This article is part of our Weekly PGA Preview series.
Every event on the PGA Tour has the potential to be special, but only a handful can be epic. To earn epic status you need all of the following. First, you need the excellent play, not just average Sunday play, but something spectacular. Second, the players involved are pivotal as well. As nice as it is to have spectacular play, it's just not the same unless some big names are involved. Third is the setting. Any major will obviously due, but outside the majors, only a handful of spots qualify as potentially epic. In case you weren't keeping track, yes, the 2015 Players Championship met all the criteria.
It wasn't always shaping up to be epic, however, as halfway through Sunday's final round; the only big name in sight was Sergio Garcia. Beyond that, the level of play midway through the round wasn't exactly at the spectacular level. It wasn't until Rickie Fowler found his groove that the word epic was even a thought. That's what it turned into, though, but Fowler needed a lot of help. The help came from a supporting cast who you probably couldn't pick out of a lineup, but one by one, nearly every man stepped up to make this one a classic. Oh, and the setting wasn't all that bad either, perhaps the most famous hole in golf, the 17th at Sawgrass was the pivotal hole in all of this.
Come this Sunday, we might again have fantastic play and plenty of drama, but
Every event on the PGA Tour has the potential to be special, but only a handful can be epic. To earn epic status you need all of the following. First, you need the excellent play, not just average Sunday play, but something spectacular. Second, the players involved are pivotal as well. As nice as it is to have spectacular play, it's just not the same unless some big names are involved. Third is the setting. Any major will obviously due, but outside the majors, only a handful of spots qualify as potentially epic. In case you weren't keeping track, yes, the 2015 Players Championship met all the criteria.
It wasn't always shaping up to be epic, however, as halfway through Sunday's final round; the only big name in sight was Sergio Garcia. Beyond that, the level of play midway through the round wasn't exactly at the spectacular level. It wasn't until Rickie Fowler found his groove that the word epic was even a thought. That's what it turned into, though, but Fowler needed a lot of help. The help came from a supporting cast who you probably couldn't pick out of a lineup, but one by one, nearly every man stepped up to make this one a classic. Oh, and the setting wasn't all that bad either, perhaps the most famous hole in golf, the 17th at Sawgrass was the pivotal hole in all of this.
Come this Sunday, we might again have fantastic play and plenty of drama, but "epic" will not be on the menu, epic is reserved for only a handful of events each year.
This week: Wells Fargo Championship - Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, N.C.
Last Year: J.B. Holmes shot a final-round 71 on his way to a one-stroke victory over Jim Furyk.
PLAYERS TO CONSIDER
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy played fairly well last week, but he didn't quite have that last gear. This week we should see his best as he's often played well here. McIlory won here in 2010 and has finished in the top 10 in four of his five tries at this event.
Jim Furyk
Furyk probably doesn't want to think about last year's finish too long as it was just another of many near misses, but now that he has the monkey off his back, he's probably licking his chops. Furyk's track record here is solid, and with a renewed confidence, he should again be in the mix.
Phil Mickelson
Mickelson is not at the top of his game, but no matter the level of his game over the years, he's always managed to play well at this event. Mickelson has finished inside the top 25 in seven of his last eight tries here and inside the top 10 in five of those starts.
Kevin Kisner
In case you had your television on mute during Sunday's final round, Kisner not only believes he can win on the PGA Tour, but he's nearly done it ... twice ... in the last month. So we know he's playing well, but what about his history here? How about a T6 last year?
J.B. Holmes
Holmes' pace has slowed considerably the last couple months, but a return to the site where he won last year might get him back on track. Holmes was rounding into form prior to the Wells Fargo last year, but I dare say he wasn't the player he is now.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Hunter Mahan
Mahan enters this year's Wells Fargo on a streak of seven consecutive cuts made at this event, but he hasn't accomplished much on the weekend the last four years. Add to that, a missed cut last week at The Players and you have a perfect spot to fade Mahan.
Henrik Stenson
There are simply too many solid players with strong track records at this event to take a chance on Stenson, who has missed three cuts in just four tries here. Big name, yes, but too much history to overcome.
Patrick Reed
Again, too many good options to take Reed, who's never fared better than T32. Reed is a on a decent roll entering this week, but decent isn't good enough this week.
Gary Woodland
Woodland played well here last year, but prior to that he struggled mightily on the weekend at this event. His best finish prior to his top-20 last year was a T61 in 2014.
Camilo Villegas
A couple decent finishes for Villegas at this event, but for the most part, he has struggled. Villegas has missed the cut almost as many times as he's made it here, and he's only cracked the top 25 once in nine tries.
ONE AND DONE GOLFER
Last week: Sergio Garcia (T2) - $880,000; Season - $2,930,345
This week: Phil Mickelson - There was a time when using Mickelson outside a major or the West Coast Swing was idiotic, but times are a changing and now you need to strike while the iron is hot. His game isn't all that hot entering this week, but his record is outstanding here.
YAHOO PICKS
Points: 2,594
Rank: 17,056
This Week:
Group A: Rory McIlroy, J.B. Holmes
Group B: Phil Mickelson, Kevin Kisner, Hideki Matsuyama, Nick Watney
Group C: Geoff Ogilvy, Ryan Moore
SURVIVOR PICK
Last week: Sergio Garcia (T2); Streak - 1
This week: Geoff Ogilvy - Mickelson is my top choice as he's 11-for-11 on made cuts here, but I used him a while back so I'll go with the next best thing, Geoff Ogilvy, who's 10-for-10.
