Fantasy Golf: Charles Schwab Challenge Preview

At some point I'm going to write about my son's graduation weekend in New Orleans which paralleled my pick winning the PGA Championship getting me halfway to the 2024 Grand Slam. It feels like a long overdue FGR timeline opportunity and I already have the detailed three day itinerary I drafted for the grandparents to use as an outline. 

For a teaser, I'll tell you that (1) the itinerary backfired by creating more questions than it was designed to avoid (quite literally anyone could have seen that coming), and (2) since the Masters, my one and done picks have earned $11,875,232 propelling me, and anyone who put their faith in me, into first place in our respective leagues. Thanks to those who supported me through the troubling times of the early season and suck on that haters!   

TWEET OF THE WEEK

This complete 🤡 show of lawyering prompted me to look-up it's author and, to no one's surprise, he also runs a local youth soccer club. That puts him in "if Ted Cruz and Greg Norman had a baby" territory. Frightening.   

First-rate assholery from Baltimore's most hegemonic, classless and tone-deaf restaurant group. https://t.co/vTp3uOe33j

— David Simon (@AoDespair) May 13, 2024

GOLF ANALYSIS

I've already changed my pick three times starting with Sungjae Im and then switching to Jordan Spieth before settling on Thomas Detry (for now). This is mostly a product of the fact that I've used all of the favorites including Tony Finau who feels like the logical choice. Brian Harman makes sense but I'm looking for a little more pizazz so Detry is my guy. And with the word "pizazz", I likely just doomed him to a missed cut.

I also went with Max Homa over Spieth in the top spot despite the latter's sparkling record at Colonial including a win in 2016. I just don't trust Jordan with my heart right now but I'm not ruling him out at either Pinehurst or Royal Troon if he finds some semblance of consistency over the next few weeks (and no I was not able to write that with a straight face). 

The strength this week feels like it's in the middle of the pack with guys like Harris English, Justin Rose, Tom Kim and even Mark Hubbard. Homeless Hubs hasn't missed a cut in 2024 and has made four in a row at Colonial with a T9 last year. I'm not going to do a wagering chart this week because those have been as disastrous as my overall picks have been stupendous lately but I wouldn't look at you crooked if you took Hubbard to finish top ten at +550. 

And finally, I love that Ben Kohles bounced-back from a soul crushing loss at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson by making the cut at the Wells Fargo and then finishing T26 at the PGA Championship. Beware the kid who doesn't crumble after letting his first PGA Tour win slip away like that. I would've spent two weeks curled-up in the fetal position drinking red wine and listening to Natalie Merchant. 

One and Done Pick: Thomas Detry

Let's do this thing you big
goofy German son of a bitch.

Other Guy I'd Pick: Tony Finau

Sleeper Pick: Ben Kohles 

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Max Homa	$10,400
Tony Finau	$9,900
Brian Harman	$9,500
Harris English	$9,000
Justin Rose	$8,500
Tom Kim	$8,200
Thomas Detry	$8,000
Mark Hubbard	$7,700
Brendon Todd	$7,000
Ben Kohles	$5,500

From 1980 to 1983, Dabney Coleman had a bit of an epic supporting actor run playing key roles as the smarmy prick in 9 to 5, Tootsie and WarGames. Many of us, however, will always remember him for peaking as that character while stealing the show in Modern Problems.   

                                       THE MARK WINSLOW JUNE 5TH: 

                                 PARTIAL LIST OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

                                   HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART

I know I didn't even mention the defendant in Kentucky Court of Justice case no. 24-F-003479 (I love that you can just look that shit up) despite the fact that he's the best player in the world who also finished top three at this event the last two years but $13,300? Who's got that kind of money?

Daniel Berger is also worth a look. The 2020 winner is still regaining form after a long injury layoff but now he's made four cuts in a row. And I'd be remiss if I didn't note the defending champion Emiliano Grillo but he's clearly established himself as an odd year only guy.  

