Fantasy Golf: Sentry Tournament of Champions Preview

We're back baby! Refreshed, recharged and oh, who am I kidding? Is there anything more overrated than the notion that we'll emerge from the holidays as if they were a fucking Sedona wellness retreat? I'm sure if if looked hard enough you could find a shaman who would recommend a two-week cleanse focused on total immersion in stress, food and booze but his name would be Lou and his mantra would be "Funyunnnn."

The good news is that the PGA Tour helps ease us back into reality by providing four rounds of primetime golf from Hawaii. I'm not sure I realized how much I needed it until many years ago when (a) the weekend coverage was still on network television, (b) Baltimore got hit by its first newsworthy snow of the season, and (c) the local CBS affiliate decided to preempt golf coverage in favor of the correspondent on the overpass with a snow measuring stick. It's possible that I emailed the station that I was going to throw said reporter off of said overpass if they didn't start showing golf but that would make me a psychopath so I definitely didn't do that.     

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Sixty-one years ago, Charles Darwin described exactly how most of us felt on Tuesday.

In a diary entry on October 1st, 1861, Charles Darwin wrote: ‘I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everybody and everything.’ https://t.co/zxO0Nlo3a2 pic.twitter.com/V7bricOGpN

— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) January 2, 2023

GOLF ANALYSIS

The Fantasy Golf Report's performance at this limited field event has traditionally ranged from woeful to awful. When we went big in 2021 with Dustin Johnson, Harris English came out of nowhere. And when we got bold last year with Bryson DeChambeau (in part because we wanted to get him off our books early), the big oaf posted a smooth T25 out of 38 players. 

We've decided to adopt a new strategy for 2023 and not overthink it. The over/under for how long that will hold is early February but, for now, that means Jon Rahm is the pick. It really comes down to him or two-time winner Justin Thomas but this is the kind of tournament that every great player wins at least once and Rahm is due considering he shot 33 under last year and lost by a stroke. 

You have to pick Xander Schauffele in this event. It's actually a law in seven states. And this feels like the year of Tony Finau who tempted me until I got T11 vibes from him along with the fact that he's absolutely going to win the Farmers Insurance Open (you heard it here first).

Tom Kim has joined Sungjae Im to form the dynamic duo of "Two Guys You Just Pick and Don't Ask Any Questions" (the team name is still a work in progress). We also like Jordan Spieth under the theory that this is one of the tournaments he used to play well when he was good and it looks like he might be getting good again.

The rest of the picks are all guys who have played here at least once, so they've got that going for them (don't say it) . . . which is nice (ugh). Brian Harman is particularly intriguing because he finished 3rd here a few years ago and, like every other diminutive player on tour, he's a goddamn bulldog. Ruff!

One and Done Pick: Jon Rahm

Sorry buddy. Short straw
for you this week.

Other Guy I'd Pick: Tony Finau

 

Sleeper Pick: J.T. Poston

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Jon Rahm	$10,000
Xander Schauffele	$9,500
Tony Finau	$9,300
Tom Kim	$8,700
Sungjae Im	$8,300
Jordan Spieth	$8,200
Brian Harman	$8,000
Keegan Bradley	$7,500
Seamus Power	$7,200
J.T. Poston	$6,800

One of our favorite charts of the year. Its size, neatly color coded top section and abundance of DNP's allow for an easy transition back into full-time golf writing . . . which is honestly what we tell ourselves we're doing here. 

                                  THE TWO-TIME NBA MVP GEORGE SANTOS

                                       HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART

We are definitely looking a little light without D.J., Cam Smith and (barf) Patrick Reed along with the likes of Daniel Berger and Rickie Fowler. But hey, Chez Reavie and J.T. Poston are back. Did you just get chills? Because I got chills.

	DK PRICE	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
Scottie Scheffler	$10,300	DNP	T13	DNP	DNP	DNP
Jon Rahm	$10,000	2nd	T7	10th	T8	2nd
Justin Thomas	$9,900	T5	3rd	1st	3rd	T22
Patrick Cantlay	$9,700	4th	T13	4th	DNP	T15
Xander Schauffele	$9,500	12th	T5	T2	1st	T22
Collin Morikawa	$9,400	T5	T7	T7	DNP	DNP
Tony Finau	$9,300	T19	T31	DNP	DNP	DNP
Matt Fitzpatrick	$9,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Will Zalatoris	$8,900	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Cameron Young	$8,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Tom Kim	$8,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Max Homa	$8,600	T15	DNP	T25	DNP	DNP
Viktor Hovland	$8,500	T30	T31	DNP	DNP	DNP
Sam Burns	$8,400	T19	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Sungjae Im	$8,300	T8	T5	DNP	DNP	DNP
Jordan Spieth	$8,200	T21	DNP	DNP	DNP	9th
Hideki Matsuyama	$8,100	T13	T41	DNP	DNP	T4
Brian Harman	$8,000	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	3rd
Billy Horschel	$7,900	T23	T24	DNP	T25	DNP
Corey Conners	$7,800	DNP	DNP	T19	DNP	DNP
Russell Henley	$7,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	T17
Adam Scott	$7,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Keegan Bradley	$7,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	T27	DNP
Aaron Wise	$7,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	T27	DNP
Sahith Theegala	$7,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Seamus Power	$7,200	T15	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Sepp Straka	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
K.H. Lee	$7,000	T33	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Mackenzie Hughes	$6,900	DNP	T41	DNP	DNP	DNP
J.T. Poston	$6,800	DNP	DNP	T11	DNP	DNP
Scott Stallings	$6,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Tom Hoge	$6,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Adam Svensson	$6,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Chez Reavie	$6,300	DNP	DNP	T27	DNP	DNP
J.J. Spaun	$6,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Trey Mullinax	$6,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Luke List	$6,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Ryan Brehm	$6,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Chad Ramey	$6,000	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP

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