It was a jam-packed weekend in Paris as the men’s Olympic golf came to a close last Sunday. Former inmate designated 00654436 and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler dominated a closing back 9 to take home gold, while England’s Tommy Fleetwood edged out Hideki Matsuyama for silver. Jon Rahm, a proud countryman, put together an all-time stinker of a back 9 to choke away a gold medal for his home country, Spain. “Rahmbo” had a four-shot lead with eight holes to play and somehow managed not to medal. His performance at the summer games rivals Rory McIlroy’s back nine at this year's U.S. Open for the biggest choke job of the year (and of recent memory). Am I salty because Rahm made the switch to LIV 9 months ago? Absolutely not. Is it because I may have had a particularly large wager on him winning gold? Potentially. But that’s neither here nor there, the world moves on and so will these golfers. We move to this week's PGA event at Sedgefield Country Club: The Wyndham Championship. Let’s break down the picks and what it means for some players moving into next week’s FedEx Cup Championship.
Chuck’s Favorites
The Wyndham Championship is a tournament that plays fairly short compared to other PGA Tour tracks. Distance and ball striking are king in today’s modern golf landscape. However, last year proved a seasoned vet like Lucas Glover can still contend (and win) at events like this. He went back-to-back at Wyndham and the FedEx Championship. You can snag him on DraftKings at $7,400. He’ll undoubtedly be a popular betting pick this week, but there are other players ahead of him that I like a lot more. Brian Harman hasn’t had a phenomenal year by any means, and it’s certainly hard to follow pace after winning last year's Open Championship. He has, however, been pretty automatic in cuts made, making 18/20 this year. That goes along with 3 top 10’s and a 2nd place finish at this year's Players. His putter is his biggest weapon, and when that flat stick gets hot, he is pretty tough to beat. Give me the Georgia boy all day at $9,300. Cameron Young was on my “hate list” earlier in the year, but he has been turning it on these past few months. Two top-10 finishes at the Travelers and the Rocket Mortgage, along with a solid performance at this year's Open Championship, find him in good form going into this weekend. When he’s on, he is a birdie machine, and recently, he had a much more polished short game that would allow him to hoist the trophy at Sedgefield this weekend. Young is currently listed at $9,700 right now on DraftKings.
Contenders
Aaron Rai has had himself quite the year. Usually, when you see a golfer rocking two gloves you’d think he’s a 20 handicap, however, the Englishman has been a stick all year. Rai has FIVE top 5 finishes, three of them coming in the past four tournaments he’s teed it up in. He doesn’t hit the ball quite like other PGA superstars, but his poise and ability to figure out a golf course have proved successful. He’s currently listed at $8,800 on DK, cheaper than the likes of Jordan Spieth, Billy Horschel, and Davis Thompson. I think you can lump Rai and Robert Macintyre into the same sort of category when it comes to grading performances on tour this season. “Bobby Mac” has 4 top 10 finishes on the year, two of them being wins at the Scottish Open and Canadian Open. He has a knack for “gimmicky” courses, and Sedgefield plays into that. Be very weary, however, as the Scot has only made 11/21 cuts on the season.
Sleepers
According to Data Golf, Denny McCarthy currently holds the best short game rating on the year at +0.97 strokes gained, slightly edging out Xander and McKenzie Hughes. Three top-10 finishes on the year and 16/20 cuts make him a very intriguing pick for this weekend when the short game is especially emphasized. He hasn’t been in great form with back-to-back missed cuts at the Scottish Open and Open Championship, but I like “Denny Mac” to bounce back this weekend with a solid finish. Nick Dunlap was playing as an amateur when he won this year at the AmEx, which made him ineligible for FedEx Cup points. He would have received 500 points, but now he sits at 66th in FedEx Cup rankings, and only the top 70 make it to next weekend. Needless to say, he has a little extra incentive to perform well this weekend. Three top-10 finishes and 12/19 cuts make me want to take a chance on the young gun this weekend in North Carolina.
Honorable Mentions
Christiaan Besuidenhout: $8,700
Keegan Bradley: $8,500
Erik Van Rooyen: $7,800
Eric Cole: $7,700
Michael Thorbjornsen: $7,200
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