Fantasy Picks for the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open

Posted on January 28, 2026 by DaveTindallTravel

Week 3 of the 2026 PGA Tour season takes us to spectacular Torrey Pines in California for the Farmers Insurance Open.

Those who kept faith with Scottie Scheffler and were prepared to pay the big bucks were rewarded at last week’s American Express as the World No.1 cruised to a four-shot win.

The top four in the FanTeam £10 game picked Scheffler as captain but three of the top 10 on the leaderboard didn’t have him at all so, as always, there are different routes to profit.

All those top 10 scored heavily with their UD (Underdog) to highlight how important the skipper and the cheapest player are on your teams as both score x1.25pts.

So, on to Torrey Pines and three laps of the ultra-tough South Course and one at the easier North.

First up, let’s start with a SPECIAL OFFER below!

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Get £40 in entries for simply depositing £10 and playing any cash game.

Okay, let’s start building…

Top Tier Picks (18M and over)

Jason Day (19.2M): With new irons in the bag, Day started his 2026 season off with a bang by finishing tied second in last week’s American Express. Now he gets to ride that momentum at Torrey Pines where he’s a two-time Farmers winner and can boast seven top 10s in all. The Aussie, who ranked 1st for both SG: Putting and SG: Around The Green last week, has four top 10s and a 13th in his last seven starts in California.

Patrick Cantlay (20.6M): He’s not exactly cheap but Cantlay in California equates to high-class consistency. The man from Long Beach always seems to show up strongly in his home state and the latest evidence is three top fives in his last six California starts. That includes fifth at this course when it stepped in to host last year’s Genesis Invitational after Riviera was deemed unplayable due to the fires in LA. Cantlay’s 13th spot in last week’s American Express looks a nice marker.

Others to consider: Xander Schauffele (21M) was born just a few miles from the course and the San Diego native has finishes of 9-13-34-7-2 at Torrey Pines South. The only doubt is a bit of rust given that we haven’t seen him on tour since his win at October’s Baycurrent Classic in Japan. Ludvig Aberg (20.8M) comes with some risk after he pulled out of the American Express (68-67) with illness. Then again, he also suffered sickness at this event last year but returned a couple of weeks later to win the Genesis at Torrey. He’s a perfect course fit if healthy. Harris English (18.2M) scooped the first prize here last year in tough conditions having previously had a second and a third at Torrey Pines. He started his 2026 campaign with 27th at The American Express, ranking 7th for Off The Tee.

Mid-Range Value Selections (14.2M up to 18M)

Jake Knapp (16.4M) is another California local and says Torrey Pines South is one of his favourite courses. He’s backed that up with results having finished third here in 2024 and 17th when it hosted last year’s Genesis. The big hitter started 2026 brightly with 11th at the Sony Open, ranking 10th for SG: Putting.

Taylor Pendrith (17.4M) likes a big boy golf course and he’s shown that here with top 10s in the the last two editions of the Farmers. The Canadian, who has cracked the top 10 in four of his last six starts in California, started his season off with sixth at the Sony Open before missing the cut last week. This test is far more suited than the easy birdie-fest at La Quinta.

Others to consider: Will Zalatoris (17.6M) showed he’s in better health again with 15th in December’s Nedbank (DP World Tour) and 18th at last week’s American Express. He has a second, seventh and 13th in three of his last four Farmers starts. Max Homa (16.6M) won this tournament in 2023 (also 9th 2020, 18th 2021 and 13th last year) while 27th at the American Express added to three top 20s in his previous four starts and further fuels the idea that he’s very much on the up again. Sam Stevens (15.6M) was your runner-up here last year and is 4-for-4 at Torrey Pines. He boasts a sixth (American Express) and a seventh (RSM Classic) in two of his last three starts on tour. Between 14M and 15M, there are three I like. Sahith Theegala (14.8M) was eighth last week after 31st at the Sony and has a fourth here (made all four Farmers cuts). Andrew Novak (14.4M) putts well on Poa Annua and was third and 13th in the two events at Torrey Pines last year. He much prefers this test to last week’s where he missed the cut for the fifth straight time (his 36-hole total was actually his lowest ever) while fit-again Billy Horschel (14.2M) closed the AmEx with a 66 for 27th and has two top eights and an 11th at the Farmers.

Underdog Options (14M and Under)

David Ford (13.4M): The 23-year-old is in my Season Game team as a bench warmer but I may start him here with Anthony Kim pulling out with a back issue. Ford, who enjoyed a stellar amateur career, flashed his vast potential with third at October’s Bank of Utah Championship and he’s 2-for-2 this season with 50th at the Sony Open followed by 13th in the American Express.

S.H. Kim (14M) has started the new year the way he ended the last one – racking up top 20s. He’s now had seven in a row worldwide after 13th at the Sony and 18th at the Amex. The Korean has made two of three cuts here which adds a layer of extra confidence.

Others to consider: Tony Finau (14M) is a fascinating prospect this week. With seven top 10s at Torrey between 2017 and 2025, he’s an absolute bargain but where is his game now? Two MCs so far in 2026 are a worry but 68-68-71 at the American Express was hardly a crime. Sami Valimaki (13.6M) got hot at the end of 2025 with a win at the RSM Classic and a second two starts earlier at the WWT. His course form here of 15th (2025) and 43rd (2024) counts for more than his MC last week where he actually shot all three rounds under par. Austin Smotherman (13.8M) ranked 1st for both SG: Tee To Green and SG: Approach when eighth at The American Express. He was 11th here in 2024 and has top 10s in his last two California starts. Johnny Keefer (14M) has PGA Tour form of 27-61-7 either side of the festive break and the rising star struck his irons superbly well at the American Express (4th Approach). Adrien Dumont De Chassart (14M) was a Korn Ferry winner in October and has made both cuts in 2026 (24th Sony, 69th American Express). He cashed here on his only visit in 2024.

That’s this week in the books from a fantasy perspective.

But while I’m here, I’ll point you towards the revamped and much-boosted FanTeam Sportsbook.

Let’s have a couple of bets too.

I didn’t mention Patrick Rodgers (14.4M) above as I was saving him for a little mention here. He’s definitely a fantasy option too though.

The Stanford star has three top sevens in his last five starts and two of his top 10s at Torrey have come recently – third in last year’s Genesis and ninth in the 2024 Farmers.

Let’s back him for a Top 10 at 5.8.

Second tip is Taylor Pendrith for Top Canadian at 2.06. Getting odds-against seems fine given that he only has Mackenzie Hughes, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Adam Svensson and AJ Ewart to beat.

Hughes is the only one to have made a cut here but his Farmers form is poor: 64-MC-MC-MC-29-MC-54.

Good luck and don’t forget to SIGN UP HERE

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Fantasy Picks for the 2026 American Express

Posted on January 21, 2026 by DaveTindallTravel

Week 2 of the 2026 PGA Tour season takes us from Hawaii to California.

I have to admit I was disappointed not to be in the money at last week’s Sony Open.

Chris Gotterup (a winner at 40/1) was my top pick in the Mid-Range Value bracket at 17M while S.H. Kim was my Underdog (UD) at just 13.2M. The Korean was the halfway leader before banking good points by finishing 13th.

But it takes consistency across the board and others in my six-man team just didn’t do enough.

At least there was better news for one of my Season Game entries as my ‘balanced’ line-up ended Week 1 ranked 58th out of 602. Don’t forget to tweak your teams for Week 2.

For those new to the weekly FanTeam game, a quick reminder. You get 100M to spend on six players. The captain scores x1.25pts, as does the UD (Underdog), the cheapest player in your six-man squad. Those two players are key.

