Hail, almighty golfers! You are entering the realm of the King this week. Mr. Palmer’s flair for the dramatic, dedication to fans and his influence on the game were second to none. His tournament has always brought the best in the world, showing their respect for a legend. Even with El Tigre out this week with a neck injury, there’s still plenty of firepower in the field. Rickie, Koepka and Justin Rose are all looking for some additional hardware. Look for lower scores in the -12 to -18 range depending on the wind. We’ll probably see a photo finish on 18. Seems to be the norm around here!
Pick of the Week: Rickie Fowler
As one of the golfballin favorites, I’m picking Rickie to nab that next win. His birdie-birdie finish last week should have forced a playoff, if not for Keith Mitchell’s final hole heroics. He has four top-5s this year including his win in Scottsdale and has finished in the top-15 at Arnie’s place the last two years. I’m feeling some good vibes from Rickie. Let’s see if he can start a Sunday charge a bit earlier this week!
Back to the Range Bro: Zach Johnson
It’s not that Johnson’s had a terrible last two seasons (the man had 14 top 25s in 2018!) but he’s been missing at the top of leaderboards. His last win is still the 2015 Open Championship which is uncharacteristic for his career. He’s currently #125 in the FedEx Cup and hasn’t seen a top-25 since November. If he turns his putter around he could contend (#134), but I don’t think he has the length to make a run this week.