To the Southwest rambles the PGA Tour this week, to the Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas, as the pros gather for the Byron Nelson, which I have always known as the “Classic” as well.
Trinity Forest is iconoclastic as a tour course, being built on a landfill with no trees or water hazards. Logging at 7,450 yards, the par 72 is a long test with holes nine (502 yards) and 18 (505 yards), both par fours, suggesting again the big hitters are the real focus, with GIR raking high. Trinity Forest also registers some big greens, making for some putting challenges.
For this cycle, I did look at who is hot this time of year, but also the big hitters and for sure local knowledge, for several in this week’s field can claim the club as home should they choose.
Sign up to play against me at FantasyDraft, a format I really like — they drop the low score from your seven-man roster ($100 K cap) for the weekend. For this week, I am simply playing a $1 50/50 with 114 slots, so sign up and see if you can beat me!
Texas weather does look like some showers and wind might haunt the players’ first and final days, but with mostly warm temperatures in the 80’s. As for my top six picks (remember, at FantasyDraft you pick seven and the low score is dropped), here you go.
Jordan Spieth ($18,800): One of the guys who could call Trinity Forest home, Spieth’s course knowledge when the club has only been on the tour for a couple of years is huge. Jordan has four top 10s with nine cuts made in 11 tries. The Nelson should make 10 for 11.
Mark Leishman ($15,800): Leishman has 10 cuts over 12 shots and five top finishes, and plays the weather — read wind — among the best of them. So, there go I.
Beau Hossler ($15,200): Another who could call home to the new club, Hossler has made the grade 15 of 18 times this year, has three top 10s, and, again, we all know just how valuable that local knowledge is.
Russell Knox ($13,800): Coming off a shared tie for seventh at the Zurich and rested for a week, Knox is averaging a solid 91.7 points per week with 12 made and three top 10s. He averages 292.7 yards per drive and ranks #26 in GIR.
Daniel Summerhays ($12,700): Another low-end but durable gamble, Summerhays has five cuts made from nine tries but like Knox performed well at the Zurich, finishing sixth partnering with Tony Finau.
Ryan Armour ($11,700): Armour has a win within the 13 cuts (19 tries) he has made this year and also returns, ideally refreshed, after laying off since the RBC Heritage and is a solid #66 in GIR (66.94%).
