2019 Fantasy Golf

PGA Championship: Expert Picks

Rory has been playing unbelievable

By Mark Abell May 14, 2019, 11:29am EDT

Tournament Information

PGA Championship
Date: May 16^th – 19^th
Course: Bethpage Black
Purse - $11MM ($2MM to winner)
FedEx points – 600 to winner(s)
2018 Winner: Brooks Koepka (-16)

Course

Bethpage State Park. Created in 1936, this 7,468 yard par 71 course has a rating of 77.5 and a slope rating of 155. Regularly ranked as one of the best courses in America Bethpage is also routinely put amongst the hardest courses. The layout is challenging and if you miss a fairway you will be punished for it. Supposedly they have tamed back it’s bite a bit with the layout being more acceptable but we shall see how the golfers fare this year.

My Starting 4

Adam Scott (2nd selection this year) — First of all he finished 36^th here in 2009 when the US Open was here. He has three top 20 finishes and two missed cuts in the last five tournaments (one of which was Zurich Classic where he was paired up) finally Adam is 15^th in total strokes gained.

Rory McIlroy (4th selection this year) — Rory has two PGA Championships to his name (2012 and 2014) and he has finished in the top 25 in the last nine consecutive tournaments.

Ian Poulter (2nd selection this year) — He finished 18^th at Bethpage in 2009 during the US Open. Furthermore, he has four consecutive top 20’s coming into this tournament. He’s sitting 28^th in total strokes gained.

Phil Mickelson (4th selection this year) — He won the PGA Championship in 2005, he finished in the top 5 here during the US Open in 2009 and he is 22^nd in official world golf ranking right now. On the flip side, excluding the Masters, he has 3 missed cuts in his last five tournaments.

I'm excited to be back in NY for the @PGAChampionship. I love playing Bethpage Black and looking forward to seeing some of the most passionate fans in the world this week! pic.twitter.com/WlZVHty1sH
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) May 13, 2019

My Bench 2

Keegan Bradley (2nd selection this year) — He has two missed cuts and three total finishes in the 30s and 40s over the last five tournaments which is ok. He won the PGA Championship in 2011 and I think he can rally at a tough course like Bethpage with his skill and experience.

Francesco Molinari (3rd selection this year) — He had the Masters win within his grasp before choking down the final nine holes. He is amongst the best golfers in the game right now. He’s sitting 7^th in official world golf ranking and should be a force at the PGA Championship. His recent missed cut at RBC does not have me overtly concerned.

2019 Stats

Starting 4: Avg finish 45th (35th percentile)
Bench 2: Avg finish 58th (46th percentile)