This week it’s the Scottie Scheffler dilemma which sounds like a good crime thriller.

Scheffler is a pricey 28.4M so that’s a lot of the budget gone if you pick him/captain him. So much so that the rest of your team would have to average just over 14.3M to compensate.

First up, let’s start with a SPECIAL OFFER below!

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Get £40 in entries for simply depositing £10 and playing any cash game.

Okay, let’s start building…

Top Tier Picks (18M and over)

Ben Griffin (20.6M): Nope, I’m not paying that top whack for Scheffler. From the high end, Griffin looks the best of the bunch at just over 20M. With a win in Mexico in November, a top 20 at the Sony last week and a pair of top 10s on his last two visits here, it’s hard not to see Griffin banking plenty of fantasy points. He ranked 38th for Birdie Average last season.

Harry Hall (18.6M): The Englishman ranked 3rd for Birdie Average last year and 1st for Birdie or Better Conversion. It’s taken him a while to find his feet in this event but 21st in 2025 was his best to date and that could easily become a top 10 this week. Confidence increases when noting he was sixth in last week’s Sony Open where he did everything well.

Others to consider: Sam Burns (19.6M) is making his first start of the season but in half-a-dozen starts at La Quinta he has two top sixes, an 11th and five finishes inside the top 30. He’s also done well at Pebble, the other west coast pro-am. Okay, I can’t not mention Scottie Scheffler (28.4M) but, although third on debut in 2020, finishes of MC-25-11-17 in his last four starts here suggest it’s not a venue where he can separate himself from others with hotter putters. Patrick Cantlay (20.8M) is nearly always a strong performer in his home state and has four top 10s in his last six starts here. It’s a while since we’ve seen him in action which is the only concern.

Mid-Range Value Selections (14.2M up to 18M)

Daniel Berger (15.6M) removed any doubts about a lingering finger issue with sixth place at last week’s Sony Open after a closing 64. He has form here of 12-29-39-21 and was eighth with a round to go last year. Berger is also a winner at Pebble Beach so is comfortable with the much slower pace of play in pro-ams.

Michael Thorbjornsen (17.2M) surely has a huge future and flashed more signs with a third (Baycurrent) and seventh (RSM Classic) in the Fall Series. He missed the cut here last year after following a bright 65-68 opening with a poor Saturday but his ranking of 8th for Birdie Average in 2025 suggests it’s a tournament he can thrive in. A first win shouldn’t be too far away.

Others to consider: Ryan Gerard (15.2M) played himself into The Masters by flying to Mauritius and securing the result (runner-up) that took him into the world’s top 50 and he followed that December near miss with another second place at the Sony last week (20 birdies). He was 51st on debut here last year. J.T. Poston (16M) loves a birdie-fest and after seventh here in 2019 he’s posted 25-6-11-12 in the last four editions. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (15.4M) was runner-up here in 2024 after 11th in 2023 and finished 2025 with four top 10s in five starts. The first two were on the PGA Tour and the second two on home soil in December. Michael Kim (15M) looked confident with his scoring clubs last week at the Sony where only one iffy round stopped a likely top 10. The Open de France winner was sixth in this event two years ago. Justin Rose (15.8M) is a former winner at Pebble and hasn’t been outside the top 34 in three starts here. He’ll have some pep in his step after making an albatross in the TGL on Tuesday night.

Underdog Options (14M and Under)

Seamus Power (14M): The Irishman enjoys a coastal test. He ended 2025 with 11th in Bermuda and seventh at the RSM Classic and added 31st in last week’s Sony when closing with a 64 (ranked 8th for SG: Approacch). Add in course form here of 14-MC-11-21 and he’s definitely a strong Underdog (UD) option.

Nick Dunlap (14M) famously won this as an amateur in 2024 and made a decent defence (34th) last year. He has two wins in California and, after a dip, showed better form at the end of last year with eighth in the WWT and 22nd at the Dunlop Phoenix. Last week’s 61st at the Sony could have been so much better but for a blowout on Saturday (65-68-77-68). He ranked 2nd for Approach there.

Others to consider: Doug Ghim (13.6M) has now made his last seven PGA Tour cuts after 55th at the Sony (14th at halfway). The Vegas resident posted 21st in this last year and made the top five in 2021. Bud Cauley (13.4M) played a strong final 54 holes to make the top 25 at Waialae last week and can build on that here. He’s not played it since 2020 but was something of a tournament specialist with a third, a fourth and two other top 15s from his five starts in the event. Lee Hodges (13.4M) has to enter calculations if looking for cheap options. He closed 2025 with fourth at the RSM, opened 2026 with a Sony sixth and was third on debut here in 2022 (MC-MC-34 since). Eric Cole (13.2M) is 3-for-3 at the Amex (including 21st in 2024) and has made six of his last eight PGA Tour cuts. He crashed at halfway last week (67-73) but his underlying numbers were good and he should be better for the run. Chandler Phillips (13M) was greenside to congratulate his good friend Chris Gotterup on victory at the Sony. Phillips had done well himself by finishing 19th (19 birdies) and that was two starts on from second place in the Bermuda. One of his two appearances here resulted in a top 25 (2024).

That’s this week in the books from a fantasy perspective.

But while I’m here, I’ll point you towards the revamped and much-boosted FanTeam Sportsbook.

Let’s have a couple of bets too.

It won’t be the most ambitious bet you ever make but sticking £10 on both Scottie Scheffler (American Express) and Rory McIlroy (Dubai Desert Classic) to both finish Top 5 pays £34.17.

McIlroy has made the top five in each of his last five starts at the DDC and was third at the Dubai Invitational last week.

For another cross-tournament double, how about Ben Griffin (Amex) and Thorbjorn Olesen (Dubai) to both make the Top 10. That same tenner returns a few pence under £100.

Griffin is seeking a third straight top 10 in this event while Dubai resident Olesen was seventh last week and has four top 10s to his name in the DDC.

Also note that there’s a Scheffler ‘Golden Boost’ offer here.

Good luck and don’t forget to SIGN UP HERE

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Fantasy Picks for the 2026 Sony Open

Posted on January 14, 2026 by DaveTindallTravel

The 2026 PGA Tour season begins in Hawaii this week with the 61st edition of the Sony Open.

It’s not usually the starting point but takes on that mantle this year due to The Sentry being cancelled.

For those new to the FanTeam game, it’s easy. You get 100M to spend on six players. The captain scores x1.25pts, as does the UD (Underdog), the cheapest player in your six-man squad.

Getting both right makes a big difference.

I started this column in March last year and my best finishes in the game so far are fifth in the Houston Open and sixth at the RSM Classic.

I also managed 14th at the Procure and 15th in the Hero World Challenge while there were a decent number of other profitable weeks so hopefully we can build on that this year.

For a season-long interest, it’s also worth checking out FanTeam’s 2026 Season Game. I’ve written an article on that featuring strategy and picks here.

Back to this week and, before looking through the 120-man Sony field, let’s start with a SPECIAL OFFER below!

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Get £40 in entries for simply depositing £10 and playing any cash game.

Okay, let’s start building…

Top Tier Picks (18M and over)

J.J. Spaun (19.2M): I’m just about equally keen on the top five players in the game so Spaun appeals most due to costing the least. Winning the US Open and finishing runner-up at the Players Championship last year were huge moments but I liked the way he played after his major breakthrough, his continued excellence suggesting it wasn’t just a moment in the sun and there’s much more to come. Spaun was third here last year and 12th in 2023. He returns at the peak of his powers.

