Fantasy Golf: The RBC Heritage Preview

Apparently vindication is a dish best served to a tired hungover guy searching the landscape for a positive sign because my decision to hold-off on picking Scottie Scheffler proved to be a good one which meant two things: (1) I have returned to contention in my "one and done" league which for some reason I treat as a measuring stick for my overall performance not just in making golf picks, but in life, and (2) at least I got to watch the last few holes of another anticlimactic Masters with a feeling of smug satisfaction knowing I was right. And let's be honest, there are not many better feelings than that.

While we're doing a follow-up on last week, I should mention that my golf game still sucks but there is a glimmer of hope thanks to a grip change inspired by five minutes of Golf Channel rabble discussing how much Scheffler focuses on his (I think he's just dreamy). When I took it to the course on Monday, it cost me three lost balls and I think hit a Toyota parked 50 yards left of a 165 yard par 3 but, as they say, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few windshields. (I didn't actually break the windshield . . . just maybe a dent in the roof).  

TWEET OF THE WEEK

This video clip isn't political as Andrew Sorkin clearly states in the preface to his question so I'm not violating my unwritten rule. You could really call it more of a public service announcement along with a rare example of someone who actually knows what in the fuck he's talking about treating two members of the media (Sorkin and Joe Kernen) like the useful idiots that they have volunteered to be. Also a clear indication that we've completely lost the plot in this country when people still need to be told to stop sending money to the Nigerian prince. 

Diller, on $DJT: “Why are you even talking about this? It’s a scam. Just like everything he’s ever been involved in." pic.twitter.com/mQ4Hht1pzd

— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) April 7, 2024

GOLF ANALYSIS

This will be the first time I've previewed the RBC Heritage since I most recently played the course which I have a slightly more vivid memory of after my second tour. I absolutely recall our caddie, a happy go lucky retired bond trader from New Jersey who I liked until the third time I expressed frustration which beget the third time of him saying "come on guys, we're just out here to have fun." Who in the fuck told him that about me? 

Harbour Town tends to yield some predictable results (see handy chart below) by rewarding solid all-around players who drive it straight like Patrick Cantlay and Matt Fitzpatrick while not so much favoring smash and grab guys like Rory McIlroy and Tony Finau. Remember that for years, Luke Donald was a top five lock here back when he couldn't hit it past Tiger's 5-iron. 

We didn't really mean to go with a European invasion with this week's recommendations but it worked-out that way which is fine because the course suits their cute little Ryder Cup dominating style of play. In the interest of patriotism, however, I am picking Cantlay to win and that will payout at +1400 if you're feeling froggy. Here's where I'd put the rest of my kids' dwindling college funds. 

Tommy Fleetwood	Top 5	+400
Cameron Young	Top 5	+600
Shane Lowry	Top 10	+350
Taylor Moore	Top 10	+500
Matthieu Pavon	Top 10	+550
Stephan Jaeger	Top 20	+275

Sooner or later Tommy Fleetwood and/or Cameron Young are going to win on the PGA Tour so it might be time to start hammering them until one of them does. Taylor Moore has been playing sneaky great golf lately with a T20 at Augusta to back-up his second place finish in San Antonio and a T12 at the Valspar. And you couldn't build a better golfer in a lab for this course than Matthieu Pavon who is 8th in driving accuracy and also on a nice run which included a T12 last week. Well I guess you could make him not French. 

One and Done Pick: Patrick Cantlay

Weird seeing him in a hat because
apparently he hates those fucking things.

Other Guy I'd Pick: Cameron Young

Sleeper Pick: Emiliano Grillo 

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Patrick Cantlay	$10,200
Tommy Fleetwood	$9,800
Cameron Young	$8,700
Shane Lowry	$8,500
Corey Conners	$8,300
Denny McCarthy	$7,800
Taylor Moore	$7,400
Stephan Jaeger	$7,200
Matthieu Pavon	$7,000
Emiliano Grillo	$6,900

Good grief it took like five minutes after the Masters was over for golf media and country club text threads to gin-up the notion that Rory was going to LIV. Why would he do it now when the PGA Tour is clearly winning the battle on and off the course while the current LIV guys are predictably whining about how long it's taking for a merger? Despite his measured official response, I'm sure Rory is like "fuck those guys" and rightfully so.

