2020 Workday Charity Open Picks and Preview

For the next two weeks the PGA will play at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. This week it’s the Workday Charity Open. The Workday Open is a one-time-only event created to replace the cancelled John Deere Classic. The following week the Memorial Tournament will be played at Muirfield, an event that has been played at MVGC since 1976. 

What to Expect at Muirfield 

This is Jack Nicklaus’ tournament. It is played on a golf course that Nicklaus designed. Nicklaus was born, raised, educated and has remained in the greater Columbus, Ohio area. Each year a golfer from the past is honored, hence the name “memorial,” and a plaque commemorating the chosen golfer is installed near the club house at Muirfield.

This is a par-72 course with four par-3’s and four par-4’s. The course rewards accurate driver hits. For golfers who miss the fairways, scrambling will be a challenge. The greens play fast. Expect birdies on holes five, six and seven. The cut-line on this course tends to be par. Patrick Cantlay ($47 on Yahoo DFS) won the Memorial in 2019 with a minus-19 score. A certain golfer, the one who ‘roid raged at a cameraman last week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, won the Memorial in 2018. Jason Dufner ($20 on Yahoo DFS) won in 2017. Hideki Mastuyama ($45 on Yahoo DFS) won the Memorial in 2014. Matt Kuchar ($42 on Yahoo DFS) won the Memorial in 2013. 

An interesting side-note is that it will be possible for a golfer to do something called the “Muirfield Double,” winning the Workday this week and winning the Memorial next week. 

Below are my picks. 

The Muirfield Double

Yeah, I like Cantlay. I always like Cantlay. He’s one of my top-five favorites in the PGA. I am betting on Cantlay this week. I will bet on Cantlay next week at the Memorial. If I had to pick a golfer who could win here in two consecutive weeks, it would be Cantlay. Patrick “Muirfield Double” Cantlay. 

Here’s some other names I like on Yahoo DFS: 

Top Tier 

Justin Rose ($42 on Yahoo DFS) sucked two weeks ago at the Travelers Championship and missed the cut, but he was T-14 at the RBC Heritage three weeks ago and T-3 at the Charles Schwab a month ago. Rose also has great course history numbers at Muirfield, having played 46 rounds there with a cumulative strokes gained of +2.75. I am banking on course history this week, and Rose has great statistics here.

Xander Shauffele ($44 on Yahoo DFS) was T-20 at the Travelers, T-64 at the RBC Heritage, and T-3 at the Schwab. You have to consider how deep the field was at those events to put those numbers in perspective. The field at the Workday is weak in comparison. 

Hideki Matsuyama ($45 on Yahoo DFS) is my contrarian play. Other than a T-21 at the Rocket Mortgage last week, he hasn’t had his best game recently. I am looking for Matsuyama to turn it around at the Workday for a top-10 finish. Basically, in the Workday field Matsuyama is a top-class talent. His statistics at Muirfield are strong, having played 22 competition rounds here with a shots-gained score of +2.13.

Middle Tier 

Joaquin Niemann ($38 on Yahoo DFS) has played well in recent weeks. He was T-5 at the RBC Heritage and T-32 at the Charles Schwab. He has the game needed to compete at the Workday. 

Phil Mickelson ($34 on Yahoo DFS) has decent course history here, having played 39 competitive rounds at Muirfield with a strokes-gamed statistic of +1.54. The reason I like Mickelson at the Workday is because he is a world-class scrambler and that skill will come in handy at Muirfield. I might end up yelling at my television and watching Mickelson do his “old dirty grandpa” schtick as he misses yet another cut. But I like Phil here against this field. 

Jim Furyk ($32 on Yahoo DFS) has good course history here with 54 competition rounds and a strokes-gained number of +1.66. They call it gambling for a reason, and I admit that Furyk is a gamble, but I am going to put some Furyk in my DFS lineups and see what happens. 

Strategy

A respectable strategy in any golf DFS lineup is to match three top-priced golfers with three minimum-priced golfers. In order to make that work you must find value golfers with a chance to make the cut and compete. If you want to play lines with Cantlay and two other high-priced studs like Justin Thomas ($48 on Yahoo DFS) or Vik Hovland ($41 on Yahoo DFS) you have to match them with cheap players.

Lower Tier

Stewart Cink ($20 on Yahoo DFS) is a pick based upon two factors – he has good numbers at Muirfield and he has made the cut five out of his last six tries. 

Jason Dufner ($20 on Yahoo DFS) is another pick based upon two factors – he has good numbers at Muirfield and he won the Memorial there in 2017. 

Scott Stallings ($20 on Yahoo DFS) was T-6 at the Travelers. He has made the cut nine out of his last eleven tries. Stallings is the soft-priced player of the week. He’s a lot of golfer for a little price. 

© 2020 Mike McKenzie 

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Seven Players Withdraw: Notes From Day 3 of the 2020 PGA Travelers Championship

Phil Mickelson Update:  Commentary abounds about Phil Mickelson's sunglasses.  The consensus is that the sunglasses are an improvement because we don't have to see the maniacal look in Lefty's eyes when he tees off.  Further improvement might be found in requiring Mickelson to wear a face mask in addition to the glasses.  With a face covering we won't have to see him sigh and grind his teeth when he shanks shots into the bunkers.  A face mask on Phil will also save fans from enduring the big dumb grin on Phil's face when he chips it in from the bunker.  

Just Hit the Ball Already Dustin:  Dustin Johnson is committed to his putting ritual. Johnson's protocol on the greens starts with a look from behind the ball toward the hole, followed by a look from behind the hole towards his ball.  Then he stands between the ball and hole, looking back and forth at each.  This is followed by another squat behind the ball.  Squaring himself up to the ball, he does a cadence of  practice stroke, practice stroke, putt.  The only things missing from Johnson's pre-putt walkabout is a Michael Jackson crotch grab and an Ichiro Suzuki sleeve tug. 

Seven Players Withdraw: Seven PGA players withdrew from the Travelers due to virus concerns.  The names on this list are Webb Simpson, Brooks Koepke and his brother Chase Koepke, Denny McCarthy, Bud Cauley, Cameon Champ and Graeme McDowell.  On day three, when most golfers played in trios, golfer Jason Day teed off solo.  Day was exposed to the virus but tested negative.  He played solo on day three as a precaution.

Ugly Prop Bet:  Will the virus scuttle the Rocket Mortgage Classic?  Has anyone seen odds on this yet?  I would imagine that it would be three-choice bet -- 1) that the Rocket will be cancelled before it begins, 2) that it is cancelled after it begins but before it concludes, or 3) that the Rocket is played in its entirety.  I was more optimistic over the last couple of weeks, willing to bet on the third option.  As the Rocket Mortgage Classic nears, I am leaning toward the middle option.

Today's Coolest Name on the Tour:  If I could change my boring moniker, which professional golfer's name would I take?  From here on just call me Louie Oosthuizen McKenzie.  I would run through the club house, touching people with my pointer finger and saying, "You've been Oosthuitzen'd!"

(C) 2020

Mike McKenzie

Portland, OR

Handicapping the 2020 RBC Heritage for Yahoo DFS

A lot of people questioned the comments I made before the Charles Schwab Challenge about not wanting to have a beer with Phil Mickelson.   Please allow me to clarify.  Rather than follow Uncle Phil down the stairs yet again to wine room, I’d rather go have a kale and spinach smoothie with Rory McIlroy.  Yeah, so Rory fell apart in the last round of the Schwab but it was better than watching Mickelson’s miss the cut.

I’m not saying that it’s time for Mickelson to join the old dirty grandpa tour, um, I mean the senior tour, but the clock is ticking if he wants to win another PGA Tour event.  Anybody want odds on that? One more win for Mickelson in 2020, that’s the proposition.  Which one do you think he wants most?  Of course, Mickelson won’t play at the RBC Heritage.  He’s saying home to study Medicare benefits and the latest AARP offerings.


Can anyone explain why the NBC Sports coverage cut out 20 minutes before the end of the last round of the Schwab Challenge?  I mean, hey, I watched the 2020 Charles Schwab for four solid days, then they cut their signal just before the drama climaxed.  I pay $5.99 per month to watch the PGA on NBC Sports.  Yeah, I want to see the end.  I want to see every chip, drive, put and rim shot.  Is that too much to ask? 


The 2020 RBC Heritage

A good place to start handicapping the coming event is with a review of the previous event. I didn’t see Berger coming for the win.  I did see Morikawa, Rose and Dechambeau, but it’s not much of a news flash to tell you that they are excellent golfers.  The smartest money last week was on names like Kokrak, Poston, Watson, Spieth and Champ – the guys who golfed up and landed in the top 15.


Value Players in the Mid-Range for the RBC Heritage

I like Bubba Watson ($34 on Yahoo DFS) and Jordan Spieth ($35 on Yahoo DFS).  Given their performance at the Schwab, these guys are partying with our old friend, Mo Mentum.  I took some lines for the RBC that combine Watson and Spieth based upon price and their performance at the Schwab Challenge.  The relatively low prices on these two golfers offer a lot of value.  Watson hasn’t faired well in his eight prior rounds at the RBC Heritage, so keep that in mind.  Spieth, however, has done well in 12 prior rounds at this event.


I wonder how much Daniel Berger ($31 on Yahoo DFS) to take.  I will take him more now that he won the Schwab, but I won’t over do it.  For him to win two in a row is about as probable as getting hit by lighting twice in two weeks.  An intriguing story line but highly improbable.   Still, he has a lot of value for the price.  If you are planning on playing Berger, please note that his course history at the RBC is not good.

Value?

You will pay a premium on Yahoo DFS if you play Matthew Kuchar ($39 on Yahoo DFS).  Kuchar scores well in course experience (60 rounds) and shots gained at the RBC.  Of course, Kuchar keeps his bronze Olympic medal in his sock.  Just saying.


Bargains on Yahoo DFS for the RBC Heritage

Here’s three players to consider at the RBC:


Matthew Nesmith ($21 on Yahoo DFS):  A South Carolina native with no prior playing experience at the RBC.  I make this pick based upon a belief that he has played Harbor Town Golf Links a few times as a collegiate and non-professional player.  It’s nice to play at home and get your name in the paper.


Brandon Grace ($24 on Yahoo DFS):  With 16 rounds at RBC under his belt, Grace has a solid total shots gained score.


Brian Gay ($21 on Yahoo DFS): Gay shot the course record at Harbor Town in 2009 and has 60 prior rounds of RBC experience.


THE CUT

There are 155 golfers scheduled to play the 2020 RBC.  As with most PGA events, the cut will send 60 percent of them home before the weekend.


Most PGA events feature a cut.  A cut at the midway point is the most common form PGA cut.  Yes, there are no cut events.  No, I don’t like no cut events.  The cut is based solely upon your score.  The cut is the great golf equalizer. The cut doesn’t care if you are the son of the boss or schtuping the president’s daughter.  Make the cut or go home early.  


© 2020

Mike McKenzie

Portland, Oregon

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The opinions expressed herein are the those of the author only.  Should you choose to gamble on this or any other sporting event, do so at your own risk.  That’s what I do.