This article is part of our Weekly PGA Preview series.
It seems like just yesterday we were all a wonder about the exploits of Jordan Spieth at the Tour Championship, but it wasn't yesterday, it was a couple weeks ago ... I think. Heck, it may have been a few weeks ago, I don't recollect. The PGA Tour's "offseason" lasts about as long as your average stop at the hot dog stand between nine at the local municipal course, but I digress. We love golf, as evidence by me writing this and you reading it.
Sure, some of us would rather just wait until January to ramp things up again, but even though I am one of those people, I have to admit, the PGA Tour has a pretty good flow with the current system. Perhaps of most importance, the improved system for bringing new players on the PGA Tour seems to be working better than the old Q-School format, or maybe it's just a fluke that so many rookies secured their cards during the regular season last year? Whatever the case, the new schedule is here to stay, so we might as well get used to it.
As for what to look for this fall, well, just like the old system, there are going to be some surprises, but not quite as many with many of the top pros playing an event or two as to not fall too far behind in the FedEx standings. For those who can't stand this part of the season and long for the
It seems like just yesterday we were all a wonder about the exploits of Jordan Spieth at the Tour Championship, but it wasn't yesterday, it was a couple weeks ago ... I think. Heck, it may have been a few weeks ago, I don't recollect. The PGA Tour's "offseason" lasts about as long as your average stop at the hot dog stand between nine at the local municipal course, but I digress. We love golf, as evidence by me writing this and you reading it.
Sure, some of us would rather just wait until January to ramp things up again, but even though I am one of those people, I have to admit, the PGA Tour has a pretty good flow with the current system. Perhaps of most importance, the improved system for bringing new players on the PGA Tour seems to be working better than the old Q-School format, or maybe it's just a fluke that so many rookies secured their cards during the regular season last year? Whatever the case, the new schedule is here to stay, so we might as well get used to it.
As for what to look for this fall, well, just like the old system, there are going to be some surprises, but not quite as many with many of the top pros playing an event or two as to not fall too far behind in the FedEx standings. For those who can't stand this part of the season and long for the events where all the top guns show up, don't fret, January will be here before you know it. We just have one more "offseason" to get through.
This week: Frys.com Open - Silverado Golf Club North, Napa, Calif.
Last Year: Sang Moon-Bae shot a final-round 73 on his way to a two-stroke victory over Steven Bowditch.
PLAYERS TO CONSIDER
Brooks Koepka
It's time to shift our thinking of who is top player and who is not. Koepka didn't finish the season well a month ago, but it's now the part of the season where he thrived last year. Expect Koepka to have another strong fall season again this year, starting this week.
Steven Bowditch
Bowditch had a very strong 2014-15 season and it all started here a year ago. Bowditch looks like the real deal and this season should be a good barometer as to how good he can be. He finished runner-up here last year and should be in contention again this year.
Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama continues to improve his game, so much so that you might want to hold off on using him until the 2016 portion of the season, but if you don't mind burning him this fall, it should be at this event where he's finished third the last two years.
Tony Finau
Finau's rookie season can be broken into three segments. Early in the season he was good, during the middle portion he was bad and near the end he was great. Considering we are back in the early part of the season again, and this time around he has experience under his belt, he just might be great early in the season instead of just good.
Robert Streb
Streb is another player who made a name for himself during the fall portion of the season last year, and it makes sense that he'll once again play well during this stretch. If you are trying to avoid big names the next six weeks, Streb could be your guy.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Justin Rose
Nothing against Rose, or his ability to win anytime or anywhere, but this is just not the right time to burn a guy like Rose. If he had any experience at this event, then maybe you could justify the pick, but he doesn't, so you can't.
Rory McIlroy
I could cut and paste the comments for Rose here as well, but I'll go one step further. McIlroy is a guy you have to save for the majors in one-and-done leagues. So unless your league consists of ONLY the fall season, then just sit back and wait on McIlroy.
Brandt Snedeker
Snedeker has long been known as an "early season" player, in that he puts up his best numbers early in the season. But that was back when the early season was considered January, February and March. While Snedeker has had some success in the fall, it's probably wise to save him until 2016.
Jason Gore
Gore had a moment during the FedEx Cup Playoffs, but just as he's done over the last decade, he faded pretty soon thereafter. He also missed the cut here last season, so any thought of using him here as a sleeper should be dismissed.
Matt Every
Every picked up a huge win last season at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but his play after that was awful. Every hasn't made a cut since early May, a run that spans 10 events with a cut. The time off probably did him well, but there's no way to know that ahead of time.
ONE AND DONE GOLFER
Last Season: $5,581,597
This week: Robert Streb - Streb played very well during the six-week fall stretch last season and all signs point to another strong run this season. Streb ended the 2014-15 on a high-note, and if he can carry any of that momentum to this season, he should be in for a good week.
SURVIVOR PICK
This week: Robert Streb - There was no consensus on whether doubling-up was a good idea last season, so I'll try it to start this year and see how it goes. Streb hasn't missed a cut in a while, so there's no reason to think he'll fall short this week.
