Fantasy Golf: The Wyndham Championship Preview

On Saturday I dragged my ass up the New Jersey Turnpike and over the Verrazano Bridge for some Long Island immersion therapy and it did not disappoint. As I may or may not have previously discussed in this space, I feel very much at home on the Island, a place I've been visiting with some regularity for over forty godforsaken years. I've attended weddings, played golf tournaments, jumped off a bridge, thrown-up in an alley and almost had my ass kicked by members of at least six different ethnic groups with a heavy emphasis on the Italians. It's never not interesting. 

Last weekend was no exception. Through a sheer coincidence, I found myself at a country club hosting a memorial event for a former NHL player. Throughout the day, there were rumors of multiple celebrities who would be in attendance that evening ranging from Billy Joel (who did not appear) to Kevin James (who apparently did). While I missed my encounter with the King of Queens, the day wasn't a total loss.

After grinding through 27 holes, 12 of which I actually played well, I found a remote, deserted part of the locker room and proceeded to shed my golf clothes, shoes and everything else I had with me all over one corner before heading to the shower with my Bud Light. I returned to find four guys in there including one of the five greatest hockey players of all-time who's locker was right where I had scattered all of my belongings. 

As I quickly gathered my shit and apologized, the guy behind me laughed and said "that's ok, he pissed all over it." I turned around to discover one of the toughest guys in the history of the league standing there in a towel with no neck cackling at me along with a member of the 1980 U.S Olympic hockey team. To loosely quote Russell Ziskey from Stripes, "making friends fast Ron."

I spent the next five minutes trying to make myself invisible while I got dressed and they drank martini's and talked trash with Canadian accents. Then things got really weird when everyone cleared-out and it was just me and the hall of famer. Did I resist the urge to go full fan dork and tell him that I think he's one of the coolest athletes of all-time? Fuck no. Shit, I would've done it even if I hadn't had fifteen beers at that point. Come on now.  

A couple hours later I think I challenged a guy who made 41% of his NBA 3 pointers to a shooting contest. All in a night's work.       

TWEET OF THE WEEK

For those of us of a certain age, Paul Reubens was a unique, bizarre and generally beloved icon. Obviously best known as Pee Wee Herman but let's net forget Howie Hamburger Dude ("I'm not sorry I took the money!!!).   

Visitors have asked daily about the basement at the Alamo thanks to the 1985 movie “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” We're grateful for Paul Reubens' unforgettable contribution to pop culture. There is no basement in the Alamo Church, but there is one under our gift shop! Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/nXeph9SnoF

— The Alamo (@OfficialAlamo) July 31, 2023

GOLF ANALYSIS

The picks almost make themselves this week as the Wyndham Championship is a relative model of consistency. The overall pick came down to Russell Henley, J.T. Poston or Si Woo Kim and we're going with Henley who is the most volatile pick of the three but that's how we're rolling these days. Like Danson and Highsmith.  

Denny McCarthey, Ben An and Adam Hadwin feel like very shrewd selections while Billy Horschel and Adam Schenk seem quite underrated. The sleeper pick came down to Chesson Hadley or Russell Knox. We actually got a T27 out of Chesson last week so not going back to that well. Also, we've got a nice little "Russell" trend going and we do love ourselves a good theme, especially when the preview is weaving all over the road . . . like this one.  

One and Done Pick: Russell Henley

Now we've got guys demanding
the ball to play for us. What a world.

Other Guy I'd Pick: J.T. Poston

Sleeper Pick: Russell Knox

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Russell Henley	$10,200
J.T. Poston	$9,200
Si Woo Kim	$9,000
Denny McCarthey	$8,700
Byeong Hun An	$8,400
Adam Hadwin	$8,000
Billy Horschel	$7,600
Adam Schenk	$7,400
Chesson Hadley	$7,000
Russell Knox	$6,500

We also lost Sinead O'Connor this week. She made a lot of enemies in 1992 when she ripped-up a picture of the Pope on Saturday Night Live to protest child abuse. Turns-out she was onto something. Sinead is one of those artists you listen to after a while and think "goddamn she was great." At least she is for me. Case in point . . . Mandinka.  

                                       NOTHING COMPARES TO THIS

                                  HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART

It was initially hard to ignore Webb Simpson's shiny record here until we took a look at his current form. If you think Justin Thomas has currently lost his way, the 2018 Players champion would like for you to hold his beer and point out that he has dropped all the way down to 214th in the world. Sheesh. 

