Fantasy Golf: The Valero Texas Open Preview

As an aging athlete who can't let it go suffering from the long term effects of more broken bones than a 1970's Hollywood stuntman, I think I can relate to how Tiger Woods probably feels when he gets out of bed in the morning. The pain isn't a matter of "if" but "where?", "how soon?" and, most importantly, "how bad?" You haven't lived until you've stood at the top of a staircase while holding something breakable in each hand, done a quick status check on your leg joints, and thought, "there is no way all three of us are making it down there in one piece." 

If I had access to the kind of medicinal ammunition dump that Tiger has at his disposal along with being surround by a bunch of enablers, I too would probably find myself in some upside down SUV's. Alas, all I've got is some Turmeric tea and people who aren't afraid to tell me I'm being an idiot which keeps me in check. Somewhat. 

Not to excuse him. I mean if you've had more driving "mishaps" than I have, it's definitely time for a lifestyle adjustment. (I've had two but one was in a rental car so not sure that counts). A lot of people don't understand why he doesn't just have someone else drive him but clearly they don't get the whole forced small talk thing which Tiger already has to do almost every waking hour of the day. Alone in the car is probably one of the only places he gets to be himself. I picture him belting-out Taylor Swift songs while taking turns a little too aggressively and then it's "oh goddammit I'm flipping over again." 

Ironically, the traits that made him arguably the most indomitable athlete ever are likely the same ones betraying him now. He was raised to feel invincible (and at times he actually was) so that's going to take some serious adjustments for a guy who is used to having the world adjust to him. He's in a bit of a tough spot. I'm still rooting for him to figure it out.      

GOLF ANALYSIS

It's going to be a very brief preview this week as it always is before the big one. Not to mention, TPC San Antonio consistently delivers such goofy ass results that we're just throwing blindfolded darts at the board as opposed to the visually impaired darts we usually throw. 

We've got a Robert MacIntyre/Maverick McNealy dilemma this week. The gut says McNealy and there is part of us that likes MacIntyre as a U.S. Open or British Open pick this year because he is right at that level now. So the same instinct that came up with Scottie Scheffler at Bay Hill will guide this pick. At least it's sober this time.

The rest are based on the usual unscientific formula of recent performance plus affinity for the course. The latter eliminates a lot of candidates.   

Place	Player	Odds
Winner	Robert MacIntyre	+1800
Top 5	Maverick McNealy	+475
Top 10	Denny McCarthy	+350
Top 10	Thor Olesen	+420
Top 20	Chad Ramey	+295

One and Done Pick: Maverick McNealy

Guys born on third base have been
thriving lately so this pick tracks.

Other Guy I'd Pick: Robert MacIntyre

Sleeper Pick: Chad Ramey

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Robert MacIntyre	$9,900
Jordan Spieth	$9,500
Maverick McNealy	$9,000
Rickie Fowler	$8,800
Ryo Hisatsune	$8,300
Denny McCarthy	$8,200
Thor Olesen	$7,800
Stephan Jaeger	$7,400
Chad Ramey	$7,000
Tom Hoge	$6,500

 

I've really got nothing this week. 

THE UTTERLY DEVOID OF ORIGINAL IDEAS 

HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART 

Honorable mentions this week go Alex Noren, Andrew Novak and Matt Kuchar . . . a vanilla trio that perfectly embodies the intrigue and enthusiasm of this preview.

	DK Price	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
Tommy Fleetwood	$10,500	T62	T7	DNP	DNP	DNP
Ludvig Aberg	$10,100	MC	T14	DNP	MC	DNP
Robert MacIntyre	$9,900	DNP	DNP	DNP	T35	DNP
Russell Henley	$9,800	DNP	4th	DNP	DNP	DNP
Si Woo Kim	$9,600	MC	DNP	T39	T13	T23
Jordan Spieth	$9,500	T12	T10	DNP	T35	1st
Collin Morikawa (O)	$9,400	DNP	T75	DNP	DNP	DNP
Hideki Matsuyama	$9,300	MC	T7	T15	W/D	T30
Sepp Straka	$9,200	DNP	DNP	T22	DNP	T67
Nicolai Hojgaard (O)	$9,100	DNP	T75	T28	DNP	DNP
Maverick McNealy	$9,000	T3	T58	DNP	T35	DNP
M. Thorbjornsen	$8,900	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Rickie Fowler	$8,800	T30	MC	T10	MC	T17
Alex Noren	$8,700	DNP	T14	T15	DNP	DNP
J.J. Spaun	$8,600	DNP	T51	T22	1st	MC
Keith Mitchell	$8,500	T12	T14	DNP	DNP	T17
Daniel Berger	$8,400	T30	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Ryo Hisatsune	$8,300	T5	T78	DNP	DNP	DNP
Denny McCarthy	$8,200	T18	2nd	DNP	T18	T34
S. Yellamaraju	$8,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Nick Taylor	$8,000	DNP	DNP	T15	MC	T59
John Keefer	$8,000	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Gary Woodland	$7,900	T40	DNP	DNP	T8	T6
Brian Harman	$7,900	1st	T25	DNP	DNP	DNP
Thor Olesen	$7,800	T5	T14	DNP	DNP	DNP
Marco Penge	$7,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Jordan Smith	$7,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Ricky Castillo	$7,700	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Alex Smalley	$7,600	MC	MC	MC	MC	DNP
Will Zalatoris	$7,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Patrick Rodgers	$7,500	T56	W/D	5th	T58	MC
Davis Thompson	$7,500	DNP	T45	DNP	DNP	DNP
Rico Hoey	$7,500	MC	T14	DNP	DNP	DNP
Tony Finau	$7,400	T56	DNP	DNP	T29	MC
J.T. Poston	$7,400	T26	DNP	DNP	T41	T67
Max McGreavy	$7,400	MC	DNP	MC	MC	DNP
Matt McCarty	$7,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Stephan Jaeger	$7,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP
Andrew Novak	$7,300	T3	T58	9th	MC	DNP
Matt Wallace	$7,300	T26	DNP	T28	MC	3rd
Mac Meissner	$7,300	T52	T10	DNP	DNP	MC
C. Bezuidnehout	$7,300	DNP	T25	T28	DNP	DNP
Tom Kim	$7,200	MC	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Bud Cauley	$7,200	T5	T39	DNP	DNP	DNP
John Parry	$7,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Zecheng Dou	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
A.D. De Chassart	$7,100	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Mackenzie Hughes	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Hao-Tong Li	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Kristoffer Reitan	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Max Homa	$7,000	MC	T25	DNP	DNP	DNP
Doug Ghim	$7,000	T18	MC	MC	MC	T44
Matti Schmid	$7,000	MC	T69	T46	DNP	DNP
Chad Ramey	$7,000	T5	MC	MC	T41	DNP
Austin Smotherman	$7,000	DNP	DNP	MC	T61	DNP
Lee Hodges	$6,900	MC	MC	T6	MC	DNP
Eric Cole	$6,900	T26	MC	T39	DNP	DNP
Michael Kim	$6,900	DNP	MC	T46	DNP	MC
Seamus Power	$6,900	MC	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Kevin Roy	$6,900	T40	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP
Andrew Putnam	$6,800	MC	T14	T28	T41	MC
Austin Eckroat	$6,800	DNP	T33	MC	DNP	MC
Beau Hossler	$6,800	T60	T78	T46	T4	T69
Billy Horschel	$6,800	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Jesper Svensson	$6,800	T33	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Matt Kuchar	$6,800	T18	MC	T3	T2	T12
Emiliano Grillo	$6,700	T18	DNP	T53	DNP	DNP
Kevin Yu	$6,700	DNP	T39	DNP	DNP	DNP
Jhonatten Vegas	$6,600	DNP	MC	DNP	T18	MC
David Lipsky	$6,600	MC	T58	DNP	MC	DNP
Lucas Glover	$6,500	DNP	T25	45th	T18	4th
Tom Hoge	$6,500	T5	DNP	DNP	DNP	T12

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