Hideki Matsuyama (19.4M): He’s a winner of both this event (2022) and The Sentry (2025) so will have same great vibes when returning to Hawaii. After a rather odd 2025, Matsuyama found a groove again late on, completing a run of three straight top 10s with victory in December’s 20-man Hero World Challenge. Hard to stop when playing his best golf and he’s cheaper than a couple of other elite rivals.

Others to consider: Russell Henley (20.6M) is the most expensive player in the game but with justification. He won here on his first pro start way back in 2013 but also has a second, a fourth and a 10th in three of his last four visits. He’s the highest-ranked player in the field at World No.5 and is a money-making machine these days. The only doubt would be lack of a recent run. Ben Griffin (20.2M) had a fantastic 2025, starting the year ranked 68th and ending it 8th after three wins and a Ryder Cup debut. Collin Morikawa (19.6M) has form in Hawaii of 2-5-2-5-7-7-21-7. Most of that was at The Sentry but he clearly feels very at home in these parts (his grandparents were born there) and has incentive after a disappointing 2025.

Mid-Range Value Selections (14.2M up to 18M)

Chris Gotterup (17M) likes playing by the coast. He scored his breakthrough victory (by six shots!) at the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic while last year he defeated a world-class field to win the Scottish Open and followed that with third in the Open at Royal Portrush. A much-improved performer, his low ball flight will suit the predicted windy conditions this week.

Haotong Li (14.4M): At the lower end of this price range, Li jumps out at just over 14M. He won his PGA Tour card for 2026 via some excellent performances on the DP World Tour where he ended the campaign with a pair of top 10s. Li, who was fourth in last summer’s Open, was third after 54 holes on his last visit to Waialae in 2022 and he’s playing well enough to have another big week.

Others to consider: Rico Hoey (16.2M) was second only to Scottie Scheffler in SG: Tee to Green last season and that consistency showed in his results (four top 10s in his final seven events). The switch to a longer putter could see him rise even further through the ranks. Nico Echavarria (15.8M) will likely be a popular pick but justifiably so. He thrives on these sort of tests and and was runner-up last year as well as 12th in 2023. He signed off 2025 with fourth at the RSM Classic, an event that correlates well. Mac Meissner (15M) really found some consistency in the second half of last season and ended with six finishes of T27 or better in his last seven starts (including second place at the Wyndham). He was 21st on debut here in 2025. Aaron Rai (16.4M) has never built on his three good R1s here. Expect that to change as his straight hitting will be rewarded and he has confidence from November’s win at the Abu Dhabi Championship.

Underdog Options (14M and Under)

S.H. Kim (13.2M): The Korean is the least fancied Kim in the field behind Si Woo, Michael and Tom but is certainly worth a look as a possible UD (underdog candidate). He finished 2025 by connecting five worldwide top 20s and has two good previous knocks here: 12th on debut in 2023 and 30th last year.

Takumi Kanaya (13.4M) looks a no-no based on missing all five cuts here but he’s shot a round of 66 in two of his last three Sony starts. In a strong finish to 2025, the man with the lowest ball-flight on Tour (good for these winds), was third at the Baycurrent and fourth in Bermuda. He followed that with a top five back on the Japan Tour in December.

Others to consider: Max McGreevy (13.8M) has missed all three cuts here but shot 70-68 last time and ended 2025 with third in Bermuda and second at the RSM Classic to show that seaside golf suits. Zach Johnson (13M) is a former winner of this (2009) and was 21st last year. His last nine rounds on the PGA Tour show six laps in the 60s and nothing worse than 71 so the veteran can still compete on the courses he chooses to play. Adam Svensson (13.4M) has a perfect 5-for-5 slate at Waialae and that includes seventh in 2022. Hopefully he’s had a rest after a poor second half of 2025. Keita Nakajima (13.4M) is a real talent, who won dual membership via an impressive campaign on the DP World Tour. As a bonus, the 25-year-old has played the Sony Open twice already, finishing 41st on debut in 2022 and 54th in 2023.

That’s this week in the books from a fantasy perspective.

But while I’m here, I’ll point you towards the revamped and much-boosted FanTeam Sportsbook.

Let’s have a couple of bets too.

In the winner only outright market, I’ll go with J.J Spaun at 20.00. The US Open champion, who also lost two playoffs last year, was third at this course in 2025 and is playing the best golf of his life.

I also like the 4.00 for a Playoff. Usually, it’s a course where separation seems hard and the last six editions have seen four Playoffs and two wins by a single stroke. Expand the study period and it’s six Playoffs in the last 10.

The numbers are certainly on our side.

Good luck and don’t forget to SIGN UP HERE

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PGA Tour 2026 Season Game

Posted on January 8, 2026 by DaveTindallTravel

The new season is almost upon us and, although we have to wait a little longer this year due to The Sentry falling off the schedule, that allows further opportunity to do some planning for the latest offering from FanTeam.

The PGA Tour 2026 Season Game offers a Prizepool of £10,000.00 and has a £20.00 buy-in.

Any new customers signing up through my link can:

– Enter the £20 golf season game
– Get another entry free!

SIGN UP HERE

Let’s firstly get into some rules

The tournament is played over 32 Gameweeks. It runs from the Sony Open in Hawaii to the season-ending Tour Championship in late August.

You have a budget of 100M to build a squad of 10 players.

6 golfers are in play each week while 4 players are selected for the bench. 

Your captain each week scores x1.25 points.

Your cheapest player each week will be automatically assigned as your Underdog, and will score x1.25 points.

Every Gameweek you will receive 1 Free Transfer.

That can be rolled so, in theory, you can accumulate 31 Free Transfers during the season.

Transfers beyond the available Free Transfers will cost -20 points each.

Prize money

10% of entries get paid from the 10k prizepool

Strategy

Player schedules

For starters, it’s worth considering players who tee it up an awful lot. They can be used from week to week as opposed to those with much lighter schedules who will need to be transferred in and out more.

Looking at the top 100 on the FedEx Cup standings in 2025, these were the golfers who played most:

32 Eric Cole
31 Sam Stevens, Joe Highsmith, Patrick Rodgers, Mark Hubbard, Max McGreevy
30 Ben Griffin, Si Woo Kim, Jacob Bridgeman, Ryo Hisatsune, David Lipsky, Patrick Fishburn
29 Tom Hoge, Ryan Gerard, Davis Riley, Kevin Yu, Kevin Roy, Beau Hossler
28 Chris Gotterup, Sungjae Im, Max Greyserman, Emiliano Grillo, Alex Smalley, Joel Dahmen, Andrew Putnam

Notable names who played under 20 times:

16 Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele
17 Jason Day
18 Viktor Hovland, Justin Rose

Schauffele was injured in 2025 so that number is misleading. He teed it up 22 times in 2024.

Transfers

How big a hit is that -20 for going over the 1 free transfer limit per week?

To gauge it, here are managers’ winning scores from a cross-section of tournaments. The figures in brackets are the scores for each of the six players on the team. Note: sometimes they’re inflated by being captain/underdog.

In other words, to challenge for the top prizes, you usually need all of your players getting around at least 70-80 points. 

Arnold Palmer – 548 (116, 97, 91, 85, 82, 75)
Houston Open – 674 (161, 143, 106, 90, 88, 84)
Masters – 585 (123, 112, 97, 96, 85, 69)
Heritage – 573 (156, 143, 88, 79, 76, 72)

That means, being active with transfers pays off. Take some -20 hits rather than settle for players you don’t really want.

And absolutely make sure you have six active players each week. 

Keeping top players because they’re due to play next week or the one after will work sometimes if you have enough support from the bench but, in general, it will pay to twist rather than stick.

Week 1 line-up for Sony Open

I built this team with Scottie Scheffler in it despite him not playing the Sony Open.

