Tour News
Fantasy Cheat Sheet: Humana Challenge
One of the more unique playing formats to hit the PGA Tour takes place this week as 156 professionals and paired amateurs will touch down in southern California for the three-course, 54-hole cut tournament at the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation.
Because of the pro-am rotation on courses Palmer Private at PGA West, Nicklaus Private and La Quinta Country Club, it presents a dilemma when picking fantasy golfers. And since the cut last year was 10-under, in order to reap the reward of final round points, you will need golfers that can go low.
Last year, Brian Gay won a three-man playoff over David Lingmerth and Charles Howell III, each reaching 25-under. Let’s breakdown who can or can’t navigate the first three days and make it to the final round at Palmer Private. It’s Risk, Reward, Ruin.
RISK
You will want scorers this week and it’s not a week to be shy about wasting starts as the tournament sets up really well for about 10 golfers barring surprises. Again, I’m looking this week at guys who can shoot 63 in one of the first three rounds and get low. Conditions will be perfect for scoring all week in La Quinta.
Keegan Bradley
The risk involved is he’s making his first start this calendar year after netting $300k in two starts in October (10th, T11), but that’s about it. He’s coming off a strong season last year that saw him reach the Tour Championship and make the Presidents Cup, and he’s getting due for a win with his last coming at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August 2012. He last played this tournament in his rookie year of 2011 when he shot 23-under and tied for seventh.
Gary Woodland
Swing changes can take a while to manifest. One of the longest drivers on Tour, Woodland had just one win and a host of bad tournaments on his resume until the middle of last year. And then the swing changes he had gone through began to solidify in his tournament play. It culminated with a win at the Reno-Tahoe open and jumpstarted a run to the Tour Championship. Along the way he finished T2 at The Barclays. Now he’s out to prove he belongs near the top and already has a second-place finish this year and a round of 11-under at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions (T13). He missed the cut last year (swing changes), but shot 27-under in 2011 to nab second place.
Nicolas Colsaerts
The verdict is still out for the pro from Belgium who aspires to play more on the PGA Tour than the European Tour. Making the European Ryder Cup team in 2012 signified he could play, but his 2013 season failed to live up to the hype. This will be his first start of the new wrap-around schedule and his scoring average was fairly high last year. I’d take a wait-and-see approach to gage how his offseason went.
Robert Garrigus
At 36-years old, Garrigus won’t turn many heads unless he’s using the infamous “child’s putter” he used two years ago. But if you want a guy who can post a couple low rounds, he’s more than capable. He’s had two solid rounds this season already, granted they were in October, and last year he shot 20-under (T16). The year before, he shot 61 in the third round (making up for a first round 73) and tied for second at 22-under par. Previous to that he’s had a strong history at this event, even when it was known as the Bob Hope Classic.
Rickie Fowler
You could make the argument that Fowler is not a risk. But people are enamored by his orange and the idea that he’ll one day live up to his lofty potential. But so far, he’s not and I’m not using him until he can show consistency or maturity (or the British Open comes around, since that seems to be his best event). He also hasn’t played a tournament since early November, and he hasn’t exactly killed it in those first two starts either, shooting just one round in the 60’s in eight rounds of golf. He has the capability to go low in one round, but I wouldn’t wager on him to finish in the top 20.
REWARD
There are five golfers to be had this week that everyone will want on their roster. The thing is, we’re getting to the point early in the season where you could start burning through three or four starts before we’ve even hit February. And for one of these golfers, his hot streak suggests a strong season in a weak category for Yahoo gamers. Plan accordingly when using the chalk.
Zach Johnson
No player has changed his perception more in the last year than Johnson. He’s on fire and with his win at the Hyundai TOC has claimed elite status and garnered talk of making the Hall of Fame upon retirement for his now 11 wins and counting. Ranked No. 6 in the Official World Golf Rankings, Johnson is again a front runner this week. His meticulous approach and methodical treading around a course should serve him well with the venue rotation. He’s shot 19-under the last two years here.
Harris English
Strategy is important when factoring in a long fantasy season. And looking down the list of Yahoo group C golfers out there, Harris’ strong finish to last year, including his first Tour win at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, and superb start this year, complete with a win at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, a joint win with Matt Kuchar at the non-sanctioned Franklin Templeton Shootout and a T4 at last week’s Sony Open suggests big things for the former Georgia All-American. But beware the urge to use him so often early. This could be a good week to use a risky pick if you’ve already used him a few times. He’s played decent (T19, 2012; T65, 2013) here in his only two appearances.
Brandt Snedeker
With a solid Hyundai TOC under his belt two weeks ago, this is my pick to win this week. A notoriously good putter, Snedeker can get the birdies flowing. He shot 19-under last year without going lower than 67, of which he’s completely capable. In 2012, he opened with a 64 and finished T8. He should be ready to unleash a run like he did to start last season when for five weeks he looked to be the best golfer in the world.
Webb Simpson
Leading the FedEx Cup points race in a very, very early season, Simpson has piled on four top-10 finishes in four starts, which included a win at the Shriners Open. He finished T3 at the Hyundai TOC and can post low scores on back-to-back days to open a big lead. His 2013 Humana didn’t go as planned, but from 2009-11 put up low numbers at the Bob Hope Classic.
Bill Haas
The thing about Haas, the 2011 FedEx Cup champion, is he’ll just come out of nowhere and win a tournament when you least expect it. That’s kind of how I feel this week. He doesn’t tend to shoot particularly low on and given day and he’s more of a grinder with a game suited for tough courses. His reputation at Humana is about the same grab bag of mixed results. Last year, missed cut. The year before, made cut, middling finish. The year prior to that one, 27-under par (over five days) and a second-place finish after losing in a playoff. And back in 2010, he won the whole thing at 30-under par (over five days). So do we see the guy who demolished the course for four straight years starting in 2009 or the one who will hover a few strokes under par?
RUIN
With any week of fantasy selections, there are names you just don’t go near. In fact, I’m sometimes baffled by the amount of people who will just throw caution and better judgment to the wind in search of being the guy who can say “See! I told you [insert obscure golfer] would win!” To me, your first object should be to win your season, then a segment, and if you win weeks along the way, it will usually be because you calculated your selections thoughtfully instead of trying to be Mr. Sleeper Pick.
Aaron Baddeley
If you want to hitch your wagon to a guy who missed 14 of 24 cuts last year, including 10 in a row, be my guest. Baddeley has the talent as proven by a win at the Northern Trust Open in 2011, but he’s got a mental block going on right now that may take some time to unkink.
Mike Weir
Would you believe Weir has already made $110k on Tour this year? That’s nearly better than his entire total from last year when he missed 13 cuts in 22 events played. One of those MC’s came at the Humana. The year prior, he missed all but one cut. The former Masters champion is playing better, but there are much better picks out there.
Jhonattan Vegas
In three starts this season, Vegas has actually posted several decent rounds in the 60’s, but this is also coming on the heels of a 2013 year when he suffered injury and missed most of the year (following three MC’s) and played the Web.com Tour for the month of September when he returned. He didn’t fair so well there either. Whether the 2011 Bob Hope Classic champion can ever return to his low-scoring ways remains to be seen, but this is not the week to guess.
Chesson Hadley
Last year’s Web.com Tour champion rode that success into the beginning of the new PGA Tour wrap-around schedule, grabbing a T5 finish at the Shriners Open and netting himself a nice payday to his rookie season. But since it’s been a run of three straight MC’s including last week’s Sony Open.
Ken Duke
He’s a favorite among Tour players and fans alike, but his game can be streaky. So far this year he has made every cut, but he’s not going to score you many points. He also MC’d last year at the Humana, shooting just one good round as the tournament made its rotation from course to course. Hard to feel safe with some guys and changing layouts. He’s one.
As always, you can find me on Twitter @bricmiller if you want to talk about the tournament, discuss the Abu Dhabi HSBC Gof Championship or if you have any fantasy lineup inquiries. Good luck!
This week’s picks
Yahoo!
A: B. Snedeker (S), G. Woodland
B: Z. Johnson (S), B. Haas (S), W. Simpson, M. Laird
C: H. English (S), N. Colsaerts
(Last week: 200 points; Winter segment: 397 points; Rank: 13,929)
PGATour.com
B. Haas, B. Snedeker, K. Bradley, Z. Johnson
(Last week: 192 points; Season: 1,029; Rank: 6,427)
Golf Channel
Group 1: B. Snedeker
Group 2: G. Woodland
Group 3: J. Overton
Group 4: H. Swafford
(Last week: $463,680; Season: $836,000; Mulligan: $436,680; Rank: 12,876)
Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship
Group 1: H. Stenson
Group 2: K. Aphibarnrat
Group 3: P. Harrington
Group 4: R. Karlsson
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
GolfWRX is live on site this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the PGA Tour’s one-and-only two-man team event.
As usual, general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums — including some pretty spicy custom putters and headcovers — await your viewing.
Be sure to check back for more photos from the Big Easy, as we’ll continue to update this page with additional galleries throughout the week.
General Albums
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Monday #1
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Monday #2
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Alex Fitzpatrick – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Austin Cook – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Alejandro Tosti – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- MJ Daffue – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Nate Lashley – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- James Nicholas – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Kevin Streelman – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Rasmus Hojgaard – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Tom Whitney – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- SangMoon Bae – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Daniel Berger – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Rory McIlroy – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Russ Cochrane – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Aldrich Potgieter – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Steve Stricker WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Drew Brees WITB (Legendary New Orleans Saints QB) – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints QB) – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Thriston Lawrence WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
Pullout Albums
- MJ Daffue’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Cameron putters – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Swag covers ( a few custom for Nick Hardy) – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Custom Bettinardi covers for Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Doug Ghim’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Patrick Cantlay spotted testing a Scotty Cameron blade putter – 2024 Zurich Classic
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
GolfWRX is on site this week at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage. Plenty of golfers who competed in the Masters last week will be making the quick turnaround in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as the Heritage is again one of the Tour’s Signature Events.
We have general albums for you to check out, as well as plenty of WITBs — including Justin Thomas and Justin Rose.
We’ll continue to update as more photos flow in from SC.
Check out links to all our photos, below.
General Albums
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #2
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Justin Thomas – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Rose – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Nick Dunlap – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Thomas Detry – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Austin Eckroat – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Jason Day – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Will Zalatoris – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Patrick Cantlay – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Ludvig Aberg – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Collin Morikawa – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Sam Burns – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Stephen Jaeger – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
Pullout Albums
- Wyndham Clark’s Odyssey putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- JT’s new Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Thomas testing new Titleist 2 wood – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey putter with triple track alignment aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Scotty Cameron The Blk Box putting alignment aid/training aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey Ai One Eleven T putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Christian Bezuidenhout – testing new Callaway Ti 340 mini driver – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele testing the Callaway Ti 340 mini driver & the DUW – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Byeong Hun An, two new L.A.B. Golf putter builds with “T” alignment – 2024 RBC Heritage
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Valero Texas Open
GolfWRX is on site this week at the Valero Texas Open.
The event has been around since 1922, making it one of the oldest on the PGA Tour calendar. Over the years, it’s been held at a variety of courses across the Lone Star State, but it’s found its home at TPC San Antonio in recent years. Some of the biggest names in golf have taken home the title here, including Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, and Ben Crenshaw.
GolfWRX has its usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs and special pull-out albums. As always, we’ll continue to update the links below as more photos come in from TPC San Antonio.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Ben Taylor – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Paul Barjon – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Joe Sullivan – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Wilson Furr – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Willman – SoTex PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Jimmy Stanger – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Rickie Fowler – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Harrison Endycott – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Vince Whaley – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Kevin Chappell – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Christian Bezuidenhout – WITB (mini) – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Scott Gutschewski – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
Pullout Albums
- Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Taylor with new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Swag cover – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Greyson Sigg’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Davis Riley’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Josh Teater’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hzrdus T1100 is back – – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Mark Hubbard testing ported Titleist irons – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Tyson Alexander testing new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hideki Matsuyama’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Cobra putters – 2024 Valero Texas Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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