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Fantasy Golf Podcast: Why PGA Tour pros are eyeing history -- and looking to get PAID -- in new event
Robert Laberge
This week’s CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges (No, that @ symbol is not a typo) is the first PGA Tour event to be played in South Korea. And while some of those participating may be proud of that fact, all of them are excited about the $9.25 MILLION purse (That’s not a typo, either) to be divided among the 78 players in the no-cut tournament. To discuss this limited field, this highly regarded golf course, and Pat Perez’s career renaissance, Stephen Hennessey joined me once again on our weekly fantasy golf podcast. Please have a listen:
And if you're more old school and would rather just read my normal weekly fantasy golf picks, here's my fab foursome in South Korea:
Pat Perez: Coming off his third career PGA Tour win at last week’s CIMB Classic in which he won by four shots after leading by as many as seven in the final round, I was tempted to pass on Perez. But then I saw the Instagram message his wife, Ashley, posted in which she told Pat to "get those party boots on for when you get home." Perez is looking to strike again while he's hot, and why not? After winning just once in first 376 starts, the 41-year-old has two wins in his last 25 starts.
Tony Finau: After back-to-back top 10s to end the season, Finau finished runner-up at the Safeway Open to start his 2017-18 campaign. The big hitter has learned to harness all his power (he was fourth in strokes gained: off the tee last season) and he’s made huge improvements in his iron play, jumping to 35th in strokes gained: approach-to-green from 141st the prior season. Finau also seems to like this week’s layout:
Which never hurts.
Jason Day: Throw out most of a disappointing 2017 and focus on how the former World No. 1 finished the year. Day had 10 straight sub-par rounds before the final round of the Tour Championship and he posted a T-6 at Northern Trust and a 4th at the BMW Championship. As he told Golf World's Dave Shedloski recently, he's expecting a big bounceback season.
Danny Lee: It’s crazy that Lee is only 27 when this coming year will mark a decade since his win at the 2008 U.S. Amateur. After taking a few years to get going as a tour pro, Lee has found solid footing on the PGA Tour and is coming off another solid season in which he had four top 10s, nine top 25s, and finished 56th in the FedEx Cup standings. A New Zealand citizen, Lee is also a native South Korean who will have plenty of crowd support as he did at the 2015 Presidents Cup. Maybe he'll get to lift a trophy this time. . .
Just missed: Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele.
And for those of you playing other fantasy golf formats:
Yahoo! lineup: There is no Yahoo! fantasy golf in the fall. Apparently, Yahoo! isn't a big fan of the PGA Tour's wrap-around schedule.
Knockout/One-and-done pick: Tony Finau.
And here's the podcast link again, if you want to hear Steve and I jabber: