Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 Wyndham Championship

Analyzing the best fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club.

[jwplayer SelXYs0X]

The PGA Tour moves back to the East Coast for this week’s Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. The tournament has a stronger field than usual as many of the PGA Tour’s best are still vying for entry to the beginning of the FedExCup Playoffs next week. Below, we’ll look at the top fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Wyndham Championship.

Also see: 2020 Wyndham Championship odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

2020 Wyndham Championship: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Tuesday at 6:19 p.m. ET.

30. Matthias Schwab (+8000)

Missed the cut at the PGA Championship after a T-3 finish at the Barracuda Championship. Debuts at this tournament for his fifth PGA Tour event since the midseason pause.

29. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+7000)

Also missed the cut last week after a pair of quality finishes in strong fields at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational (T-20) and the Memorial Tournament (T-22).

28. Jordan Spieth (+4500)

Finished T-71 last week with a final-round of minus-3. Averaged -0.55 Strokes Gained: Putting per round, according to Data Golf, for a rare negative performance on the greens.

27. Russell Henley (+5000)

Ranked seventh in the field last week with 1.78 SG: Approach per round. Finished T-37 at 1-under par with 1.06 strokes lost putting per round.

26. Tom Lewis (+7000)

Missed the cut last week following a T-2 at the WGC event. A two-time winner of the Portugal Masters on the European Tour who could have success against one of the weaker PGA Tour fields he has faced.

Doc Redman plays from the fairway on the first hole during the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Doc Redman (+9000)

Tied for 29th last week in just his third career major appearance. Missed the cut in this event each of the last two years but is averaging 1.02 strokes gained on the average Tour pro over his last 20 rounds.

24. Zach Johnson (+12500)

Was tied for third after an opening-round 66 last week but shot a plus-six, 76 Friday to miss the cut. He’s much better suited for the shorter course and has averaged 1.24 strokes gained per round over 12 laps at Sedgefield.

23. Rafa Cabrera Bello (+15000)

RCB has averaged 1.13 strokes gained over his 10 trips around Sedgefield. Finished fifth in 2016 and 11th in 2018.

Golfweek: Tiger Woods takes this week off; where will we see him next?

22. Rory Sabbatini (+8000)

Has played 18 career rounds at this venue with an average of 1.36 strokes gained per round. Has three top 10s in his last four appearances, including a sixth in 2019.

21. Matt Wallace (+9000)

Another European Tour star making his debut in this PGA Tour event. Had a lackluster T-77 finish last week just three weeks after a T-4 in a similar field at the Memorial.

Looking to place a bet on the 2020 Wyndham Championship? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

20. Chez Reavie (+5000)

Disappointingly finished T-75 at the PGA Championship following a T-6 in the WGC event. He struggled off-the-tee last week, but he’s seventh on Tour this season in Driving Accuracy.

19.  J.T. Poston (+6600)

The 2019 champ missed three straight cuts before a T-30 finish at the WGC and a T-75 last week. No one who made the cut last week did worse than Poston’s 0.59 strokes lost on approach per round.

18. Shane Lowry (+4500)

Lowry will need to be much better around the greens this week, but it’s usually a slight strength of his game. He finished seventh here in 2017 before a missed cut last year.

17. Si Woo Kim (+4000)

Won this event in 2016 but missed the cut in 2018 before a fifth-place finish last year. Tied for 13th last week with 2.18 SG: Tee-to-Green per round.

16. Kevin Kisner (+4000)

Put together a closing round of 67 to finish T-19 at the PGA Championship. Gained 1.28 strokes putting and 1.22 on approach. Two top 10s in the Wyndham Championship in three trips since 2014.

15. Ryan Moore (+4000)

The 2009 winner also has finishes of sixth and 10th in the last five years. He’s averaged 1.12 strokes gained per round over 28 rounds at Sedgefield.

Brooks Koepka watches after playing his shot from the rough on the 2nd hole during the final round of the 2020 PGA Championship. (Photo Credit: Kelvin Kuo – USA TODAY Sports)

14. Brooks Koepka (+1000)

Playing here for the first time since a sixth-place finish in 2015. He should make it to The Northern Trust while entering the week 92nd in the FedExCup standings, but he’ll need a good showing in the next two weeks to qualify for the BMW Championship.

Golfweek: Brooks Koepka discovers karma is a bitch, shoots final-round 74

13. Joaquin Niemann (+6600)

The first winner of the 2019-20 PGA Tour season at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier enters the week 25th in the FEC standings. Finished 13th in this event last year with 1.38 SG: Putting per round.

12. Sergio Garcia (NA – late entry)

The 2012 champ was a late entry Friday afternoon after missing the cut in San Francisco, California. He’s 134th in the FEC standings and seems motivated to continue his season.

11. Corey Conners (+5000)

Tied for 22nd in this event last year with 1.29 SG: Off-the-Tee per round. Missed the cut last week with a horrendous putting performance but had been showing well in strong fields with a T-22 at the Memorial and a T-30 at the WGC.

10. Billy Horschel (+3300)

Averaging 1.53 strokes gained on the average pro over his last 20 rounds. Finished sixth in this event last year and fifth in 2016, and has played in six straight years.

9. Brandt Snedeker (+5000)

Averaging 1.06 strokes gained per round over 40 trips around Sedgefield. His better results have come in recent years, as he has four top 10s and a win (2018) in his last 10 appearances.

8. Brendon Todd (+3500)

Todd missed the cut in his two appearances here, but the two-time 2019-20 winner is coming off a T-17 at the PGA Championship and a T-15 at the WGC and should be able to finish better in a weaker field.

7. Harris English (+2500)

Has finished in the top 20 in four straight events. Averaging 1.07 SG: Tee-to-Green for the season. The top-ranked player in the field by the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings.

6. Sungjae Im (+4000)

Enters the week fifth in the FEC standings even with two missed cuts in his last three events. Debuted with a sixth-place finish here last year.

Paul Casey reacts after his putt on the 15th hole during the final round of the 2020 PGA Championship. (Photo Credit: Kelvin Kuo – USA TODAY Sports)

5. Paul Casey (+2000)

Shot a final-round 66 to finish in a tie for second with Dustin Johnson last week. Ranked second in the field with 3.05 SG: Tee-to-Green per round.

4. Tommy Fleetwood (+1600)

Struggled to a closing plus-3, 73 to finish T-29 at TPC Harding Park. Making his debut at this event while 85th in the FEC standings. Averaging 0.69 SG: Tee-to-Green for the season.

3. Justin Rose (+2200)

Ranks just 103rd in the FEC standings partially due to a lighter schedule this year. Making his first appearance here since a fifth-place showing in 2009. Finished ninth at the PGA Championship.

2. Patrick Reed (+1600)

The 2013 champ hasn’t finished better than 22nd (twice) in his three appearances here since his victory. Averaged 1.54 SG: Putting on these greens last year. Making his final tune-up for his defense of next week’s Northern Trust.

1. Webb Simpson (+1000)

Simpson won this event in 2011 following an eighth-place finish in 2010. He has finished outside of the top 10 just three times in his last eight appearances and has back-to-back runner-up finishes. He’s averaging 1.85 strokes gained at Sedgefield over 42 career laps.

Get some action on the 2020 Wyndham Championship by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 PGA Championship

Analyzing the best fantasy golf picks for the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park.

[jwplayer EBlEDxzC]

TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California, will host the 2020 PGA Championship this week. All the top names from the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings are expected to be in the final field for 2020’s first major. Below, we look at the top-30 fantasy golf power rankings for the 2020 PGA Championship.

Also see: 2020 PGA Championship odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

2020 PGA Championship: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Aug 2, 2020; Brendon Todd plays his shot from the second fairway during the final round of the WGC – FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind. (Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Monday at 3:15 a.m. ET.

30. Brendon Todd (+9000)

A two-time winner on the PGA Tour’s 2019-20 season with victories at the Bermuda Championship and Mayakoba Golf Classic. He proved at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational he can hang with the bigger names in stronger fields, despite a dramatic disadvantage in distance.

29. Sungjae Im (+8000)

The 2020 Honda Classic champion missed the cut in three of the four majors he has played in his young career, but he’ll play his first as a PGA Tour winner. He relied heavily on his putter last week in Memphis, Tennessee.

28. Matt Kuchar (+8000)

Hasn’t been in great form since the Tour’s restart but showed some improvement at the WGC event, particularly with his putter. The 42-year-old has three top 10s in his last five appearances at the PGA Championship.

27. Rickie Fowler (+3300)

His betting odds don’t often carry much value due to his public popularity and that’s no different again for the first major of 2020. Still, he has great potential to grab at least a top-10 finish and flashed some of those abilities in a T-16 finish at TPC Southwind last week.

26. Patrick Reed (+4000)

Largely unimpressive since the PGA Tour’s restart outside of a T-10 at the Memorial and a T-7 at the Charles Schwab Challenge. The 2018 Masters champ tied for second at the PGA Championship in 2017 but missed the cut each of the last two years.

Jul 18, 2020; Gary Woodland plays his shot from the second tee during the third round of The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Aaron Doster – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Gary Woodland (+4500)

Finished in the top 10 of each of the last two PGA Championships. The reigning US Open champ has been dialed in on approach and is in good form with his putter.

24. Hideki Matsuyama (+3300)

Excellent form with his irons this season but has struggled with the putter and has averaged 0.57 Strokes Lost: Putting per round, according to Data Golf. Once a staple major contender, he hasn’t cracked the top 10 in any of the four events in the last two years.

23. Tommy Fleetwood (+4000)

Shot 5-under par in his final round at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational to break par for the tournament. He has three top 5s in majors but has never finished better than T-35 at the PGA Championship.

22. Viktor Hovland (+3300)

Stumbled amid the tough conditions at the Memorial Tournament after finishing no worse than T-23 in his first five events since the PGA Tour’s restart. He has been one of the best on Tour off-the-tee and from tee-to-green, and dramatically improved his short game over the midseason break.

21. Harris English (+9000)

English is gaining 2.28 strokes per round on the average Tour player this season. He missed the cut at Charles Schwan Challenge but finished T-17 at the RBC Heritage, T-13 at the Memorial and T-18 at the 3M Open.

Looking to place a bet on the 2020 PGA Championship? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

20. Sergio Garcia (+6600)

He’s averaging 2.08 Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green per round and only needs to be average with the putter.

19.  Jason Day (+3300)

His only major victory to date was at the 2015 PGA Championship. The former world No. 1 tied for fifth at last year’s Masters and has been rounding back into old form with a T-7 at the Workday Charity Open, a T-4 at the Memorial Tournament and a T-6 at the WGC event.

18. Matthew Fitzpatrick (+5000)

Fitzpatrick is gaining 2.18 strokes per round on the average player this season and finished third at the Memorial before tying for sixth at the WGC event. He has five wins on the European Tour and can compete in strong fields.

17. Abraham Ancer (+6600)

Gaining 1.06 strokes per round from tee-to-green. Tied for 16th at last year’s PGA Championship and has two runner-up finishes since the start of last year’s FedExCup Playoffs.

16. Justin Rose (+6000)

The 2013 US Open champ has three career top 10s at the PGA Championship and tied for third at last year’s US Open. Turned 40 years old last week and is looking for his 17th victory since the beginning of 2010.

Feb 16, 2020; Adam Scott poses with the winners trophy following his victory of The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. (Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports)

15. Adam Scott (+5000)

Will make his first appearance since the PGA Tour’s restart at a major where he has two straight top-10 finishes. Won The Genesis Invitational in his first event of 2020.

14. Tiger Woods (+2500)

Returns for the first time since a disappointing T-40 showing at the Memorial. Won’t be as penalized for wayward drives as he was in the thick rough at Muirfield Village Golf Club in his hunt for a record-tying fifth PGA Championship win.

13. Tony Finau (+3300)

Finau’s inability to close out victories on Sundays has overshadowed how well he has otherwise played. He’s averaging 1.54 SG: Tee-to-Green on the season.

12. Collin Morikawa (+3300)

The Workday Charity Open winner averaged 0.75 SG: Off-the-Tee at the WGC event to build on an average of 0.57 SG: OTT per round for the season. Will play just his second major with two PGA Tour wins to his name.

11. Dustin Johnson (+2200)

Johnson showed well with a T-12 at the FedEx St. Jude Invitational after withdrawing from the 3M Open and missing the cut at the Memorial. He won the Travelers Championship, but his inconsistency carries risk.

Jul 18, 2020; Patrick Cantlay plays his shot from the fairway on the ninth hole during the third round of The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Aaron Doster – USA TODAY Sports)

10. Patrick Cantlay (+3000)

Averaging 1.77 SG: Tee-to-Green and 1.02 SG: Approach over the season. Tied for third at last year’s PGA Championship and ninth at the Masters.

9. Bryson DeChambeau (+1600)

The prestige has worn off a bit from DeChambeau’s new swing and added distance. He was dominant on the greens and off-the-tee last week but struggled from tee-to-green and on approach.

8. Tyrrell Hatton (+4500)

Was in excellent form prior to the WGC, where he finished in a tie for 69th in the no-cut, 78-man event. He previously ranked first on Tour in SG: Putting, second in SG: Approach and fifth in SG: Tee-to-Green.

7. Webb Simpson (+2500)

Simpson just missed out on a top-10 finish last week but rebounded nicely from a surprising missed cut at the Memorial. He has two wins and two other top 10s in seven events in 2020.

6. Xander Schauffele (+2200)

Lost 1.40 strokes per round on approach last week but gained 1.58 strokes around the greens. Has finished in the top six in five of 11 career major appearances.

5. Rory McIlroy (+1200)

Gained 0.81 strokes per round off-the-tee last week but still finished well back at 1-under par. Still ranks No. 1 in the Golfweek rankings but hasn’t cracked a top 10 since the restart.

4. Daniel Berger (+4000)

The Charles Schwab Challenge winner turned in another top result at the WGC with a final round of 5-under par to finish T-2. Leads the Tour with 2.77 strokes gained per round on the average player this season.

3. Jon Rahm (+1400)

Handily beat a similar field at the 2020 Memorial Tournament. Has four top 10s but three missed cuts in his last eight majors.

Aug 2, 2020; Justin Thomas lines up his putt on the first green during the final round of the WGC – FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind. (Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports)

2. Justin Thomas (+900)

Earned his second victory of 2020 at the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Won the 2017 PGA Championship but didn’t play last year due to a wrist injury. Moved back to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking with the win at TPC Southwind.

1. Brooks Koepka (+1000)

Gave away the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational with a ball in the water on No. 18 but will attempt another defense of his PGA Championship crown this week. Was the betting favorite up until Thomas’ win at the WGC became official.

Get some action on the 2020 PGA Championship by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational

Analyzing the best fantasy golf picks for the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind.

Nine of the top 10 golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings are part of the 78-man field at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, this week for the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. We’ve looked at the best bets to win, and below is my Top 30 fantasy golf power rankings for the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind.

Also see:

2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Jul 19, 2020; Dublin, Ohio, USA; Sergio Garcia plays his shot from the fifth tee during the final round of The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Aaron Doster – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, July 27 at 5 p.m. ET.

30. Sergio Garcia (+7000)

Garcia is coming off back-to-back T-32 finishes in similar strengths of fields at the Travelers Championship and the Memorial Tournament. He’s second on Tour in the 2019-20 season in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.

29. Paul Casey (+6600)

Casey is coming off consecutive missed cuts, but he has performed well in two trips to TPC Southwind with an average of 1.10 total strokes gained per round across eight rounds, according to Data Golf.

28. Michael Thompson (+12500)

Thompson cruised through a much weaker field at last week’s 3M Open en route to his first PGA Tour win since the 2013 Honda Classic. He’ll need to be a little sharper off-the-tee and around the greens against the stiffer competition this week.

27. Shane Lowry (+12500)

The reigning Champion Golfer of the Year has missed three of five cuts since play resumed, but his lone other PGA Tour victory was at the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He didn’t play this event last year.

26. Jordan Spieth (+4500)

Spieth is a much better fantasy selection than he is for bettors. The no-cut nature of WGC events allows him a full 72 holes of scoring opportunities and doesn’t penalize him nearly as badly for his blow-up holes. He can take his risks here.

Jul 18, 2020; Dublin, Ohio, USA; Billy Horschel plays his shot from the fairway on the ninth hole during the third round of The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Aaron Doster – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Billy Horschel (+4500)

Horschel tied for ninth in this event last year, and he posted the same result at the WGC-Mexico Championship earlier this year. He’s averaging 0.79 SG: Tee-to-Green in 2020.

