The PGA Championship – Baltusrol (2016)
The season’s fourth and final major has come in what has been a lightning quick major season with things being condensed due to the Olympics. Worth mentioning that course history is going to be very difficult to use too much because the PGA Championship has not taken place at Baltusrol since 2005 when Phil Mickelson took home the hardware. Below I’ve compiled a list of golfers with hot and cold course history and recent form as some guidance when building lineups this week, choose wisely if you’re hoping to take home a big payday this week.
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Hot Course History:
Rory McIlroy ($11,400) – McIlroy makes a really interesting play this week with his history at PGA championships. He’s never missed a cut and in seven tries at the PGA Championship, he has finished outside the top twenty only once, and has two wins and four top three finishes since 2009 which makes Rory McIlroy the golfer with the hottest event history in the field.
Phil Mickelson ($10,200) – This may seem a bit obvious but with Phil Mickelson having been the previous winner in 2005, he certainly has winning upside here. Although it’s been a decade since his win, Phil seems to be in prime condition and has been competing all year at a level we’ve not seen from Phil in some time.
Cold Course History:
Jordan Spieth ($11,100) – There are very few times when we can actually say Jordan Spieth doesn’t have good course history but at this point I think the PGA Championship is one. In three tries Spieth has missed the cut twice and at his price that’s enough to leave me very concerned. His third try however was a second place finish last year, so don’t rule Spieth out just because of his history.
Kevin Na ($6,700) – Kevin Na typically plays very well in majors and events with really tough fields, however historically he hasn’t been great at PGA Championships. His three most recent tries include two missed cuts and a withdrawal. I will still be considering Kevin Na in my lineups, but his cold event history has certainly given me pause.
Hot Recent Form:
Dustin Johnson ($11,600) – Dustin Johnson is on a run for the ages with his second place finish at the RBC Canadian Open. DJ hasn’t missed a cut all season and hasn’t finished outside the top ten in nearly three months! With five top five finished or better in his last six events, his measly ninth place finish at The Open two weeks ago feels like a black spot on a perfect resume.
Sergio Garcia ($9,400) – Sound familiar? If not is should because for roughly a month, Sergio and DJ have been on absolute incredible runs. Sergio, like DJ, has finished in the top five in every tournament save one in nearly fifteen weeks. We’re used to Sergio playing really consistently over the years, but not this consistently well. Sergio is my underdog to win this week.
Cold Recent Form:
Danny Willett ($8,200) – I’m going to leave Danny Willett in the cold recent form section because despite making the cut at The Open, his fifty-third place finish isn’t enough for me to think he’s off his cold streak. With Willett’s price dropping nearly $1,000 since The Open we don’t need him to perform quite as well to pay off, but a missed cut alone will certainly not do it and for that reason I’ll be off of Willett.
Hideki Matsuyama ($8,800) – Rumor has it Matsuyama has been battling a hip injury which has led to his recent string of poor performances. Rumor or not, there is truth to the fact that he missed the cut yet again at The Open two weeks ago marking three missed cuts in four events. Matsuyama is usually a golfer I really love to roster, but until further notice I’ll be treading carefully.
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