Tourball Runs Away With US Open; Kikakee Snags First Career Segment Championship

U.S. Open Recap

The lead changed hands 3 times during the season's second major. It was anybody's game at Erin Hills, host of the 2017 US Open. Most teams were severely hobbled after the cut line bloodbath  that took place on Friday. Most of the world's top ranked golfers packed their bags before the weekend. DJ, Rory, Jason, Adam, Stenson - all went home early. It would be the more rogue picks last week that got rewarded instead of packing your roster with all stars. And surprisingly enough, only 1 team managed to pick Brooks Koepka and collect his 20 bonus points.

The fantasy U.S. Open champion is proving to be somewhat of an anomaly as he is by far the best team with the fewest points. The veteran Tourball made moves over the weekend at Erin Hills to capture the lead on Saturday night and held it over the course of Sunday. He made the right draft picks with Fleetwood, Thomas, Reed and Matsuyama. He made sure the contest wasn't close as he rolled to victory by a 28 point margin over Freeside Links. Tourball now has 9 Top 10s, 5 Top 3 and 2 wins - a remarkable feet for a team who's in 26th place! Clearly he's choosing his battles and showing up for the tournaments that fit his schedule. With this win he moves into 3rd in earnings ($57) and will always be a threat to strike when least expected. Congrats Tourball. 

Spring Segment Recap

The final corner of the 2017 season has been turned as the Spring Segment came to a close on Sunday with the conclusion of the US Open. The season's second major marks a pivotal moment in the fantasy golf schedule as it allows us to see the broad strokes about how the season has progressed and what major trends have shaped up throughout 6 months of play.

While the PGA Tour has it's own stat category to track just about everything that happens on the golf course so too does the First Timers League. And the verdict is in on the 2017 season: it's shaping up to be the lowest scoring season in recorded history. And this is primarily due to the horrendous scoring of the Spring Segment.

During the Spring, an average of 5.91 bonus points was scored each week per team. This is the lowest bonus points average scored in any segment recorded over a 3 year period and directly reflects the league's inability to pick a winner during any given week. Over 11 weeks of play a total of 44 winners were picked by the league. Compare that to 108 winners picked during the Winter Segment and it's more than a 50% drop off. The average team picked just over 1 winner during the entire Spring. Regulation points also took a dip as points were also squandered during the 4 rounds of play. In 2016, an average of 1,455 points were scored per segment during regulation play. The 2017 Winter Segment saw an average of 1,463 but then the Spring Segment missed the mark by averaging 1,254 per team. While some teams have maintained a strong points accumulation the majority of teams are well below the average mark after 22 weeks of play. The assumption from this is that the mainstays on the PGA Tour, the ones that get picked the most each week, are not winning tournaments. And it plays out as the PGA saw a changing of the guard in tournament champions during the Spring. There were 2 first time

winners (Wesley Bryan, Kevin Chappell), 5 two-time winners and 3 guys with less than 5 wins. The only player to win with a large number championships already under his belt was Sergio. Clearly, picking the McIlroys, DJs, Roses, Matsuyamas and Spieths did not pay dividends this segment. Perhaps strategies will be adjusted now that Summer has arrived.

But one team managed to rise above it all. Another first time (segment) winner can throw his name in the hat of Segment Champions and it wasn't even close. Kikakee Tees has been grinding it out on fantasy tour for nearly 3 years now. He's put together a great career so far and he's far from done. During 11 Spring tournaments he made 7 Top 10 appearances, 4 of which were for Top 3s (most in the league). And while he didn't win a tournament on the road to his first Segment Championship it makes the feat all the more deserved as he managed his squad brilliantly, maximizing regulation and bonus points to cushion his segment lead. Although Kikakee has had several excellent performances during previous segments this is by far his best. And he currently holds the season lead as well. It's a $50 paycheck for the Spring Segment Champion Kikakee Tees. And he's not even through yet. Congrats Kikakee.

Summer Segment Outlook

The final segment of 2017 is about to get underway as the Race for the Jackson Cup heats up. Kikakee Tees is out in front and feeling good fresh off his Spring Segment win. But he's got a host of competitors who aren't far off his pace. Most notably are the past two Jackson Cup winners in Short Strokes and Gophers. Both former champs are hungry to take back the cup and within striking distance. Another contender in hot pursuit is Jose Maria Oblazabong. His track record heading into this season was tenuous but he's really turned things around to post a strong showing. He's the current Winter Segment Champ and

sits in 4th place overall. No one is counting him out. Then there's That's Wet who's been stifled in all his attempts to win the cup or a segment. He's been right there so many times but just hasn't been able to close. Could 2017 be his turnaround year? Baby Draw and Talkeetna98 are also in the discussion of Jackson Cup potentials as they sit in 6th and 7th respectively. It will take a more concerted push from both these league veterans if they want to hold the cup but it's not beyond either of their abilities. 

Starts are running out for certain players and the draft pick options will start to thin out a bit as we head into the Summer Segment. The next month of play will feature a slew of tournaments aren't on any of the big gun's schedules so picking a lesser known will be much more rewarded. But then as July comes to a close things will start to heat up. The Open Championship, the WGC, the PGA Championship and the FedexCup Playoffs are all pretty much back to back. With larger paychecks for each event there will be no weeks off come late Summer. 

There's still time to make your move. While teams jokey for position on the overall leaderboard it's never too late to go out and win a Segment. The Summer is anybody's for the taking. Good luck and God speed.