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Fantasy Golf Podcast: Why Rickie Fowler will win the PGA Championship
Sam Greenwood
The PGA Championship will be moving to May beginning in 2019, but this week, it's still glory's last shot when it comes to winning a 2017 major. Who will come away with the Wanamaker Trophy? To make our tournament picks, discuss changes to Quail Hollow and talk about all the rain in the forecast, Joel Beall joined me from Charlotte for our weekly chat. 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 at Quail Hollow:
Rickie Fowler: The time seems right for Fowler to finally win that first major championship at a place where he won his first PGA Tour title five years ago. Fowler has played much better than his one-win campaign indicates, leading the tour in strokes gained/putting and ranking second in strokes gained total. Plus, Joel and I both picked him to win. So he's basically a lock to win miss the cut.
Rory McIlroy: The tournament favorite (7/1, according to Westgate Las Vegas Superbook) is the only two-time winner at Quail Hollow. That experience should more than offset the fact that he's got his best friend, Harry Diamond, caddying for him again. In the duo's debut, McIlroy finished T-5 at Firestone, where he put on an absolute clinic with the driver (Heck, he can hit it 300 yards while wearing a space suit). If he does that again, win No. 3 at Quail Hollow and Wanamaker Trophy No. 3 are very much in play.
Hideki Matsuyama: I originally had Justin Rose penciled into this slot, but Matsuyama's performance at the WGC-Bridgestone was too good not to put him in my lineup. A win this week would give the 25-year-old a first major title and put him in poll position for PGA Tour Player of the Year honors. Based on how he played Sunday at Firestone, well, you get the point. That was pretty impressive.
J.B. Holmes: OK, we can't take all chalk, although I'm not exactly slumming it with a member of last year's victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team. Still, Holmes is under the radar at 80-to-1 odds, despite the fact this long bomber already has a win under his belt at Quail Hollow. At those odds, J.B. stands for Just Bet this week.
Just missed: Justin Rose and Charley Hoffman.
And for those of you playing other fantasy golf formats:
Yahoo! lineup: Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose, Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm (Starters); Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Charley Hoffman, Brooks Koepka (Bench).
Knockout/One-and-done pick: Rickie Fowler.
And here's the podcast link again, if you want to hear Joel and I jabber: