The Loop
Fantasy Golf Podcast: Which one of the Big 3 should you take at the Memorial?
The worst part of Jordan Spieth's win at Colonial? That's the last time for a long time you're going to be able to look really smart for plugging him into your fantasy golf lineup. But since I did, I'll allow myself a pat on the back. And for filling out my lineup with Matt Kuchar (T-6), Jason Dufner (T-6), and Colt "Big Gravy" Knost (T-67... whoops!). In any matter, Spieth's "slump" is over and now he heads to the Memorial with his fellow Big 3 members. Joel Beall and I break down the field at Muirfield Village and discuss who will be getting congratulated by Jack Nicklaus on Sunday evening:
And if you're more old-school and would rather just read my normal weekly picks, here's who I'm taking on my PGA Tour Fantasy Golf team at the Memorial:
Jason Day: Since his win at the Players, Rory McIlroy and Spieth have won tournaments. And now Day has been left out of their Thursday-Friday group in favor of Justin Thomas. Think he'll want to remind everyone who is World No. 1? Surprisingly, the Ohio resident has a poor track record here (A T-27 is his best finish in seven starts), but I think we're past all that with the way he's playing right now.
Matt Kuchar: A T-3 at the Players. A third at the Nelson. A T-6 at Colonial. We're in the mix of a vintage Kuch stretch. No reason to think he'll slow down this week at an event he won in 2013 and where he's finished in the top 15 in seven of the past nine years.
Rickie Fowler: Much has been made about the Big 3 all arriving at the Memorial fresh off victories. What would be the only way to build even more hype before the U.S. Open in a couple weeks? Have the on-again/off-again Big 4 member Fowler, who finished runner-up here in 2010, win this event.
Kevin Chappell: His first of five career runner-ups on the PGA Tour came here in 2013. Still looking for his first tour victory, he seems primed for a breakthrough at Jack's place with three runner-ups this season, including most recently at the Players.
__ Bench:__ Hideki Matsuyama and Chris Kirk.
And for those of you playing other fantasy golf formats:
Yahoo! lineup: Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, Kevin Chappell, Matt Kuchar (starters); Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Kevin Na (bench).
Knockout/One-and-done pick: Kevin Chappell.
Previously used: Bryson DeChambeau (Valero), Luke Donald (Valspar), Jason Dufner (RBC), Matt Every (Bay Hill), Tony Finau (Frys.com), Sergio Garcia (Riviera), Bill Haas (Farmers), J.B. Holmes (Wells Fargo), Dustin Johnson (Doral), Kevin Kisner (RSM - winner!), Russell Knox (Honda), Matt Kuchar (Colonial), Anirban Lahiri (CIMB), Graeme McDowell (Hyundai), Kevin Na (Phoenix), Ryan Palmer (CareerBuilders), Scott Piercy (Byron Nelson), Patrick Reed (HSBC), Patrick Rodgers (Shriners), Brandt Snedeker (Pebble), Brendan Steele (OHL), Henrik Stenson (Players), Justin Thomas (Sony), Bubba Watson (Masters).
And one more time, if you feel like listening to Joel and I jabber, here you go: