This Week In Golf - Wells Fargo Championship

Last Year

Rory McIlroy won by 4 strokes after shooting a final round of 62. Rory became the youngest player to win on the PGA tour since Tiger Woods. Phil Mickelson took second place; Angel Cabrera took third.

Fantasy Breakdown

Players to Think About

 

Phil Mickelson: The favorite this week is Phil Mickelson. In the last four years at this event, Phil has placed 2^nd, tied for 3^rd, tied for 5^th, and tied for 12^th. Phil didn’t have the best showing at the Masters this year, but did win the Shell Houston Open the week before. Anything outside of the top 10 would be a surprise this week.

Martin Kaymer: Kaymer has been disappointing on the PGA Tour so far this year. After taking second at the Accenture Match Play Championship, Kaymer hasn’t has zero top 20’s in three tournaments and missed the cut at the Masters. But don’t forget that Kaymer is still the second ranked player in the world and finished in a tied for 9^th place in Malaysia following the Masters. I expect Kaymer to have a solid week this week and possibly finish in the top 15.



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Rickie Fowler:  Is this the week that Fowler claims his first PGA Tour victory? It could be. Fowler has been a bit streaky this year, but he has the talent to win tournaments on this tour. He finished 6^th at this tournament last year. Stashing Fowler on the bench this week is a smart idea. I wouldn’t be surprised with a missed cut, but I wouldn’t be surprised with a top 5 finish either.

Players to Stay Away From

Geoff Ogilvy: Geoff Ogilvy finds his way on my list of players to stay away from because there are better plays in his group this week. Ogilvy is one of the best players in the game, but I wouldn’t start him over Mickelson, Jim Furyk, or Nick Watney. Ogilvy wouldn’t be a bad play this week, but there are better options out there. I expect him to finish somewhere in the upper 20's or 30's.

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Justin Rose:  When I look at golfers for the week, I look at two things. First, how has the player performed recently? And what is their history at this week’s course? Justin Rose had red flags for both questions. Rose missed the cut at the Zurich Classic last week after shooting rounds of 77 and 74. He also has a bad history at Quail Hollow. In the last three years, Rose has played in this tournament twice and missed the cut both times. Rose is a great player, but don’t waste him this week.

Webb Simpson:  Simpson is playing great golf right now. He took 2^nd place last week and had finished in the top 20 in both of his previous two tournaments before that. However, Simpson is zero for two at making the cut at Quail Hollow. I also expect a bit of a drop off in his game after the 2^nd place finish. Simpson finished 2^nd one other time this year. The tournament after that, he missed the cut. I expect the same thing this week. Even if he does make the cut, Simpson won’t be in contention on the weekend.

My Picks

Jim Furyk: Jim Furyk has had a disappointing season so far, but I expect that he’ll bounce back this week. Furyk is my pick just because of his history on this course. In the last three years, Furyk has a solo 7^th, tie for 7^th, and tie for 11^th place finishes. Look for Furyk to be in the mix on Sunday and finish somewhere around the top 10.

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Rory McIlroy: I normally don’t like picking the guy that won the tournament last year, but Rory McIlroy is an exception. Rory dominated the field at this tournament last year and could do the same this year. He was playing the best golf in the world at the Masters until his meltdown on the back nine on Sunday. He has continued to play well since the meltdown and I would bet on him being in the top 5 this week.

Bubba Watson:  I also don’t like picking the guy that won the tournament in the previous week, but I couldn’t keep Bubba off the list this week. He has been playing great golf this year including two victories and a fourth place finish. Bubba’s history at this event is very inconsistent, but he did tie for second in 2009. If you are looking for a hit or miss type of guy this week, Bubba Watson is it.

Booth’s Golf Tip of the Week – Consistent Chipping

The most important part of a golfer’s game is the short game. That includes chipping and putting. Chipping is usually forgotten about by average golfers. They want to putt well and hit long drives, but rarely do they focus on their chipping techniques. Being good around the greens can drop your score drastically. Being a better chipper can mean that all of those 15 foot par putts can become 5 foot putts. It is the most underrated part of a player’s game.

In order to improve your chipping, just remember a couple of key factors. Chipping requires three things for me. Keep your weight forward, hit down on the ball, and practice. Most players struggle around the greens because their weight is back and they try to lift the ball off the ground. Keeping your weight on your left foot (right foot for lefties) will give you more consistency in hitting down on the ball.

Another helpful tip is to keep your wrists locked when you hit the ball. For most shots, you want your wrists to follow through the swing, but with chipping it’s different. Try to keep your wrists locked and remember to accelerate through the ball. Keep practicing and hopefully these tips will help your game.

stats from www.pgatour.com