Then, just prior to pressing ‘enter’, I switched him out for the most expensive player in the game contesting the Sony – Russell Henley.

The thinking? Scheffler is 16M and, in my view, needs to be part of your team whenever he plays. A reminder that he has 13 PGA Tour wins in the last two seasons!

But if you don’t build around or factor in the World No.1 now but want to sign him up soon, it’ll create all sorts of chaos and multiple transfers to try and get to Scheffler when he does play.

Scheffler will actually start 2026 in Week 2 as he’s signed up for the American Express. After that he’ll be playing Week 4 (Phoenix) as well as Weeks 5 (Pebble Beach) and 6 (Genesis). 

Rather than fiddling about trying to find mid-range value, my plan is to have as many elite players as possible who can contend for wins.

To facilitate that, I’ll need to have several players at the minimum price of 7.5M or just above. These enablers will obviously be warming the bench plenty.

So, overall, it’s a “Studs and Duds” strategy.  

It leaves plenty of salary in the bank for transfers down the line – the key one being getting Scheffler on board next week.

Henley, Matsuyama, Griffin, Si Woo Kim and Gotterup can challenge for early-season wins while Michael Kim plans to play the opening six events of the campaign so is useful to have on board given how well he played in 2025.

Starters

12.5M Russell Henley
12M Ben Griffin
11.4M Hideki Matsuyama
10.6M Si Woo Kim
10M Chris Gotterup
9.3M Michael Kim (UD)

Bench

7.9M Ryo Hisatsune
7.6M David Ford
7.5M Gordon Sargent
7.5M Danny Walker

Salary remaining: 3.7m

With 3.7M still in the bank, that allows me to get to 16M Scheffler in one move next week by selling 12.5 Henley.

Good luck and don’t forget to SIGN UP HERE

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Fantasy Picks for The RSM Classic

Posted on November 19, 2025 by DaveTindallTravel

The 2025 PGA Tour season seems to have whizzed past and here we are at the end of it for the 46th and final tournament.

The RSM Classic is held over two coastal courses, both which feature Bermuda greens.

The 7,005 yard par-70 Seaside Course hosts three of the four rounds, including both weekend laps.

Players get one circuit of The Plantation, a par 72 measuring 7,060 yards.

For those new to the FanTeam game, your captain scores x1.25pts, as does your UD (Underdog), the cheapest player in your six-man squad.

Last week’s Bermuda Championship winner, Adam Schenk, got a mention in this column as a UD option so hopefully some of you played him. Regrettably, I did not!

Before looking through The RSM Classic field, let’s start with a SPECIAL OFFER below!

Get £42 in entries for simply depositing £10 and playing any cash game.

Okay, let’s start building…

Top Tier Picks (18M and over)

Brian Harman (19.2M): The left-hander was runner-up here in 2022 and fourth in 2017, cashing in seven of his last eight visits to Sea Island. It certainly seems like his kind of venue. He’s lightly raced since ending the Tour Championship with a 63 but did pitch up in the DP World Tour’s India Championship last month. While 26th seems decent, note that he was second at halfway and fourth with a round to go.

Rico Hoey (19.6M): Any elite ball-striker sets up well for consistency and that’s the case with Hoey. A 22nd in Bermuda last week means he now has a second, a fourth, a ninth and two other top 25s in his last six starts. The putter is warming up too (top 10 for Putting Average in two of his last three starts) so the pieces look in place for Hoey to go well on his first start in the event.

Others to consider: Michael Thorbjornsen (20.4M) enjoyed his debut here last year, opening with a 62 and finishing eighth. Third at the Baycurrent Classic three starts ago, he has obvious credentials although you’ll have to stump up over 20M. Alex Smalley (18M) comes with risk as his last six finishes read 3-MC-4-MC-MC-MC. There’s obviously some serious upside but those rather skittish results extend to his tournament form too: MC-44-5-MC. Denny McCarthy (18.6M) hasn’t played since August but he owns three top 10s and a 25th in his last six RSM Classic starts.

Mid-Range Value Selections ($14.2m up to 18m)

Vince Whaley (17.4M): Three of the last four winners here have telegraphed their successes with strong recent form so that should alert us to Whaley. A local Georgia resident, he’s delivered a pair of top threes in the FedEx Fall Series, the first at the Sanderson Farms and the second in last week’s Bermuda Championship. Add in eighth (2024) and 13th (2023) here and Whaley definitely has claims to wear the captain’s armband.

Seamus Power (15.2M): The Irishman finished with a trio of bogeys in Bermuda last week but still walked off with an 11th place. That followed 27th in Mexico so the signs are good as he makes a late bid to keep his card. Power withdrew after just one completed round here last year but his previous two appearances resulted in fifth in 2022 and fourth in 2021. He has a bunch of form on correlating courses so this is right in Power’s wheelhouse.

Others to consider: Pierceson Coody (17.2M) missed the cut on his tournament debut last year but in four Fall Series starts he’s posted 14-3-31-22. During that run there was also a 12th in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. Max McGreevy (14.8M) was third in Bermuda and that represented a third top 12 in his last four starts. This time last year he won the prestigious Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in Japan while he was 16th on his RSM Classic debut. Eric Cole (15.2M) only played 36 holes in Bermuda (no bad thing maybe given the high winds) and is proven here (15th, third, 39th) on his favoured Bermuda greens. Mac Meissner (15M) has just the sort of reliability you want from a player nearer the bottom end of this price bracket. The course debutant’s last six starts show a second, two 14ths, two 27ths and a 47th and he likes Bermuda greens.

Underdog Options (14m and Under)

Greyson Sigg (14M) boasts finishes of eighth (2023) and 15th (2022) here in the last three years and has a batch of decent form by the coast. He’s 5-for-5 in the play-offs, with three top 25s in that run, so looks a decent UD (Underdog).

Tom Hoge (13.8M) is a bargain at his best. He’s a former winner at Pebble (another short, coastal track), placed third in this year’s Players Championship and is showing better signs after following 42nd in Utah with 21st in Mexico. His record here is spotty but includes a fourth and a ninth.

Others to consider: Doc Redman (13M) has come onto the radar in his last two starts with ninth at the Sanderson Farms and 20th in the Bank of Utah. He has a past top 25 here and was sixth in the 2024 Korn Ferry’s Club Car Championship on his last trip to Georgia. At even cheaper money, Paul Peterson (12.6M) has the putting skills to thrive here. He was 25th on debut last year and has made two of his last three cuts. Jonathan Byrd (12.8M) is a local resident but actually gets a mention due to recent form: 14th Bermuda, 19th Procore and 23rd Barracuda on his last three outings.

That’s this week in the books from a fantasy perspective.

But while I’m here, I’ll point you towards the revamped and much-boosted FanTeam Sportsbook.

The winner market looks open so I’ll turn to the Top 10 odds for my best bet here.

The argument for Seamus Power is made above and FanTeam have boosted his Top 10 odds form 5.8 to 7.00. That’s well worth a punt.

That exclusive offer applies to both new and old customers.

Good luck and don’t forget to SIGN UP HERE

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Chart Hills – Sir Nick Faldo’s bunker-laden Kent gem

Posted on November 17, 2025 by DaveTindallTravel

Dave Tindall

When asked if I prefer parkland or links golf courses, my vote goes to the latter.

I’ve had the good fortune to play some of the finest examples of each down the years and feel I have a bit of a chance on links layouts with their bouncier turf and more open spaces. 

But, as a short-hitting, 20-odd handicapper, who lets the clubs gather far too much dust, I’ve often felt beaten up on lengthy parkland layouts, my score ballooning via visits to the trees and knowing that even two good ones won’t get me particularly near the green on some of the longer par 4s.

