With only three tournaments remaining this fall, the clock is ticking loudest for Korn Ferry Tour graduates. When The RSM Classic concludes, the category dedicated to them in the Priority Ranking will be reordered for the first time.

RELATED: Horses for Courses, Statistically Speaking

Of the graduating class, five have yet to cash in a tournament this season. Anxious fantasy owners are stupefied every year by at least one shiny, new toy who can’t gain traction. This season’s “that guy” is Carl Yuan. He’s 0-for-3 and elected not to play in Bermuda last week and at this week’s World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.

There’s still time for Yuan to, ahem, follow through as exhilaratingly as he often does after making contact with the ball, but given that the cutoff for entry at El Camaleón Golf Course is squeezing out 11 grads (as of Tuesday afternoon), and that the 132-man Cadence Bank Houston Open might do about the same next week, the RSM suddenly has much more stress baked in than its climes present otherwise.

All 28 rookies are subject to the periodic reorders (the schedule for which is at the top of the page linked above), but my Rookie Ranking segregates them for sharper focus.

I introduced the Rookie Ranking at Rotoworld in 2009 before bringing it with me to PGATOUR.com in 2010, and it’s been here since. This season, I’ve been maintaining a thread on Twitter, but recently we updated the dedicated page here. Sometimes, a few spins are required to determine the best approach for the long-term, but we’re there now.

On that page, you’ll also note that I’ve added a section for notable non-members. This was a hit during the super season when Will Zalatoris a/k/a “god of the non-members” was voted Rookie of the Year, but there hasn’t been a viable set of circumstances to reintroduce it until now. Its dedicated table will grow as the season prolongs.

All of these files have fantasy value in certain situations. It’s why they exist in the first place, but, if necessary, please reach out to me on Twitter, publicly or privately, and we can dive deeper into your considerations.

POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD

Collin Morikawa (-135 for a Top 20) … Welp, here he is again. He was the Wild Card for THE CJ CUP at South Carolina and couldn’t convert on a top 20, instead settling for a T29. Take it all the way back to a T26 at the RBC Heritage in mid-April and he has only two top 25s in full-field events across that stretch. Both were T5s (U.S. Open; FedEx St. Jude), so it’s evident that he still has the firepower, but c’mon, man. He can’t possibly be a contrarian, so once again limp into this finish with a fraction of a unit. Put it this way: Even though he’s making his debut at Mayakoba, of all the considerations on the board, who do you think can right his own ship faster? Exactly.

DRAWS

Matt Kuchar (+170 for a Top 20) … Former Mayakoba champion (2018) and perfect in six career trips, the last four of which since the tournament transitioned to the fall. Of course, none of that is a surprise for him just about anywhere, but especially on a shorter track that rewards keeping the ball in play to go low. His form in 2022 has been dialed in as well, so give him a look in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf to go on the offense again some of the chalk.

Jason Day (+160 for a Top 20) … I’d have to check my Wayback Machine for the last time he sized up as a Draw, but the Aussie has earned it after a T8 in Vegas and a T11 at Congaree. Momentum is momentum, so take it for what it’s worth. His body of work badly wants us to elevate expectations, but let’s take it one week at a time. Since Mayakoba moved to the fall, he’s 0-for-1 (2019), but give him a chance to pull a rabbit out of his hat.

Joel Dahmen (+220 for a Top 20) … Sneaky-good start to the season what with a pair of top 20s in his last three events. El Camaleón also has been kind as he’s perfect in five trips with a T6 (2019) highlighting three top 25s. He’ll turn 35 next week, so he’s among the class of veteran ball-strikers who rise on the Riviera Maya.

Francesco Molinari (+250 for a Top 20) … But hold your breath. A case could be made that he belongs on the Mount Rushmore of compelling ball-strikers of his generation, so that skill set should slide into place without resistance at Mayakoba. He missed the cut in his debut last year, but he still was grinding through a long transition of regaining form after his relocation to California and time missed due to the pandemic. However, since The Open Championship in July, he’s 4-for-4 with a pair of top 15s. He’s fooled us before, so take an extra moment before deciding on where and how you invest.

Zac Blair
Hayden Buckley
Adam Hadwin
Nick Hardy
John Huh
Russell Knox
K.H. Lee
J.T. Poston
Aaron Rai
Robby Shelton

Odds sourced on Tuesday, November 1st at 6 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm.

FADES

Harris English … Every once in a while, I’d like to break the rule and hang up a second Wild Card. He’s that this week, but I’ll default into a mild Fade despite fifth-place finishes in his last two trips before sitting out last year’s edition. It’s been 8½ months now since he had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip, and this is his 12th start since returning in early June, but he’s been rocky at best. Classic cornerstone for course-history buffs who also don’t hate the fact that he prevailed here in 2013, but most gamers would be digging too deep into this field to choose to hope for him to pile on.

