After an exciting major Sunday of golf in Charlotte, the Tour will stick around North Carolina for the final regular season event: the Wyndham Championship. The FedEx Cup Playoffs begin with the top 125 players in points, so this week is the final chance for golfers on the bubble to get within that mark.
For the tenth year in a row, the tournament will be hosted at Sedgefield Country Club. Playing as a 7,127-yard par 70, this course is a matchbox compared to the behemoth faced last weekend. For this reason, length off the tee does not play as much of a factor, and emphasis is shifted to approach shots. One key statistic to target is Strokes Gained: Approach-The-Green. These guys will be taking dead aim at pins all week, so expect to see fireworks.
The forecast for this weekend is rain yet again. Soft and slow greens will be ideal for ball strikers; good putting is a wash when you can hit the ball inside 10 feet on a consistent basis. Last year Kim Si-woo won at (-21), so making birdies is especially crucial. Take a hard look at Birdie Average Per Round when weighing your fantasy options. This statistic is littered with stud players and with the Fanduel scoring set up to reward birdies at the risk of bogey or worse, it can lead to some value picks, especially in smaller tournaments such as this one.
My predictions for this week:
Winner: Ollie Schniederjans. 2017 has been a year filled with winners under the age of 25, and Ollie can join that club this week. His ability to attack hole locations and go low will be accentuated by the easy conditions this week.
Sleeper: Daniel Summerhays. Quietly consistent all year, he is ranked 124th in the Fed Ex Cup and knows that a strong performance this week will punch his ticket to the playoffs. I expect him to step up to the challenge.
For my full weekly cash and GPP picks, check the membership options. Best of luck! The last week of the season with a full field, enjoy it while it lasts.