CIMB Classic - Power Rankings
This week the Tour heads to Malaysia for the CIMB Classic. TPC Kuala Lumpur (West) will serve as host for the fourth consecutive year, and Ryan Moore seeks to claim the title for the third time in four years. The event is a limited 78-man field.
Also teeing it up this week is Gary Woodland. While Moore has won the event twice, Woodland has finished runner-up both times. While it isn’t rare for one player to consistently contend at a particular event, it isn’t often you see two players repeatedly battle each other for the same title. This unique situation will certainly serve as a very intriguing storyline throughout the course of the week.
With the event being held in Malaysia, golf fans will be afforded the opportunity to see top players from the Asian Tour tee it up a TPCt Kuala Lumpur. Ten entries are held for such competitors.
Here is a look at players to keep on your radar for the week, as well as my personal DraftKings lineups for the event.
Ryan Moore - Coming off a Ryder Cup performance, and finished the year strong in the playoffs. Has won this event twice (2013 & 2014), and finished T-10 last year.
Patrick Reed - Terrific performance in the playoffs, followed by a 3-1 performance at the Ryder Cup. Having finished T-10 last year, it’s hard to create an argument against a great performance this week.
Gary Woodland - Back-to-back runner-up finishes in this event in 2013 & 2014. Looking to take advantage of his length on the sub-7,000 yard layout.
Adam Scott - Runner-up in this event last year, and coming off a very solid season on Tour.
Kevin Na - Has finished T2 & T3 in last two trips to this event.
Justin Thomas - Last year’s champion should have received a boost of confidence from his playoff run last month. Shot 26-under par to win the event last year.
Sergio Garcia - Has been playing some stellar golf for a while now, but done so fairly quietly. Don’t be surprised to see him have a big week.
Scott Piercy - A great showing last week in Napa. Since June, has continued to show that he has the game to compete in any field.
Hideki Matsuyama - One of the more consistent players on Tour when it comes to showing up on leaderboards.
Emiliano Grillo - Becoming a great young star in the game. His play in the playoffs spoke volumes to his potential.
Sleeper Pick
Ryo Ishikawa - Missed a lot of last season with a back injury. Has been playing well since returning to action - playing in Japan.
And now a look at my DraftKings picks for the week.
My picks this week are reflective of my hope that I will be able to cash in on players who have played well in the not too distant past. Players such as Lovemark, Knost and Hahn are picks who don’t always contend, but they have shown that they certainly can, and will.
Starting Lineup:
Adam Scott - $10,900
Ryan Moore - $10,600
Ryo Ishikawa - $7,500
Jamie Lovemark - $7,400
Patrick Rodgers - $7,000
Adam Hadwin - $6,300
Alternate Lineup:
Justin Thomas - $10,400
Sergio Garcia - $10,100
James Hahn - $7,200
Aaron Baddeley - $7,100
Peter Malnati - $6,800
Colt Knost - $6,800
This article was written by Jonathan Carr (@jonathanwcarr) as part of our weekly #FantasyGolf series. Each week we preview the upcoming PGA Tour event and highlight some of the players we'll be keeping an eye on. As a scratch golfer himself, Jonathan has a keen eye for what it takes to be successful on and off the golf course. His passion for golf is surpassed only by his passion for his faith and his family.
Read some of Jonathan's other articles here.
