Welcome to Week 2 of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. This week we will be traveling to Olympia Fields CC, 45 mins outside of Chicago. The event hosts the top 70 golfers in FedEx points for 4 rounds (no cut) with the top 30 in points advancing to the Tour Championship next week.
This will be the first time the PGA has seen this course since the 2003 US Open (won by Jim Furyk -8). With no PGA course history, we find the amateur history to be interesting, but should not carry enough weight to build your lineups around it. Bryson won the 2015 US Amateur Tournament here, with Rahm finishing 7th. Olympia Fields has hosted the Fighting Illini Invitational from 2015-2019; some notable names in the field who have finished high in that tournament include Adam Long (2nd, 2015), Cam Champ (1st, 2016), Wolff and Morikowa (T-13, 2017; 1st and 2nd 2018, respectively).
The FedEx cup likes to see scoring, so they are pleased with the -30 DJ shot last week. We expect this course to play in the mid-teens, approaching -20. Players can expect to see narrow fairways with many bunkers in landing zones lined by moderate rough to challenge players OTT. The green size is on par with the tour average, but they are protected by deep, front bunkers. Players who go long to avoid the bunkers will then have to face downhill puts with steep drop-offs at the back of greens for an added penalty. The greens are a mix of bluegrass and poa, and will be receptive yet fast.
In tournament play, the cream always rises to the top. We are targeting accurate ball strikers with solid game ARG, and great recent form. Take into consideration players who need a high finish in order to advance to the next round of the FedEx cup
Xander Schauffele -$9,900
Xander has a history of showing up in big moments; winning the Tour Championship in 2017 and the WGC Championship and Tournament of Champions in 2018. All three of those events were no cute events. He is a fantastic ball striker and is currently in great form. He finished 25th last week (his lowest finish since June) while gaining strokes in all categories against the field. Olympia fields should fit his game perfectly, give him 4 rounds on this course and he should be near the top of the leaderboard.
Daniel Berger -$9,700
Has there been a better golfer in the last 3 months than Daniel Berger? He’s piled up top-5 and top-10 finishes and is still fighting for that coveted Masters invite. He’s 1st in SG TOT since the restart and coming off a 3rd place finish last week while gaining 5.5 strokes T2G and 6 strokes with the flat stick. I see no signs of him slowing down in his hunt for the FedEx Cup.
Jason Day -$9,200
Jason Day let us down last week missing the cut at the Northern Trust. He struggled on his approach shot and lost strokes putting, which is unusual for Jason Day. Day is currently in 50th in the FedEx standings, so he needs a solid performance this week in order to advance. We expect Day to get the putter back on track and in the running come Sunday.
Kevin Kizner-$8,400
Kevin Kizner is one of our favorite golfers on tour. What we love more than Kizners personality is how he is currently golf. Kiz irons are piping hot. He is coming off two top 4 finishes and the Northern Trust and Wyndham Championships. Playing a course that favors accuracy off the tee and solid iron play, Kizner is an easy pick. He gained 3.6 strokes approach last week and we believe he will continue this trend.
Kevin Streelman -$6,400
Since the restart Streelman has been a consistent and accurate ball striker; gaining strokes against the field in T2G, OTT, APP, and ARG. He has two top-10 finished in that span at the Travelers and Workday. Last week, Streelman finished 61st at the Northern Trust where he lost strokes OTT, ARG, and P. He currently sits #28 in FedEx rankings and will need to bounce back to form and secure a spot in the Tour Championship. He receives added support this week returning to his hometown of Chicago Ill; he grew up 40 mins from Olympia Fields and has experience playing this course.
Sebastian Munoz- $6,300
In a no-cut event, we like Sebastian Munoz. Munoz has the capability of getting hot at any moment. The biggest issue for Munoz is getting sinking putts. Last week though, Munoz gained 2 strokes putting and with no surprise had a top 20 finish. We are hoping Munoz keeps sinking putts and will pay off dividends as a low tier player.