24. Corey Conners (+10000)

Conners held his own in the difficult conditions of the Memorial and finished T-22 for his fourth made cut in five events since play resumed. He tied for 27th last year in his first WGC event.

23. Marc Leishman (+7000)

Leishman finished alone in third at this event last year at minus-12 while averaging 1.63 SG: Approach per round. He tied for 40th at the Memorial for his best finish since the restart.

22. Dustin Johnson (+3300)

Johnson withdrew from the weak field at the 3M Open following an opening-round 78. It came on the heels of his 80-80 start and missed cut at the Memorial, but he is just a month removed from his Travelers Championship victory.

21. Abraham Ancer (+5000)

Ancer is in the top 25 of the Tour in SG: Approach; SG: Tee-to-Green; and Par 4 Performance. He tied for fourth at the WGC-HSBC Champions last fall and tied for 12th in the WGC-Mexico Championship this spring.

Looking to place a bet on the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

20. Tommy Fleetwood (+3300)

Fleetwood returned from his prolonged layoff to miss the cut last week as one of the top betting favorites. He was oddly poor with the irons and lost 0.87 strokes per round on approach.

19. Hideki Matsuyama (+3300)

Matsuyama typically excels among these stronger fields, but he missed the cut at both the RBC Heritage and the Memorial. He has two career WGC victories and a T-6 at this year’s Mexico Championship.

18. Jason Day (+3300)

Day has shown some of his best form in several years with a T-7 at the Workday Charity Open and a T-4 at the Memorial. He’ll try to transition to a course with which he’s less familiar than Muirfield Village GC.

17. Tony Finau (+3300)

It was disappointing to see Finau struggle late in Round 4 against a weak field at the 3M Open. He was eighth at the Memorial in a field stronger than this week and is consistently getting top results, even without victory.

Jul 23, 2020; Blaine, Minnesota, USA; Brooks Koepka walks with his caddie Ricky Elliott on the 9th hole during the first round of the 3M Open golf tournament at TPC Twin Cities. (Photo Credit: David Berding – USA TODAY Sports)

16. Brooks Koepka (+3300)

What to do with Brooks? He has two missed cuts and a T-62 in his last three events and was outperformed by brother Chase last week. Still, the PGA Championship is next week. He may repeat at both events despite entering this week outside the FedExCup Playoff picture.

15. Sungjae Im (+9000)

Im took a rare break while skipping the 3M Open last week. He has struggled mightily since a T-10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, and the oddsmakers have clearly soured on him.

14. Gary Woodland (+4500)

Woodland has been inconsistent off-the-tee and shaky around the greens of late, but he’s still averaging 0.95 strokes per round on approach. He finished just 55th here a year ago but sets up for better results this time.

13. Patrick Reed (+3300)

Reed, who has eight PGA Tour victories, won his first WGC event at the Mexico Championship in late February. He has been inconsistent since the midseason suspension of play, but he’s coming off a T-10 at the Memorial as he preps for the major season.

12. Viktor Hovland (+2800)

Hovland’s T-48 at Muirfield Village was his worst result since the restart, but he took last week off for his first break. He’ll be playing his first WGC event and ranks T-8 in SG: Approach; and 12th in SG: Tee-to-Green this season.

11. Matthew Fitzpatrick (+3000)

Fitzpatrick tied for fourth last year at minus-11 while gaining 1.26 strokes per round from tee-to-green. His third-place finish at the Memorial was his best PGA Tour result since coming second at the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

10. Xander Schauffele (+2200)

Schauffele hasn’t won a full-field PGA Tour event since the 2017 Greenbrier Classic, but he won the 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions and went to a playoff against Rory McIlroy last year in that same event. He tied for 27th in this tournament in 2019.

9. Patrick Cantlay (+2000)

Cantlay hasn’t finished worse than his T-32 at the Memorial since returning to tournament play. He tied for 12th in his first visit to TPC Southwind last year.

8. Daniel Berger (+2800)

Berger missed the cut at the Memorial after winning the Charles Schwab Challenge and finishing T-3 at the RBC Heritage. He’s gaining 1.14 strokes from tee-to-green in 2020.

7. Collin Morikawa (+2800)

Morikawa won last year’s Barracuda Championship as the alternate event to the WGC. He got his second career win at the Workday Charity Open and will play his second WGC event following a T-42 in Mexico.

6. Webb Simpson (+2200)

Simpson was the runner-up in Memphis last year, and he has since picked up two victories at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and RBC Heritage. He’s looking to move past a rare missed cut at the Memorial.

5. Justin Thomas (+1200)

Thomas, fourth in the Golfweek rankings, enters the week third by the betting odds to win in Memphis. He won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2018 and tied for 12th at TPC Southwind last year.

Jun 21, 2020; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Tyrrell Hatton reacts on the tenth hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

4. Tyrrell Hatton (+2200)

Hatton tied for 43rd in this event a year ago while losing 1.37 strokes per round on the greens. Flip forward a year, and he leads the Tour in SG: Putting through 16 measured rounds in the 2019-20 season. Also, he has finished outside the top 20 in just one of his last 10 international events with two victories and two top 5’s.

3. Bryson DeChambeau (+1400)

DeChambeau’s run of four consecutive finishes of T-8 or better, including his victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, was snapped with a missed cut at the Memorial. He has lost 0.08 strokes per round over 10 trips around TPC Southwind, but his results prior to the 2020 midseason break aren’t worth much.

2. Rory McIlroy (+1100)

Since 2014, McIlroy has won three WGC events (including match play), with 11 other top-10s and seven top-5’s, including a fifth-place finish in Mexico in February. He’s second by the betting odds.

1. Jon Rahm (+1000)

Rahm’s the betting favorite following his dominant win over an even stronger field at the Memorial. He was seventh here last year and T-3 in Mexico.

Get some action on the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Bet Slippin’ Podcast: MLB Returns and NBA Bubblin’ – Episode 1

Geoffery Clark and Esten McLaren look at the sports betting odds for MLB’s 2020 Opening Day and the return of the NBA in the first episode of Bet Slippin’ Podcast.

Esten McLaren (@EstenMcLaren) and Geoff Clark (@GeofferyClark) get you set for the return of MLB, and the NBA and NHL with a look at the betting odds and lines at BetMGM Sportsbook in the first episode of Bet Slippin’ Podcast, SportsbookWire’s new sports-betting podcast.

[protected-iframe id=”6b1385ab3339d0de95ae025d84ae5700-159279292-54338761″ info=”https://omny.fm/shows/bet-slippin-podcast/bet-slippin-podcast-mlb-returns-and-nba-bubblin/embed” width=”100%” height=”180″ frameborder=”0″]

(If podcast player does not display, please click here)

Bet Slippin’ Podcast Segments

Scopin’ Futures dives deep into the odds to win the World Series, NBA Championship and Stanley Cup, and Esten and Geoff provide some great value picks with upside. They then look at the Opening Day(s) odds in MLB and the early lines for the first days of the NBA and NHL restarts in BetMGM Buggin’. Take advantage of the value in these early odds in the unprecedented sports landscapes.

Each episode will end with Esten and Geoff Goin’ to the Window with their best bets and picks of the week. Listen in and follow along on their journey to becoming sports betting sharps.

Sports Betting Podcast Timeline

03:08

  • 2020 World Series picks
  • MLB awards

16:27

  • NBA Championship futures

26:14

  • Stanley Cup futures

29:33

  • PGA Tour picks (3M Open and PGA Championship)

32:18

  • MLB Opening Day(s) lines

44:15

  • NBA opening lines for Thursday, July 30 – Saturday, Aug. 1

50:45

  • Round up of the episodes best bets

Subscribe, rate and review on your favorite podcasting platform.

Want some sports betting action? Place your legal sports bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 3M Open

Analyzing the best fantasy golf picks for the 2020 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities.

The 2020 3M Open will see Matthew Wolff try to defend his 2019 victory at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn., against Tommy FleetwoodDustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and the rest of a rather lackluster field. Fleetwood makes his first appearance since the midseason pause and is the top-ranked player in attendance at No. 17 in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities

Also see: 2020 3M Open odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

2020 3M Open: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Oct 26, 2017; Jackson, MS, USA; Derek Ernst chips the ball from a 18th hole bunker during the first round of the Sanderson Farms Championship golf tournament at Country Club of Jackson. (Photo Credit: Spruce Derden – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday, July 21 at 6:30 a.m. ET.

