Not a bad commute for the PGA this week, moving from the relatively new Trinity Forest Golf Club across town in Dallas to the more provincial Colonial Country Club for what was previously the Dean & Deluca Invitational.
The Colonial — which unlike Trinity has trees and water hazards — logs in at a cozy 7,054 yards for the pros, meaning a chunk of tasty par fours that will test accuracy. It has just a pair of fives — #1 at 563 yards, and #11 at 611 — with four threes ranging between 171 and 252 yards. The balance, plus those interesting fours, should test one’s ability to hit the green and putt, as opposed to getting the ball down.
Sign up to play against me at FantasyDraft, a format I really like — they drop the low score from your seven-man roster ($100K 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!
As with the rest of the country, the weather is goofy with spring rain hanging around indefinitely. Rain is forecast in Dallas all four days of the contest, along with temps in the high 70s to low 80s, so the air should be damp and heavy. As for my top six picks (remember, at FantasyDraft you pick seven and the low score is dropped), here you go.
Jon Rahm ($16,800): Rahm has been low key it seems the past few tourneys, but he is still 10-for-10 making the cut with three top 10s and a win thus far. The Spaniard ranks #23 in GIR and averages a solid 132.8 points per tourney.
Zach Johnson ($15,000): Johnson dropped from #56 to #69 in GIR this past week, but he is 12-for-12 lifetime at the Colonial and is the all-time money leader for the contest. Johnson has a pair of top 10s, has made the cut all 13 tries, and is averaging 118.5 FFPT.
Chesson Hadley ($14,600): Hadley has a hot hand, with six straight top 20s. He sits at #45 at GIR and with the streak has upped his FFPT to 115.16.
Brian Harman ($14.100): I get so hot and cold regarding Harman, who nonetheless has had a solid season with 12 of 14 cuts made. Harman ranks #22 at GIR and is right with Hadley, both alphabetically and with 115.50 FPPT.
Adam Hadwin ($14.100): It looks like I am in the “H” zone with Hadwin joining the surname troika, but Hadwin logs at #25 in GIR (69.40%). Hadwin is 14 of 14 making the cut, bringing home 109.07 FPPT.
Kevin Streelman ($11,500): Not so much a sleeper as low key, Streelman has converted 14 of 17 cuts but ranks #5 overall in GIR, making him a great value play. He’s got four top 10s and averages 103.7 points per contest.