So, after being given the opportunity to play Sir Nick Faldo’s Chart Hills – a parkland track in the heart of Kent – there was a certain amount of trepidation mixed in with the excitement.

Chart Hills remains the only Signature Faldo Design golf course in Europe and is located in 200 acres of undulating countryside. If you’re flying into London Gatwick, it’s about a 90-minute drive away.

It opened for play in 1993 and was Sir Nick’s architectural debut. The course staged The Ladies English Open from 2004-2007, with Solheim Cup stars Maria Hjorth and Becky Brewerton both taking the title there. It’s always a good endorsement of a layout when the top players rise to the top.

Under new ownership, Chart Hills has undergone some serious changes and renovations since 2019 and the rebuild has continued apace in the last few years.

NOVEMBER 9, 2025

Format: Stableford

Players: (Left to right, Scott Murray, Dave Tindall, Pat Bristow) 

Booking a round in November in the UK can be a fool’s errand but we have two big things in our favour today: mild weather and a golf course in excellent condition.

Having not hit a ball (even on the range) since August – not very smart for someone of my level – I park up and welcome the chance to loosen up a little. Free buckets of balls are available on the range so it’s a good chance to get into the groove.

As I get there early from my drive down via an overnight stop in Cambridge, there’s also chance to fuel up with a bacon sarnie and a cuppa from the elegant Club Bar (Breakfast 7am-12pm; Lunch 12pm-5pm).

The relaxed atmosphere and panoramic views of the course through the large window add another layer of comfort. Proper warm-up (tick). Full stomach (tick). Unexpectedly good weather (tick). There really is no excuse not to give it a decent shot today, despite my very part-time golfer status.

There’s even a six-hole par-3 course called ‘The Loop’ (holes range from 50 to 100 yards) just near the car park but, alas, we don’t have time to test our wedge games.

THE COURSE

In some cursory pre-round research, I noted that most descriptions of Chart Hills focus on how many bunkers there are on the course.

Here’s Sir Nick himself: “This golf course is different even right from the first hole because there’s not many courses in Britain where you open with a line of bunkers. 

“We’ve got a lot of bunkers on the golf course which makes it quite scenic, quite interesting, gives it its character. So right from the get-go it’s kind of different.”

Yes, the visual from the 1st – a dogleg par 5 measuring 537 yards from the ‘61’ tees (yellow) – is a line of fairway bunkers.

I tonk a decent drive but one of those sandy rogues reaches out an arm and pulls my ball in. Oh dear. 

It’s at this point where I need to confess that I often forget how to play from bunkers. If I have an instructor/good player with me, I can follow their guidance and have some success but otherwise it’s carnage.

So to find sand with my very first drive isn’t ideal. But as if to show I’m not intimidated, I pull out a fairway wood, believing I can carry the lip. My playing partners exchange a worried glance.

But fortune favours the brave. I make a clean connection and knock it down the fairway, the shot paving the way for a bogey-6 which is just fine.

Rumour has it that there are over 130 bunkers dotted around the course and, amazingly, I only find one more. I don’t get out first time but float the second to about eight feet, again adding a couple more stableford points.

The array of different bunkers is impressive but the standout is the infamous ‘Anaconda’ which snakes its way up the side of the par-5 5th and then cuts across the fairway. From tail to head it’s a mighty 200 yards, perhaps the longest bunker in Europe.

Given that Sir Nick is a three-time Open winner, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised to see pot bunkers on the course too. I avoid one by a whisker at 9 but my playing partner Scott does not. It’s so far down his head is below the lip but he heroically thumps it out first time.

With a stableford contribution on every hole I reach the turn with a haul of 16 points and am thoroughly enjoying what can only be described as an absorbing test of golf.

Chart Hills is very playable from the ‘61’ tees, which come out at 6,169 yards (par 72). Note, that yardage extends to 7,119 off the back ‘71’ tees. It’s 6,653 yards from the ‘66s’ so there’s some nice spacing to suit wherever you fit.

With multiple doglegs, lots of water hazards, all those bunkers and big, often undulating, greens in immaculate condition, there’s plenty to take the eye.

At the halfway house I fancy a bite to eat and here’s a tip: absolutely buy a sausage roll, one of the best I’ve ever tasted.

Perhaps, as a result, I bag six stableford points at 10 and 11, keep it going and score 19 on the back nine for a total haul of 35 points.

I’m very happy with that given it’s a first look and I’d know better spots to (try and) hit to next time. 

I’ve suffered some shocking stableford scores on parkland tracks (below 20) but today’s effort feels as if I’ve been rewarded for some decent strikes, getting the pace of the greens and having my grey matter work well. 

You’d hope that a Faldo design would reward brain not brawn and that’s definitely the case at Chart Hills. 

I particularly like the set of four par 3s which I play in 4-3-3-4. At the 171-yard 7th, I knock it to about 10 feet but miss the putt.

The final short hole is a nod to the famous 17th at Sawgrass and, arguably, I hit my best shot of the day there, flushing a short iron that could be close. 

On arriving at the island green my ball is actually nowhere to be seen but thankfully it has clung on to some grass near the reeds guarding the back and I hack it up onto the dance floor before two-putting.

As if to absolutely reaffirm the theme of sand, bunkers are scattered everywhere up the 18th hole and they make for quite a sight from the tee as we hit away in the low afternoon sun.

Thankfully I avoid them and manage to close the match out on the green despite Pat almost stealing a tie in dramatic style when his lengthy, I’m-not-leaving-this-one-short, putt catches the lip.

THE BARN

Post-round, we grab some food in the bar and watch Manchester City v Liverpool. 

Then I head to my accommodation for the night.

‘The Barn’ is situated a one-minute drive from the course. It holds up to eight people (four rooms: two upstairs and two downstairs) and is the perfect place to wind down.

My room is lovely and toasty for a November evening and I kick back and watch Match of the Day on the big TV.

And, get this, there’s even a putting green around the back if you fancy popping outside to hone those flatstick skills.

It’s ideal for a Stay and Play, my night in The Barn rounding off a thoroughly enjoyable golfing experience.

Scott Murray (The Guardian) review

There are 133 bunkers at Chart Hills. My favourite of the 132 I visited was the pot just to the left of the 14th green; a splash out to four feet and a sandy save. 

My second favourite? One of the many guarding the front of the 9th, a short par four pockmarked with deep traps, like the Road Hole copy-and-pasted many times over. 

Just getting out was a thrill and a welcome confidence boost to a notoriously skittish sand player. Take me to the Old Course, I have no fear of you now.

As for the Anaconda Bunker, sidewinding its way along the right side of the par-five 5th for 200 yards … well, I’d have preferred my drive to have split the fairway; of course I would. 

But there’s a kind of sick beauty in being able to boast that my ball got swallowed up by the longest snake in the garden of England. It sat up tantalisingly in its serpentine glory, just begging to be smoothly clipped with a hybrid and sent back into position. I could splash out sideways, but carpe diem, eh kids?

I knifed it into the face. Of course I did. But let’s not dwell on detail.

Probably best not to go into the things in the first place, and here’s the thing about Chart Hills: as you’d surely expect from a Nick Faldo design, you have to use the old noggin and plot your way around. 

No point blasting the driver everywhere: my best tee shot of the day was a missile straight down the middle of the aforementioned 14th; only problem is, you run out of fairway pretty quickly and a river runs through it. 

Cue eff, Jeff, and one of several solemn rummages in the bag for another rock.

Danger everywhere, then, but such pretty views to mask it all. 

And what delight when you manage to navigate a problem successfully; I’ve had few bigger rushes on a golf course than delicately bundling a chip up the false front of the 8th green to a couple of feet. Even if I then yipped the putt.

