The Wyndham Championship Preview

I just spent half an hour stumbling around on Twitter trying to find some inspiration for the opening of this week's preview and came-up with nothing. Then I had this completely random idea of ranking the golf courses located in Maryland's 7th Congressional District because yes there are golf courses there scattered throughout the burning cars and roving bands of flesh-eating zombies and I think I've played them all. Let's go worst to first based on my best guess overlay of a Maryland golf course map with the congressional district map (I actually checked addresses because facts matter). 

16. Turf Valley Resort

Despite being a place that no human being would want to live, Maryland's 7th District does have a golf resort albeit not a good one. There are actually two uninspired golf courses which surround lodging that looks like it was inspired by the architectural movement of 1980's mall food court. The highlight of any trip to Turf Valley, however, is an encounter with the never not angry elderly attendants who manage the cart area. It's as if they recruited nothing but bitter retired toll-booth operators who were regularly passed-over for promotion to toll-booth manager. As you have probably guessed by now, I had an incident there. 

15. Fairway Hills Golf Club

This is the only course on the list that I've never played so I'm ranking it second to last based on (a) its crappy online reviews and (b) the fact that I've never played it which must mean something. Also, it's in Columbia, Maryland which is known only for overthought sensible civic planning so I'm guessing the same level of creativity was applied to the golf course.   

14. Hunt Valley Country Club

This is Baltimore County's answer to Turf Valley. Ask anyone about Hunt Valley Country Club and one of the first three things they will say is "I have no idea how they stay in business." It has to be some kind of front for black market fertilizer. There is no other explanation.  

13. Greystone Golf Course

I haven't played Gretystone in over twenty years and the reason is fear. I will always remember it as the most unnecessarily penal course I have ever played and, not surprisingly, the rounds regularly took 5+ hours which is quite a time commitment for a course located 45 minutes from civilization.  

12. Diamond Ridge Golf Course

Diamond Ridge is fine but I would challenge you to play it and then describe any hole in detail a week later. It's been awhile for me but I'm pretty sure there was a dog-leg left par four and a . . . no that's all I got. 

11. Clifton Park Golf Course

"What's that city daddy? . . .
Do human beings live there?"

The first of our Baltimore muni-tracks and I'd be lying if I didn't say that I miss playing it. Unfortunately, that comes with the territory when you become a country club liberal. Clifton Park has some fun holes including a downhill reachable par 4. It also gives you cool views of the city's skyline and takes you right across the street of some of Baltimore's more gritty neighborhoods which is part of its charm. If you don't like it, move to Palm Beach.

We're going to break here because I need to get some kind of preview out for the sake of continuing to convince myself that I am writer making a difference in people's lives. We'll pick-up with the top ten next week. 

And now this. 

GOLFBABES TWEET OF THE WEEK

Alisa Diomin: "🍹all summer ‘19." https://t.co/I1hZexvx71 #summervibes pic.twitter.com/MUBIOI7Lex

— Golf Babes (@golfbabes) July 15, 2019

THIS WEEK'S ANALYSIS 

Not much to say about the Wyndham Championship which is probably a good thing because the picks have been absolute dreck lately. Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker have far and away the best track records at Sedgefield CC which would indicate that it favors the straighter hitter who has the capacity to get hot with the putter. That would seem to describe all of the young guns these days but I'm going with Viktor Hovland because he's the only one still looking for a win. 

In the middle of the pack you have Bill Haas who clearly likes the layout and has shown some signs of life lately. I'm not ready to give-up on Zach Johnson yet. Especially on a course that would appear to suit his game when he's going for a paltry $7,200. And this week's sleeper as he has been several times before is Nick Taylor because eventually a broken clock is going to be right.  

These are the guys that Sedgefield features on its
website to entice you to join. I'm not exactly sure
I understand the marketing strategy but I like it. 

