). 

The rest of the picks are straight-up based on past performance as there are clearly those who thrive in this format and those who don't. The one dilemma was the sleeper pick. I'm feeling a comeback narrative this weekend and I was torn between Kevin Chappell and Jimmy Walker. I ultimately went with Chappell because I'm feeling a little more upside there but it's hard to ignore the run Walker had here from 2011-14 when he went T9, T9, T3 and a win. I distinctly remember using that data when I picked him in 2017 and he finished T55. 

One and Done Pick: Patrick Cantlay

Tough to find a picture of 
Patrick looking like a badass
but I sure did it. Kind of.

Other Guy I'd Pick: Cameron Tringale

Sleeper Pick: Kevin Chappell 

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Patrick Cantlay	$11,200
Jason Day	$9,900
Cameron Tringale	$9,500
Kevin Streelman	$9,100
Tom Hoge	$8,500
Matt Jones	$8,000
Andrew Putnam	$7,600
Nick Taylor	$7,300
Scott Piercy	$7,100
Kevin Chappell	$6,800

Unfortunately the memorial tributes continue as we lost Howard Hesseman this week. For those not familiar with his work, Hesseman bounced around in the early to mid 70's before landing recurring roles in three quality comedies - Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (that's one show - not two different shows with the same name), The Bob Newhart Show and Soap. 

Someone then looked at that body of work and thought "this guy was meant to play a burned-out and somewhat caustic radio D.J. in Cincinnati." And Dr. Johnny Fever was born. You're not going to find him on any list of the greatest sitcom characters of all-time* but make no mistake, he was iconic and the backbone of a very underrated and ahead of its time show.   

                               THE DOCTOR JOHNNY FEVER MEMORIAL

                                   HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART

I threw some shade at Maverick McNealy but I held something back. I see some real genius in his golfing but I couldn't say that up there. Chez Reavie and Russell Knox are also worth a look as guys who grind it around the peninsula pretty consistently which makes sense considering they both sound extras from Magic Mike XXL. 

	DK Price	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
Patrick Cantlay	$11,200	T3	T11	DNP	T35	T48
Will Zalatoris	$10,800	T55	DNP	DNP	T68	DNP
Daniel Berger	$10,500	1st	T5	DNP	DNP	DNP
Jordan Spieth	$10,300	T3	T9	T45	T20	1st
Jason Day	$9,900	T7	4th	T4	T2	T5
Maverick McNealy	$9,800	2nd	T5	DNP	MC	DNP
Justin Rose	$9,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	T39
Cameron Tringale	$9,500	T7	T64	T53	T47	MC
Seamus Power	$9,400	MC	T38	DNP	MC	T39
Matt Fitzpatrick	$9,200	DNP	T60	MC	DNP	DNP
Kevin Streelman	$9,100	13th	2nd	T7	6th	T14
Kevin Kisner	$9,000	DNP	T38	T28	MC	T10
Ryan Palmer	$8,900	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP	MC
Lanto Griffin	$8,800	DNP	T9	DNP	MC	DNP
C. Bezuidenhout	$8,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Brian Harman	$8,600	T39	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Tom Hoge	$8,500	12th	T60	MC	MC	T39
Mackenzie Hughes	$8,400	DNP	MC	MC	MC	T10
Mito Pereira	$8,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Denny McCarthy	$8,200	MC	DNP	DNP	T66	DNP
Charley Hoffman	$8,100	T7	MC	T61	W/D	MC
Matt Jones	$8,000	T34	T5	T53	MC	T23
Aaron Rai	$7,900	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Michael Thompson	$7,900	T34	MC	DNP	DNP	MC
Lucas Glover	$7,800	DNP	T50	T7	DNP	DNP
Russell Knox	$7,800	T7	MC	T14	T15	MC
Chris Kirk	$7,700	T16	MC	DNP	MC	T39
Min Woo Lee	$7,700	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Andrew Putnam	$7,600	T55	DNP	T38	DNP	DNP
Matt Kuchar	$7,600	DNP	T38	T22	T62	MC
Cameron Champ	$7,500	DNP	T55	T28	DNP	DNP
Joel Dahmen	$7,500	T60	T14	DNP	T55	T48
Keith Mitchell	$7,500	MC	T32	MC	T47	DNP
Adam Hadwin	$7,400	DNP	MC	T18	DNP	T39
Brandt Snedeker	$7,400	MC	MC	MC	T20	4th
Chez Reavie	$7,400	T16	T25	T38	T2	MC
Patrick Rodgers	$7,400	MC	MC	MC	T8	DNP
Matthew NeSmith	$7,300	T16	T11	DNP	DNP	DNP
Nick Taylor	$7,300	T39	1st	T28	MC	T10
Pat Perez	$7,300	T26	MC	MC	T35	T14
Stewart Cink	$7,300	MC	T38	DNP	MC	T55
Taylor Moore	$7,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Brendon Todd	$7,200	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP	MC
Dean Burmester	$7,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Taylor Pendrith	$7,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Troy Merritt	$7,200	T16	T25	DNP	T8	MC
Scott Piercy	$7,100	T50	T18	T10	T20	T55
Scott Stallings	$7,100	T30	MC	3rd	7th	T14
Vince Whaley	$7,100	T50	T38	DNP	DNP	DNP
Kyle Stanley	$7,000	T39	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Vaughn Taylor	$7,000	T21	MC	MC	T55	MC
Wyndham Clark	$7,000	DNP	T18	T61	DNP	DNP
Doc Redman	$6,900	DNP	T50	DNP	DNP	T66
Brian Stuard	$6,800	T16	MC	T45	MC	MC
Chesson Hadley	$6,800	MC	T18	MC	T35	DNP
John Huh	$6,800	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP
Kevin Chappell	$6,800	MC	T25	DNP	T8	T48
Peter Malnati	$6,800	MC	T11	MC	T35	MC
Aaron Baddeley	$6,700	MC	T25	MC	T55	T51
Jimmy Walker	$6,700	MC	MC	MC	T8	T55
Nate Lashley	$6,700	T5	W/D	T45	MC	DNP
Bill Haas	$6,500	MC	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP

Footnote,

* Do yourself a favor and don't go looking at lists of the greatest sitcom characters of all-time. The only one I could find that even considered anyone from the golden age before Friends and That 70's Show had Norm Peterson ranked 103rd . . . four spots behind Aunt Bee. The same list had Hawkeye Pierce ranked 77th . . . eleven spots behind Urkel. Fucking Urkel! When the downfall of our civilization is studied by aliens, they're going to look at that list, watch five minutes of Urkel and close the case.  

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