Chart Hills – cerebral, scenic, scintillating – was great fun. I’d love to play it again. If nothing else, I’ve still got one more bunker to visit. 

Winter 2025/26 Stay & Play offer

£199 per person (based on 8 players)
Groups of 4 players – £225 per person

  • Two rounds on the Championship 18-hole Sir Nick Faldo-designed course
  • Unlimited access to The Loop (par-3 course), plus the driving range
  • Overnight accommodation for up to 8 guests
  • Breakfast in the Club Bar
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Fantasy Picks for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship

Posted on November 12, 2025 by DaveTindallTravel

If you’re coming in new to the FanTeam game or still getting to grips with it, last week’s World Wide Technology Championship provided a great example of how it works.

A key each week is picking a Captain and an Underdog (the cheapest player of your six-man line-up). Why? Because both players score x1.25pts.

Last week in Mexico I manged a nice profit thanks to a 23rd place finish in the £10 buy-in game.

My tally of 719.50pts was boosted heavily by captain Garrick Higgo finishing tied fourth and Underdog Sami Valimaki ending the week in tied second.

But one of my picks, Stephan Jaeger, missed the cut, only securing 32.25 points.

Another 60 points would have lifted me to second place and a chunky payout.

In other words, it’s paramount to get all six players through the cut if you want to land the big bucks.

Before looking through the Butterfield Bermuda Championship field at Port Royal Golf Club – a short 6,828-yard par 71 with Bermuda greens – let’s start with a SPECIAL OFFER below on the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai!

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Okay, back to Bermuda and let’s start building…

Top Tier Picks (18M and over)

Rico Hoey (20.8M): He’s the most expensive player in the game but, given the modest opposition, it makes sense. Hoey ranks 1st for Ball-Striking and four of his last eight finishes on the PGA Tour have been top 10s. They include fourth at the Baycurrent Classic and runner-up in the Bank of Utah Championship in two of his last three starts. Add in 17th on his course debut last year and the reliable Hoey looks a good way of anchoring the team.

Nico Echavarria (19.4M): The Colombian is hoping to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Camilo Villegas, who won this two years ago. Echavarria is 3-for-3 at Port Royal with plenty of good rounds (best finishes 23rd and 29th) and his last two starts show ninth at the Baycurrent Classic and 14th in the WWT last week. Echavarria often thrives by the sea, winning the 2023 Puerto Rico Open and losing a play-off at the Sony Open in Hawaii at the start of this year.

Others to consider: Thorbjorn Olesen (20.2M) is on a roll after finishes of 14-3-9-14 in his last four worldwide starts. It’s his course debut but he has a bunch of good form by the coast. Vince Whaley (18.2M) is a go-to for course backers as the American has Port Royal finishes of 5-8-7. He’s in good form too after third at the Sanderson Farms and 17th in Mexico last week. Oh, and he never misses cuts (made last 17 in a row). Patrick Rodgers (18.8M) is the other course horse option (9-3-4 here). In ideal timing, he arrives off a sixth place in Mexico, his best finish since February.

Mid-Range Value Selections ($14.2m up to 18m)

Matt Kuchar (17.2M) has only played one event a month since June but in those five starts he has a fifth and three other top 20s, the latest an 11th in Mexico last week. Slightly surprisingly given how well this course should suit him, it’s the former Open runner-up’s first start at Port Royal. Based on a bunch of great form on other short, bermudagrass tracks, he looks a great fit.

Victor Perez (16.2M): The last three winners here have all been low-ball hitters which makes sense given how advantageous it is to flight shots under/through the wind. Perez is very much in that mould and used such skills to win both the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the 2023 Abu Dhabi Championship. He needs a good week to secure his card and has the form (11th and 23rd in two of last three starts) to get it.

Justin Lower (14.6M): At the lower end of this price range, Justin Lower jumps off the page. He has four straight top 20s in this event, two of those doubling as top 10s, and was third in Utah two starts ago. He added 31st in Mexico last week when ninth at halfway.

Others to consider: Takumi Kanaya (15.8M) hits it lower than anyone else on the PGA Tour and by quite a margin. That ball flight suggests he can build on some strong recent form which includes fourth in the co-sanctioned Baycurrent Classic. Greyson Sigg (14.8M) has an appealing mix of course and current form. He’s performed better here each year (9-11-22) and is 4-for-4 in the Fall Series, three of those top 25s. Sami Valimaki (16.4M) did this column a big favour last week and a hot putter has helped him finish runner-up twice in his last five starts (European Masters and WWT Championship).

Underdog Options (14m and Under)

David Lipsky (13.8M) offers plenty of reliability if looking for a solid UD. The American has made nine of his last 10 cuts and has a pair of top threes in that run, albeit near the start of it. Port Royal looks a good fit and indeed it is. He was ninth last year and 13th in 2023.

Adam Svensson (13.6M) is the second lowest ball hitter on the PGA Tour so it’s no surprise to see that he finished 22nd on his only appearance here (he was 10th with a round to play). After a poor run, he steadied the ship with a 56th in Utah and then posted 21st in Mexico last week (again 10th after 54 holes).

Others to consider: Brandt Snedeker (13.6M) is rather feast or famine at the moment as he attempts to secure some sort of status for next year. His last four starts show MC-9-MC-19 and although he didn’t make the weekend here last year, he’s a great wind player with a bunch of wins by the sea. Jeremy Paul (13.8M) has made four of his last five cuts and the most recent was l6th in Mexico last week. His other two best efforts this season (runner-up Corales Puntacana and 16th Puerto Rico) were both in events that correlate well. Ben Kohles (14M) has three finishes of 26th or better in his last half-dozen starts on the PGA Tour. A low-ball hitter, he’s cashed twice here, shooting laps of 64 and 65. Adam Schenk (14M) has finished 26th and 29th on his two visits to this event and boasts decent form having made the cut in all four Fall Series events (best of 21st).

That’s this week in the books from a fantasy perspective.

But while I’m here, I’ll point you towards the revamped and much-boosted FanTeam Sportsbook.

For this week’s best bet, let’s head over to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

After his stellar 2025, I do like Rory McIlroy to round it off with another win. He’s 4.5 to do so.

ANDY SULLIVAN OFFER!

In the side markets, try Andy Sullivan for a Top 10. The Englishman has managed that in two of his last three visits to the course and comes in hot after 15th in the India Championship, fourth in the Genesis and seventh in Abu Dhabi last week.

Sullivan is 5.2 for a Top 10 which is a must.

But, as you can see above, new customers can get that at a massive 30/1 when signing up.

Good luck and don’t forget to SIGN UP HERE

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Fantasy Picks for the World Wide Technology Championship

Posted on November 5, 2025 by DaveTindallTravel

After a rather stop-start PGA Tour FedEx Fall Series, we now have a sprint to the line with three straight tournaments.

The first in Mexico this week is on a course designed by Tiger Woods and winning scores in the first two editions at the par 72 El Cardonal were 27-under and 24-under.

A decent weather forecast will ensure another birdie-fest this week.

For those new to the FanTeam game, the captain scores x1.25pts, as does the UD (Underdog), the cheapest player in your six-man squad.

Getting both right is key to profits.

Before looking through the World Wide Technology Championship field, let’s start with a SPECIAL OFFER below!

Get £42 in entries for simply depositing £10 and playing any cash game.

Okay, let’s start building…

Top Tier Picks (18M and over)

Garrick Higgo (18.6M): For less than 19M you get a player who was sixth on his debut here last year and returns to the course with form of 4-2-7. Beyond that, you’re also getting a proven winner. The South African racked up three quick victories on the DP World Tour across 2020-21 and he’s already a two-time champion on the PGA Tour. The second, at Corales Puntacana earlier this season, also came on Paspalum greens, the surfaces in use here.