	DK Price	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Scottie Scheffler	$13,300	T3	2nd	MC	T55	DNP
Colin Morikawa	$11,000	T29	T40	T14	2nd	DNP
Jordan Spieth	$10,600	MC	T7	2nd	T10	T8
Max Homa	$10,400	T9	T23	DNP	MC	T27
Tony Finau	$9,900	MC	T4	T20	T23	2nd
Min Woo Lee	$9,700	T48	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Si Woo Kim	$9,600	T29	DNP	W/D	MC	MC
Brian Harman	$9,500	T29	MC	T8	T23	DNP
Sungjae Im	$9,400	MC	T15	MC	T10	MC
Tom Hoge	$9,300	T52	MC	MC	MC	T40
Adam Scott	$9,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Harris English	$9,000	T12	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP
C. Bezuidenhout	$8,900	T21	T15	DNP	MC	DNP
Billy Horschel	$8,800	T40	MC	T40	T38	T19
Denny McCarthy	$8,700	MC	T27	MC	66th	MC
Keith Mitchell	$8,600	DNP	DNP	MC	T64	DNP
Justin Rose	$8,500	T12	MC	T20	T3	T58
Chris Kirk	$8,400	MC	T15	T69	T60	DNP
Sepp Straka	$8,300	T29	DNP	MC	MC	DNP
Tom Kim	$8,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Keegan Bradley	$8,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	T32	DNP
Thomas Detry	$8,000	T21	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Akshay Bhatia	$7,900	56th	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Taylor Moore	$7,900	MC	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Aaron Rai	$7,800	T12	68th	DNP	DNP	DNP
Daniel Berger	$7,800	DNP	T23	T20	1st	T53
Mark Hubbard	$7,700	T9	T52	T69	T43	DNP
Maverick McNealy	$7,700	T52	MC	T20	T32	DNP
Davis Thompson	$7,600	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
J.T. Poston	$7,600	MC	MC	MC	T10	MC
Rickie Fowler	$7,600	T6	T57	DNP	MC	MC
Austin Eckroat	$7,500	T16	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Beau Hossler	$7,500	T70	T21	DNP	MC	T40
Lucas Glover	$7,500	DNP	T40	T8	T23	DNP
Adam Schenk	$7,400	2nd	MC	T65	T43	MC
Andrew Putnam	$7,400	T29	T15	MC	MC	T3
Cam Davis	$7,300	MC	T7	T45	MC	DNP
Nicolai Hojgaard	$7,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Ryan Fox	$7,300	T21	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Kevin Yu	$7,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Lee Hodges	$7,200	T29	T35	DNP	DNP	DNP
Patrick Rodgers	$7,200	T57	T35	MC	T14	DNP
Emiliano Grillo	$7,100	1st	T63	T8	MC	T19
Ryo Hisatune	$7,100	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Brendon Todd	$7,000	T57	3rd	T8	MC	DNP
Eric Cole	$7,000	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Robert Macintyre	$7,000	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Chris Gotterup	$6,900	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Greyson Sigg	$6,900	MC	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Luke List	$6,900	T57	DNP	MC	DNP	DNP
Sam Stevens	$6,800	T29	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Webb Simpson	$6,800	DNP	T27	DNP	MC	DNP
Charley Hoffman	$6,600	DNP	66th	T3	MC	T13
Gary Woodland	$6,600	DNP	MC	T14	9th	DNP
K.H. Lee	$6,600	T57	MC	DNP	MC	T64
Alejandro Tosti	$6,300	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Justin Suh	$6,100	T16	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Kevin Tway	$6,100	MC	MC	DNP	MC	T19
Ben Kohles	$5,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Kevin Streelman	$5,600	T9	MC	T20	MC	T31
Joel Dahmen	$5,500	T68	T63	MC	T19	MC
Robby Shelton	$5,500	T29	DNP	T59	DNP	DNP

Email the Fantasy Golf Report here.

Fantasy Golf: The PGA Championship Preview

I had so much fun in New Orleans a few weeks ago that I'm heading back and bringing the curmudgeonly grandparents with me to navigate four sultry days of thunderstorms and cracked sidewalks while celebrating the anticipated graduation of the eldest grandson. Can't wait to get them down to the French Quarter so we can catch-up with the gang at the Rawhide Lounge. I'm sure there will be questions . . . asked at an inappropriate decibel level. 