30. Kristoffer Ventura (+8000)

Ventura tied for 21st at the Rocket Mortgage Classic amid a strong stretch of play on the Korn Ferry Tour which included a T-8 finish at the TPC San Antonio Challenge at the Canyons. He should be able to earn a quality finish in a soft field this week.

29. Charley Hoffman (+7000)

Hoffman picked up a T-7 at the Workday Charity Open but didn’t play in the Memorial Tournament. He missed the cut in this event last year but lost a woeful 1.71 strokes per round putting, according to Data Golf.

28. Chase Seiffert (+10000)

Seiffert was off last week following his breakout fourth-place finish at the Workday Charity Open. He relied heavily on his putter in that performance but also managed to gain 0.92 strokes per round on approach.

27. Derek Ernst (+30000)

Like Ventura, Ernst is on a heater on the KFT and looks to take the next step in a soft field on the PGA Tour. He tied for fifth at the TPC San Antonio Championship at the Oaks following a T-12 at the Canyons. He won the Wells Fargo Championship in 2013 but made the cut in just three PGA Tour events since the beginning of 2019.

26. Emiliano Grillo (+10000)

Grillo’s struggles with the flat stick won’t be as much of a concern at TPC Twin Cities with a much stronger emphasis on the driver and approach game. He tied for third on a similar course for the Puerto Rico Open in February.

Feb 27, 2020; Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., USA; Roger Sloan lets go of his grip in the 16th tee box during the first round of the 2020 Honda Classic golf tournament at PGA National (Champion). (Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Roger Sloan (+20000)

Sloan finished T-15 here last year while gaining 1.22 strokes per round tee-to-green. He tied for 27th at the Workday Charity Open for his best result since play resumed.

24. Wyndham Clark (+9000)

Clark tied for fifth last year while leading the field in Driving Distance at 327.9 yards and gaining 1.33 strokes tee-to-green. His missed cut at the Memorial last week doesn’t carry much weight with easier conditions and a weakened field on hand this week.

23. Charles Howell III (+9000)

Howell tied for 23rd in 2019 in a neutral putting performance. He has two missed cuts since play resumed with a T-49 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and a T-48 last week.

22. Matthias Schwab (+8000)

Schwab missed the cut last week in his first PGA Tour event since the WGC-Mexico Championship. He previously tied for 21st at the European Tour’s Qatar Masters and can certainly compete in fields like these.

21. Ryan Armour (+8000)

Armour is 47th on Tour this season in Birdie or Better Percentage. He finished T-6 at the Travelers Championship and T-4 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic before a missed cut at the Workday.

Looking to place a bet on the 2020 3M Open? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

20. Brian Harman (+5000)

Harman is tied for the 14th-best odds to win this event despite entering off of three straight missed cuts. He tied for seventh last year with just 0.85 SG: Putting per round.

19. Carlos Ortiz (+6600)

Ortiz finished T-5 in 2019 with 2.32 SG: Tee-to-Green and 1.29 SG: Approach per round. He has made the cut in three of five events since play returned.

18. Rafa Cabrera Bello (+7000)

Cabrera Bello has just two made cuts in five events since the midseason suspension was lifted. He has slipped all the way to 139th in the Golfweek rankings but will benefit from the weaker competition.

17. Dylan Frittelli (+6600)

Frittelli’s best result since play returned was a T-8 at the RBC Heritage. He missed his next two cuts but tied for 22nd last week. He’s tied for 34th on Tour this season in Par 5 Performance and will be able to take advantage of the easier holes here.

16. Harris English (+3300)

English is the second-best player in attendance by the Golfweek rankings at No. 19 in the world. He finished T-17 at the RBC Heritage and T-13 last week.

Jul 4, 2020; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Sepp Straka tees off on the 2nd during the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament at Detroit Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

15. Sepp Straka (+6600)

Straka finished 61st at plus-11 last week, but he had done no worse than 10-under in his previous three events in which he made the cut. He can go low over four rounds and should easily make the cut in this field.

14. Max Homa (+6600)

Homa missed the weekend in each of his last three events, but he gained 1.28 strokes around the greens and 1.63 strokes tee-to-green at the 2019 3M Open before withdrawing during the third round.

13. Sam Burns (+4500)

Burns’ T-7 here last year was one of his best results of 2019 and he returns with three straight made cuts in tougher fields.

12. Bubba Watson (+3300)

Watson has more than enough distance for this course and should take advantage of the weaker field in a tune-up for the 2020 PGA Championship.

11. Luke List (+4000)

List averaged 1.21 SG: Off-the-Tee and 1.75 SG: Tee-to-Green last week. Normally held back by his putter, he’ll benefit from the easier putting surfaces of TPC Twin Cities.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

10. Brooks Koepka (+1400)

Koepka is running out of time to correct the issues with his driver and short game ahead of the PGA Championship. The fact he’s still playing in a tournament like this just two weeks out is at least a sign he’s trying to fix the problems.

9. Will Gordon (+7000)

Gordon followed up his surprising T-3 result at the Travelers with a missed cut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic but returns after two weeks off. His long game is well suited for this course.

8. Doc Redman (+5000)

Redman missed the cut last year with a horrendous performance from tee-to-green, but he returns while averaging 0.76 SG: T2G in 2020. He came out of the break with four straight weekend appearances before a missed cut last week.

7. Erik Van Rooyen (+3300)

Rooyen shares the eighth-best odds to win the tournament. He’s tied for 20th on Tour this season with 0.539 SG: Approach. He’ll face one of the weaker PGA Tour fields he has played against.

Mar 12, 2020; Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., USA; Tommy Fleetwood watches his tees shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the 2020 edition of The Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass – Stadium Course. (Photo Credit: Adam Hagy – USA TODAY Sports)

6. Tommy Fleetwood (+1400)

Fleetwood is the top-ranked golfer in attendance by the Golfweek rankings but will play for the first time since The Players Championship was canceled after the opening round. He’s 10th on Tour while averaging 0.610 SG: Off-the-Tee through 10 measured rounds.

5. Matthew Wolff (+2500)

The defending champ has the sixth-best odds to win. He was the runner-up at the RMC in a similar-caliber field.

4. Paul Casey (+2200)

Casey has had a disappointing return to golf with a T-32 at the Travelers and a missed cut last week. He still enters the week 25th in the Golfweek rankings as the fourth-best golfer in the field.

3. Dustin Johnson (+900)

Johnson, the winner of the Travelers Championship, missed the cut at plus-16 last week while losing 3.12 SG: Putting per round. He enters as the betting favorite following his weekend of rest.

2. Lucas Glover (+3300)

Glover has been one of the best and most consistent golfers since play resumed. His T-38 finish last week was his worst result in five events. He’s 26th in SG: Approach and 36th in Birdie or Better Percentage on Tour this season.

1. Tony Finau (+1200)

Finau suffered a Sunday collapse with a final round of 78 last week to finish in eighth place. The weaker field and softer conditions will allow for a quality bounce-back performance.

Get some action on the 2020 3M Open by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 Memorial Tournament

Analyzing the best fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

[jwplayer zJvj1mJd]

Tiger Woods returns to play at this week’s Memorial Tournament – which begins Thursday – at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. This will be the second straight event held at the Jack Nicklaus course, following Collin Morikawa‘s playoff win over Justin Thomas last week in the Workday Charity Open. Below, we rank the top-30 fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Memorial Tournament.

Tiger will be joined in the 133-man field by Rory McIlroy and nine of the top-10 golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. Woods enters the week ranked 25th and will tee it up for the first time since The Genesis Invitational in mid-February.

Also see:

2020 Memorial Tournament: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Jun 28, 2020; Cromwell, Conn.; Rory McIlroy at the Travelers Championship. (Photo Credit: Bill Streicher – USA TODAY Sports)

Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

30. Paul Casey

Casey skipped the last two events following a T-32 at the Travelers Championship in his return to competitive golf. He has played 22 career rounds at Muirfield Village and has gained an average of 0.80 strokes per round, according to Data Golf.

29. Sungjae Im

Im still sits 14th in the Golfweek rankings despite finishing no better than T-53 in three events since a missed cut at the RBC Heritage. He uncharacteristically lost 0.56 strokes per round on approach last week, but should quickly rebound.

28. Ian Poulter

Poulter had a dominant putting performance last week while gaining 2.22 strokes per round with the flat stick. The greens will be firmer and faster this week, but the veteran Englishman will be able to adapt quickly.

27. Adam Hadwin

Hadwin’s coming off a 35th-place finish at the Workday marred by an ugly Saturday round of 76 in which he lost strokes all over the place, but most notably 3.31 strokes from tee-to-green. He still finished up 0.1 strokes in that column for the event.

26. Joaquin Niemann

Niemann has made four straight cuts since play resumed. He hasn’t been able to replicate the form of his T-5 finish at the RBC Heritage, but he’s at least a safe pick to make it to the weekend.

Jul 11, 2020; Dublin, Ohio; Matt Kuchar at the Workday Charity Open. (Photo Credit: Joseph Maiorana – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Matt Kuchar

Kuchar was part of a large group tied for 39th at 4-under par last week. He won this event in 2013 and has six other top 10s since 2008.

24. Rory Sabbatini

Sabbatini ranks among the best in the field with 2.02 strokes gained per round across 38 career rounds played here. He tied for 17th last week with a Sunday 73 knocking him out of the top 10.

23. Jon Rahm

Rahm struggled once again last week, as he finished T-27. He entered the midseason pause with four top 10s in his last five events, but hasn’t done better than last week’s performance since play resumed.

22. Matthew Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick tied for 27th last week after finishing 68th in the 2019 Memorial. Having Jim “Bones” MacKay seemed to help out quickly, as he averaged 1.16 Strokes Gained: Putting for the tournament.

21. Gary Woodland

Woodland’s T-5 last week was his best result and second top 10 since play resumed. He was one of two players to finish inside the top 10 last week who averaged better than 300 yards off the tee.

Looking to place a bet on the 2020 Memorial Tournament? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

20. Jason Day

Day had a resurgent showing last week with a T-7 finish while gaining 1.55 strokes per round from tee-to-green.

19. Rickie Fowler

Fowler has three straight top-15 showings in this event and finished T-22 in last week’s tune-up. He’ll be fully capable of handling the quicker greens this week.

18. Sergio Garcia

Garcia ranks fourth on Tour with 1.653 Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green on the 2019-20 PGA Tour season. He tied for fifth in an incredibly strong field at the RBC Heritage.

17. Tony Finau

Finau skipped the Workday Charity Open, but stayed busy last week and shared evidence of a 59 shot at his home club. He missed the cut here last year, but previously had finishes of eighth, 11th and 13th.

16. Patrick Reed

Reed returned to play with a T-7 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but hasn’t finished better than T-24 in four events since. He lost strokes off the tee and on the greens last week. He may be one to find more success on the quicker putting surfaces this week.

Jun 27, 2020; Cromwell, Conn.; Xander Schauffele at the Travelers Championship. (Photo Credit: Bill Streicher – USA TODAY Sports)

15. Xander Schauffele

Schauffele’s T-14 last week was his best result since narrowly missing out on victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He won’t be able to lose his 0.36 strokes around the greens this week in a stronger field.

14. Justin Rose

Rose had an all-around poor performance last week, capped by his -3.02 Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. He still ranks near the top of the field with 2.10 SG: Total at Muirfield Village for his career, and will benefit from a return to the usual conditions.

13. Abraham Ancer

Ancer ranks 11th on Tour this season in SG: Approach and SG: Tee-to-Green. He’s well-rested after sitting out the last two events and made the cut here in each of his first two appearances.

12. Daniel Berger

Berger tees it up for the first time since a T-3 at the RBC Heritage. The Charles Schwab Challenge champion should be trusted to get right back to form as he continues to climb the world rankings.

February 14, 2020; Pacific Palisades, Calif.; Tiger Woods at The Genesis Invitational. (Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports)

11. Tiger Woods

Tiger seeks his record-setting 83rd PGA Tour victory at an event he has won five times. We haven’t seen him in a tournament since The Genesis Invitational, but his irons looked to be in peak form in The Match: Champions for Charity. No one may benefit more from fans being denied entry to the course.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

10. Brooks Koepka

Koepka fell flat last week with a missed cut and was a late entry to this event in what’s likely his final tune-up for the PGA Championship. He lost 0.33 strokes per round on the greens at the Workday, but has performed much better on firm and quick surfaces over his career.

9. Hideki Matsuyama

Matsuyama tied for 22nd last week despite losing 0.62 strokes putting per round, though he gained 2.25 strokes tee-to-green. He has three top-6 finishes in this event over the last six years, including his 2014 win.

8. Webb Simpson

Simpson hasn’t played the Memorial since finishing 67th in 2017. He has wins in two of his last five events and tied for eighth at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

7. Dustin Johnson

Johnson silenced an increasing number of critics with his win at the Travelers Championship. His 1.50 SG: Putting may not be repeatable, but he can at least lean on his 1.83 SG: Tee-to-Green and 1.50 SG: Approach.

6. Patrick Cantlay

The 2019 Memorial champ finished T-7 last week on the back of a Sunday 65. He finished fourth here in 2018 and is a near lock for the top 10.

5. Rory McIlroy

McIlroy has never won this event, but has four top 10s since 2010. He leads the Tour in SG: Tee-to-Green on the 2019-20 season.

4. Justin Thomas

A couple of bad late breaks knocked Thomas out of the winner’s circle while shooting a final round 69 at last week’s Workday. He missed the cut last year, but finished fourth in 2017 and eighth in 2018.

Jul 12, 2020; Dublin, Ohio; Viktor Hovland at the Workday Charity Open. (Photo Credit: Joseph Maiorana – USA TODAY Sports)

3. Viktor Hovland

Hovland led the field with 1.56 SG: Off the Tee and 3.74 SG: Tee-to-Green last week. He hasn’t finished worse than 23rd in five events since play resumed.

2. Collin Morikawa

Morikawa will be an interesting case study this week as he seeks back-to-back wins on the same course. The competition level increases and the course is expected to play tougher, but it shouldn’t impact the Tour’s leader in SG: Approach too much.

1. Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau is the co-favorite at BetMGM this week, along with Thomas. DeChambeau sat out last week to rest, but is already plenty familiar with a course where he won in 2018, as he looks to follow up his Rocket Mortgage Classic victory in a stronger field.

Get some action on the 2020 Memorial Tournament by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 Workday Charity Open

Analyzing the best fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

[jwplayer Ed28Mjar]

Four of the top 10 golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings highlight the field in Dublin, Ohio, this week for the 2020 Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village Golf Club. The tournament replaces the John Deere Classic this season and preludes next week’s Memorial Tournament at this same venue. Below, we look at the top 30 fantasy golf picks for the Workday Charity Open.

Also see: 2020 Workday Charity Open odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

2020 Workday Charity Open: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Jun 11, 2020; Fort Worth, Texas; Keith Mitchell at the Charles Schwab Challenge. (Photo Credit: Raymond Carlin III – USA TODAY Sports)

Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

30. Keith Mitchell

Claimed his first career victory at the Jack Nicklaus-redesigned PGA National Golf Club in March of last year. Ranks fifth in this field in Birdies or Better Gained on courses measuring at least 7,400 yards over his last 50 rounds.

29. Ryan Armour

Still ranked just 182nd in the Golfweek rankings, Armour is coming off back-to-back top-10 finishes at the Travelers Championship (T-6) and Rocket Mortgage Classic (T-4). He was in contention last week until a Sunday round of even-par 72 to finish seven strokes back.

28. Matthew Fitzpatrick

Finished in a tie for 68th in his debut here last year, but will be joined this year by veteran caddie Jim “Bones” MacKay. He should get a better feel for the greens after losing 1.56 strokes per round putting in the 2019 Memorial Tournament, according to Data Golf.

27. Louis Oosthuizen

Took last week off following a lackluster return to golf from the midseason suspension. Good tee-to-green game.

26. Scottie Scheffler

Has uncharacteristically missed consecutive cuts coming into this week. Performs well in the long approach shots required here.

Jul 4, 2020; Detroit; Rickie Fowler lines up a putt at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Rickie Fowler

Fowler finally showed a flash of his old form last week while finishing T-12 after taking a week off. Has averaged 2.00 strokes gained on the field across 34 career rounds played at Muirfield Village.

24. Byeong Hun An

Also well experienced at this course, An has averaged 1.93 strokes gained across 18 rounds. Finished T-17 last year while gaining 1.34 strokes per round from tee-to-green.

23. Bubba Watson

Ranks among the most experienced golfers in the field with 44 rounds played at this venue. Enters the week seventh in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green on courses of at least 7,400 yards.

