This article is part of our Weekly PGA Preview series.
Drama is generally preferred viewing for Sunday afternoons on the PGA Tour – unless Tiger circa 2000 is involved – but every once in a while, it's nice to see someone so locked in that it looks like he's playing a different course than everyone else. It's also nice when this takes place at an event like the Quicken Loans National and not, say, the U.S. Open.
Although he was the second-highest ranked player in the field entering the week, Francesco Molinari wasn't exactly atop the list of golfers anyone would expect to run away with an event, at least, not on U.S. soil, but that's exactly what he did. Molinari turned what looked like a dramatic Sunday into a stroll through the park.
Was he playing the same game as everyone else on the TPC Avenel, or was he moseying through the park with his hands in his pockets whistling "Eh, Cumpari"? While those chasing him were doing their best impressions of professional golfers on a tough track, you know, making birdies and bogeys, Molinari was just cruising along as if he was out there all alone, playing this a simple little track that offered little peril.
It would get boring pretty fast if this were to happen every week, but every once in a while, it's good to know that a golfer can up his game to a place where those who are witnessing it can only shake their heads and shrug their shoulders. If just for one
Drama is generally preferred viewing for Sunday afternoons on the PGA Tour – unless Tiger circa 2000 is involved – but every once in a while, it's nice to see someone so locked in that it looks like he's playing a different course than everyone else. It's also nice when this takes place at an event like the Quicken Loans National and not, say, the U.S. Open.
Although he was the second-highest ranked player in the field entering the week, Francesco Molinari wasn't exactly atop the list of golfers anyone would expect to run away with an event, at least, not on U.S. soil, but that's exactly what he did. Molinari turned what looked like a dramatic Sunday into a stroll through the park.
Was he playing the same game as everyone else on the TPC Avenel, or was he moseying through the park with his hands in his pockets whistling "Eh, Cumpari"? While those chasing him were doing their best impressions of professional golfers on a tough track, you know, making birdies and bogeys, Molinari was just cruising along as if he was out there all alone, playing this a simple little track that offered little peril.
It would get boring pretty fast if this were to happen every week, but every once in a while, it's good to know that a golfer can up his game to a place where those who are witnessing it can only shake their heads and shrug their shoulders. If just for one day, Molinari was as good as a golfer can be. He robbed us of drama on Sunday, but he reminded us that greatness is still out there.
This week: A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier - The Old White TPC, White Sulphur Springs, W.V.
Last Year: Xander Schauffele shot a final-round 67 on his way to a one-stroke victory over Robert Streb.
PLAYERS TO CONSIDER
Tony Finau
The field is once again thin this week, but there are a few names that stick out, of which Finau is one. Finau has two starts at this event and both resulted in top-15 showings. He doesn't have the high-end finishes here, yet, but it's only a matter of time. Finau has had a solid, but not spectacular season as he's been steady, but not great, in many spots. That changes this week as he picks up his first win of the season.
Brian Harman
Harman's track record at this event is not good – in fact, it's terrible – but he hasn't played here since 2014, and it's safe to say he has improved his overall game just a bit since then. Harman is one of the highest-ranked golfers in the field this week and it looks like he got back on track with a T6 at the Travelers Championship in his most recent start.
Russell Henley
Henley has been steady most of this season, though he lacks strong finishes. That could change this week as he's carded top-5s in his last two starts here. Henley should be lightly owned this week; he's not a name that jumps out at anyone, but he's a pretty safe pick if you are looking for someone to finish in the top-10.
Ted Potter Jr.
On the opposite end of the safety spectrum is Potter, who has a big upside, but is just as likely to miss the cut as he is to make it on any given week. Potter showed what he was capable of early in the season when he won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am, and although he hasn't shown that form much since, he could get hot this week as he's also won this event. Another plus is that he's never missed a cut here in four starts.
Xander Schauffele
With the weak field, you might expect Schauffele to be higher on this list, but his play the last month has been a little too sporadic. He flashed his upside with a runner-up at the Players and T6 at the U.S. Open but also missed the cut in three of his last five starts, which means for this week, he's closer to the Potter side of the scale than the Henley side of the scale.
PLAYERS TO CONSIDER
Robert Streb
Streb's track record here make him an awfully tempting play. After all, he finished runner-up in his last two starts here. But his form is way off now, and he's too risky. He wasn't playing great prior to his runner-up showing at the Greenbrier last year, but he was at least making cuts in the weeks leading up to this event, something he can't say this time around.
Bill Haas
Haas is flat-out struggling this season, and it's starting to look like only the offseason can solve the issues with his game. Haas has returned to several spots this season where he's had strong track records, but it hasn't led to any high-end finishes. He has a decent, but not great, track record at this event, which is all the more reason to pass on him.
Brian Gay
Gay has played well the last month and even held the lead on the weekend at the Quicken Loans National, but the fact that he could only manage a T8 last week, combined with his putrid track record here, is enough to fade him this week. Gay has six starts at this event and has made the cut just once; and that resulted in a T72.
Joel Dahmen
Dahmen has played really well the last couple months, with five top-25s in his last seven starts. So what's not to like? You may have heard that Dahmen called out his playing partner at the Quicken Loans National, Sung Kang, for essentially cheating. Kang has since dropped out of the Greenbrier, no doubt because of the controversy. Although Dahmen had every right to call out Kang, he's going to be the focus of the media leading up to Thursday, and that's not a position that he's used to being in on the PGA Tour, which could easily throw him off his game.
Jonas Blixt
Blixt is one of a couple former champions you'd be well served to avoid this week. Scott Stallings is the other, but we aren't putting him on this list anymore this season. As for Blixt, he won here in 2013, but he's missed the cut here in two of his last three starts. In addition, he's missed more cuts on the PGA Tour than he's made this season.
ONE AND DONE GOLFER
Last week: Rickie Fowler (T11) - $163,300; Season - $7,077,535
This week: Tony Finau - With two majors, a WGC event and four FedEx Playoff events still to come, Finau could still hold some value, but as I've done all season, I'm going to think about today and not so much tomorrow when making my one-and-done pick. Finau has two runner-ups this season, but no wins, but that should change this week as there isn't much firepower in the field to stop him if he's on top of his game.
PGATOUR.COM PICKS
Starters: Tony Finau, Russell Henley, Xander Schauffele, Brian Harman
Bench: Ted Potter Jr., Webb Simpson
SURVIVOR PICK
Last week: Robert Garrigus - (T26); Streak - 1
This week: David Lingmerth - Finau will have value in the coming weeks in a one-and-done format, but he'll have even more value in his format, so I am looking elsewhere. Just like last week, I'm not going with a conventional name because this isn't a conventional field. I'll go with Lingmerth, who has made the cut in all four starts at his event and has made the cut in three of his last four starts on the PGA Tour.
