Check out my weekly fantasy golf picks for the Barclays which is the first tournament in the FedEx Cup. This year the Barclays hosts the tournament where the PGA Tour players will have plenty of views of the Statue of Liberty national monument and the downtown Manhattan skyline. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
The playoffs get underway this week as the PGA Tour heads to Liberty National in Jersey City. The last time the tournament was at this venue was all the way back in 2009 when the course came under fire from pros and their caddies who weren’t thrilled with the way the course penalized players for errant shots. It’s known for being built on an old landfill and its stunning views of the Statue of Liberty. This will be the first tournament since its supposedly “redesigned.” The tour officials have promised it will still be difficult but not as punishing.
Last week, Patrick Reed took the Wyndham and “Fivot’s Divot’s” took his second week in a row in our FantasyCPR Group. He had Reed for the whole week and also got a top 5 from Zach Johnson on his way to 204 points. Above Par leads the Summer Segment and Foot-Wedge has the overall season lead. My entry finished with 146 points and could have done much better if I didn’t leave so many points on my bench all weekend long.
Here’s my picks for Round 1 of the FedEx Cup:
A-List
Aug 11, 2013; Rochester, NY, USA; Tiger Woods hits his approach shot into the 13th hole during the final round of the 95th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
Tiger Woods: Woods comes in with five wins this season and two other top 10’s. If you’ve been saving Tiger starts, now is the time to use them. He was co-runner up in 2009 when Liberty National last hosted the Barclays.
Rory McIlroy: Rory is back in form and worth a flier in this second A-list spot. He finished the PGA Championship tied for eighth and will be out tredeem a tough season with a big finish in the playoffs.
B-List
Keegan Bradley: Bradley has top 20’s in his last three starts and has made seven of his last eight cuts. He hasn’t won on tour this year but finished runner-up at the Byron Nelson and the WGC-Bridgestone.
Aug 1, 2013; Akron, OH, USA; Webb Simpson walks up the fairway during the first round of the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Webb Simpson: Simpson has three straight top 25’s and shot a 63 to finish t11 at the Wyndham. He finished in the top ten in 2009 and is one of the hotter golfers coming into this event.
Dustin Johnson: DJ will look to celebrate his engagement with a win this week. He has five top 10’s this season including a t8 two weeks ago at Oak Hill. Johnson finished t15 in 2009 at the Barclays.
Hunter Mahan: Mahan was t20 in 2009 on this course and has been around the leaderboard on a regular basis this season. He has four top 10’s and a total of 12 top 25’s. He is a serious contender for the whole playoffs, but I’ll start him on my bench since I have three starts left.
C-List
Aug 11, 2013; Rochester, NY, USA; Jason Day chips the th 14th green during the final round of the 95th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
Jason Day: Day was t8 at the PGA Championship two weeks ago giving him six top ten’s on the season. He tied for 12 in the last Barclays at Liberty National and looks to be peaking at the right time.
Rickie Fowler: Fowler has finished in the top 25 in six of his last seven starts and coming off a t19 at the PGA two weeks ago. I’ve got the starts and think Fowler will have a solid playoff run.