Rico Hoey (19.4M): It’s easy to think that birdie-fests are just about who putts best. In reality, it’s often about setting up numerous opportunites and Hoey’s elite ball-striking will put him in position time and time again. He’s shown those skills in the FedEx Fall Series with finishes of second, fourth and ninth in three of his four starts and, as for being able to go low, Hoey has twice shot 63 in his last five rounds.

Others to consider: Ben Griffin (21M) is the most expensive player in the game but with some justification. He’s made the top 25 in both starts here and returns as a two-time winner this season with a Ryder Cup appearance on his CV. He was second at the Procure two starts ago. Max Greyserman (19.6M) shot rounds of 64 and 65 here when fourth on his debut in 2024 while he’s fresh off a second place at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan. Thorbjorn Olesen (18.4M) is a first-timer at the course but arrives with a third and a ninth in his last two outings and a run of five top 20s in his latest six worldwide starts.

Mid-Range Value Selections ($14.2m up to 18m)

Stephan Jaeger (15.6M) will relish the wide, wide fairways and also a return to Mexico where he’s finished sixth and third in his last two starts in the country. He was also third after 36 holes here last year while 11th at the recent Bank of Utah Championship built on a return to form following a poor summer.

Nico Echavarria (17M) fired a Friday 63 here last year on the way to sixth place and also shot three good rounds when 31st on debut in 2023. Echavarria has won twice on the PGA Tour, achieving those victories with 21- and 20-under so he loves a birdie-fest. The case for the Colombian is completed by a top 10 in the Baycurrent Classic last time

Others to consider: Justin Lower (14.4M) is easy to justify at the price. He needs a big week to be in the top 100 who keep their cards for next season and second here last year combined with third last time in Utah suggests he might well get it. Defending champion Austin Eckroat (15.6M) has a perfect 6-for-6 record in Mexico (1st and 23rd here) and 11th place at the Procure on his penultimate starts points to a good defence. Matt Kuchar (16.4M) keeps on keepin’ on and seems to be benefitting from a light schedule as shown by form of 18-13-44-5 in once-a-month starts from July to October. Notably, he was runner-up here in 2023, part of a strong slate in Mexico that shows a win, two seconds and a third. Pierceson Coody (17.2M) probably seems a tad expensive right now but look back at this preview in 12 months’ time and we may see that price as a bargain. A third at the Bank of Utah was the latest glimpse of his massive talent.

Underdog Options (14m and Under)

Sami Valimaki (14M) is a standout at this price if viewing form through the prism of performances on Paspalum (there’s a tongue twister). The Finn’s two DP World Tour wins came on such surfaces and his last five events on Paspalum have resulted in a win and two seconds. Valimaki flashed some good form in August when returning to Europe to take eighth in Denmark before finishing runner-up at Crans in Switzerland.

David Ford (13.4M) had a storied amateur career (played Walker Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup, Eisenhower Trophy) and earned his Tour card via the PGA Tour University Ranking. The 23-year-old has taken a little time to settle but in his last two starts he was eighth at halfway in the Sanderson Farms before fading and then kept it going for 72 holes with an excellent top three at the Bank of Utah.

Others to consider: Brandt Snedeker (13.6M) is making a good fist of trying to save his card. The veteran gave us a little nudge with seventh at Memorial in June while in his last three events he can boast a ninth (Utah) and a 19th (Procure). Nick Hardy (13.4M) isn’t a million miles away despite missing his last few cuts and a pair of top 30s here suggests he could potentially match the top 10 he achieved at the ISCO Championship only six starts ago. Ryo Hisatsune (13.8M) is a consistent cut maker (three of his last four) and has seven top 25s this season. The Japanese golfer was 10th in the Mexico Open earlier this year.

That’s this week in the books from a fantasy perspective.

But while I’m here, I’ll point you towards the revamped and much-boosted FanTeam Sportsbook.

We landed the 72-hole match bet double at the Bank of Utah Championship last time thanks to Kurt Kitayama and Christiaan Bezuidenhout so have a little house money to play with.

My best bet is over in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship which is crammed full of Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team.

I’ll back Shane Lowry for a Top 5 at 6.00. The Bethpage hero was third in India last time and his Yas Links form of 13-28-12 (decent enough) hides the fact that he was in the top three after 54 holes in all those visits.

Good luck and don’t forget to SIGN UP HERE

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Fantasy Picks for the Bank of Utah Championship

Posted on October 22, 2025 by DaveTindallTravel

We’ve reached the middle event of the FedExCup Playoffs and surely the most scenic!

Black Desert Resort Golf Club was cut through a lava field and is framed by dramatic red mountains.

It looks AI generated but this venue is definitely for real as we saw in the inaugural edition last year when left-hander Matt McCarty won with 23-under.

A good weather forecast suggests another birdie-fest will break out on the 7,421-yard par 71 which plays shorter due to being at altitude.

Designed by Tom Weiskopf/Phil Smith, it has super-wide fairways, vast greens and one of the former’s signature features: drivable par 4s (5th and 14th).

For those new to the FanTeam game, the captain scores x1.25pts, as does the UD (Underdog), the cheapest player in your six-man squad.

Getting both right is key to profits.

Before looking through the Bank of Utah Championship field, let’s start with a SPECIAL OFFER below!

Get £42 in entries for simply depositing £10 and playing any cash game.

Okay, let’s start building…

Top Tier Picks (18M and over)

Alex Noren (20.4M): Imagine being Alex Noren right now. You’ve won two prestigious DP World Tour events – British Masters and BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth – in the last couple of months and also been vice-captain for a triumphant European Ryder Cup team on American soil. As well as those two victories, the Swede has a third (Wyndham) and a seventh (3M Open) in his last six events and his putter is red-hot – ideal for a course where the flatstick was important last year. Noren is definite captain material here.

Kurt Kitayama (19.2M) also boasts some of the best form in this field. He won July’s 3M Open after shooting 60-65 on the weekend and over his last seven events he can add to that victory a fifth, a ninth and two other top 20s. The big-hitting American played here 12 months ago and posted 25th, his round scores including a Saturday 64 and a Thursday 65.

Others to consider: Michael Thorbjornsen (20M) is one of the Tour’s rising stars and showed it again with third at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan. He withdrew last year after an opening 67 and perhaps I’ve not put him in the top two due to his modest putting. That same comment applies to Rico Hoey (18.6M) but, like Thorbjornsen, his elite ball-striking will set up a bunch of chances. Hoey has a fourth and a ninth in his last three starts and was 21st here last year. Defending champ Matt McCarty (18.M) has to be worth a mention given that he fired a remarkable 60 (could have been a 58) in round four of the Baycurrent Classic a fortnight ago (finished 14th).

Mid-Range Value Selections ($14.2m up to 18m)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout (17.8M) looks a strong option for several reasons. The South African has a 10th (Baycurrent) and a sixth (Sanderson Farms) in his last two starts and a bunch of good desert form on both DP and PGA Tours. That’s relevant given the visuals and style of golf required here while he’s also used to playing at altitude. Bezuidenhout ranks 11th for SG: Putting this season.

Taylor Montgomery (14.8M) offers great value at the bottom end of this price range. The Tour’s No.1 putter last season (he’s 2nd for SGP this year) was runner-up (for the second time) in the Utah Championship in August, just as McCarty was before winning here in 2024. Montgomery is a Vegas resident so the desert conditions and altitude will be very familiar while he was sixth at the Sanderson Farms last time out.

