This article is part of our Weekly PGA Preview series.
Although the PGA Tour has done a pretty good job of making the fall season more intriguing than it was a decade ago, I often wonder what the players themselves think of this little six-week stretch that starts each season now. After Dustin Johnson's inexplicable collapse at the HSBC Champions last week, it would be easy to say that maybe these guys don't take the fall season all that seriously, but I don't think that's what happens during fall. I think it's a matter of mindset.
I'll explain. it's not that these golfers don't care about the fall season, it's just difficult to get into the right frame of mind when you know you are only playing a couple times over 3-4 months.
You see, although this fall season is technically the start of the new season, it's followed by a six week stretch where there are no official events. Follow that with two events in Hawaii and some of these golfers are actually off for more than three months. Once the season ends in September, it would be awfully easy to check out for a while mentally, knowing that you wouldn't have to get back to the "grind" for several months. You see, it's not a lack of caring, it's a lack of continuity, and for that, there's really nothing the PGA Tour can do.
This week: Shriners Open - TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas
Last Year: Rod Pampling shot a final-round 65 on his way to a four-stroke victory
Although the PGA Tour has done a pretty good job of making the fall season more intriguing than it was a decade ago, I often wonder what the players themselves think of this little six-week stretch that starts each season now. After Dustin Johnson's inexplicable collapse at the HSBC Champions last week, it would be easy to say that maybe these guys don't take the fall season all that seriously, but I don't think that's what happens during fall. I think it's a matter of mindset.
I'll explain. it's not that these golfers don't care about the fall season, it's just difficult to get into the right frame of mind when you know you are only playing a couple times over 3-4 months.
You see, although this fall season is technically the start of the new season, it's followed by a six week stretch where there are no official events. Follow that with two events in Hawaii and some of these golfers are actually off for more than three months. Once the season ends in September, it would be awfully easy to check out for a while mentally, knowing that you wouldn't have to get back to the "grind" for several months. You see, it's not a lack of caring, it's a lack of continuity, and for that, there's really nothing the PGA Tour can do.
This week: Shriners Open - TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas
Last Year: Rod Pampling shot a final-round 65 on his way to a four-stroke victory over Harris English and Geoff Ogilvy.
PLAYERS TO CONSIDER
Webb Simpson
There aren't a lot of big names in the field this week; Simpson qualifies as one of the biggest names, in fact. Fortunately, he has a strong track record here. He won this event in 2014 and followed with a top-5 in 2015.
Jimmy Walker
It might be wise to wait on Walker until 2018 to see if he's feeling better than he did all of 2016-17, but there's good reason to take him this week if you're feeling lucky. Walker finished inside the top 15 here in three of his last five starts. He missed the cut last year, but that was about the time he started feeling the effects of what would be later diagnosed as Lyme disease.
Tony Finau
Finau probably has the best combination of recent play and course history on his side this week as he's managed to play pretty well during fall, and his track record here is respectable. Finau posted a runner-up at the Safeway Open last month and carded a T11 last week. Finau is also a perfect 3-for-3 here on cuts made, with two resulting in top-20s.
Kevin Streelman
Streelman has yet to miss a cut at this event and has finished inside the top 25 in five of his seven starts. His best finish came in 2015 when he finished runner-up to Ben Martin. Streelman also played well in his two fall starts, finishing inside the top 15 in both starts.
Smylie Kaufman
Kaufman is one bad round away from being off to a great start this season, but as it is, he'll have to settle for just one top-5 in two starts this fall. That top-5 came last week as the Sanderson Farms Championship, and it was his first outing since a closing 82 at the Safeway Open. It's a positive sign that Kaufman put that round behind him to focus on the task at hand. The task this week is to play well here again as he did just two years ago when he won this event.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Rod Pampling
When you hear the phrase, "golf is a strange game," it refers to Pampling's win here last year. Pampling hadn't been a factor on the PGA Tour for about a decade before he somehow captured the title here last year. Predictably, that win was his lone highlight from last season and likely his final salvo before joining the Champions Tour.
Bubba Watson
By Watson's standards, his 2016-17 was terrible. While it wasn't actually a terrible season, it wasn't what we were used to seeing from Watson. Although I'm sure he's determined to bounce back this season, it would be wise to see him play a few times before jumping back on board. Watson has only played this event twice and he hasn't teed it up here since 2007.
Ben Martin
Martin is on the long list of surprise winners of this event and like many before him and after, he's had trouble finding success after his win. In Martin's case, he hasn't fallen off the map by any means, but he certainly hasn't capitalized on the momentum of his lone PGA Tour win. Martin has not played well here outside of his win in 2015 as he's missed the cut in three of five total starts.
Scott Stallings
Stallings has to be the most nondescript three-time winner on the PGA Tour. Yes, he's won three times on the PGA Tour, though none since 2014. Stallings peaked in his rookie season of 2011 when he earned nearly $2 million, but he's regressed ever since. Stallings generally plays well during the fall portion of the season, but the exception to that is this event, where he's made the cut just once in five tries.
Rory Sabbatini
Once upon a time, Sabbatini played well at this event, but that was more than a decade ago and his results here since 2008 have been atrocious. In seven starts since 2008, Sabbatini has cashed just once and missed the cut five times. Sabbatini missed the cut in his only start this season at the Safeway Open.
ONE AND DONE GOLFER
Last week: Francesco Molinari (T46) - $57,500; Season - $1,144,717
This week: Kevin Streelman - Streelman has the right mix of safety and upside this week as he's never missed a cut here and once finished runner-up. He's also in pretty good form as well with two solid finishes already this season. There's also no reason to think that you'll need to save Streelman for the 2018 portion of the season.
SURVIVOR PICK
Last week: N/A - (N/A); Streak - 1
This week: Kevin Streelman - As mentioned, Streelman has been perfect here with made cuts and that not only shows that he can get around this course, but it also shows that he's fully invested in this event. It might seem strange to make that comment, but during this time of the season, you never know who has already checked out mentally.
