Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Fantasy Golf: The Valero Texas Open Preview

It's going to be a light week as it always is on the eve of The Masters. I can't risk spraining a  synapse the week before writing the only preview that anyone other than you people will read all year. It'd be like Patrick Mahomes street luging the week before the Super Bowl (yup, just like that).  

Consequently we will be treating this preview like a preseason game and then the next five days will be devoted to drinking moderate amounts of red wine and passing-out on the couch to final rounds of yore in the hopes that I wake-up on Monday with something novel to say about a golf tournament that's more over-analyzed than Tony Soprano's childhood trauma. And maybe, just maybe if I re-watch Jordan Spieth rinse enough balls in the pond in front of 12, I'll be able to open my mind to other options this year. But I doubt it.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

It's been a lame week on Twitter so we're going to reach back for this one from Pabst Blue Ribbon which is as reliable a social media account as it is a beer (interpret that as you choose). This tweet has the added benefit of featuring scenes from The Last of Us, one of the best shows that television currently has to offer that's not about soccer. I will warn you, however, that if you've got a homophobic streak, episode 3 might not be for you. On the other hand, it's full of guns and shooting so that could present a bit of a conundrum for some.  


GOLF ANALYSIS

We're back to a thin field but I have to say that I've really enjoyed these recent opportunities to get to know all of the different Taylors even if I still can't tell them apart. It's like trying to figure-out the best "Chris" among Pratt, Pine, Evans and Klein (it's Chris Pine). Even Nick Taylor is having a nice season and he uses it as a last name which is just so damn quirky and Canadian.

Speaking of Canadians (SMOOTH SEGUE ALERT), Corey Conners is the safest pick of the week but we're leaning toward his Presidents' Cup teammate Si Woo Kim who might be the most underrated four win player on tour who could just as easily have seven wins if not for his three playoff losses. He's been typically steady since winning in Hawaii and has made five straight cuts here including a T4 in 2019. 

Matt Kuchar has been quite reliable at TPC San Antonio and seems to have almost outlasted his caddie tip stiffing issue to the point where some people have actually started yelling "Kooooch" again before the guy next to them says "hey we don't do that anymore." 

The rest of the picks are a bit of a crapshoot except for 2017 champion Kevin Chappell who comes in on a run of T29, T15, T16 and what appear to be signs that he's finding some of the past form that got him to 23rd in the world. At least that's the idea. 

One and Done Pick: Si Woo Kim
You tell those haters buddy.

Other Guy I'd Pick: Matt Kuchar

Sleeper Pick: Kevin Chappell 

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Corey Conners

$10,100

Si Woo Kim

$9,700

Matt Kuchar

$9,200

Ben Griffin

$8,700

Davis Thompson

$8,100

Aaron Rai

$7,900

Hayden Buckley

$7,600

Byeong Hun An

$7,400

Lucas Glover

$6,900

Kevin Chappell

$6,700


After spending the better part of three minutes trying to come-up with a suitable name for this week's chart, it finally dawned on us . . . 

                                   THE PRESEASON LEVEL EFFORT
                                HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART

Charley Hoffman's record here can look pretty tantalizing. Especially when you consider that he won it in 2016 but man his game has gone so far south that LIVGolf won't even take his calls.

 

DK Price

2022

2021

2019

2018

2017

Tyrrell Hatton

$10,900

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Hideki Matsuyama

$10,500

W/D

T30

DNP

MC

DNP

Rickie Fowler

$10,200

MC

T17

T17

DNP

DNP

Corey Conners

$10,100

T35

T14

1st

T26

DNP

Taylor Montgomery

$9,900

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Si Woo Kim

$9,700

T13

T23

T4

T45

T22

Davis Riley

$9,500

T63

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Chris Kirk

$9,300

T35

T6

MC

T8

MC

Matt Kuchar

$9,200

T2

T12

T7

T51

T40

Ryan Fox

$9,000

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

J.J. Spaun

$8,900

1st

MC

MC

T26

T49

Alex Noren

$8,800

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Ben Griffin

$8,700

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

C. Bezuidnehout

$8,600

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Matt Wallace

$8,500

MC

3rd

DNP

DNP

DNP

Ty Detry

$8,400

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Cameron Davis

$8,300

DNP

T69

MC

DNP

DNP

Adam Schenk

$8,200

MC

MC

T7

T58

DNP

Davis Thompson

$8,100

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Nicolai Hojgaard

$8,000

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Aaron Rai

$7,900

T29

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Brendon Todd

$7,900

T8

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Andrew Putnam

$7,800

T41

MC

T36

T8

DNP

Sam Ryder

$7,800

DNP

MC

T42

T36

DNP

Beau Hossler

$7,700

T4

T69

T36

T51

MC

Taylor Pendrith

$7,700

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Alex Smalley

$7,600

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Hayden Buckley

$7,600

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Nick Taylor

$7,600

MC

T59

T52

MC

T22

Brandon Wu

$7,500

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Patton Kizzire

$7,500

MC

T9

DNP

DNP

DNP

Robby Shelton

$7,500

DNP

MC

DNP

DNP

T16

S.E. Kim

$7,500

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Byeong-Hun An

$7,400

DNP

MC

T7

DNP

T40

Francesco Molinari

$7,400

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Nick Hardy

$7,400

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Sam Stevens

$7,400

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Sepp Straka

$7,400

DNP

T67

MC

DNP

DNP

Emiliano Grillo

$7,300

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Eric Cole

$7,300

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Garrick Higgo

$7,300

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Patrick Rodgers

$7,300

T58

MC

DNP

MC

DNP

Trey Mullinax

$7,300

MC

DNP

76th

T2

MC

Erik Van Rooyen

$7,200

DNP

T14

DNP

DNP

DNP

Lanto Griffin

$7,200

T53

T34

DNP

DNP

DNP

Luke List

$7,200

T53

T17

MC

MC

MC

Nate Lashley

$7,200

T18

MC

DNP

MC

DNP

Tyler Duncan

$7,200

MC

T44

DNP

MC

DNP

Will Gordon

$7,200

DNP

78th

DNP

DNP

DNP

David Lingmerth

$7,100

DNP

DNP

DNP

T51

DNP

Ryan Palmer

$7,100

T48

T17

MC

MC

T6

Akshay Bhatia

$7,000

DNP

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

Charley Hoffman

$7,000

MC

2nd

2nd

T64

T40

Kevin Streelman

$7,000

T18

DNP

6th

T8

T53

Adam Long

$6,900

T35

MC

MC

DNP

DNP

Lucas Glover

$6,900

T18

4th

T14

DNP

DNP

Chesson Hadley

$6,800

DNP

T23

MC

T20

DNP

Doug Ghim

$6,800

MC

T44

DNP

DNP

DNP

Dylan Frittelli

$6,800

T8

DNP

T42

T20

DNP

Martin Laird

$6,800

T29

T30

T36

T11

T18

Matthew NeSmith

$6,800

MC

T34

DNP

DNP

DNP

Kevin Chappell

$6,700

T18

MC

DNP

T30

1st

Harry Higgs

$6,600

MC

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

Matthias Schwab

$6,600

T8

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Russell Knox

$6,500

T61

MC

DNP

MC

DNP

Ryan Moore

$6,400

DNP

76th

3rd

7th

T18

Jimmy Walker

$6,200

MC

T59

T30

4th

T13


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