Others to consider: Alex Smalley (17.4M) shot 67-69-66-69 to record 21st place here in 2024 and returned to form with a fourth place at the Baycurrent. Sahith Theegala (15.6M) continued his return to form at the Baycurrent (eighth after R3 before finishing 27th) and has shown his liking for desert-style golf with a third and a fifth in two of his four starts at TPC Scottsdale. New Dad William Mouw (16.2M) is one for #Teamcurrentform given a run of 1-7-38-18. The win came at the ISCO where the rookie closed out the win with a sparkling 61 while he was fourth in last year’s Utah Championship. Antoine Rozner (14.4M) is a desert specialist on the DP World Tour and has been a regular cut-maker on the PGA Tour this season. Finally (I like a lot of players in this mid-priced section so am probably leaning towards a balanced line-up) Aldrich Potgieter (14.6M) could just have another big week in him. The monster-hitting South African won late June’s Rocket Classic and in the Baycurrent he carded 65-68-68 over his final 54 holes after opening with a 77.

Underdog Options (14m and Under)

Adam Schenk (13.6M) is finding some mojo in the Fall Series via 30th at the Procure Championship followed by 21st at the Sanderson Farms. He’s also made the top 25 in each of his last four starts on other Weiskopf designs. The latest was a fifth at this year’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

David Lipsky (13.6M) has made seven of his last eight cuts on the PGA Tour and that run includes third places at the 3M Open and John Deere.

Others to consider: Gordon Sargent (12.8M) has bags of potential and the big-hitting 22-year-old looks a good course fit. He was 38th at the Sanderson Farms and has made four of his last seven cuts. Frankie Capan (12.8M) has registered some low rounds in the Utah Championship and once shot a 58 on the Korn Ferry Tour. He flashed some potential with sixth at the Sanderson Farms where he ranked 1st for SG: Putting.

That’s this week in the books from a fantasy perspective.

But while I’m here, I’ll point you towards the revamped and much-boosted FanTeam Sportsbook.

Let’s have a couple of bets too.

Alex Noren is 4.00 to be Top Continental European and should really have the beating of his rivals. According to the market, his biggest challengers are Thorbjorn Olesen, Jesper Svensson, Stephan Jaeger and Victor Perez.

For a 72-hole match bet double, I’ll back Kurt Kitayama to beat Jason Day and Christiaan Bezuidenhout to get the better of Emiliano Grillo. The case for the two picks is made above. As for their opponents, Day is rusty and Grillo can’t match Bezuidenhout’s recent form.

A £10 double returns a fraction under £33.

Good luck and don’t forget to SIGN UP HERE

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Fantasy Picks for the Baycurrent Classic

Posted on October 8, 2025 by DaveTindallTravel

First things first. Get your teams in on time!

While the Baycurrent Classic sounds like a standard PGA Tour event, it’s the tournament formerly known as the ZOZO Championship.

And that means the location is Japan – which is eight hours ahead of the UK.

It means tee-times are late Wednesday for those of us on these shores. For the record they hit away (from the 1st and 10th) at 10.45pm UK time Wednesday.

Only 78 players take part and they’re headed by Xander Schauffele at 22M.

A few of the local Japanese players in this co-sanctioned event know the course, Yokohama Country Club, which is being used for the first time in this event.

It’s a fairly typical track for the region – parkland, tree-lined and not too long (7,315-yard par 71).

For those new to the FanTeam game, the captain scores x1.25pts, as does the UD (Underdog), the cheapest player in your six-man squad.

Getting both right makes a big difference.

Also note that there is no cut this week so everyone gets all four rounds.

Before looking through the Baycurrent Classic field, let’s start with a SPECIAL OFFER below!

Get £42 in entries for simply depositing £10 and playing any cash game.

Okay, let’s start building…

Top Tier Picks (18M and over)

Xander Schauffele (22M) was a red-hot favourite for this last year (around 9/2) having won two majors that season. He’s not been in that form this time but did emerge as joint-top USA scorer in the Ryder Cup with three wins from his four matches. And while he never quite clicked at this event’s previous venue, Narashino, he did win Olympic gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. That was extra special given that his mother grew up in Japan.

Hideki Matsuyama (20.4M), like Schauffele, has had a slightly strange year. He started 2025 with a bang, carding a million birdies en route to victory at The Sentry, but has never really threatened to taste victory again. Perhaps this return home will inspire him and he can really turn it on in Japan, as shown by his win in this tournament in 2021. He’s been in solid form for a few months now and last time out was 13th in the BMW PGA at Wentworth after holding the halfway lead. Matsuyama looks close to clicking and this would be the ideal place.

Others to consider: Si Woo Kim (19.2M) posted sixth in this event at Narashino last year and was last seen finishing fifth in strong company at Wentworth. His SG: Tee-To-Green numbers are exceptional. Alex Noren (19.6M) is having the time of his life after winning the British Masters in August, the BMW PGA Championship in September and being a vice-captain on the triumphant European Ryder Cup team.

Mid-Range Value Selections ($14.2m up to 18m)

Gary Woodland (16.4M) was also a Ryder Cup vice-captain, albeit on the losing side. But he loved being part of the action at Bethpage and arrives in Japan on the back of three straight top 20s. One of the more travelled American players, he boasts some exceptional form in the Far East.

Max Homa (17.8M) is definitely finding his feet again on a more consistent basis and two Fall Series starts have resulted in a pair of top 20s. Sitting out the Ryder Cup will likely have fired him up further and the six-time PGA Tour winner also has some form in Japan via a top five in the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament.

Others to consider: Garrick Higgo (17.4M) almost became a three-time PGA Tour winner last week but was overtaken by the fast-finishing Steven Fisk. The South African now has a second and a seventh in the Fall Series. Fellow South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout (16.8M) finished sixth at the Sanderson Farms to record a sixth top 20 in his last 11 worldwide starts. He was third at the 2024 ISPS Handa Championship on his most recent visit to Japan. Perhaps a return to Asian soil will help Tom Kim (15.6M) continue his climb back up the world rankings after a promising 11th last week. Note his fourth at the Dunlop Phoenix the last time he played in Japan.

Underdog Options (14m and Under)

Sahith Theegala (13.6M) could be a bargain here if he can build on his 38th at the Procure where he ranked 8th for both Tee To Green and Approach. Theegala is making some very positive noises after an injury-ridden season and he boasts a previous top five in this event.

Keita Nakajima (13.8M) is one of 17 Japanese golfers in the field and a player who has a real chance of making an impact. The 25-year-old, a former World Amateur No.1, is a course winner having landed the Japan Tour’s Yokohama Minato Championship here in 2023 and he enjoyed a good August on the DP World Tour with fourth at the British Masters backed up by 17th at the European Masters in Switzerland.

Others to consider: Taiga Semikawa (13M) has six straight top sevens on the Japan Tour and was runner-up to Nakajima in that 2023 Yokohama Minato event here two years ago. And, yes, he is named after Tiger Woods! Ren Yonezawa (12.4M) won last year’s Yokohama Minato Championship with a record score of 22-under so should get some good vibes on his return to the course.

That’s this week in the books from a fantasy perspective.

But while I’m here, I’ll point you towards the revamped and much-boosted FanTeam Sportsbook.

Let’s have a couple of bets too.

In the winner only outright market, I’ll go with Hideki Matsuyama at 17.00. That could look a great price if the local hero is on one of his hot weeks.

There’s also a winner w/o Morikawa, Matsuyama and Schauffele offering.

With the top three taken out, I’ll be heading to Si Woo Kim at 18.00.

Good luck and don’t forget to SIGN UP HERE

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