Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Fantasy Golf: The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Preview

It's been quite an educational seven days since we last wrote and, since this is a third rate tournament at best, we thought we'd use this space to pass along some of our newfound knowledge . . . usually and almost inevitably gained the hard way. 
  • We learned that having a big Tuesday night just as Mother Nature is coating the landscape with a blizzard of pollen is a really bad and painful idea that carries lasting effects. This may actually warrant a calendar reminder for the second to last Tuesday of April for eternity.
  • For extra credit, we then learned that playing basketball early on Saturday morning while hungover if not still a little drunk from the night before is way more enjoyable than playing in the sickened condition I was last weekend. Turns-out the inability to breath can really hinder point production.   
  • We learned that finally docking the pay of an employee who habitually leaves work early creates a "hostile working environment" and actually constitutes a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. As part of this process, we also learned that there is a degree one can earn online called a Master of Legal Studies which apparently teaches you just enough about the law to sound like a fucking idiot.
  • We learned that the amorphous zero tolerance policy the Baltimore Ravens adopted after the Ray Rice debacle not only has potential exceptions for Hall of Fame kickers, but also for edge rushers who are explosive with a full-tilt motor. Looks like it's got more cracks in it than my Tuesday drinking policy.
What we have not learned is where the youngest and most headstrong of my children will be attending college in the fall. It's been down to three choices for the better part of four months with no sign of white smoke emanating from the chimney. However, today is the deadline so at least we're about to move from "I Don't Know What to Do" mode into "Buyer's Remorse" mode. Not sure which is better but I welcome the change.    

GOLF ANALYSIS

As a public service announcement, I would say that wagering on a golf tournament that K.H. Lee recently won in back to back years may be an early warning sign. You're still ok but, if you find yourself betting on a LIV event in the next few weeks, it's definitely time to step back, reevaluate and make a phone call.

With that being said, this tournament has started to develop some reliable trends since moving to the Craig Ranch Community which I may have suggested is actually a cult back in 2021. Jordan Spieth has played there four of the last five years and has posted a runner-up and a T9. Factor in the weak field and his recent run of three top 20 finishes including a T14 at Augusta and I think this is the place to use him. 

We leaned heavily on past performance for the rest of the picks as we often do but especially when a seemingly tricked-up course built on a cult compound is involved.    

Place

Player

Odds

Winner

Jordan Spieth

+1800

Top 5

Byeong Hun An

+450

Top 10

Stephan Jaeger

+350

Top 10

Jake Knapp

+400

Top 20

Davis Riley

+275


One and Done Pick: Jordan Spieth
I am fully expecting a weekend
riddled with angst and birdies.

Other Guy I'd Pick: Byeong Hun An

Sleeper Pick: Max McGreevy

DraftKings Top Ten Values


Jordan Spieth

$10,500

Byeong Hun An

$9,700

Si Woo Kim

$9,400

Stephan Jaeger

$9,300

Jake Knapp

$8,400

Alex Smalley

$7,900

Joel Dahmen

$7,300

Davis Riley

$7,200

Justin Lower

$7,100

Max McGreevy

$6,900


Email the Fantasy Golf Report here

This week's chart is devoted to the Cleveland Browns who simply can't help themselves. After DeShaun Watson had surgery to pretty much rule him out for 2025, the team traded for Kenny Pickett who stinks and signed Joe Flacco who is 40 years old. They then drafted future career backup Dillon Gabriel in the third round and future locker room nightmare Shadeur Sanders in the fifth. They are the AFC North gift that keeps on giving.  

                                      THE CLEVELAND BROWNS JUST 
                                   GONNA BE CLEVELAND BROWNING
                                   HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART 

Others who are worth a look this week include last week's winner Ben Griffin, Seamus Power and even Patton Kizzire who in his last ten starts has eight missed cuts, a W/D and a T65 but that just means he needs to make some bourbon money. I don't know that he actually drinks bourbon but his name is Patton Kizzire and he played golf at Auburn so I'm going to play the percentages. 

 

DK Price

2024

2023

2022

2021

2019

Scottie Scheffler

$13,300

DNP

T5

T15

T47

T35

Jordan Spieth

$10,500

MC

DNP

2nd

T9

T29

Sungjae Im

$10,000

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

83rd

Sam Burns

$9,800

DNP

DNP

MC

2nd

T72

Byeong Hun An

$9,700

T4

T14

DNP

DNP

DNP

Taylor Pendrith

$9,600

1st

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Si Woo Kim

$9,400

T13

T2

MC

T55

DNP

Stephan Jaeger

$9,300

T20

T11

T38

DNP

T17

Ben Griffin

$9,200

T13

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

Mackenzie Hughes

$9,100

T41

T14

MC

DNP

MC

Rasmuss Hojgaard

$8,900

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Will Zalatoris

$8,800

DNP

DNP

MC

T17

DNP

Tom Kim

$8,700

T52

T34

T17

DNP

DNP

Ryan Gerard

$8,600

DNP

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

Jacob Bridgeman

$8,500

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Jake Knapp

$8,400

8th

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Ryo Hisatune

$8,300

T13

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Eric Cole

$8,100

DNP

T23

DNP

DNP

DNP

Harry Hall

$8,000

MC

T83

DNP

DNP

DNP

Seamus Power

$8,000

MC

T19

T17

T9

T79

Alex Smalley

$7,900

T13

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Matt Wallace

$7,900

T4

DNP

MC

DNP

DNP

Kevin Yu

$7,800

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Thorbjorn Olesen

$7,800

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

MC

Austin Eckroat

$7,700

DNP

T2

DNP

DNP

DNP

Rico Hoey

$7,700

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Kurt Kitayama

$7,600

DNP

DNP

MC

DNP

DNP

Samuel Stevens

$7,600

T62

T34

DNP

DNP

DNP

Lee Hodges

$7,500

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Taylor Moore

$7,500

DNP

DNP

T32

DNP

DNP

Gary Woodland

$7,400

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Doug Ghim

$7,300

MC

T19

DNP

MC

T12

Joel Dahmen

$7,300

T62

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Matt Kuchar

$7,300

MC

T43

T12

T17

DNP

Davis Riley

$7,200

T30

MC

T9

DNP

T29

Nico Echavarria

$7,200

T24

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Justin Lower

$7,100

T24

T43

T46

DNP

DNP

Zach Johnson

$7,000

T20

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Max McGreevy

$6,900

T30

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

Carson Young

$6,700

T30

T14

DNP

DNP

DNP

Dylan Wu

$6,700

T30

MC

MC

DNP

DNP

Adam Schenk

$6,600

T13

MC

T79

T34

MC

Ben Kohles

$6,600

2nd

DNP

MC

DNP

DNP

Patton Kizzire

$6,400

T24

T30

T83

T3

DNP

Ryan Palmer

$6,000

MC

T8

T5

T47

T43

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