                                THE RORY TO LIV RUMORS MEMORIAL

                                  HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART

So many intriguing options this week from Sahith Theegala to Brian Harman to J.T. Freakin' Poston who I'm just now remembering I wanted to include in my top ten. Even Webb Simpson is worth a look based on past performance despite his plummet to #221 in the world. That's why it's smart to grab that ten year Players Championship exemption when you're 40 . . . except Webb won it when he was 32 which now makes him the oldest seeming 38 year old I've ever seen. I assume I'm not alone on this.

	DK Price	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Scottie Scheffler	$13,300	T11	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Rory McIlroy	$11,200	DNP	DNP	DNP	T41	DNP
Xander Schauffele	$10,800	4th	DNP	DNP	T64	T63
Ludvig Aberg	$10,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Patrick Cantlay	$10,200	3rd	2nd	MC	DNP	T3
Collin Morikawa	$10,000	T31	T26	T7	T64	DNP
Tommy Fleetwood	$9,800	T15	T10	MC	DNP	T25
Max Homa	$9,700	MC	DNP	DNP	T41	DNP
Matt Fitzpatrick	$9,600	1st	MC	T4	T14	T39
Jordan Spieth	$9,400	2nd	1st	DNP	T68	T54
Wyndham Clark	$9,200	T29	T35	64th	T64	T54
Will Zalatoris	$9,000	DNP	DNP	T42	DNP	DNP
Sahith Theegala	$8,900	T5	T70	DNP	DNP	DNP
Cameron Young	$8,700	T51	T3	DNP	DNP	DNP
Tony Finau	$8,600	T31	DNP	DNP	T33	DNP
Shane Lowry	$8,500	T67	T3	T9	MC	T3
Justin Thomas	$8,400	T25	T35	DNP	T8	DNP
Corey Conners	$8,300	T31	T12	T4	T21	MC
Sam Burns	$8,200	T15	DNP	T39	MC	9th
Russell Henley	$8,100	T19	MC	T9	MC	MC
Si Woo Kim	$8,000	MC	T42	T33	MC	MC
Byeong Hun An	$7,900	DNP	DNP	MC	MC	MC
Jason Day	$7,900	DNP	DNP	DNP	MC	DNP
Brian Harman	$7,800	T7	T35	T13	T28	MC
Denny McCarthy	$7,800	T25	T56	T13	MC	T33
Chris Kirk	$7,700	T41	MC	T7	DNP	MC
Akshay Bhatia	$7,700	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
J.T. Poston	$7,600	MC	T3	MC	T8	T6
C. Bezuidenhout	$7,600	T19	DNP	T33	T28	DNP
Harris English	$7,500	T63	DNP	MC	T17	T25
Tom Kim	$7,400	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Taylor Moore	$7,400	T11	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Cam Davis	$7,400	T7	T3	T25	DNP	DNP
Sungjae Im	$7,300	T7	T21	T13	MC	MC
Keegan Bradley	$7,300	T48	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Sepp Straka	$7,200	MC	T3	T59	T33	DNP
Stephan Jaeger	$7,200	MC	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP
Brendon Todd	$7,100	T51	T26	T39	MC	DNP
Adam Schenk	$7,100	T31	MC	T25	MC	MC
Tom Hoge	$7,000	MC	MC	T25	MC	MC
Matthieu Pavon	$7,000	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Kurt Kitayama	$6,900	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
EmiIiano Grillo	$6,900	T7	MC	T2	MC	T33
Rickie Fowler	$6,800	T15	MC	DNP	MC	DNP
Lucas Glover	$6,800	MC	T48	T33	T21	MC
Adam Hadwin	$6,700	MC	T26	MC	T41	T48
Erik van Rooyan	$6,700	MC	T10	DNP	T21	DNP
Eric Cole	$6,700	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Justin Rose	$6,600	T25	DNP	DNP	T14	DNP
Mackenzie Hughes	$6,600	MC	MC	T52	T70	T63
Nick Taylor	$6,600	T41	MC	MC	DNP	T58
Jake Knapp	$6,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Nick Dunlap	$6,500	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Adam Svensson	$6,400	T41	T26	DNP	DNP	DNP
Austin Eckroat	$6,400	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Thomas Detry	$6,300	MC	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Gary Woodland	$6,200	T31	DNP	DNP	T62	DNP
Webb Simpson	$6,200	MC	T59	T9	1st	T16
Patrick Rodgers	$6,200	T19	DNP	MC	MC	DNP
Kevin Kisner	$6,100	W/D	MC	MC	MC	T41

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