Fantasy Golf: Kia Classic Picks and Options

Mandatory credit: Luke Franke/Naples Daily News via USA TODAY NETWORK
Mandatory credit: Luke Franke/Naples Daily News via USA TODAY NETWORK /
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Kia Classic
Stacy Lewis. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /

The Kia Classic could bring an end to Stacy Lewis’s winless streak.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko is defending champion this week and it’s tempting to pick her. With 4 starts, 3 top 10 finishes, and no missed cuts, Ko looks like a solid pick to lead the team. But so does world No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn, who’s teeing off with 5 starts, 4 top 10s, and no missed cuts on her 2017 resume. They’re both looking for their first 2017 win.

However, Ko and Jutanugarn don’t have a monopoly on the star power category. Inbee Park has already announced her return to competition with a win at the HSBC Women’s Champions and I have a feeling that Anna Nordqvist is just getting warmed up with that win at the Founders Cup last week.

Then there’s the rookie, Sung Hyun Park, who wants to displace Lydia Ko at the top of the Rolex Rankings and has the game to do it, and there’s Brooke Henderson, who needs to get herself back into the top tier of the Tour’s competition. It’s enough to make a fantasy manager’s head spin.

And through it all there’s Stacy Lewis, who almost ended her long and painful winless streak with that runner-up finish at the Founders Cup. I’m going with Lewis, not because I think she’s better than the others but because I think she’s hungrier and she has a good grip on her mental game.

Lewis also has the kind of careful, precise game that will serve her well on the Aviara track. I have a feeling this is her week.