This article is part of our Weekly PGA Preview series.
In a perfect world, a Sunday afternoon on the PGA Tour would involve Dustin Johnson battling Jason Day squared up with Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth a group ahead, each a shot back, and Adam Scott in a group with Rickie Fowler, each four strokes behind but making a charge. Oh, and a healthy Tiger, just on the course ... not in pain.
That scenario, obviously, is not realistic, and although drama is generally the preferred form of entertainment on a Sunday afternoon, it's hard to complain when you have one of the best, if not the best, golfer in the world putting on a show. If it were Paul Goydos dismantling a field, then sure, no one wants to see that — well, outside of his caddie — but there's something about a great player reminding us why he's great.
Dustin Johnson did just that at the Genesis Open. It was reminiscent of the days when Tiger would get out to an early lead and the rest of the field would play for second place. Once DJ took the lead, there was a sense of inevitability that this event was over. Perhaps that sense of the inevitable is a sign of how far DJ has come the last couple years. It wasn't long ago that we collectively wondered if he was mentally strong enough to win a major, especially while in the lead. He put that thought to rest last year when he captured his first major, and now
In a perfect world, a Sunday afternoon on the PGA Tour would involve Dustin Johnson battling Jason Day squared up with Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth a group ahead, each a shot back, and Adam Scott in a group with Rickie Fowler, each four strokes behind but making a charge. Oh, and a healthy Tiger, just on the course ... not in pain.
That scenario, obviously, is not realistic, and although drama is generally the preferred form of entertainment on a Sunday afternoon, it's hard to complain when you have one of the best, if not the best, golfer in the world putting on a show. If it were Paul Goydos dismantling a field, then sure, no one wants to see that — well, outside of his caddie — but there's something about a great player reminding us why he's great.
Dustin Johnson did just that at the Genesis Open. It was reminiscent of the days when Tiger would get out to an early lead and the rest of the field would play for second place. Once DJ took the lead, there was a sense of inevitability that this event was over. Perhaps that sense of the inevitable is a sign of how far DJ has come the last couple years. It wasn't long ago that we collectively wondered if he was mentally strong enough to win a major, especially while in the lead. He put that thought to rest last year when he captured his first major, and now there is a confidence about him that wasn't there before.
The confidence I speak of is not his own, it's our confidence ...in him, and it's at an all-time high. The next time he grabs the lead, the event could be over before we know it, but we'll be watching either way.
This week: The Honda Classic - PGA National Champions Course - Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Last Year: Adam Scott shot a final-round 70 on his way to a one-stroke victory over Sergio Garcia.
PLAYERS TO CONSIDER
Adam Scott
Unlike last week, no players in the field have outstanding track records at this event, but Scott probably comes the closest. Scott won this event last year and also showed good form last week on his way to a T11 at the Genesis Open. If not for the discombobulated schedule last week, Scott probably would have fared even better.
Sergio Garcia
Garcia looked like a decent option last week at the Genesis Open, but he never found his "A" game. Still only two weeks removed from a win overseas, Garcia should be able to get his groove back this week as he returns to a course where he's had plenty of success. Garcia has finished in the top 10 twice in his last three starts here.
Justin Thomas
Remember this guy? A few weeks ago, we had him as the Masters favorite and an even-odds bet to win the grand slam. Fast forward a few weeks and Thomas can't even crack the top 25 anymore. It appears as though momentum in this game of golf is fleeting. Who knew? All joking aside, this looks like a good spot for Thomas to get back on track. He posted a top-5 here last year and closed with a solid round of 68 at the Genesis Open last week.
Luke Donald
Donald has always had a knack for playing well in Florida as evidence by his track record at this event. Even when Donald was struggling, for much of the last five years, he somehow managed to play well here. Now that he's in better form, he's a legitimate threat to win this week. He's not exactly a sleeper, but he's a second-tier option this week that makes a lot of sense.
Wesley Bryan
We all witnessed what Bryan was capable of last year when he got it rolling -- three wins on the Web.com Tour that resulted in a "battlefield promotion." While Bryan struggled once on the PGA Tour, his play last week might be a sign that he's finally comfortable in the "bigs." I'm not calling for a three-win spurt on the PGA Tour anytime soon, but another top-5 is certainly a possibility.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Charles Howell III
This serves as your yearly reminder that we are no longer on the West Coast and, as such, Charles Howell III is not a great option. Howell's track record at this event isn't awful, but he's rarely performed well enough here to deserve consideration. Howell has only one top-10 at this event in seven tries on the current course.
Ben Crane
You may recall Crane's name near the top of the leaderboard for quite a bit last week, but that was actually because of the weather delay. Yes, he played well during his opening round, but as has been the case so often lately, Crane was unable to put four rounds together. Crane has struggled to put four rounds together at this event as well, often making the cut, but finishing near the bottom.
Zach Johnson
Johnson has been of the better players on the PGA Tour over the last decade, and he's done so by playing well in certain spots, over and over again. This isn't one of those spots, however, as he's never fared well on this course. Johnson has missed the cut at this event the last two years and has never cracked the top 25 in four starts here.
Jimmy Walker
Fool me once, shame on Jimmy Walker, fool me twice, shame on me. Walker fooled me last week as he was on this list, yet managed a T11. Not great by his standards, but certainly not what I expected. This week however, I'm confident he won't crack the top 15 as he's never even cracked the top 30 at this event on this course in six starts.
Michael Thompson
Here's an odd bit of information: Thompson has eight starts this season and half of those starts have resulted in top-20s, the other half in a missed cuts. His results this season are similar to his results at this event, in that, he won this event in 2014, but he's failed to crack the top 40 in any other start. In other words, he's hit or miss here, just like he's been all year.
ONE AND DONE GOLFER
Last week: Dustin Johnson (1) - $1,260,000; Season - $3,066,494
This week: Luke Donald - When you get a win, like I did last week, it affords you the opportunity to take a breather and save a big gun or two. That is why I choose to forgo Adam Scott this week and go with Luke Donald. Donald has a solid track record here and has posted consecutive top-25s on the PGA Tour.
YAHOO PICKS
Points: 1,026
Rank: 18,572
This Week:
Group A: Adam Scott, Luke Donald
Group B: Justin Thomas, Russell Knox, Paul Casey, Scott Brown
Group C: Sergio Garcia, Wesley Bryan
SURVIVOR PICK
Last week: Jim Furyk - (T39); Streak - 5
This week: Camilo Villegas - A bit off the beaten path here with Villegas, but when he's on his game, or even close to on his game, he's a good bet in Florida. Villegas missed the cut last week, but he posted a T24 in previous start, and, as mentioned, he plays well in Florida and at this event.
