Papa Pilgrim Breaks The Piñata In Mexico With WGC Win / Winter Segment Race Heats Up

With one final event to be battled out before the boys head to Florida the biggest paycheck to date was on the line as the World Golf Championship in Mexico took to the airwaves with the top 60 players qualifying for some cut-free cash. There was no cut last week so no one was in danger of a half hearted roster come Saturday but with so much talent in the field it was difficult to pick the would be front runners. The only major absence from the event was the notable omission of Brooks Koepka but other than that they were all there. And it was almost anybody's tournament on Sunday as Thomas coughed up the lead, McIlroy tried to charge but failed, Bryson forgot how to putt on 18, new comer Van Rooyan made a valiant effort and everyone's favorite cheater Patrick Reed came out victorious. 


While most don't favor a win for the Reed camp there is no doubt that leaving him off your bench could only hurt your chances. And so it was that Papa Pilgrim through the cocky Captain America on his bench to start, along with Bryson, and ventured off to Mexico in pursuit of gold and glory. Without a Top 3 so far this season prior to the event, Papa was looking for a breakthrough to get back in the season hunt. Finding himself outside the Top 10 season standings is not a confidence booster but fortunes can change in an instant on the Fantasy Tour. As the week started out Papa made two crucial substitutions after round 1 and then only made 1 other sub the throughout the weekend. He entered Sunday a handful of points off the leader's pace but slowly crept his way back into contention as the leaders made the turn. It soon became apparent that a showdown was shaping up if only Bryson could muster one or two more birdies. But as his birdie put on 18 came up ridiculously short it was all but done as Reed bogied the last to win by 1. In an instant Papa Pilgrim resurrected a fledgling season start by winning the WGC Mexico by 37 points and took down his first championship of 2020. With it he takes the $30 paycheck and jumps to the top of the season earnings learderboard. Papa moved up the points leaderboard 8th place and squarely into the hunt for the cup. Congrats Papa Pilgrim. 

Top 3 Finishers

Kikakee Tees surged into the Top 3 on Sunday with a valiant charge up the board. His draft picks proved lethal and he never wavered once with his starting squad, subbing a total of 0 times the entire week. For Kikakee, the second place finish marks his 2nd Top 3 and 3rd Top 10 of the year. This second place finish in Mexico is also his first payout as the runner-up took home a $5 sweetener, hopefully it'll just be padding by the time he's done earning in 2020. 

GreenJacket had it all. Fantasy media attention, sponsors whispering in his ear, exemption status on the horizon, and a hefty paycheck to boot. He had it all on Sunday, or so he thought. His main downfall was not having Reed on his squad. Bryson was his anchor but it would prove to be too little in the end. He made one sub in the early goings but then staid with his boys the remaining three rounds. He did everything he could but the dreaded 54 hole lead struck again as he slowly faded from the top on Chapultapec's back nine. It's a tough lesson for the first year rook to learn but it's one he'll certainly build on. GreenJacket did manage to jump into the Segment lead and has his sights set on an even bigger payout in 2 weeks time. But time will tell if he can hold onto this lead in the final stretch. 

Top 10 Finishers

Driving Miss Daisy has been popping up infrequently on the Top 10 radar but managed a 4th place finish in Mexico which gave her Top 10 number 2 to go along with her victory a few weeks back. She's still struggling to get her season rank back onto the first page but a 4th place finish is exactly the way to do that. 


ByeBye Birdie's 5th place finish south of the border has gotten the fantasy pundits thinking that ByeBye could be the real deal. In her rookie year she's racked up 4 Top 10s and a win and currently sits in 3rd place overall. In a year with a record number of ladies in the league she leads the pack and handily at that. With the retirement of the league's formidable Whiny Little Pitch and the fading of Driving Miss Daisy there was a vacuum but it's clear that ByeBye has stepped up to fill it. 

On Point is another league surprise from the lady's camp as the league rookie is certainly making her own case for top female, let alone, a top 10 team overall. On Point has racked up 4 Top 10s and 1 Top 3 so far and currently sits in 6th place overall. Consistency is the name of the game and she's been throwing darts lately and keeping pace. She'll start to turn her attention to breaking through for her first win before long but it'll be important to see if she doesn't sacrifice consistency in the process. 

HollySandersOldFace makes just his second appearance inside the Top 10 after 8 weeks and it shows in his position in the standings. Being in 21st is not a comfortable spot but with the season still be in the early goings there's plenty of time to rise from the ashes. OldFace will need to field that magical roster one of these weeks and/or make the perfect subs in order for get him back on track. It's just a matter of how long that will take as he can't let things get too far gone before the leaders are out of sight. 

Smooth Greens snagged his second Top 10 in a row and fourth overall. It's a very positive sign for the first year rook and one he's eager to build off of. Many are comparing the freshman to Tommy Fleetwood - the powerful swing, firm putting stroke, and delicate hands around the green. But mainly it's the hair. In post round press conferences Smooth Greens tries to keep his focus on fantasy golf but there's always bound to be a few questions about what shampoo he uses and whether or not he conditions. 

Woodspecker is finally on the Top 10 board with his first big finish of the year. It wasn't one that caught major attention but certainly a positive sign and step in the right direction for the rookie. Currently in 28th place there hasn't been much that's gone his way but with a 9th place finish at the WGC it could be the momentum he needs to kick start the spring segment in a few weeks. 


Race for the Winter Segment

Winter Segment Standings

With a solid Top 3 finish GreenJacket vaults into the segment lead, snatching the top spot from long time top dog Nick Hoffman. Hoffman's abysmal 26th place finish was ill-timed and cost him precious points that can't be discarded headed into the segment's final stretch. Hoffman was in the driver's seat prior to this week but all it takes is one stumble to give up position. Still, he's only 84 points back of GreenJacket which is easily a surmountable expanse over two weeks. 

In the last couple weeks GreenJacket has really turned on the jets as he closed the gap on 1st. He's been impressive in his roster selection but it'll take a focused approach to field two consecutive rosters that'll clench the segment for him. His 84 point gap (roughly 40 points per week) could easily disappear if he's not too careful. 

With ByeBye Birdie in third place it's an all-rookie race to the finish for the opening segment. ByeBye however would have to make up a considerable gap of 150 points in two weeks but crazier things have happened. The $50 segment paycheck is awaiting the eventual champ and now it's just a matter of who is confident enough to take it.  

THIS WEEK marks the beginning of classic east coast golf as the boys head to PGA National Golf Club for the Honda Classic and the official start to the Florida Swing. We'll now be watching and tracking golf on east coast time. The defending champ this week is the veteran DaHoffa who is in need of a shot in the arm as his season hasn't gotten off to the start he'd wanted. This event should be a perfect breakthrough opportunity for DaHoffa as he's carded 3 consecutive Top 10s her over the past three years so there must be something about the Bear Trap that agrees with him. 

There's $20 on the line for the winner and with dwindling starts remaining for the top studs it's anybody's game in Palm Beach Gardens this week.