Round 2 Showdown: CSC
In lieu of Model Musing's
(Editor’s note: we apologize for missing Model Musing’s this week as real life has it’s way of wrecking best laid plans. We’ve been wanting to bring you Showdown writeup’s for some time and this is our first foray into that realm. Enjoy!)
Round two showdown strategy boils down to this one basic rule: Fade Harry Hall at any cost. At $6,400, Hall will be what the zoomers call mega chalk. Everyone will be on Hall after his blistering first round -8. Hall in round one was first in the field in putting but 40th in strokes gained off the tee, where he has traditionally struggled. Team No Putt must lead the movement against Hall, a superb putter. You’re not going to win any money if you take Hall and he is 35 percent rostered in GPPs.
It could serve you well to get ugly and play Colin Morikawa and/or Tony Finau after their nightmarish opening rounds. I don’t really care about tee to green stuff with elite players like Morikawa and Finau; they’re going to be fine. And DFS players will naturally fade both guys after they shat the proverbial bed on Thursday. Finau, for one, is seventh on Tour in strokes gained tee to green over the past 16 rounds. He’ll be OK.
Here are some guys to target in Friday showdowns.
Justin Rose ($9,100): Rose was down unfathomably bad on Thursday, shooting -1 while ranking second in strokes gained tee to green and continuing his red-hot approach game, as only Tom Hoge was better on approach in round one. Rose’s game is custom made for this course and he scored well in this week’s Topher model. Don’t pay any attention to his 3.25 strokes lost on the greens in round one. He’ll likely have reduced rostership headed into Friday.
Alex Smalley ($7,300): Smalley was horrific on the greens in the first round. In fact, only four players -- including Rose -- were worse. A Topher model darling coming into this week, Smalley ranked 13th from tee to green in the first round. A mere five players gained more strokes off the tee than Smalley. Don’t lose hope in Mr. Smalley. Some slightly better putting in round two and he could be a difference maker in showdown tournaments.
Brian Harman ($8,200): The irritable little guy was fourth best in strokes gained on approach in round one and somehow shot even par. I’m not mad. Stop saying I’m mad. Harman was a disaster off the tee -- seventh worst in the field, in fact. Here’s the thing: Harman ranks 22nd in strokes gained off the tee over the past month. He should be able to right the driving ship on Friday. That’s the hope anyway. No one will be on Harman in the second round. That much we know for sure.