Epic Clash At Torrey Yields Split Finish Between Halve Ouimet & GreenJacket

In last week's spirited battle at Torrey Pines the fantasy leader board had more movement than a Mississippi mud hog in a Louisiana sludge pit. The top spots flip flopped more times than a New York politician in a Pennsylvania primary. Euphemisms aside, the Farmers Insurance Open was a highly contested event, frothing with competitive fervor. It finally looked like the reigning Jackson Cup Champ was getting into the action as Gophers went to bed on Saturday night with the 54 hole lead lending dreams of trophy hoisting and press conferences. This was not to be however as the Aussie Marc Leishman rose from the pack and made a Sunday charge that left everyone else reeling. As Leishman took down Torrey's title by 1 stroke his only two handlers were 7th year veteran Halve Ouimet and freshman first class GreenJacket - each riding the Aussie' low round across the finish line. 

Halve and GreenJacket were late rivals on Sunday's march to the finish line. Leishman was quickly positioning himself for the low round of the day, moving Halve and GreenJacket speedily up the leader board. Halve had the edge but a late stumble by Halve's Ryan Palmer and a timely surge by GreenJacket's Rory McIlroy left them dead even, crossing the finish line hand in hand as if they actually enjoyed sharing the lime light together. The 2020 Farmers Insurance Open ended in a rare tie for first as Halve and GreenJacket both carded 799 points. It's Halve's first of the year and 6th career title while the rookie GreenJacket collects his first ever fantasy golf victory - first of many to come for sure. Congrats to both Halve Ouimet and GreenJacket. 

Top 3 Finish

With a tie for first the only other Top 3 finisher was the ousted Gophers who still managed to hang onto a the 3rd place position for his first Top 10 and Top 3 of the season. A perennial leader in Top 10s, Gophers has by all accounts started the year slower than expected but that's certainly a testament to the talent that now crowds the halls of the First Timers locker room. With a 17.1% Top 3 finish rate you can rest assured that Gophers is only getting started. Look for the reigning champ to begin climbing. 

Notables

Papa Pilgrim snagged his 2nd Top 10 finish on Sunday with a 4th place finish and barely missed out on a Top 3. He was pigeon holed though in his ability to move up the board as near identical rosters ensured teams moving together without changing places. It's a positive sign for Papa though and his highest finish so far. His 37.8% Top 10 finish rate has him ranked 10th among active teams which typically equates to roughly 5 Top 10s per segment. 

Nick Hoffman is making a bold claim to start the season and everyone is taking note. His 5th place finish at the Farmers made him a perfect 4-for-4 in Top 10 finishes as he continues to hold onto the top ranked position in the standings. Hoffman has averaged just above a 6th place finish in each of his starts which is an exceptional stat when you consider the 31 highly competitive teams in the league. He's the man to catch at the moment as he holds a 21 point lead over his closest competitor GreenJacket. 

On Point didn't waste much time after her first Top 3 finish last week as she quickly snatch another Top 10 in consecutive weeks. Her T6 finish moved her into 3rd place overall and into hot pursuit of leader Hoffman. On Point had a slow start in the first two weeks but clearly seems to prefer the west coast's courses to those on the Hawaiian Islands. 

Smooth Greens putted his way into his second Top 10 finish with a T6 at Torrey as the first year fantasy jock shows he's just getting started. Smooth Greens is testing his strategy out with variable success in the early going but clearly he's found something to keep him afloat before things heat up when the Tour heads to Florida. We'll see if he can handle the pressure of the Stadium Courses raucous 16th hole at the Waste Management this week. 

Rookie Reed's Rule Book finally makes his way into the Top 10 with an 8th place finish on the South Course. It's been a challenge for RRB to find his groove but a solid roster and adroit substitutions gave him his highest finish to date. As he continues to hammer out his strategy like skilled smithy pounding out a new suit of armor for his overlord look for Reed's Rule Book to receive many more interview requests.  

ByeBye Birdie sent a message to the league on Sunday and it read, "I'm not going anywhere." After an absolutely heroic win at last week's American Express, which some in the media whispered was a fluke, she quickly followed up on her success with a solid Top 10 finish at the Farmers. Her 9th place finish propelled her into 7th overall and serves as a signpost for what is so far being called the year of the rookie. In her first season, ByeBye looks to vie for the Cup and is mounting a robust case for it so far. 

Rounding out the Top 10, Sugar Hill makes his first appearance inside the target finish. Sugar Hill is an unknown rookie hailing from somewhere in the greater United States. A rookie's first Top 10 finish is always something of dispute and so if he wants to continue to pop up on the fantasy media's radar he'll need to quickly follow this finish up with another Top 10. A Top 3 would certainly bring some notice. 

Scoring Structure

Many of you have astutely pointed out that the PGATour.com fantasy platform is lacking in some functionality. Scoring can be difficult to understand, points accumulation isn't so clear and player stats is a bit enigmatic. Here's a few pointers to navigate how scoring works and understand your roster options. 

How points are awarded per hole played:
- Double Bogey or higher (+2): -1 point
- Bogey (+1): 0 points
- Par: 2 points
- Birdie (-1): 4 points
- Eagle (-2): 6 points
- Double Eagle or lower: 8 points

When a tournament has ShotLink (laser monitors that track shots) the following shots will be awarded as follows:

- Hole out from inside 100 yards: 3 points
- Hole out from 100 yards and over: 5 points
- Putt from 20 feet or longer: 1 point
- Drive 300 yards or higher in the fairway: 1 point

End of Round Bonuses:
Low round of the day including ties: 10 points
2nd lowest round of the day including ties: 5 points
Bogey free round: 5 points
Round under par: 1 point
Round of 65 and under: 3 points
Round of 60 and under: 10 points

End of Tournament Bonus:
- Teams will will receive 1/10 the FedExCup points awarded to each golfer in their starting lineup on the final day of the tournament
- No points are accrued during a playoff

THIS WEEK the Tour takes a slight break from California Dreaming and makes the short 6 hour drive over to Scottsdale, Arizona for the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Kikakee Tees is the defending champ this week as he weathered the boisterous crowds of the TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course with aplomb. He'll look to stave off the competition this week for his first win of 2020 but he'll have his work cut out for him. The field is looking strong and there's no shortage of strategy options as teams look to find an edge in an otherwise crowded leader board.