Fantasy Golf: The Truist Championship Preview

It's been an eventful month starting with a trip to Memphis in early March where the tradition of buying a round of Irish Car Bombs for the entire bar at Silky O'Sullivan's on Beale Street may have achieved critical mass. Apparently the word got out so the count approached fifty bombs which makes for a hefty tab. Of course the word got out because I called everyone within earshot who wouldn't do one a loser but that's neither here nor there. 

From there I flew to Orlando en route to West Palm Beach because direct flights from Memphis to other cities are limited for obvious reasons. And just for the record, I don't make fun of Memphis because I find it occasionally charming like Baltimore. Memphis radiates a desperate vibe of having nothing to lose so it scares the shit out of me and I can't wait until I never have to go back. If New Orleans and Memphis were small town rabble rousing brothers, New Orleans would be the one everyone finds charming and Memphis would be the one everyone tells their daughter to stay away from. 

In West Palm Beach I attended my first big multi-day corporate function and learned all about team building, breakout sessions, whiteboarding and synergy. I came away inspired by the fact that I have chosen to spend my career avoiding those things so points awarded for self-awareness. 

Then it was back to the south for Jazz Fest in the aforementioned Big Easy. When we went to our first one two years ago, it was a magical experience with perfect weather which makes all the difference on the bayou because this year it was hot and the FGR clearly does not have the summer day drinking game he once did. I know there are plenty of fifty somethings who love themselves a multi-day music festival because goddamn if they don't all convene in New Orleans that week but, when it comes to standing in a field shoulder-to-shoulder with 20,000 of your newest acquaintances, let's just say this guy could've used a day with his people in the VIP tent at the Zurich Classic.  

The highlights were Lorde's performance (she's spectacular), catching an elderly woman falling down the grandstand steps and the exchange I had with the hospitality lady when I asked who was changing-out the water coolers and she enthusiastically responded in her Cajun accent, "A MAN!!!" Looking around the geriatric section we were in, I realized that I was the closest thing to matching that description so I wrestled the Deer Park cooler into place after spraying a few nearby spectators. That effort started a sweat that never quit because once you start sweating at Jazz Fest, you don't stop. File under rejected marketing slogans.    

GOLF ANALYSIS

Let's just assume that the FGR has spent 2026 to date laying in wait for his moment to strike and the fact that the one and done picks this year have yielded $3.7M (while some other guy playing under the same rules has $15.4M) is part of some greater strategy like the one employed by Golden Temp to win the Kentucky Derby. Well this is the week we make our move. 

Rory McIroy has won at Quail Hollow four times and, unlike when he arrived at last year's PGA Championship somewhat drained by his Masters win, we expect him to show-up this year rested and free wheeling. Also, Scottie Scheffler is not in the field so he is the lone alpha dog. Look for one of those cock of the walk performances with the classic Rory strut.  

If Rory isn't for you this week, we would strongly recommend Ben Griffin who we see grabbing the baton from Cameron Young and Matt Fitzpatrick for third best player in the world over the next few weeks. And yes, we are somewhat swayed by how well he has come across as a person on Full Swing proving that you can be resilient, confident and not douchy all at once . . . traits he appears to share with Young and Fitzpatrick (you can also throw J.J. Spaun in that group). Apparently it's not as easy as it looks when compared to some of their contemporaries.  

Place	Player	Odds
Winner	Xander Schauffele	+1150
Top 5	Ben Griffin	+700
Top 10	Justin Rose	+375
Top 10	Corey Conners	+490
Top 20	Ryan Fox	+240

One and Done Pick: Rory McIlroy

Rory displaying the bemused look
of most recent FGR selections.

Other Guy I'd Pick: Ben Griffin

Sleeper Pick: Ryan Fox

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Rory McIlroy	$11,700
Xander Schauffele	$10,000
Si Woo Kim	$9,400
Rickie Fowler	$9,000
Ben Griffin	$8,700
Harris English	$8,200
Justin Rose	$7,700
Core Conners	$7,300
Ryan Gerard	$7,300
Ryan Fox	$6,600

This week's Historical Performance Chart is dedicated to the most confident Uber driver I've ever encountered behind the wheel of an old Chrysler Pacifica.

