This article is part of our Weekly PGA Preview series.
Another week in the books on the PGA Tour and another budding superstar takes the title. OK, so Jordan Spieth isn't your classical "budding" superstar — the man already has two majors — but he may still be getting better.
It wasn't that long ago that the a golfer's prime was universally recognized as occurring in his late-20s or early-30s, but a quick glance at what has transpired over the last couple years and that conclusion seems to need adjusting. Prior to 2010, the idea of a golfer hitting his prime in his early 30s, for the most part, held true. Sure, there was Tiger Woods, who was seemingly in his prime from the age of three, but he was the anomaly. That's no longer the case as guys like Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama have done some major damage before age 25. There are still plenty of guys on the PGA Tour who have needed that extra time to find their game, but more often than not, it's those golfers proving to be the anomaly these days.
Take Jimmy Walker, for instance. He seemingly came out of nowhere to win multiple events and even a major. He didn't come out of nowhere, though. It just took him some time to find his game — something that seemed normal just a decade ago, but seems odd by today's standards. The pressure to perform out of the gate is greater now than ever.
It makes you wonder how many
Another week in the books on the PGA Tour and another budding superstar takes the title. OK, so Jordan Spieth isn't your classical "budding" superstar — the man already has two majors — but he may still be getting better.
It wasn't that long ago that the a golfer's prime was universally recognized as occurring in his late-20s or early-30s, but a quick glance at what has transpired over the last couple years and that conclusion seems to need adjusting. Prior to 2010, the idea of a golfer hitting his prime in his early 30s, for the most part, held true. Sure, there was Tiger Woods, who was seemingly in his prime from the age of three, but he was the anomaly. That's no longer the case as guys like Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama have done some major damage before age 25. There are still plenty of guys on the PGA Tour who have needed that extra time to find their game, but more often than not, it's those golfers proving to be the anomaly these days.
Take Jimmy Walker, for instance. He seemingly came out of nowhere to win multiple events and even a major. He didn't come out of nowhere, though. It just took him some time to find his game — something that seemed normal just a decade ago, but seems odd by today's standards. The pressure to perform out of the gate is greater now than ever.
It makes you wonder how many guys are going to throw in the towel before they even hit 30 if things don't go their way. The days of coasting on the PGA Tour are long gone. This isn't your father's PGA Tour, it's a different game now ... a young man's game.
This week: Genesis Open - Riviera Country Club - Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Last Year: Bubba Watson shot a final-round 68 on his way to a one-stroke victory over Adam Scott and Jason Kokrak.
PLAYERS TO CONSIDER
Bubba Watson
Tough to ignore Watson this week. Watson has always played really well in certain spots, and this is certainly one of them. Watson has won this event twice in the last three years and finished in the top 15 the year he didn't win. Watson is certainly in play at Augusta, so he's not a lock here, but with so many good options for the Masters now, this might be the highest value we see all year for Watson.
Dustin Johnson
DJ is as good an option as Watson, but he has more value down the road. Then again, with many saving DJ for a major, this would be a good spot to zig when others are zagging. DJ has yet to win this event, but he's contended several times, including the last three years where he's finished inside the top 5 each time.
Adam Scott
Scott doesn't play here very often, just four times in the past eight years, but when he does, he usually makes it worthwhile. Scott finished runner-up here last year and he posted a T10 in his previous start in 2013. The biggest question surrounding Scott is his form as we haven't seen him on the PGA Tour since last fall. However, that was also the case in 2013 and it didn't seem to negatively affect him.
Hideki Matsuyama
For anyone who hasn't used Matsuyama in a one-and-done format yet, I would caution against using him in this spot because of the strength of the field and his future value, but in every other format, he has the green light. Matsuyama has fared well in his three starts at this event, finishing in the top 25 each time. His best showing was a T4 in 2015.
Kelly Kraft
With so many solid high-end options this week, I don't recommend going off the beaten path, but, if you are looking for a sleeper, Kelly Kraft might be your guy. He has no experience at this event, which is certainly scary, but his form is solid entering this week. Kraft has finished outside the top 30 just once since the calendar flipped and is coming off a solo-second last week.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Phil Mickelson
Mickelson was my "one-and-done" pick last week, so I paid close attention to his game and it wasn't pretty. To make matters worse, he started well Thursday, giving us all some hope, but then fell apart as the week wore on. The wheels were wobbly all week and they eventually fell off Sunday as he posted a 77 on his way to a dead-last finish among those who played all four rounds. He has played well here in the past, but his form is lacking now.
Jimmy Walker
Jimmy Walker on the Avoid list? For the second straight week? During the West Coast Swing? It doesn't seem right, but Walker is again on the Avoid list. The reason being, his game doesn't seem right. Walker usually dominates the early part of the season, but that hasn't been the case this year. Perhaps he's suffering from a major hangover? Whatever the case, he hasn't played well at Riviera the last couple years, so it's doubtful he finds his game this week.
James Hahn
Hahn was the surprise winner here in 2015, but that appears to be somewhat of a fluke. In his three other starts here, Hahn has a T61, T29 and a missed cut. If his game were in better shape entering this week, perhaps he could have avoided a spot on this list, but he's missed two of his last three cut on tour and last week finished T58.
Brandt Snedeker
Snedeker is playing well entering this week, but he might have a difficult time keeping that momentum as he's rarely played well at Riviera. In six starts, Snedeker has missed three cuts and has never cracked the top 10. He's certainly not a one-and-done option this week and is probably not a great option in other formats, either.
Hudson Swafford
Consider me firmly on the Hudson Swafford bandwagon, but this week I'll take a break. While Swafford's game continues to improve, he probably isn't to the point where he can make an impact at Riviera. Swafford has played this event three times and has yet to make it to the weekend.
ONE AND DONE GOLFER
Last week: Phil Mickelson (65) - $15,120; Season - $1,806,494
This week: Dustin Johnson - Perhaps the toughest decision to date. It comes down to Bubba or DJ this week, and while they both have upside, I feel better about DJ because of how he played late last week. This was not an easy decision as I'll no doubt miss having DJ for the majors, but a top-5 this week seems almost guaranteed, and a win is easily within reach, as well.
YAHOO PICKS
Points: 918
Rank: 15,947
This Week:
Group A: Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott
Group B: Bubba Watson, Hideki Matsuyama, Jim Furyk, Jordan Spieth
Group C: Charl Schwartzel, Sergio Garcia
SURVIVOR PICK
Last week: Phil Mickelson - (65); Streak - 4
This week: Jim Furyk - While DJ is the one-and-done pick this week, he holds even more value in survivor pools, so I'll save him for later in this season. Furyk is no longer a safe play for the majors, but he's as safe as it gets at Riviera. Furyk has made the cut here in 16 of 19 starts.
