This article is part of our Golf Draft Kit series.
Surely, hopefully, this will be the last fantasy-golf strategy article you read because … well … welcome to the bottom of the barrel, folks.
Just about everyone you'd want to consider for your fantasy play will be from one of four places: the top-125 of last season's FedEx Cup point standings, Nos. 126-150 because they have conditional status and get to play a lot of tournaments, internationals coming over to play in select events, or the 50 new Korn Ferry Tour graduate.
The guys we'll be discussing here are none of those guys.
In the RotoWire auction league, our 14 teams draft nine golfers each for a total of 126, and we start a maximum of five per tournament. At the end of our draft, we are really trying to find a hidden gem that could somehow give us an unexpected boost. You may find them on this list. And if you don't find them on this list at the time you draft, you may see them emerge during the season.
Here, we will do a deep dive to find golfers who, for one reason or another, are outside the top-150 yet still exempt in some fashion – or expected to be exempt -- for 2019-20. Some of them are big names, major champions even, as you will see.
The former top-10 golfer and two-time major champion has been fading for a number of years now. But his slide was never like it was last season, when the
Surely, hopefully, this will be the last fantasy-golf strategy article you read because … well … welcome to the bottom of the barrel, folks.
Just about everyone you'd want to consider for your fantasy play will be from one of four places: the top-125 of last season's FedEx Cup point standings, Nos. 126-150 because they have conditional status and get to play a lot of tournaments, internationals coming over to play in select events, or the 50 new Korn Ferry Tour graduate.
The guys we'll be discussing here are none of those guys.
In the RotoWire auction league, our 14 teams draft nine golfers each for a total of 126, and we start a maximum of five per tournament. At the end of our draft, we are really trying to find a hidden gem that could somehow give us an unexpected boost. You may find them on this list. And if you don't find them on this list at the time you draft, you may see them emerge during the season.
Here, we will do a deep dive to find golfers who, for one reason or another, are outside the top-150 yet still exempt in some fashion – or expected to be exempt -- for 2019-20. Some of them are big names, major champions even, as you will see.
The former top-10 golfer and two-time major champion has been fading for a number of years now. But his slide was never like it was last season, when the 43-year-old Johnson missed the playoffs for the first time. He wound up 154th in the point standings — after finishing in the 40s-50s the three previous seasons — and has fallen well outside the top 100 in the world rankings. Johnson maintains full playing privileges thanks to his 2015 win at the Open Championship — still his most recent win. This five-year exemption ends with this coming season, however. In the past, Johnson could always fall back on strong showings at the John Deere and the Open to get a good chunk of his points for the season. But he didn't even do that in the 2018-19 season, finishing outside the top 35 at the Deere and missing the cut at Royal Portrush. His lone top-10 came almost a year ago at the RSM Classic, and there is little reason to expect anything better this season. Of course, Johnson will be entered in at least two majors, the Masters and the Open.
Walker is another former major champion, and he's hanging on to his Tour card solely because of his win at the 2016 PGA Championship. This will be the fourth year of his five-year exemption. He finished 158th in the 2018-19 point standings, making only 15 cuts in 22 starts, with just three top-25s and zero top-10s. Walker will still get to play in the PGA, of course, and that's where he got one of this top-25s last season. But now in his 40s, Walker is hardly a fantasy consideration.
Another major champion, the 2011 Masters winner shut it down a week after Augusta in 2019 with a wrist injury. The 34-year-old South African has fallen well outside the top 100 in the world rankings, but it's hard to know how much is injury related or just poor play. Schwartzel should get a major medical extension, but the Tour has not announced them for the 2019-20 season as yet. Further, it's unknown when he'll return.
Cink is stuck in no-man's land, the last few years before the Champions Tour becomes an option. At 46, he finished 179th in the point standings in 2018-19, though he did miss some time with an injury. Being a former PGA Tour champion — and, of course, a major winner at the 2009 Open Championship — Cink will always be able to fall back on his Past Champions status. He played 16 events last season, making half his cuts with three top-25s.
The former world No. 1 returned from an injury layoff, albeit with little success. The 41-year-old Englishman played 12 events in 2018-19, making six cuts, with a lone top-10 at the Valspar. He still is eligible under a major medical extension; he has three tournaments left to earn about 220 FedEx Cup points. If he doesn't get them — and there's an outside chance he can by picking the right fall series events to play — Donald would fall back into the Past Champions category.
The 37-year-old Canadian has been sidelined by a back injury for some time now. He played in only three events in 2018-19. After a promising tie for fifth in the season-opening Safeway, DeLaet played two more events, withdrawing from the CJ Cup. That's the last we've seen of him. He still has 24 events under his major medical, needing only 266 points to keep his card. That's very doable — if healthy.
The 31-year-old Martin played one PGA Tour event and eight on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2018-19, and he's still under a major medical. In the KF playoffs, he delivered a top-20 in the first of three events — offering a glimmer of hope — but it wasn't enough to get his card. At the end of last season, Martin had six events left on his medical extension to accrue 111 points.
Chappell played three events before back surgery ended his 2018-19 season. He participated in the Korn Ferry playoffs trying to earn a 2019-20 card. He didn't make it. Chappell will surely get a major medical extension, though the Tour has not announced them for 2019-20 as yet. As a former champion, Chappell also has Past Champions status in his back pocket, but that's a long way away.
Lovemark played seven events before calling it a season with a shoulder injury in 2018-19. He tried to make it back via the Korn Ferry playoffs and fell short. Lovemark now probably will get a major medical extension for next season. The Tour has not announced medical extensions for 2019-20 as yet. Even if he gets one, Lovemark will have to show he's worth your investment.
The 34-year-old Kirk ended his 2018-19 season after the Zurich Classic for personal reasons, announcing that he was battling "alcohol abuse and depression." If and when he returns, Kirk should get some sort of medical extension, though the Tour has not announced those for the 2019-20 season as yet.
Bryan had his card through the 2018-19 season thanks to winning the 2017 RSM Classic, but it is now expired. He has not played since the '18 RSM, shutting it down with a torn labrum in his shoulder. He has not returned to action but should receive a major medical extension. The Tour has not announced the extensions for the 2019-20 season as yet.
