St Jude Classic / Women’s PGA Champ Fantasy Gold Mine
By Sam Belden
PGA Tour Fantasy Golf driven by Avis: Ryan Palmer’s enviable skills off the tee should make him a popular pick this week.
Starters
Brooks Koepka – He’s on pace to be the most selected player this week, and it’s not hard to see why. Koepka generates the second-most value off the tee of all players in the field, and he’s no slouch in the scoring category either. In terms of course history, he’s taken an immediate liking to TPC Southwind, tying for third last year.
Ryan Palmer – This Texan averages the most value off the tee of anyone in the field by a wide margin, putting him at an immediate advantage. He’s also well above average in the other three areas, making him an extremely enticing pick. He’s logged a pair of top fives at TPC Southwind in the last half-decade.
Gary Woodland — Here’s another player whose booming drives are his bread and butter. Woodland is great off the tee and a strong scorer, making him a natural play given his strong form. He doesn’t have a ton of experience at TPC Southwind, but everything else is in his favor.
Retief Goosen – This South African is definitely the odd man out of the starting lineup – while the other three can be aptly described as bombers, Goosen ranks outside the top 100 in driving distance. Still, his short game is his saving grace–no one in the field generates more points in that category than he does. He’s also notched back-to-back top 15s.
Bench
Dustin Johnson – With the U.S. Open just around the corner, it might best to err on the safe side and keep Johnson in the holster to start the week. If any of your other long bombers falter, however, you’ll be glad you have him.
Colt Knost – The PGA TOUR’s second-ranked player in driving accuracy, Knost is a valuable player in the Avis game, so this endorsement is contingent on how many of his starts you have remaining. He struggled in his last start, but he should be rested and ready for a rebound at TPC Southwind, where he tied for 12th last year.
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