22. Joel Dahmen

Ranks 32nd in my stat model with a top rank of eighth in Proximity from 175-200 Yards. Took last week off, but hasn’t finished worse than T-48 in three events since golf returned.

21. Corey Conners

Fifteenth in the field in SG: Approach and 20th in SG: Tee-to-Green on courses longer than 7,400 yards. Finished T-65 at last year’s Memorial Tournament due to uncharacteristic tee-to-green performance.


Looking to place a bet on the 2020 Workday Charity Open? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!


20. Phil Mickelson

Mickelson has played every other week since returning to play. He showed at the Travelers Championship he can still hang with the top young power hitters and has more than enough distance for this lengthened course.

19. Ian Poulter

Ranks sixth in this week’s stat model and leads the field in the key proximity distance of 175-200 yards.

18. Matthew Wolff

Wolff resurfaced last week with a solo second-place finish. Gained 1.52 strokes per round putting but also gained 1.51 per round from tee-to-green.

17. Adam Hadwin

A T-4 finish last week was his best result since the same finishing position at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in the fall. Usually relies heavily on his putter, but gained 1.37 strokes per round from tee-to-green in Detroit.

16. Jordan Spieth

Spieth is coming off back-to-back disappointing finishes after a resurgent T-10 result at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Has averaged 1.52 strokes gained per round across 26 trips around Muirfield Village.

Jun 26, 2020; Cromwell, Conn.; Collin Morikawa with his caddie on the 18th fairway at the Travelers Championship. (Photo Credit: Bill Streicher – USA TODAY Sports)

15. Collin Morikawa

Took last week off to regroup after missing his first cut as a professional at the Travelers Championship. Struggles slightly with the long par 4s present here.

14. Matt Kuchar

Ranks second in the field with an average of 2.75 strokes gained per round across 46 career rounds at this course. Took the last two weeks off following a T-41 result at the RBC Heritage.

13. Sungjae Im

Coming off three straight disappointing results after returning to play with a T-10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Finished T-57 at the 2019 Memorial Tournament while losing 1.25 strokes per round on approach.

12. Viktor Hovland

Hasn’t finished worse than his T-23 at the Charles Schwab Challenge since returning from the midseason pause. Also hasn’t finished better than his T-11 at the Travelers Championship.

11. Patrick Reed

Missed the cut in two of his last three events but ranks fourth in this field in Birdies or Better Gained on courses of 7,400 yards.


SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.


10. Joaquin Niemann

Returns after a week off following a disappointing 63rd-place finish at the Travelers Championship on the heels of a T-5 at the RBC Heritage. Ranks 12th in the field in SG: Approach and third from the key distance of 175-200 yards.

9. Gary Woodland

Fifth in this week’s stat model and fourth in SG: Tee-to-Green. Highly experienced here with 32 rounds played and 0.99 strokes gained per round.

8. Marc Leishman

One of 11 golfers in the field with at least 42 rounds played at Muirfield Village. Has averaged 1.10 strokes gained per round and ranks fourth in the field in SG: Approach and eighth in Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 Yards.

7. Xander Schauffele

Tied for 14th last year while gaining 1.17 strokes per round off the tee. Missed the cut in his lone other appearance.

6. Patrick Cantlay

The 2019 Memorial Tournament champ returned to play with a T-11 finish at the Travelers Championship and took last week off. He gained 3.64 strokes per round from tee-to-green last year.

Jun 26, 2020; Cromwell, Conn.; Jon Rahm reacts after missing a putt at the Travelers Championship. (Photo Credit: Bill Streicher – USA TODAY Sports)

5. Jon Rahm

Fifth in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and 10th in Birdies or Better Gained. Still No. 2 in the Golfweek rankings. He’s the top golfer in the field.

4. Hideki Matsuyama

Slipped to a T-21 finish last week after firing a Saturday round of 65. Finished alone in sixth at the 2019 Memorial Tournament while gaining 2.50 strokes per round from tee-to-green.

3. Brooks Koepka

Returns following two weeks off after his caddie tested positive for COVID-19 and he withdrew from the Travelers Championship. Had returned to form with a seventh-place finish at the RBC Heritage.

2. Justin Rose

Ranks third in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and Birdies or Better Gained. Has played 46 rounds at Muirfield Village with a win at the 2010 Memorial Tournament and an average of 2.39 strokes gained.

1. Justin Thomas

Leads the field in SG: Tee-to-Green, Birdies or Better Gained and Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 Yards on courses longer than 7,400 yards. Has gained 0.45 strokes on the field across 18 rounds played here.

Get some action on the 2020 Workday Charity Open by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic

Analyzing the best fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

[jwplayer GSXT56dF]

Detroit Golf Club hosts the second annual Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, beginning Thursday. Webb Simpson and Bryson DeChambeau highlight a slightly weaker field than golf fans have seen in the last three events, but it’s still significantly stronger than last year when Nate Lashley won by six strokes at 25-under par. Below, we look at the fantasy golf power rankings for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Detroit Golf Club, designed by Donald Ross, measures 7,334 yards and plays to a par of 72. Simpson returns to play after withdrawing from the Travelers Championship amid COVID-19 concerns. He rose to No. 3 in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings following his win at the RBC Heritage.

Also see: 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic odds, picks, predictions and PGA Tour best bets

2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Jun 28, 2020; Cromwell, Conn.; Brendon Todd reacts to a putt during the final round of the Travelers Championship. (Photo Credit: Bill Streicher – USA TODAY Sports)

Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

30. Brendon Todd

Resurfaced with a T-11 finish last week in Connecticut. A back-to-back winner early in the 2019-20 season, we know he can stay hot for two weeks in a row.

29. Matthew Wolff

He’s out of form with two straight missed cuts, but he’s a PGA Tour winner and his stock rises in the weaker field after missing the cut on the number last week.

28. Rafael Cabrera Bello

Finished T-32 last week with thanks to a final-round 64. Tied for 16th in a strong field at the WGC-Mexico Championship before the season was suspended.

27. Rory Sabbatini

Riding a streak of five straight made cuts dating back to The Genesis Invitational. Ranks sixth in this field in Sand Saves Gained over everyone’s last 50 rounds, according to Fantasy National, and will be capable of escaping any of the 87 bunkers covering this course.

26. Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Has three international wins in the last five years, but still looking for his first in North America. This will be one of the weaker Tour fields in which he has played.

Jun 14, 2020; Fort Worth, Texas; Branden Grace tees off at the Charles Schwab Challenge. (Photo Credit: Raymond Carlin III – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Branden Grace

Missed the cut on the number last week. Ranks 26th in this field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.

24. Brian Harman

An expert sand player who ranks 18th in this field in SG: Tee-to-Green. Came out of the break with back-to-back top-30 finishes before a missed cut last week.

23. Sebastian Munoz

Got off to a strong start at the RBC Heritage before slipping to a T-28 result, and then missed the cut at the Travelers Championship. Ranks 17th in SG: Tee-to-Green and 23rd in SG: Approach.

22. Tom Hoge

Came back from consecutive missed cuts to finish T-37 last week. Ranks fifth in the field in SG: Approach.

21. Russell Knox

Seven missed cuts dating back to a T-16 finish in a strong field at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Still ranks seventh in SG: Approach and 13th in Bogey Avoidance.


Looking to place a bet on the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!


20. Harold Varner III

Missed the cut in 2019 despite gaining a stroke per round on the field in SG: Approach, according to Data Golf. Flashed his potential with a T-19 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but needs to string four rounds together.

19. Adam Hadwin

One of the best putters on Tour on any surface. Has missed the cut in just one of his last 12 events.

18. Cameron Tringale

Tenth in this field in Bogey Avoidance and 16th in both SG: Tee-to-Green and SG: Approach. Tied for fifth in 2019 while gaining 2.02 strokes per round from tee-to-green.

17. Erik Van Rooyen

Rested last week following a T-21 finish at the RBC Heritage. Ranks 11th in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and 18th in SG: Approach.

16. Doc Redman

Last year’s runner-up heated up last week with a T-11 finish at the Travelers Championship. Hasn’t missed a cut in his last four events.

Jun 19, 2020; Hilton Head, S.C.; Kevin Kisner at the RBC Heritage. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

15. Kevin Kisner

Missed the cut in three of his last four events and each of his last two, but finished T-46 in the weaker field last year at 9-under par, despite losing strokes putting.