One and Done Pick: Webb Simpson

Other Guy I'd Pick: Viktor Hovland

Sleeper Pick: Nick Taylor

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Webb Simpson	$11,200
Brandt Snedeker	$10,000
Viktor Hovland	$9,500
Sungjae Im	$8,300
Scott Piercy	$8,100
Jason Kokrak	$8,000
Bill Haas	$7,600
Bud Cauley	$7,300
Zach Johnson	$7,200
Nick Taylor	$6,800

This is clearly not a tournament that a lot of guys like to play on a regular basis as evidenced by the dearth of top tens on the chart but you will find your usual grinder suspects like Bud Cauley and Johnson Wagner down at the bottom with some positive results. 
                YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT THAT'S A KNEE BRACE IN THE 
                      PICTURE HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART 

	DK Price	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014
Webb Simpson	$11,200	T2	3rd	T72	T6	T5
Hideki Matsuyama	$10,900	T11	DNP	T3	MC	MC
Jordan Spieth	$10,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Collin Morikawa	$10,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Brandt Snedeker	$10,000	1st	DNP	T3	T43	T5
Paul Casey	$9,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	T3	T18
Patrick Reed	$9,700	DNP	DNP	T22	DNP	T24
Billy Horschel	$9,600	T11	T60	T5	MC	T47
Viktor Hovland	$9,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Matthew Wolf	$9,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Chez Reavie	$9,300	DNP	T37	MC	MC	DNP
Rory Sabbatini	$9,200	T57	T4	DNP	DNP	DNP
Joaquin Niemann	$9,100	T33	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Cameron Smith	$9,000	DNP	T7	MC	T18	DNP
Charles Howell, III	$8,900	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Alex Noren	$8,800	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Lucas Glover	$8,700	DNP	T28	T22	T18	MC
Martin Kaymer	$8,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	T14	DNP
Adam Hadwin	$8,500	DNP	DNP	T33	T51	DNP
Dylan Frittelli	$8,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Sungjae Im	$8,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Ben An	$8,200	DNP	MC	DNP	T18	DNP
Scott Piercy	$8,100	T45	DNP	T63	DNP	DNP
Jason Kokrak	$8,000	T57	T16	MC	W/D	DNP
Aaron Wise	$7,900	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Martin Laird	$7,900	T45	W/D	T63	T59	T14
Kevin Streelman	$7,800	DNP	T72	DNP	DNP	DNP
Russell Henley	$7,800	MC	DNP	T46	DNP	DNP
Abraham Ancer	$7,700	T24	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP
Kyle Stanley	$7,700	DNP	MC	T14	T51	MC
Bill Haas	$7,600	T45	MC	T22	T6	T2
Brian Harman	$7,600	DNP	DNP	MC	MC	MC
Doc Redman	$7,600	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Branden Grace	$7,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	T47	DNP
Jason Dufner	$7,500	T66	T14	T22	T51	DNP
Russell Knox	$7,500	DNP	T28	DNP	MC	DNP
Daniel Berger	$7,400	MC	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP
Vaughn Taylor	$7,400	MC	T50	DNP	T47	DNP
Bud Cauley	$7,300	DNP	T42	T10	DNP	MC
Charley Hoffman	$7,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Kevin Tway	$7,200	T11	MC	DNP	DNP	MC
Nick Watney	$7,200	MC	MC	DNP	T31	T5
Troy Merritt	$7,200	DNP	T28	74th	DNP	T51
Zach Johnson	$7,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Corey Connors	$7,100	T45	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Danny Lee	$6,800	T24	MC	MC	DNP	MC
Harold Varner	$6,800	T53	T10	MC	DNP	DNP
Nick Taylor	$6,800	T8	DNP	MC	MC	DNP
Brian Gay	$6,600	T6	T50	DNP	DNP	MC
Johnson Wagner	$6,600	T33	T24	T5	MC	T38

Email the Fantasy Golf Report at fgr@fantasygolfreport.com.