THE SMARTEST MAN IN NEW ORLEANS WHO 

ALSO COULD HAVE BEEN A D1 QUARTERBACK 

HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART

Last year's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow has been included in the HPC. I know it's not the same setup because it was a major blah blah blah but it's not like they added windmills and a clown's mouth like LIV will be doing by August . . . heyooooo. 

	DK Price	PGA	2024	2023	2021	2019
Rory McIlroy	$11,700	T47	1st	T47	1st	T8
Cameron Young	$10,100	T47	T34	T59	DNP	DNP
Xander Schauffele	$10,000	T28	2nd	2nd	T14	DNP
Matt Fitzpatrick	$9,900	T8	T52	T35	DNP	DNP
Tommy Fleetwood	$9,800	T41	T13	T5	T14	DNP
Ludvig Aberg	$9,600	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Si Woo Kim	$9,400	T8	T16	T43	DNP	DNP
Robert Macintyre	$9,300	T47	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Patrick Cantlay	$9,200	MC	T29	T21	MC	DNP
Sam Burns	$9,100	T19	T13	MC	DNP	DNP
Rickie Fowler	$9,000	MC	T43	T14	MC	T4
Adam Scott	$8,900	T19	T29	T5	DNP	DNP
Hideki Matsuyama	$8,800	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	T31
Ben Griffin	$8,700	T8	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP
Chris Gotterup	$8,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Maverick McNealy	$8,500	T33	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP
Viktor Hovland	$8,400	T28	T24	T43	T3	DNP
Min Woo Lee	$8,300	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Harris English	$8,200	T2	T34	T3	T43	T54
Sepp Straka	$8,100	MC	T8	DNP	T54	MC
Jordan Spieth	$8,000	MC	T29	MC	DNP	DNP
Jake Knapp	$8,000	MC	T58	DNP	DNP	DNP
Jason Day	$7,900	MC	T4	MC	MC	T24
J.J. Spaun	$7,900	T37	DNP	T27	T18	DNP
Nicolai Hojgaard	$7,800	T41	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Kurt Kitayama	$7,800	MC	T34	MC	DNP	DNP
Justin Rose	$7,700	MC	T52	DNP	DNP	3rd
Akshay Bhatia	$7,700	MC	42nd	T43	MC	DNP
Justin Thomas	$7,600	MC	T21	T14	T26	DNP
Gary Woodland	$7,600	MC	T38	T14	5th	W/D
Jacob Bridgeman	$7,500	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Alex Smalley	$7,500	T28	DNP	T18	MC	DNP
Keegan Bradley	$7,400	T8	T21	T35	T18	MC
Alex Noren	$7,400	T17	T24	MC	DNP	DNP
Corey Conners	$7,300	T19	T13	T8	T43	DNP
Sahith Theegala	$7,300	DNP	T52	T56	DNP	DNP
Ryan Gerard	$7,300	T8	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP
Sam Stevens	$7,200	T60	DNP	T47	DNP	DNP
Harry Hall	$7,200	T19	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP
Nick Taylor	$7,100	MC	T43	DNP	T26	T54
Max Homa	$7,000	T60	T8	T8	MC	1st
Matt McCarty	$7,000	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Daniel Berger	$6,900	T33	DNP	DNP	DNP	T54
Karl Reitan	$6,900	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Pierceson Coody	$6,900	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP
Brian Harman	$6,800	T60	T47	MC	T18	T24
Bud Cauley	$6,800	T72	DNP	DNP	DNP	T24
Alex Fitzpatrick	$6,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Ryo Hitsatsune	$6,700	T37	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Aldrich Potgieter	$6,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
S. Yellamaraju	$6,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Ryan Fox	$6,600	T28	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Taylor Pendrith	$6,600	T5	T10	MC	DNP	DNP
Matt Wallace	$6,600	T17	DNP	MC	T6	DNP
Denny McCarthy	$6,500	T8	T6	T8	MC	DNP
J.T. Poston	$6,500	T5	T60	MC	T26	MC
Andrew Novak	$6,400	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Michael Kim	$6,400	T55	DNP	7th	DNP	MC
Sungjae Im	$6,300	MC	T4	T8	MC	T31
Tony Finau	$6,300	T19	T52	T23	MC	T60
Tom Hoge	$6,200	MC	T38	DNP	MC	T65
Lucas Glover	$6,200	T37	T16	MC	MC	T31
Mackenzie Hughes	$6,200	MC	T6	MC	MC	MC
Nico Echavarria	$6,100	T41	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP

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