14. Bubba Watson

Lost 1.70 strokes per round on approach in 2019 and missed the cut last week following a T-7 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge and a T-52 at the RBC Heritage. Ranks 28th in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and is 13th by the betting odds to win at BetMGM.

13. Rickie Fowler

Fowler returned to play with consecutive missed cuts before taking last week off. He has slipped all the way to 98th in the Golfweek rankings, but he’s still 10th by the tournament’s betting odds.

12. Brandt Snedeker

Fourth in the field in Sand Saves Gained and 14th in Bogey Avoidance. Finished T-41 last week following a missed cut at the RBC Heritage in his return to play.

11. J.T. Poston

One of my favorite betting plays this week at +4000. Finished T-10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and T-8 at the RBC Heritage before a missed cut last week. Tied for 11th in Detroit last year.


SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.


10. Kevin Na

Ranks 11th in Bogey Avoidance and 13th in Sand Saves Gained. Finished fifth last week.

9. Scottie Scheffler

Yet another player who missed the cut on the number at 3-under last week. Ranks eighth in this field in SG: Tee-to-Green.

8. Patrick Reed

Reed missed the cut at the RBC Heritage following a T-7 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but returned with a T-24 last week. He’s seventh in Bogey Avoidance and 13th in SG: Tee-to-Green.

7. Tony Finau

Ranks eighth in SG: Approach and leads the field in SG: Tee-to-Green. Hasn’t finished in the top 20 since a disappointing runner-up result at the Waste Management.

6. Viktor Hovland

Up to 21st in the Golfweek rankings following a T-11 finish last week. Has steadily improved his results over his four events dating back to the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Jun 14, 2020; Fort Worth, Texas; Sungjae Im on the third tee during at the Charles Schwab Challenge. (Photo Credit: Raymond Carlin III – USA TODAY Sports)

5. Sungjae Im

Returned to play with a T-10 result at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but missed the cut at the RBC Heritage and finished T-58 last week. Ranks fourth in this field by the Golfweek rankings and has the seventh-lowest betting odds.

4. Tyrrell Hatton

Ranked fourth by the betting odds, Hatton is 17th in the world and fifth in the field by the Golfweek rankings. Took last week off following a T-3 at the RBC Heritage.

3. Hideki Matsuyama

Missed the cut last week, but ranks third in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and ninth in both SG: Approach and Bogey Avoidance. Ranks fifth by the betting odds at +1800.

2. Bryson DeChambeau

A massive betting favorite at +650, DeChambeau has six straight top-10 finishes. Ranks fourth in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and Bogey Avoidance.

1. Webb Simpson

The RBC Heritage champ withdrew last week, but returns to lead this week’s stat model. His first career win came at the Donald Ross-designed Sedgefield Country Club in 2011.

Get some action on the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 Travelers Championship

Analyzing the best fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands.

[jwplayer UTff6kvi]

The 2020 Travelers Championship is set to tee off Thursday at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. The third event on the PGA Tour’s revamped 2020 schedule is the first to be played on its regularly scheduled dates and features another star-studded field. Below, we look at the top-30 fantasy golf power rankings for the 2020 Travelers Championship.

Thirteen of the top 15 players in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings will be in attendance, including reigning RBC Heritage champ Webb SimpsonDaniel Berger, who has risen all the way to No. 5 in the Golfweek rankings, withdrew from the event Sunday night.

TPC River Highlands is a par-70 measuring just 6,841 yards and featuring Bentgrass greens.

Also see:

2020 Travelers Championship: Fantasy Golf Top 30

(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands.

30. Ryan Moore

Moore has never won here, but has gained an average of 1.75 strokes per round on the field across 44 career rounds at TPC River Highlands, according to Data Golf.

29. Matthew Fitzpatrick

A regular contender on the European Tour, Fitzpatrick is still looking for his first win on the PGA Tour after a T-14 result last week at a favorite course of his.

28. Corey Conners

Conners again lost strokes putting last week and still managed a T-21 finish. His ball-striking should shine through at this short venue.

27. Joel Dahmen

Dahmen has quietly climbed into 31st in the Golfweek rankings with a top-50 finish in each of the last three events. He was in contention last week until a Sunday 75 dropped him to T-48.

26. Ian Poulter

The veteran Poulter has taken up residency on the PGA Tour with the European Tour still on pause. He tied for 14th last week after grabbing a share of the first-round lead.

(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Jason Day

Still one of the best Bentgrass putters on Tour, Day has a good history here with a T-8 in 2019 and T-12 in 2018.

24. Scottie Scheffler

Potentially a sneaky play after last week’s Tuesday morning withdrawal. Scheffler scores well on par 4s from 400-450 yards and gains scoring opportunities on these shorter courses.

23. Patrick Reed

Missed the cut last week at a short, but tight course following a T-7 finish at Colonial Country Club. Reed is a much better putter on Bentgrass than last week’s Bermuda greens.

22. Jordan Spieth

The rollercoaster continues, but there’s denying Spieth is a strong choice in any fantasy format that rewards birdies more strongly than it punishes bogeys.


Looking to place a bet on the 2020 Travelers Championship? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!


21. Sergio Garcia

A T-5 finish last week was his best result since a T-4 at the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship. Led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and ranked second in SG: Approach last week.

20. Sungjae Im

A rare missed cut was entirely the fault of losing 2.20 strokes per round putting on the Bermuda greens at Harbour Town Golf Links. He ranks 41st in this week’s field on Bentgrass greens, according to Fantasy National.

19. Joaquin Niemann

A first-time winner at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in the first event of the 2019-20 season, Niemann resurfaced with last week’s T-5 result in a considerably stronger field. He excelled from tee to green and on approach.

18. Jon Rahm

Still ranked second in the Golfweek rankings, Rahm is one of the few players from among the world’s elite without a top-20 finish in two events back from the midseason pause.

17. Xander Schauffele

Lost strokes in all key areas except for SG: Off the Tee last week after narrowly missing out on a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Missed the cut in 2018 after a T-14 in 2017.

(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

16. Viktor Hovland

His first victory at the Puerto Rico Open in February was on a much longer course, but he’s an expert ball-striker who can create scoring opportunities.

15. Tony Finau

A disappointing restart to the season with a T-23 and T-33 finish. Missed the cut last year, but tied for 17th in 2017.

14. Dustin Johnson

Johnson gained an impressive 1.35 strokes off the tee and 0.79 strokes on approach last week. The T-17 finish was his best result since a T-10 at The Genesis Invitational.

13. Gary Woodland

Stumbled to a T-62 last week following a ninth-place finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Playing here for the first time since 2016.

12. Collin Morikawa

Last year’s T-36 finish in his debut last season now pales in comparison to what he has accomplished since. Still hasn’t missed a cut as a professional.

11. Patrick Cantlay

Back-to-back T-15 finishes here in the last two years. Returns to play for the first time after sitting out the last two events following the midseason suspension.


SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.


10. Justin Rose

Another veteran with good history here, but no appearances since a 13th-place showing in 2013. Back-to-back top 15s out of the break.

9. Bubba Watson

A three-time champion here looks to tie Billy Casper’s 47-year-old record four titles. Has been quietly playing well and salvaged a T-52 finish with a Sunday 65 last week.

8. Bryson DeChambeau

All that added power may be for naught at such a short venue. Struggles on Bentgrass greens compared to Bermuda or Poa Annua, as well.

7. Rory McIlroy

Has excelled on shorter courses in his career, including a victory at 22-under par at last year’s RBC Canadian Open. Has gained 1.84 strokes per round in two appearances here.

6. Marc Leishman

A champion in 2012, Leishman has averaged 1.13 strokes gained per round on the field at TPC River Highlands. Leads this field in SG: Ball Striking and Par Efficiency: 400-450 Yards on courses shorter than 7,200 yards and featuring Bentgrass greens.

(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

5. Webb Simpson

Now a two-time winner in 2020, Simpson rebounded nicely from a missed cut at the Charles Schwab Challenge to win last week. He’s been largely unimpressive here and last missed the cut in 2018.

4. Abraham Ancer

Came oh-so-close to his first career PGA Tour win last week in Hilton Head, S.C. Led the field with 2.96 SG: Approach and ranked second in SG: T2G.

3. Justin Thomas

Two top 10s since returning to play, but has struggled at this venue since tying for third in 2016.

2. Brooks Koepka

Flashed his old form in a seventh-place finish last week, while gaining 1.73 strokes per round off the tee. Also gained 0.94 strokes putting on the Bermuda greens, including some clutch long attempts on Sunday.

