This article is part of our Weekly PGA Preview series.
World Wide Technology Championship
El Cardonal at Diamante
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
The PGA Tour heads to Mexico for the World Wide Technology Championship, which will be played at a new course for the first time.
This is a very odd time of the season in that the focus starts to shift to the fringes of the top 125 rather than the better players in the field. The reason of course is that PGA Tour cards are on the line, and that's a big deal to those involved. As fantasy players and bettors we're more interested in who might be winning, but let's be honest, from a human perspective it doesn't get much more interesting than seeing guys go head-to-head for the privilege of playing on the PGA Tour. The consolation prize isn't terrible -- golfers who miss out of the top 125 are still going to make some PGA Tour starts next season -- but they won't have the luxury of knowing that not every start could be their last for a while. There's enough pressure as it is on the golfers who barely secure their card; imagine not knowing how many chances you'll get for an entire year. It's security that's on the line over the next month. It may not be flashy, but it's certainly interesting.
All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook as of 8:30 PM ET Tuesday.
LAST YEAR
Russell Henley shot a final-round 70 on his way to a four-stroke victory over Brian Harman.
FAVORITES
Ludvig Aberg (9-1)
I'll start by stating that it makes sense that Aberg is the favorite, he's probably the most talented player in the field and he's played well in his two starts since the Ryder Cup. With that said, it seems like a bit too much too fast to be favored in a PGA Tour event that has some accomplished players in the field. Beyond that, there's rarely any value in getting single-digit odds to win and this is no exception. Fall events can be odd, and I'd never recommend placing a win bet on anyone under 10-1 at this point of the year.
Cameron Young (11-1)
What a strange 12 months for Young. He was a strong candidate to have a "Scheffler-like" breakout early this season and then proceeded to fall off the map. Whenever something like that happens you have to wonder if there was something going on that we didn't know about. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a golfer regress in a hurry, only to find out later that there was some personal issue or an injury that no one knew about that was the reason for the slide. We haven't seen him for a while, so we have no idea where his game is, which makes 12-1 a bit laughable.
Sahith Theegala (16-1)
Now here's a guy that we have seen this fall and we have some idea of what to expect from him this week. Theegala got his breakthrough victory earlier this fall season and backed it up with a top-20 in his next start. It appears as though Theegala is not going to settle for just one victory. His odds are in a good spot considering there isn't much competition around him this week.
THE NEXT TIER
Lucas Glover (30-1)
I'll start by stating that I did not get wrapped up in the Glover momentum at the end of this past season. It was a great run, but I did not feel he deserved a Ryder Cup spot for a one-month run. With that said, there just isn't much in his way this week and if he's playing at all like he was three months ago, he could win this week. I should mention that there is no course history this week, so I'll be leaning heavily on current form, even if it's perceived current form.
Emiliano Grillo (33-1)
I just mentioned that this is a new course for this event this year, and course history is not in play. With that said, Grillo has played well at this event over the years, and I do put a little stock into playing well in a certain locale. He also fared well in his most recent PGA Tour start, so I expect a good showing.
J.J. Spaun (35-1)
We all know how streaky Spaun can be and he's coming off a T6 in his most recent start at the ZOZO Championship, so this could be a good play. Spaun has yet to miss a cut this fall and while that's not a predictor of win on the horizon, it's a good sign that he'll at least be around for the weekend and give himself a chance to win if everything clicks.
LONG SHOTS
Taylor Montgomery (65-1)
I'm going back to the well here because I think Montgomery is going to get a win either this fall or at some point next season. Montgomery got off to a great start during his rookie season this past year, but he faded towards the end of the summer. He missed the first cut in the fall, but he's started to turn things around lately and could be rounding back into form.
Maverick McNealy (80-1)
Long shots are long shots for a reason, right? These odds seem a little off, and that's because McNealy will return from a shoulder injury and make his first PGA Tour start since May. Of course, his chances of winning aren't great after a long layoff, but a healthy McNealy is probably top-10 in this field, so why not give it a shot?
ONE-AND-DONE LEAGUES
Highly-Chosen Pick: Sahith Theegala - I mentioned earlier that I'm a little hesitant on Aberg this week, just a little, so I'll side with Theegala who is playing very well this fall and looking to build on that momentum. I'm guessing most OAD players have it down between Theegala and Aberg this week, so if that's the case, you know where I'm leaning.
Moderately-Chosen Pick: J.J. Spaun - Spaun appears to be rounding into form and if that's the case, he's in for a good week. Spaun is not the most dependable golfer out there, so when he's playing well, that's the time to strike. There aren't a lot of appealing options in the mid-range this week, but I feel good about Spaun.
Lightly-Chosen Pick: Maverick McNealy - If you didn't use McNealy on the West Coast, you probably still have him at your disposal. This is really a hit or miss pick this week as he could come out really rusty after the long layoff, but there's a chance he plays well if only because he's not dealing with an injury any longer.
Buyer Beware: Cameron Young - I'm bullish on Young's future, but as mentioned earlier, I can't explain why his game fell off so dramatically earlier this year, so I'll take a wait and see approach on him this fall. He did start to pick up his game towards the end of the summer, so perhaps he's through whatever caused him trouble earlier, but I wouldn't risk it this week.
This Week: Sahith Theegala - There are really no locks in the fall. You never know if a player is going to show up, but I think Theegala is really trying to take advantage of his current form and I'm expecting another solid week.
FANDUEL PICKS
Upper Range: Sahith Theegala ($11,600)
Middle Range: J.J. Spaun ($10,800)
Lower Range: Sam Ryder ($8,900)
SURVIVOR LEAGUES
This Week: Emiliano Grillo - As mentioned earlier, there is no course history this week, but Grillo has generally played well in Mexico, which may or may not mean something, but I'm obviously in the camp of believing it means something. His form is also solid as he enters this week off a top-10 at the ZOZO.