Fantasy Golf: FedEx St. Jude Invitational

There are so many fun facts about the 97 I shot in my misguided attempt to qualify for the club championship last weekend that I'll never be able to recall them all but here are a few of the standouts:

5. The recently lengthened course played as a 7,181 par 70. The fifth hole now plays about 500 yards uphill. After what I thought was a respectable drive into the left rough to avoid the right fairway bunker (which I can't reach anyway), I had 258 yards to the hole. I laid-up with a 7-iron, hit a wedge to ten feet and missed the putt. It would prove to be my third best hole of the day.   

4. The medalist shot 69 so I lost to him by 28. Ironically, several years ago I qualified and played him in the first round surviving all the way to the 16th hole. Ahh irony. You often make me feel like I stepped on a Lego. 

3. When I started the round, my handicap index was a 5.9 and, when I finished the round, my handicap index was a 5.9. Albeit much more defensible. 

2. I played the same ball for the whole round. In fact, I don't really remember having to look for it which is a good thing because my playing partners already had enough reasons to drive over me and back over me again with a cart.  

1. I had somewhere between 44 and 46 putts. I've tried to add them up in my head but they just kept multiplying and coming like the zombies in Game of Thrones so I don't know what the final number was. The highlight was a five-putt on #16 when I was trying to play fast and get out of the way (mission accomplished). 

And now this . . . 

GOLFBABES TWEET OF THE WEEK

#happygilmorechallenge from @TroyCMullins https://t.co/1SAUztVhQe pic.twitter.com/i2teKtjGBH

— Golf Babes (@golfbabes) July 11, 2019

THIS WEEK'S ANALYSIS

What used to be one of the best events on tour moves to Memphis this year because that's where FedEx wants it and we now know that the people who decide where tournaments are played would do a rat piss flavored jello-shot at a bar if it came with a $5 off coupon for jalapeno poppers. Recent winners at TPC Southwind when it hosted a regular tour event included Ben Crane, Harrison Frazar and Fabian Gomez so, based on those credentials, it gets a WGC event. To quote myself from last year, "but hey, anytime you get to move one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world to the sixth best course in Tennessee . . . you gotta do it right?" Let's move on.      

Dustin Johnson would be the logical choice because he has the best record at TPC Southwind among the top players with two wins there (2012 and 2018) but we appear to be in the midst of a DJ malaise as he's on a run of T20, T35, MC and T51. The T35 at Pebble Beach is especially concerning considering he plays it better than just about anyone in history not named Tiger, Phil or Mark. DJ could certainly bust-out this week but I'm staying away until he stops looking like he can't remember where he left his skateboard. 

I'm also avoiding Brooks Koepka because (a) I'm a stubborn fool and (b) he just doesn't seem to give a crap about non-majors anymore. And why should he? He's well on his way to his goal of being considered one of the best players of all-time and wins at tournaments with "Classic" and "Invitational" in their names add zero value to that cause. It was comical in the Tiger Woods documentary on the Golf Channel when they inserted a big loud graphic telling us that his Masters win this year was his 81st tour victory because yeah, that's how we'll remember it.  

So my theory this week is to go for solid reliable guys who are due for a win and that would include Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama. Beyond the top three, I like Rafa Cabrera Bello, Billy Horschel and Brandt Snedeker for their past success at the venue and Chez Reavie, Marc Leishman and Kevin Na for having games that seem to fit it. Keegan Bradley is just a hunch. And with that, I'm off to break 90. I hope. 

You do have to admire the natural beauty
and design of TPC Southwind . . . except
 that this of course is TPC River Highlands.

One and Done Pick: Justin Thomas

Other Guy I'd Pick: Xander Schauffele

Sleeper Pick: Keegan Bradley

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Justin Thomas	$10,700
Xander Schauffele	$9,300
Hideki Matsuyama	$8,900
Rafa Cabrera Bello	$7,900
Chez Reavie	$7,900
Marc Leishman	$7,600
Billy Horschel	$7,500
Brandt Snedeker	$7,400
Keegan Bradley	$6,900
Kevin Na	$6,800

Email the Fantasy Golf Report at fgr@fantasygolfreport.com.