Suffice it to say that I'm not counting my chickens until I'm sharing a victory AMF with him at The Boot. It's been a long strange trip that started with about five thousand miles worth of school visits to colleges he apparently didn't want to attend yet applied to anyway. Then there was a gap year, a few COVID quarantines and a couple hurricane evacuations. Now everyone asks what he's going to do next and my answer is that I hope he spends a few years having a great fucking time. As we all well know, the grind will be there when he's ready.   

TWEET OF THE WEEK

One of these days me and Clue are going to cross paths outside of Snake & Jakes and it will be epic . . . until one or both of us inevitably falls down. 

Lots of these places in New Orleans have doors that look like windows, and windows that look like doors. Anyway I just made an ass out of myself, again. And I fell down on the street dead sober this morning. Just a banner day for me tbh

— Clue Heywood (@ClueHeywood) May 4, 2024

GOLF ANALYSIS

We've reached the point with the majors where you have to take some kind of position on the LIV players and whether their traveling circus adequately prepares them to compete against the best golfers in the world. They placed three in the top ten at Augusta but one of those was recent defector Tyrrell Hatton and their lead dogs, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka, both finished tied for 45th. I say they place a couple in the top ten this week but they're all overvalued so I'm not going to bother to hazard a guess on which two. In other words, fuck 'em all. 

The last time they held the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Rory held-off Phil Mickelson (and darkness) with a loaded leaderboard that included Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson, Jim Furyk and Ernie Els. That bodes well for this year's competition as the top two ranked players in the world come-in on a ridiculous combined heater having won six of the last ten primary PGA Tour events.   

I'm giving Rory the nod over Scottie because I'm a bit of a romantic but more of the golf kind and way less of the guy who just became a father kind. I will never believe that the new dad will play golf with a clean conscience unless he soaks that conscience in booze which doesn't strike me as Scheffler's style. And yes I am aware that Rory has his own personal shit brewing but that sure didn't seem to bother him last Sunday. 

With all that being said, Xander Schauffele actually gets the feature spot as I just used Rory and Scottie was my pick at the Masters. Let's be honest. You can't believe I waited this long to mention that. (Took humility for a test drive there and found the handling a little clunky). As for Xander, my once firmly held belief that he would eventually win a major is now just loosely held but it's still there and this week seems like as good a shot as any.

We're staying in full ball striker/shot maker mode for the next five picks with Ludvig Aberg, Justin Thomas, Cameron Young, Sahith Theegala and Sungjae Im. The last two feel like great values on this track, especially Sungjae who's found his groove since missing the cut at Augusta. 

And the sleepers this week (if you can call the 25th and 29th ranked players in the world "sleepers"), are Chris Kirk and Denny McCarthy. Kirk is a hunch pick based in part on his T26, T16, T10 run through The Players, The Masters and the RBC Heritage. The McCarthy pick is, however, more scientific as he's been on a nice bentgrass green lately and that's what they'll be putting on this week (source: @GolfBetCaddie).

Here is how I would allocate my resources. 

Ludvig Aberg	Top 5	+450
Cameron Young	Top 5	+1000
Sahith Theegala	Top 10	+500
Sungjae Im	Top 10	+600
Denny McCarthy	Top 10	+800
Chris Kirk	Top 20	+350

I'd wish you all luck but I'm pretty sure I'm the one who's gonna need it this weekend.

One and Done Pick: Xander Schauffele

I share what appears to be
the cautious optimism here. 

Other Guy I'd Pick: Rory McIlroy

Sleeper Pick: Denny McCarthy

DraftKings Top Ten Values 

Rory McIlroy	$12,000
Xander Schauffele	$10,900
Ludvig Aberg	$10,500
Justin Thomas	$9,300
Cameron Young	$9,000
Sahith Theegala	$8,100
Sungjae Im	$7,900
Chris Kirk	$6,900
Denny McCarthy	$6,300
Taylor Pendrith	$6,000

Email the Fantasy Golf Report here.