Kyle Stanley

After making more than $3 million in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns, Stanley has struggled each of the last two seasons. In 2019-20 he made just eight cuts in 20 tries, with only one top-10 finish. Despite those numbers, Stanley still ranked top-5 in both driving accuracy and GIR percentage. He just really struggled both around and on the greens. The potential is there, but he needs to find more consistency through the bag.

If anyone tells you they have Stanley figured, you can rest assured that they are lying. Stanley had a good start to his PGA Tour career nine seasons ago with three solid seasons, then the bottom fell out. After a terrible three-year stretch, Stanley rebounded in-style with consecutive $3+ million seasons and then, came last season. While the bottom didn't fall out, he certainly fell well short of the pace he set the two years prior. It's hard to know where he goes from here, but the upside is certainly there and the price is reasonable.

Stanley has been here there and everywhere in his PGA Tour career. Stanley started his career on a high-note, with a win in his second season, but he hit a rough patch in his fourth season where he failed to crack $500k in earnings. Things didn't get any better in the following two season either, but during the 2016-2017 season, Stanley played the best golf of his life, picking up another victory and over $3.4 million in earnings. He put any talk of a fluke season to rest last season when he picked-up two runner-up showings. Though he's been on the PGA Tour for quite a while, Stanley is only 30 and he should be entering his peak years. The issue this season is his cap number, which happens to be higher than any previous season.

To describe Kyle Stanley's performance on the PGA Tour over the past six seasons as a roller coaster, would be an understatement. Six seasons ago, Stanley earned what was a career high at the time of $2.3 million and he also picked up his first win. This season came in the middle of two fairly impressive seasons and it looked like Stanley would be a staple on the PGA Tour for quite a while and then the 2014 season happened. It's hard to say where he went wrong, but Stanley lost his game for three complete seasons and entering last season, he had become an afterthought. Last season was by far Stanley's best on the PGA Tour, but considering his track record, it's hard to buy into him at this price.

For a stretch of three years, Kyle Stanley really had things figured out on the PGA Tour, but around the 2014 season, he suddenly lost his game. The bottom fell-out in 2015, but luckily, last season he showed some signs of progress and he might be on his way back-up. The nice thing about Stanley is, his price is so low, that it's almost impossible to pass on him this season. The low salary limits the risk and his upside is comparatively, very large. As such, he's a good option in salary cap leagues this year. In drafts, he'll provide good value as a late-round selection.

Stanley is all about peaks and valleys and last year he was stuck in the valley. Much of the prior three seasons were spent at the peaks, but even within those three seasons he was all over the place. Stanley can't be considered a "must-have" because of his lack of consistency over the years, but with that said, his ceiling is much higher than the number he posted last year. The problem for Stanley this year may be finding enough starts.

Stanley started the 2012 season on fire with a runner-up and a win in the first two months of the season, but he struggled for the remainder of the 2012 season. Those struggles carried over to the 2013 season and for a while, it looked like Stanley wouldn't snap out of it in time. He found his game late in the year though and it looks like he's back on track. He may not be the guy that took the PGA Tour by storm in early 2012, but he's certainly not the guy who struggled to make cuts for a 12-month stretch spanning two seasons. Stanley has some upside, which makes him an option in salary cap leagues and he should go in the 50-60 range in drafts.

It was a tale of two seasons in 2012 for Kyle Stanley. The first season was incredible. It started with a runner-up at the Farmers Insurance Open and continued with a win the next week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. That win was made all the more impressive by how he fell apart at the Farmers. It was at that point that Stanley was declared the next big thing; after all, he'd hit the low of lows by blowing a late lead at the Farmers and came back the very next week to win. That showed that not only did he have the skills, but he also had the mindset to make it on tour. Then came the second season, one which Stanley would like to forget. Suffice to say, he struggled. Which Stanley should we expect in 2013? Probably one that's closer to the early-season Stanley from last year, but he's still too risky at this price. In draft leagues, he should go late in the fourth round or early fifth round.

Stanley fared pretty well during his rookie campaign in 2011. Although he didn't win like some of his rookie classmates, he did pick up a runner-up finish at the John Deere Classic in June, missing only six cuts in 28 events. That experience of playing on the weekends should serve him well as he heads into his sophomore season. Stanley seemed to figure things out toward the end of the year as all four of his Top-10s came in the second half of the season. He also started well last season. That, coupled with some momentum from last season, should equal a good start for Stanley.

Stanley was fairly consistent on the Nationwide Tour last season, but in the end, he only managed a 35th-place finish on the money list. Stanley likely will take his lumps this season and end up back at Q-School next year.

Stanley announced he was turning pro at the Travelers Championship in late June 2009. He is leaving Clemson University after completing his junior year where he was a three-time NCAA All-American.