This article is part of our Weekly PGA Preview series.
Two weeks removed from the Masters and still two months away from the U.S. Open, we are in the midst of what might be the toughest stretch of golf on the PGA Tour. Not the toughest in the literal sense, but possibly the toughest to handle for golf fans, because, let's face it, there isn't a whole lot to look forward to the next couple months or so. Sure, the Players Championship is on the horizon, but the weeks leading up to Sawgrass and the weeks that follow leave a lot to be desired.
Thank goodness for fantasy golf! If not for fantasy golf, we'd still be clinging to the disaster that was Jordan Spieth on the back nine at Augusta or trying to find out more about Danny Willett. With fantasy golf, however, those of us with Branden Grace can rejoice that he picked up his first PGA Tour win last week and our team's standing is now better for it. With fantasy golf we can look forward to the Texas Open and try to figure out which player in the less than stellar field will come out of the pack. With fantasy golf we can look at the next seven events on the PGA Tour as an opportunity to gain ground on the competition and not just a waste of time until the next major.
This is indeed the longest stretch of golf between majors all year, save for the time between seasons, but all is not lost,
Two weeks removed from the Masters and still two months away from the U.S. Open, we are in the midst of what might be the toughest stretch of golf on the PGA Tour. Not the toughest in the literal sense, but possibly the toughest to handle for golf fans, because, let's face it, there isn't a whole lot to look forward to the next couple months or so. Sure, the Players Championship is on the horizon, but the weeks leading up to Sawgrass and the weeks that follow leave a lot to be desired.
Thank goodness for fantasy golf! If not for fantasy golf, we'd still be clinging to the disaster that was Jordan Spieth on the back nine at Augusta or trying to find out more about Danny Willett. With fantasy golf, however, those of us with Branden Grace can rejoice that he picked up his first PGA Tour win last week and our team's standing is now better for it. With fantasy golf we can look forward to the Texas Open and try to figure out which player in the less than stellar field will come out of the pack. With fantasy golf we can look at the next seven events on the PGA Tour as an opportunity to gain ground on the competition and not just a waste of time until the next major.
This is indeed the longest stretch of golf between majors all year, save for the time between seasons, but all is not lost, as long as the PGA Tour is handing out money, we'll still be here, paying close attention.
This week: Texas Open - TPC San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
Last Year: Jimmy Walker shot a final-round 70 on his way to a four-stroke victory over Jordan Spieth.
PLAYERS TO CONSIDER
Charley Hoffman
The stars are aligned for Hoffman this week as he's coming off a strong showing at the RBC Heritage last week, final round notwithstanding, and his track record here is impeccable. Although he's yet to win here, he does have two top-3s, finishing no worse than T13 in six starts here since 2010.
Daniel Summerhays
Not a name that you often see on this list, but his track record here demands a look this week. Summerhays comes into this year's Texas Open on a streak of three consecutive top-10s, including a runner-up in 2014. The only thing holding him back is his current form, which isn't great, but not so bad that he can't play well here.
Brendan Steele
Just like Summerhays, his form isn't great coming into this week, but his history here trumps his current form. Steele won this event in 2010 and also has two top-10s since then. Word of caution however, he does have two duds mixed in there since 2010.
Jimmy Walker
I like Walker this week, but not quite as much as some, which is why he's No. 4 on the list this week. He's the defending champion and has generally played well at this event over the years, but he hasn't been the same player this year as he's been in previous seasons. He's a safe pick, but I don't expect a win this week.
Billy Horschel
Horschel hasn't been quite the same since he won the FedEx Cup a couple years ago, but he remains a viable option most weeks because of his upside. His upside here is strong as well with two top-3 finishes in his last three starts at this event.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Luke Donald
Donald played well last week at the RBC Heritage, but he had a history of playing well at that event and is just not trustworthy in his current state. He's had his moments the last few years, but he's been unable to string anything together over that time.
Ben Curtis
Curtis isn't normally someone you'd consider, but he did win this event a few years ago, so he might be on the radar of some. I would caution anyone against that, however, as Curtis has shown next to nothing this season and missed the cut here last year.
Phil Mickelson
Mickelson has played well this season, but his track record at this event is limited, so this probably isn't the place to pull the trigger on him. Mickelson withdrew from this event last year after shooting 3-over the first two rounds.
J.B. Holmes
Holmes started well at this event in 2010 and 2011, earning top-15 finishes each time, but his two most recent starts haven't ended so well. Holmes missed the cut in 2012 and finished T64 in 2014. There will be better places to use Holmes this season.
Brendon de Jonge
De Jonge has a decent track record here with two top-25s since 2011, but his current form is too much to overcome. De Jonge has missed the cut in eight of his last 10 starts and of the two cuts made, he's finished no better than T51.
ONE AND DONE GOLFER
Last week: Paul Casey (MC) - $0; Season - $6,044,627
This week: Daniel Summerhays - Summerhays isn't exactly the safest pick this week, but one-and-done picks are not about safety, they are about upside, which Summerhays has plenty of this week. This pick came down to Summerhays, Hoffman and Steele, with Summerhays winning by a nose.
YAHOO PICKS
Points: 2,101
Rank: 28,149
This Week:
Group A: Keegan Bradley, Chris Kirk
Group B: Brandt Snedeker, Jimmy Walker, Patrick Reed, Charley Hoffman
Group C: Daniel Summerhays, Brendan Steele
SURVIVOR PICK
Last week: Bryson DeChambeau (T4); Streak - 14
This week: Charley Hoffman - Hoffman is about as safe as it gets this week. As mentioned above, safety is key when selecting your survivor picks. He may not have the high-end finishes here, but he always makes the cut.
