Fantasy Golf: FedEx St. Jude Championship Preview

It should be a glorious time to be a lawyer who writes about golf but I've got to be honest, it's a bit overwhelming in a Chandler Bing "TOO MANY JOKES!" kind of way. It's like I keep waiting for the carousel to slow down so I can jump on with a comprehensive yet concise FGR take for those who want a cocktail party level understanding of what's happening but right now it's more of a Tilt-A-Whirl that keeps spinning faster. LET ME OFF!!!

Just today we had a federal court judge dunk on LIVGolf's slack-jawed triumvirate of Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones by denying them the right to compete in the FedEx Cup playoffs. Judge Beth Labson Freeman punctuated her decision with this 2-iron stinger up the left center of the fairway, "[i]t appears to the court that the LIV contracts, negotiated by the players and consummated between the parties, were based upon the players' calculation of what they would be leaving behind and the amount the players would need to monetize to compensate for those losses." In other words, you boys decided to take the money and run . . . so keep runnin'.

In other LIVGolf news, it looks like Cam Smith and Marc Leishman are going to be the next to bolt. Smith is getting some heat because he's going to cash-in on the FedEx Cup first and then make the move but why shouldn't he? No one quits the week before Christmas bonuses. He just better not run to court next spring asking to defend his title at The Players or the official FGR position will be that we wish that the fleas of a thousand camels infest his mullet. 

TWEET OF THE WEEK

I just spent three paragraphs talking about LIVGolf without taking a shot at Greg Norman. Time to remedy that but this one requires some context. 

Bruce Edwards caddied for Tom Watson from 1973 until 1989. During that time, Watson won eight majors and a total of thirty-seven PGA Tour events. In 1989, Edwards went to work for Greg Norman who, by the end of that year, would be the #1 ranked player in the world. By all accounts, Watson supported the move wanting the best for the man who had been such a key part of his success.

In 1992, however, Edwards went back to work for Watson despite the fact that Norman was then ranked 6th in the world and Watson was ranked 34th. He was later diagnosed with ALS but he continued to caddie for Watson until he almost literally couldn't carry the bag anymore. 

Based on all of that information about the three men involved and the following quote, I'll let you draw your own conclusions. 

The late great Bruce Edwards when asked why Greg Norman hadn’t won more majors. ‘If Greg hit a 300yd drive down the middle into a divot, he’d bitch/moan about how he always had bad luck. Tom Watson in the same situation would turn to me and say, ‘Watch this shot, mf’er’

— michael bestor (@bambisaboysname) August 8, 2022

GOLF ANALYSIS

Even with the defections, this field still goes at least twenty-two deep with intriguing players and that doesn't even include immensely likable veterans like Adam Scott, Justin Rose, and Rickie Fowler, cool young upstarts like Sahith Theegala and whatever you would classify Joel Dahmen as (feels like "everyman" doesn't even do him justice). Sure Talor Gooch won't be there so it will lack that certain Ryder Cup je ne sais quoi but it's still going to be great.

I must admit that I'm baffled by Justin Thomas getting the sixth highest salary number. Yes he's been off his game since a 3rd place finish at the Canadian Open but he had racked-up a slew of top tens leading-up to his win at the PGA Championship including a T8 at the Masters. Beware the player coming-off the major win hangover with a renewed sense of purpose. Oh yeah, he won here two years ago.

Will Zalatoris has been kind of treading water since his runner-up at the U.S. Open but TPC Southwind should be a good fit for him as evidenced by his T8 last year and, outside of Cameron Young and Wil E. Coyote,* no one is more due for a win. I'm giving him a slight nod over Matthew Fitzpatrick this week. Very slight.

Collin Morikawa, Shane Lowry and Billy Horschel are all great values. At any given time over the past two years, Morikawa could've been the favorite at an event like this and he has to have figured-out why his fade is drawing by now. Lowry and Horschel both have solid histories on this course and seem to enjoy playing in the heat and humidity of the south which makes sense, especially for a portly Irishman?

Webb Simpson crushed my soul last week but I am, if nothing else, forgiving so let's hope the extra two days off cured what was ailing him. I have a theory that it relates to some inner turmoil caused by someone dangling a pile of cash in front of him but again, that's just an unsubstantiated theory about a guy who totally fits the profile. 

And finally that brings us to Joel Dahmen who we last saw co-leading the U.S. Open on Saturday morning before slipping to a tie for 10th. Dahmen has one career PGA Tour win, dresses like a dork and is nowhere near set for life financially. One prolonged slump could end his professional golf career. Despite that, he has been relentless and unequivocal in his shredding of LIVGolf and, whether you agree with him or not, you've got to respect the moxie. Suffice it to say, we root for Joel.          

One and Done Pick: Justin Thomas 

The crazy thing about this 
photo is that the Wanamaker
Trophy is only six inches tall.

Other Guy I'd Pick: Will Zalatoris 

Sleeper Pick: Aaron Rai

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Justin Thomas	$10,200
Matthew Fitzpatrick	$9,800
Will Zalatoris	$9,500
Collin Morikawa	$8,700
Shane Lowry	$8,300
Billy Horschel	$8,200
Seamus Power	$7,600
Webb Simpson	$7,300
Aaron Rai	$6,800
Joel Dahmen	$6,400

Footnote

* Look. It's a terrible joke. You know it. I know it. Shit, even Wil E. Coyote knows it but I was stuck and needed a reference. I apologize for nothing.

