It’s Masters Week! And I am excited to be playing with our friends at Fantasy Draft, where the Augusta Challenge is a freeroll with no salary cap and no restrictions. Simply grab the seven golfers you think will rock the course and get ready to cash in!
Of course, that means the best golfers around will be gathering at Augusta National for this year’s first—and maybe most storied—major.
I would like to think both my skill on the links as well as in the DFS universe have improved a lot, especially over the past year, for one reason my game has improved is because my playing has become a lot more tactical. As in, I get I will never be one to regularly drive the ball over 250 yards, but I can hit it 200 and straight. So I play a par 5 in the context of, “I can plan upon three 160-yard shots, and that will get me on the green in regulation.” Well, if I can avoid duffing anything.
I have indeed been applying this tactical game into my DFS, understanding 340-yard holes at the championship courses have hazards and trees and elevations and doglegs, requiring much more precise shots than a long, wide fairway accentuating a par 5.
As I have been playing this year, I’ve taken into account the above, coupled with level of finish and those important cuts made. For spending on Phil Mickelson when he doesn’t make the cut is much like picking Mike Trout, who goes 0-for-2 and then gets pulled in the sixth inning.
In looking at the scorecard for Augusta National, I discovered that all the holes come in five-yard increments, meaning all the distances, from the par 3 12th hole entitled “Golden Bell” at 155-yards, to Pink Dogwood, the 575-yard par 5 second hole.
Augusta holds a par of 72, with the tourney course 1,070 yards longer than the member’s tees at 7,435 yards, with the requisite four each of threes and fives and long fours (just one hole under 440 yards). Meaning the big hitters are where I am going to look first.
So, see if you can beat me at The Augusta Challenge as Sergio Garcia tries to defend his title. And, if you are wondering if I selected Sergio, take a peek at my picks below.
Kevin Chappell: Chappell can certainly hit for distance, with an average drive of 308.2 yards, good for 17th best on the tour this year. Chappell has made nine of 10 cuts this season, playing all weekend all eight 2018 tourneys, with three top 10s. Chappell ranks 57th at the 175-200 mark.
Bubba Watson: The new Bubba is really the old, pre-injury Bubba, and it is hard to not like both. This Bubba, free from the wrist injury that plagued him last year, has one win, making nine of 10 cuts this year including a victory at the Genesis. A two-time Masters champ who averages 316.2 yards out of the box and hits 67.8% of greens from 175-200 out — both numbers good for a respective third best on the tour this year — is for sure a personal favorite, and a healthy Bubba is a dangerous thing!
Tony Finau: Finau is the biggest hitter on the tour this season, averaging 321 yards per poke, ranking first at hitting the green 70.43% out of 60 shots between 175-200 yards . With nine of 11 cuts made to go with three top 10s this season, Finau becomes an easy selection.
Phil Mickelson: Another fave and former champ, but there is obviously more to Phil’s game than some manlove. With a mean of 299.9 yards off the tee, ranking #43 from 175-200 yards out, and first in fewest amount of putts per nine averaged, Mickelson has the basics from box to green covered better than anyone else. He’s made eight of nine cuts, with five top 10s and a win this season.
Tiger Woods: Woods’ return has been brief — just six tourneys, with five cuts made — but no less competent that in the past. His average drive is 304.2 yards, while from 175-200 has hit 41 of 71 (57.75%, good for 50th overall), while ranking third overall in putting. A four-time Masters champ, this is not the old Tiger, but with three top 10s out of six tries he still seems to be pretty good.
Alex Noren: The Swede has been as steady as anyone this season, making 11 cuts over 11 tries, with a pair of top 10s and averaging just 70 strokes per round. As for the three main skills, Noren sits at 302.2 off the tee (45th best), ranking 65th in putts averaged (202 one-putts). But from 175 out he ranks #3 at 67.53
Charl Schwartzel: Schwartzel has missed one cut of nine (the Palmer) but is ready for a strong finish, for like Mickelson, he drives the ball an average of 299.9 yards. And though his accuracy from 175 and out is just 46.94%, Schwartzel ranks 28th in putting with 196 one-putts over 26 rounds.
