This article is part of our PGA Tour Stats Review series.
We have two pieces of good news for PGA Tour players participating in this week's Humana Challenge. First: the PGA Tour has left Hawaii. Second: Jimmy Walker is not in the field. However, we start this stats preview with the one thing that will have them worried ...
History Lesson
... and that's the fact that the defending champion of the Humana Challenge is: Patrick Reed. Yep, the same one who surged from nowhere on Monday to win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions two weeks ago. He won this event last year by two over Ryan Palmer. In 2013, Brian Gay won in a playoff over Charles Howell III and David Lingmerth, and in 2012, Mark Wilson beat Robert Garrigus, John Mallinger and Johnson Wagner in a playoff.
Of those, our only recommendation is Reed. He was clutch on that Monday at Kapalua, ranking first in strokes gained-tee to green and first in strokes gained-total that week.
Who Is Playing
The big headliner this week is Phil Mickelson -- a slimmed down and with faster swing speed Phil Mickelson -- making his season premiere. He's apparently in great shape and swinging great, but as Golf World Senior Writer Tim Rosaforte smartly pointed out Monday night on "Golf Central," Mickelson tends to get way too amped up when he makes his debut and thus doesn't play well because (swinging too hard on drives, too aggressive on approaches and other mental errors). Butch Harmon has tried to get him to calm down,
We have two pieces of good news for PGA Tour players participating in this week's Humana Challenge. First: the PGA Tour has left Hawaii. Second: Jimmy Walker is not in the field. However, we start this stats preview with the one thing that will have them worried ...
History Lesson
... and that's the fact that the defending champion of the Humana Challenge is: Patrick Reed. Yep, the same one who surged from nowhere on Monday to win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions two weeks ago. He won this event last year by two over Ryan Palmer. In 2013, Brian Gay won in a playoff over Charles Howell III and David Lingmerth, and in 2012, Mark Wilson beat Robert Garrigus, John Mallinger and Johnson Wagner in a playoff.
Of those, our only recommendation is Reed. He was clutch on that Monday at Kapalua, ranking first in strokes gained-tee to green and first in strokes gained-total that week.
Who Is Playing
The big headliner this week is Phil Mickelson -- a slimmed down and with faster swing speed Phil Mickelson -- making his season premiere. He's apparently in great shape and swinging great, but as Golf World Senior Writer Tim Rosaforte smartly pointed out Monday night on "Golf Central," Mickelson tends to get way too amped up when he makes his debut and thus doesn't play well because (swinging too hard on drives, too aggressive on approaches and other mental errors). Butch Harmon has tried to get him to calm down, and we'll see if that translates to this week.
If it does, fantasy owners will want to start Mickelson, as he's a two-time winner here (2002 and 2004) and has the potential to take advantage of the relatively easy playing conditions and the fact that the event necessitates a lot of birdies.
Other notables in the field include Billy Horschel, Matt Kuchar, Keegan Bradley, a much slimmed down Jason Dufner and Luke Donald.
Kuchar played well last week at the Sony Open, tying for third and ranking ninth in strokes gained-putting and tying for third in strokes gained-total.
Donald tied for 51st -- he's in the midst of some swing changes -- ranking 59th in strokes gained-tee to green and 23rd in strokes gained-putting. If you believe in multiple weeks helping a player get hot, start Donald, as the framework for a solid week was shown last week. If not, avoid him.
Dufner's loss of 20 pounds could affect his overall swing -- plus it's his first start of the year -- so buyer beware.
Sunday Surgers
These players who did well on Sunday last week could do well for you fantasy team this week.
Jerry Kelly, +19 on a Sunday 66 that led to a T6 finish -- he hit nearly 63 percent of his greens last week and gained more than a stroke on the greens.
Rory Sabbatini, +43 with a Sunday 63 for a T6 finish -- he finished last week 12th in strokes gained-tee to green.