Brian Harman … You admire the tenacity, but Mayakoba has yet to reward him with a top 25. This marks the lefty’s 10th appearance. Now, his form is solid, so he projects for a personal best, but the smartest fit in that context is as a complement in an aggressive DFS lineup.

Russell Henley … This is a continuation of his wrong-way theme. Just two top 25s in his last seven months, and they occurred consecutively at the conclusion of the regular season. Also 2-for-4 at Mayakoba and without a top 25.

Kevin Streelman … There are worse places to celebrate a birthday (as he will on Friday), but Mayakoba has tripped him up in recent stays. After going 5-for-5 spanning the shift to the fall, he’s just 1-for-4 with a T32 (2020) since 2018.

Sebastián Muñoz … The 29-year-old from Colombia possesses the proper profile to get over on El Camaleón, but it hasn’t happened yet. He’s just 1-for-3 with a solo 64th in his debut in 2018. His scoring average in eight rounds is 71.13 on the par 71. He’s also been scuffling relatively for months, so he’s all but exhausted our trust equity.

Max McGreevy … On the spectrum of the stocks among PGA TOUR members, he’s an endpoint as the most speculative. Consider that he’s cashed in only seven of 26 starts in 2022, but four went for a top 15, including last week’s T8 in Bermuda. Yes, he has his place, as do all the guys, but it’s not in short-term fantasy.

Andrew Landry … Captures our attention this week because he finished T7 here last year after going 0-for-4 to start his career at Mayakoba. Since returning from injuries to both shoulder earlier in 2022, he’s just 2-for-8 and without a top 50. Continue to give him more time to find form.

Byeong Hun An
Danny Lee
David Lipsky
Sam Ryder
Erik van Rooyen

RETURNING TO COMPETITION

Justin Rose … He’s making his first start anywhere since a sore back forced him to withdraw after opening the BMW PGA Championship with a 73. That was almost two months ago, but it’s also entirely within the historical profile of his medical chart to succumb to that injury. In his debut at Mayakoba last year, he placed T40, but he had been humming along for a while. This time around, the 42-year-old has gone five straight starts worldwide stretching more than four months without connecting for a top-35 finish.

NOTABLE WDs

Denny McCarthy … Opting for rest after a T6 in Bermuda, but it’s rare for him to exit early. He hadn’t withdrawn after a commitment deadline and before his opening round since the summer of 2018.

Taylor Moore … Cruising along with three top 25s already in five starts this season.

Vince Whaley … Second consecutive early WD. He set the tone in the previous two seasons with strong fall portions of varying degrees, but he’s just 1-for-3 this time with a T61 at the Sanderson Farms. So, if you’re on board in a long-term format, consider pulling an early plug.

Kelly Kraft … This is too bad because he’d have been a nice penny stock in DFS. His profile is ideal for El Camaleón. Instead, his sabbatical continues. He hasn’t competed since opening the season with a missed cut at Silverado in mid-September.

Nicholas Lindheim … After opening his return to the PGA TOUR with a pair of MCs, he’s withdrawn early from his last two commitments. A back injury was cited as his explanation for bowing out at Bermuda. With his 38th birthday next week, he already wasn’t a hot ticket in any fantasy format, but now he’s in danger of plummeting to the bottom of the KFT graduate reshuffle category.

RECAP – Butterfield Bermuda Championship

POWER RANKINGS
Power Ranking Golfer Result
1 Nick Hardy T23
2 Thomas Detry 2nd
3 Justin Lower T8
4 Russell Knox T49
5 Mark Hubbard MC
6 S.H. Kim MC
7 Robby Shelton T23
8 Denny McCarthy T6
9 Adrian Meronk MC
10 Adam Schenk T29
11 Aaron Rai T54
12 Ryan Armour MC
13 Greyson Sigg T11
14 Garrick Higgo T29
15 Alex Smalley T11
Wild Card Seamus Power Win

SLEEPERS
Golfer (Bet, if applicable) Result
Patrick Rodgers (+200 for a Top 20) T3
Brandon Wu (+170 for a Top 20) T35
Austin Eckroat MC
Chesson Hadley T17
Callum Tarren MC

GOLFBET
Bet: Adam Long to Miss the Cut – +210
Result: T44

BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PGA TOUR

November 1 … none
November 2 … James Hahn (41); Adam Hadwin (35)
November 3 … none
November 4 … Kevin Streelman (44)
November 5 … Jim Herman (45)
November 6 … Scott Piercy (44)
November 7 … Maverick McNealy (27)

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