Wyndham Championship Preview: Moore for the Course

In the days leading up to the PGA Championship, I wondered how the player of the year race would unfold, but I never considered the golfer who is now likely at the front of the pack. Justin Thomas started the 2016-17 season about as well as possible by capturing three wins before the end of January. Yet because he hadn't accomplished much in the months following those wins, there were still plenty of questions surrounding Thomas. Even after his record-setting round at the U.S. Open, we still wondered if he had what it took to win a major. Those questions were answered, with authority I might add, as he two-putted the 72nd hole and clinched the PGA Championship.

I'll admit, I was one of those skeptical of Thomas, mostly because he hadn't accomplished much during the heart of the season. But he definitely won me over with his play, specifically his play on the back nine on Sunday. The most impressive part of Thomas' win wasn't that he came back from 2-over round on Thursday, or that he won by multiple strokes. The most impressive aspect of his win was that he was the hunted, not the hunter over the final six holes. Anyone who has watched golf understands the pressure of leading can bring even the best golfers to their knees, which is why when Thomas grabbed the lead early on the back nine the seemingly inevitable crash was just around the corner.

Yet, the crash never happened. In fact, Thomas got better as the round wore on, while those around him were the ones who succumbed to pressure or fatigue or whatever force makes it difficult to play golf late in a major.

As has been the case with nearly every new major winner the last couple years, the accolades will follow Thomas' win, along with speculation about how many majors he could win, but if we've learned anything the last couple years, it's that majors will be difficult to predict for the foreseeable future. So it wouldn't surprise me if Thomas were to never get another major or if he were to get five more. There's just no way to know which of these players — like Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson and everyone else who picked up their first major in the last two years — is next, and that's what will make the next couple seasons as intriguing as possible.

This week: Wyndham Championship - Sedgefield Country Club - Greensboro, N.C.

Last Year: Si Woo Kim shot a final-round 67 on his way to a five-stroke victory over Luke Donald.

PLAYERS TO CONSIDER

Webb Simpson

With a WGC event two weeks ago, the PGA Championship last week and four weeks of the FedEx Cup Playoffs starting next week, this week is an obvious pass for most of the top players in the world. So, Simpson should have an easier path to victory. Simpson's track record here is among the best, with four top-10s in his last seven starts, including a win in 2011.

Ryan Moore

Moore won this event in 2009 and also played pretty well last week at the PGA Championship. Moore's track record at this event is a little spotty the last seven years because he's skipped it three times, but he posted a top-10 in 2015, which combined with his 2008 win, leads me to believe he has a good feel for this course.

Kevin Kisner

Here's hoping Kisner recovers from his major defeat quicker than Matt Kuchar did. The obvious difference between the two is that while Kisner held the lead a lot longer, a win was never in his grasp as he didn't have the lead down the stretch at his major. Kisner's track record at this event would indicate that he'll be in the mix this week if his head is right. Kisner has top-10s the last two years here.

Carl Pettersson

There's nothing in his performance this season that would indicate Pettersson is a good play this week, but with a thin field, it brings more golfers into play. The reason why Pettersson is in play is his track record at this event. Pettersson has four top-10s in eight starts on this course, including a win in 2008.

Bud Cauley

Cauley enters this week at 58th in the FedEx Cup standings and while most of his points were earned in a four-week span in April and May, he has shown some spark over his two most recent starts. Cauley also has a decent track record at this event with two top-10s in five starts here.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

Jason Kokrak

Kokrak enters this week 99th in the FedEx Cup standings and unless he can break out of his habit of finishing in the 30s or higher, he won't be around for long. Kokrak has made a season out of accumulating middle-of-the-pack finishes but rarely has finished in the top 10. His prospects this week are more troubling because he's missed the cut in three of four starts here.

Chris Stroud

I'm going against the grain with this pick because Stroud has played possibly the best golf of his life the last two weeks, but the adrenaline has to wear off at some point, and I'm guessing it happens early this week. Stroud's track record here is working against him as well as he's missed five or eight cuts at this venue.

Kyle Stanley

Stanley was trending upward all season leading up to his win at the Quicken Loans National in July, but since that win, his game has fallen off considerably. In four starts since, Stanley has missed two cuts and has failed to crack the top-40. Stanley's track record at this event isn't very good either, so there's really no reason to take a chance on him this week.

Davis Love III

Just in case anyone is thinking about getting creative this week, no, Love is not a good option just because he won here in 2015. Love's best finish this season was a T29 at the Greenbrier Classic, his only finish inside the top 40 on the PGA Tour. Love's track record here is pretty solid, but he's not getting any younger and the odds of another lightning strike are slim.

Padraig Harrington

Harrington played well upon his return from injury, posting a T31 and a T17 and entering the Open Championship, the stars were seemingly aligned, but after missing the cut at the Open, there was a sense that something was off. Since the Open, Harrington has missed the cut in his only two starts and is returning to a place where he hasn't had much success.

ONE AND DONE GOLFER

Last week: Jordan Spieth (T28) - $64,200; Season - $7,040,478

This week: Bud Cauley - I have to use a little strategy here, as five weeks from now at the Tour Championship, I'll have only 30 players from whom to choose and I need to make sure I have at least one left. So, I'll save Kisner for that purpose and use Cauley this week, from whom I expect a good effort.

YAHOO PICKS

Points: 4,100
Rank: 22,668

This Week:

Group A: Bill Haas, Luke Donald

Group B: Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Ryan Moore, Robert Streb

Group C: Bud Cauley, Carl Pettersson

SURVIVOR PICK

Last week: Jordan Spieth - (T28); Streak - 7

This week: Kevin Kisner - No such worries of saving Kisner for the Tour Championship or even the event prior to that because there will be no cut at those events. That said, I'll plug Kisner in here, with the hope that he's OK mentally. If so, he should be a lock to make it to the weekend.