	DK Price	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
Sungjae Im	$10,800	T2	T24	T9	T6	DNP
Hideki Matsuyama	$10,600	DNP	MC	DNP	MC	T11
Russell Henley	$10,200	T5	T7	T9	T31	MC
Sam Burns	$10,000	DNP	DNP	T13	T13	DNP
Adam Scott	$9,700	T76	T2	DNP	DNP	DNP
Shane Lowry	$9,500	T83	DNP	T23	DNP	DNP
Ludvig Aberg	$9,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
J.T. Poston	$9,200	T21	MC	MC	1st	MC
Justin Thomas	$9,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Si Woo Kim	$9,000	W/D	T2	T3	5th	MC
Cameron Davis	$8,800	DNP	DNP	T15	T22	DNP
Denny McCarthey	$8,700	MC	T15	T9	T22	T36
Aaron Rai	$8,600	T71	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Byeong Hun An	$8,400	DNP	T35	DNP	3rd	DNP
Beau Hossler	$8,300	DNP	T65	MC	MC	DNP
Chris Kirk	$8,200	DNP	T29	T51	DNP	T11
Alex Smalley	$8,100	T13	T29	DNP	DNP	DNP
Adam Hadwin	$8,000	DNP	T10	DNP	MC	DNP
Taylor Moore	$8,000	T5	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Gary Woodland	$7,900	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Patrick Rodgers	$7,900	T36	MC	T66	T81	T24
J.J. Spaun	$7,800	MC	MC	MC	T69	DNP
Vincent Norrman	$7,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Eric Cole	$7,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Akshay Bhatia	$7,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Billy Horschel	$7,600	T27	DNP	2nd	T6	T11
Harris English	$7,600	MC	DNP	T23	T39	T11
Thomas Detry	$7,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Adam Svensson	$7,500	T78	DNP	DNP	T31	DNP
Lucas Glover	$7,500	T54	MC	MC	T72	DNP
Mark Hubbard	$7,500	T61	T51	T15	DNP	DNP
Taylor Pendrith	$7,500	T13	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Adam Schenk	$7,400	MC	MC	T51	MC	MC
Brendon Todd	$7,400	T36	T10	MC	DNP	DNP
Matt Kuchar	$7,400	DNP	T29	DNP	DNP	DNP
Webb Simpson	$7,400	W/D	T7	T3	2nd	T2
Alex Noren	$7,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	T60	DNP
Kevin Streelman	$7,300	MC	T7	DNP	MC	DNP
Justin Suh	$7,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Garrick Higgo	$7,300	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Andrew Putnam	$7,200	T27	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Ben Griffin	$7,200	4th	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Brandon Wu	$7,200	T8	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Doug Ghim	$7,200	MC	MC	MC	DNP	T20
Nick Hardy	$7,200	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Sam Ryder	$7,100	T61	T35	MC	T60	T45
Austin Eckroat	$7,100	DNP	T37	DNP	DNP	DNP
Chez Reavie	$7,100	T47	MC	MC	T48	DNP
Davis Riley	$7,100	T13	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Mackenzie Hughes	$7,100	MC	T37	DNP	T22	T66
C. Bezuidenhout	$7,000	T47	DNP	T37	DNP	DNP
Chesson Hadley	$7,000	T8	T15	T51	T53	T45
K.H. Lee	$7,000	T61	T24	MC	MC	DNP
Stewart Cink	$7,000	T27	DNP	MC	MC	DNP
Ryan Palmer	$7,000	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Sam Bennett	$6,900	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Cameron Champ	$6,900	MC	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP
Greyson Sigg	$6,800	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Martin Laird	$6,800	T47	MC	DNP	MC	T45
Matthew NeSmith	$6,800	T36	DNP	T42	DNP	DNP
Ben Martin	$6,700	MC	T70	T59	DNP	DNP
Scott Stallings	$6,700	T13	MC	T42	T31	MC
Joel Dahmen	$6,600	T81	MC	DNP	T53	DNP
Zach Johnson	$6,600	T36	MC	T7	T53	DNP
Russell Knox	$6,500	T21	T24	T72	T48	DNP
Ryan Moore	$6,500	T21	MC	MC	DNP	T6

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