1. Paul Casey

The would-be course history darling if it weren’t for Watson. Casey has finished either T-5 or as a runner-up in four of his five appearances here. Leads the field in Opportunities Gained in what should be another shootout in the Tour’s return to play.

Get some action on the 2020 Travelers Championship by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Fantasy Golf Power Rankings for the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge

Analyzing the best fantasy golf options for the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club.

The 2019-20 PGA Tour season resumes Thursday, June 11, with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Previously an invitational event, the 2020 field is expanded to 144 golfers, including many of those ranked at the top of the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. Below, we look at the top fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge.

Colonial Country Club features Bentgrass greens and measures 7,209 yards with a par of 70. The scores of the last five tournament winners have ranged from 10-under par to minus-20.

Charles Schwab Challenge: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Mar 12, 2020; Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Rory McIlroy lines up a putt on the 10th hole during the first round of the 2020 edition of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass – Stadium Course. (Photo Credit: Adam Hagy – USA TODAY Sports)

Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club.

30. Brandt Snedeker

Snedeker has a strong history at Colonial, having gained an average of 1.06 strokes per round on the field across 36 career rounds. He made the cut in each of his last five trips to Fort Worth, picking up a T-2 in 2015 and a T-19 last year.

29. Adam Hadwin

Hadwin is an excellent putter on Bentgrass greens. He tied for fifth at Colonial in 2015 and followed it with three more made cuts before skipping last year’s event.

28. Harris English

Another strong putter (sensing a theme?), English was the runner-up in 2016. He ranks fifth in the field among those with a minimum of 10 rounds played with 1.58 true strokes gained per round at Colonial, according to Data Golf.

27. Shane Lowry

Lowry makes his debut at Colonial coming off his 2019 Open Championship victory. The 24th-ranked golfer in the Golfweek rankings tied for 21st at The Honda Classic in a rare non-major appearance in North America before the season was suspended.

May 26, 2019; Fort Worth, Texas; Kevin Na kneels with trophy after winning the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club. (Photo Credit: Ray Carlin – USA TODAY Sports)

26. Kevin Na

The 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge champion has finished inside the top 10 in three of his last four visits to Fort Worth. He’s a steady performer on and around the greens.

25. Matt Kuchar

Kuchar had a couple of strong finishes early this year. He won the SMBC Singapore Open on the Asian and Japanese Tours, and he was a co-runner-up at The Genesis Invitational. He’s well-experienced at Colonial with 42 career rounds and an average of 1.48 strokes gained per round.

24. Marc Leishman

Leishman won the Farmers Insurance Open and finished second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before his season was put on hold. He’s not a particularly strong putter on Bentgrass surfaces, but the rest of his short-game play has been in excellent form.

23. Joaquin Niemann

Niemann opened the 2019-20 season with a victory at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier. He was ice cold to begin the 2020 portion of the schedule, missing the cut at The Genesis Invitational, The Honda Classic and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He still ranks third in my stat model at Fantasy National, which looks at everyone’s most recent 50 rounds played on courses with Bentgrass greens.

22. Lucas Glover

Glover ranks 10th by the same stat model, leaning on a strength of Par 4 Efficiency on holes measuring between 400 and 450 yards. He missed the cut in his last two appearances here, but his 38 career rounds rank among the most of anyone in the field.

21. Scottie Scheffler

The reigning Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year finished T-15 at the API prior to the Tour’s season being suspended. He’ll debut at Colonial having shot up to 28th in the Golfweek rankings.


Looking to place a bet on the Charles Schwab Challenge? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!


20. Byeong Hun An

An bucks the trend of backing putters, but he was in otherwise excellent form earlier this year, highlighted by a T-4 finish at The Honda Classic. He ranks among the best in the field in Strokes Gained: Scrambling, and he has a good approach game.

19. Daniel Berger

Berger was showing flashes of his former self earlier this year. He finished T-4 at The Honda Classic and T-5 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Putting is a weakness, but his ball-striking is back in top form.

Mar 12, 2020; Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Rickie Fowler watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the 2020 edition of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass – Stadium Course. (Photo Credit: Adam Hagy – USA TODAY Sports)

18. Rickie Fowler

Golf fans were able to see Fowler at the TaylorMade Driving Relief skins match where he was the best in a foursome consisting of Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Matthew Wolff. Fowler tied for 14th here in 2018, but he missed the cut last year.

17. Xander Schauffele

Schauffele has a surprisingly poor history at Colonial. He missed the cut each of the last two years following a T-48 finish in 2017. He’s a reliable putter who can get hot, and he is a low scorer.

16. Collin Morikawa

Morikawa still hasn’t missed a cut as a professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He tied for ninth in a strong field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

15. Patrick Reed

Reed is an excellent putter and does extremely well on our selected par-4 distance of 400-450 yards. He tied for 15th here in 2016 before taking the last three years off.

14. Sungjae Im

Im, who picked up his first PGA Tour win at The Honda Classic earlier this year, missed the cut here in 2019, but he missed the cut in just two of 26 worldwide events since. He has an excellent short game and can create scoring opportunities.

February 6, 2020; Pebble Beach, Calif.; Kevin Kisner lines up a putt on the second hole during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Spyglass Hill Golf Course. (Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)

13. Kevin Kisner

Kisner finished T-5 in 2015 and T-10 in 2016 before winning the plaid jacket in 2017. He has since finished T-52 and missed the cut in 2019. He is third in the field in SG: Putting on Bentgrass greens across everyone’s last 100 rounds on the surface.

12. Gary Woodland

Woodland was rounding into form immediately before the break, finishing T-12 at the WGC-Mexico Championship and T-8 at The Honda Classic. A weaker putter, he’ll rely on excellent ball striking and scoring.

11. Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau ranks fourth in my overall stat model. He missed the cut in three of four appearances here, but he finished inside the top five in each of his last three events in 2020.


SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.


10. Tony Finau

The 2019 runner-up has gained an average of 1.57 strokes per round across his 16 career rounds at Colonial. He’s an expert ball-striker and low scorer.

9. Jordan Spieth

Throw out any ill-feelings you may have toward Spieth due to his struggles over the past three seasons. The 2016 champion of Colonial tied for second in both 2015 and 2017 and tied for eighth last year. He leads the field with 2.52 strokes gained at this venue, and his putter has remained consistently elite amid his struggles from tee-to-green.

8. Jason Day

Day is the only member of the field better with the putter than Spieth over everyone’s last 100 rounds on Bentgrass. Persistent injury issues have kept him out of the winner’s circle since 2018, but he’ll be well-rested after last withdrawing from the API.

7. Dustin Johnson

Johnson was a disaster at the TaylorMade event, but it’s quite possible the charity event didn’t have his full interest. He ranks seventh in the stat model and is the second-best ball-striker over everyone’s last 50 rounds.

6. Webb Simpson

The No. 1 golfer in the Golfweek rankings skipped last year’s event following a missed cut in 2018. He was fifth in 2017 and tied for third in 2016. Putting isn’t a strength, but he excels as an escape artist, which could have him better prepared than most to shake off the rust.

Aug 25, 2019; Atlanta; Brooks Koepka lines up a putt during the final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. (Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports)

5. Brooks Koepka

Koepka has now had plenty of time to rest and fully heal the knee injury which was plaguing his play early in the calendar year. He was the runner-up in 2018, his only career appearance at Colonial, and he gained 4.01 strokes on the field.

4. Rory McIlroy

McIlroy was in good, not great, form at the TaylorMade event. His closest-to-the-pin shot in the playoff proved to be the winner. He’s fifth in the stat model and will be looking for his first win of 2020 after four top-five finishes.

3. Jon Rahm

Rahm ranks fourth in the Golfweek rankings and his early 2020 form may have been trailing only McIloy. He collected two wins on the European Tour to end his 2019 campaign. He then finished second at the Farmers Insurance Open and tied for third in Mexico.

2. Justin Thomas

Thomas is another of the top-ranked golfers making his debut at Colonial in the restructured 2020 season. He bests the stat model, ranking first in Ball Striking and Birdies or Better Gained.

1. Justin Rose

Chalk Rose up as someone likely to have enjoyed the break from competitive golf. He had missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, The Honda Classic and the API before play was suspended. He won here in 2018 and ranks second in the stat model coming in.

Get some action on the Charles Schwab Challenge by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]