Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood, Joaquin Niemann, Hideki Matsuyama and Jason Day will be among the notables evaluated on Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider.
Just as two of the three Asian Swing tournaments in the fall were moved to locations in the United States due to the challenges caused by the pandemic, WGC-Workday in Florida serves as a temporary replacement for what was an annual tour of Mexico City to the 2017-2020 WGC-Mexico Championship. The goal is to return to Mexico in 2022, but the focus now is to continue the tradition of this WGC, no matter what the stage.
The WGC-Workday moment serves as an entry or a return for international talent to register four rounds in a blunt 72-hole competition, all before the PLAYERS Championship in two weeks, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in four weeks, the master’s in six weeks and so on.
The timing of the concession as a host is fortuitous in the context of sports in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays returned to the World Series in 2020 and the Buccaneers just became the first team to win a Super Bowl at their stadium. Local fans have been spoiled recently!
DeChambeau is not from Tampa – he is a California native – but he is undefeated in this week’s host course. Four other people on the field also competed in the 2015 NCAA Men’s Championship: Thomas Detry (T3), Jon Rahm (T22), Scottie Scheffler (T33) and Xander Schauffele (T45).
The award is the only collaboration between Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin. Properly, the name comes from Nicklaus’s concession of a short shot to the Englishman during the 1969 Ryder Cup, which resulted in a draw (and the US retaining the trophy). It’s a par 72 stock with 7,474 meters of eye-popping images.
Set entirely in Florida’s native landscape, there are more than six dozen bunkers throughout the property. Typical of many Nicklaus designs, there is room to get off the tee, but managing the pitch is just as important as accuracy in approach.
TifEagle shorts average only 6,000 square feet, and this is generous in application because of the ripples, segments and a 12 foot Stimpmeter prep. Usually, with unknown greens that appear to be challenging, ball strikers tend to monopolize the final leaderboard, but quick club studies – and you don’t qualify for a WGC unless that’s it – will mix.
The course should present wonderfully well on its debut. The weather forecast is excellent. A basically sunny sky will allow daytime highs to reach 80 degrees. The winds will be domesticated to Florida standards. Even a push out of the north on Thursday shouldn’t be a bother before a slightly stronger breeze swirls to blow in the predominant south direction.
In addition to 550 FedExCup points and a $ 1.82 million payday, the champion will receive an exemption from PGA TOUR membership for three years. If a non-member wins and accepts membership, FedExCup points will not contribute to their total membership this season, as they are a WGC.
ROB BOLTON SCHEDULE
Fantasy Insider from PGATOUR.COM, Rob Bolton, recapitulates and shows all tournaments from various angles. Look for the following contributions as scheduled.
MONDAY: Power Ratings (WGC-Workday)
TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (Puerto Rico); Sleepers (WGC-Workday), Fantasy Insider
SUNDAY: Qualifiers, Remodeling, Medical Extensions, Rookie Watch
* – Rob is a panel member for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which he also publishes on Tuesday.