                                   THE OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN MEMORIAL

                                     HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART

I have to say that I not only thought Olivia Newton John would never die, I thought she would never age from how many of us vividly remember her in 1978. In hindsight it's a little sad that she had to resort to tight leather pants and smoking a cigarette to win the heart of a buffoon like Danny Zuko but hey, it was different time. 

	DK Price	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
Rory McIlroy	$11,000	T12	T47	T4	DNP	DNP
Scottie Scheffler	$10,800	14th	T15	DNP	T43	DNP
Xander Schauffele	$10,600	T46	T6	T27	DNP	T52
Cameron Smith	$10,500	T5	T59	T12	DNP	DNP
Patrick Cantlay	$10,300	T23	T35	T12	DNP	MC
Justin Thomas	$10,200	T26	1st	T12	DNP	DNP
Jon Rahm	$10,000	DNP	T52	7th	DNP	DNP
Matthew Fitzpatrick	$9,800	T57	T6	T4	DNP	DNP
Tony Finau	$9,700	T34	T65	T27	MC	DNP
Will Zalatoris	$9,500	T8	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Cameron Young	$9,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Jordan Spieth	$9,100	T12	T30	T12	DNP	DNP
Viktor Hovland	$9,000	T36	T59	DNP	DNP	DNP
Collin Morikawa	$8,700	T26	T20	DNP	DNP	DNP
Sam Burns	$8,600	T2	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Sungjae Im	$8,500	T46	T35	DNP	DNP	DNP
Hideki Matsuyama	$8,400	T2	T20	T43	DNP	DNP
Shane Lowry	$8,300	T23	T6	DNP	T30	DNP
Billy Horschel	$8,200	T17	T25	T9	T51	T4
Joaquin Niemann	$8,100	T17	T52	DNP	MC	DNP
Joohynung Kim	$8,000	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Max Homa	$7,900	T51	T52	T61	DNP	T72
Russell Henley	$7,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Tyrrell Hatton	$7,800	T17	T69	T43	DNP	DNP
Aaron Wise	$7,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Davis Riley	$7,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Corey Conners	$7,600	T36	T30	T27	68th	DNP
Seamus Power	$7,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	T12	T27
Taylor Pendrith	$7,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Adam Scott	$7,500	T36	DNP	T40	DNP	T10
C. Bezuidenhout	$7,500	DNP	T20	DNP	DNP	DNP
Keegan Bradley	$7,500	DNP	T52	T61	DNP	DNP
Mito Pereira	$7,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Chris Kirk	$7,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	T6	T72
Harold Varner, III	$7,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	T51	MC
Keith Mitchell	$7,400	DNP	DNP	39th	T37	DNP
Sahith Theegala	$7,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Adam Hadwin	$7,300	DNP	T72	DNP	DNP	DNP
J.T. Poston	$7,300	DNP	T30	DNP	T18	MC
Si Woo Kim	$7,300	65th	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Webb Simpson	$7,300	T15	T12	2nd	DNP	DNP
Alex Noren	$7,200	DNP	DNP	T12	DNP	DNP
Brian Harman	$7,200	T36	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Cameron Davis	$7,200	60th	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Justin Rose	$7,200	T54	DNP	11th	DNP	DNP
Maverick McNealy	$7,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Cameron Tringale	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	MC	T37
Chez Reavie	$7,100	DNP	T6	T27	T6	T4
Denny McCarthy	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	T18	DNP
Scott Stallings	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	T30	T37
Sebastian Munoz	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	38th
Adam Long	$7,000	DNP	DNP	T24	DNP	DNP
Brendan Steele	$7,000	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Emiliano Grillo	$7,000	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Gary Woodland	$7,000	DNP	DNP	T55	DNP	DNP
Jason Day	$7,000	DNP	T6	T40	DNP	DNP
Kevin Kisner	$6,900	63rd	T25	T27	DNP	DNP
Lucas Herbert	$6,900	T36	T49	DNP	DNP	DNP
Marc Leishman	$6,900	T36	T52	3rd	DNP	DNP
Matt Kuchar	$6,900	DNP	T25	T43	DNP	DNP
Wyndham Clark	$6,900	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Aaron Rai	$6,800	T26	DNP	T12	DNP	DNP
Brendon Todd	$6,800	DNP	T15	DNP	DNP	DNP
Tom Hoge	$6,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	MC	MC
K.H. Lee	$6,700	T54	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Kevin Streelman	$6,700	DNP	T35	DNP	DNP	DNP
Ryan Palmer	$6,600	T26	T15	DNP	T51	MC
Stewart Cink	$6,600	T43	DNP	DNP	T4	T10
Patrick Rodgers	$6,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	MC
Russell Knox	$6,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	T37
Joel Dahmen	$6,400	DNP	T20	DNP	MC	T18
Rickie Fowler	$6,400	DNP	T15	DNP	DNP	MC

Email the FGR here.