Pick 'Em Preview: the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

If you don’t remember what we wrote in the opening last week, here’s the timely and relevant excerpt:

“It’s unlikely that we’ll see this kind of real-time fluidity on the extreme again, but we didn’t expect to see it the first time.”

That referred to Justin Thomas’ board values of +30000 and +25000 during his final round of the PGA Championship, both landing for multiple users en route to paydirt. Last week, it was Sam Burns who was positioned at +20000 on Sunday at Colonial Country Club. Again, boom!

All of that suggests that you never know what you’re going to see and experience in PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live. It’s also blazing evidence of what to do with those odds when you do. Navigate to PointsBet and lay the wager. Even just $5 bets on JT and Burns would’ve netted as much as a total of $2500. That equals the top prize here and only when other levers would need to be pulled at the right time to contribute to the title.

The commonality of the last two events extends to this week’s Memorial Tournament presented by Workday; that is, par will be a good score most of the time. If you think about how JT and Burns prevailed – both recorded the lowest rounds in their respective finales – they were the nuggets that emerged and without threatening course records.

Think about it – and, anecdotally, you already know this – it’s much more likely for exactly one of the world’s best to have a great day at the right time in extreme conditions than it is for the same talent in a shootout.

Who knows, maybe lightning can strike thrice in the same spot!

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TOURNAMENT

TO WIN

Glass … Kevin Streelman (+15000)

As always with this selection, shooting the moon is the No. 1 priority JUST IN CASE. The flexibility of changing, swerving and ducking is the best part of this game. There's absolutely no reason to ride chalk Thursday. Or even Friday.

Streelman hasn't missed in his last seven here and five of them have cashed T18 or better. He's a stalwart at Valspar because he's had the reps and this week is similar. minus claiming the ultimate prize. You know what they say, Rob: The 14th time is a charm!

Rob … Bryson DeChambeau (+9000)

To win?! That's so Bryson.

Pure and simple, when are you going to find him at these odds? His opening line is based entirely on the mystery of his health, so to paraphrase Al Czervik, let's pounce! If DeChambeau is above the projected cut line at the conclusion of R1, then you know the kickback will drop.

But look, given how the winners of the last two weeks have reached the summit, I'm not holding my breath even if he's poised for a wire-to-wire victory.

TOP 10

Rob … Matthew Wolff (+1400)

He's a default fade for me in, where else, in Draws and Fades, but where isn't he a fade? In PGA TOUR Pick 'Em Live!

Brendon Todd opened at +1100 last week, and I didn't have to touch the remote control. He finished third. I don't expect that to be the case with Wolff, but he's more explosive than Todd, and we know he won't slump forever. Take your cuts when the wind is blowing out, gang.

Glass … Cameron Champ (+1100)

If there is an angle to MVGC and ANGC this week, I'm going to ride it a bit. Champ has found his form on Magnolia Lane over the last few seasons and his ball-striking has a chance to carry over. He's never broken 72 here in five rounds, but that's why we're getting +1100. He'll have no problem eating it up if he finds a way to keep it in play.

TOP 20

Glass … Brendan Steele (+400)

Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me for two months, well SHUT UP, I GET IT.

I've learned my lesson, finally, about trying to sync this angle up. NO LUCK.

Steele has cashed in six straight here and has top 10s at both the PGA Championship and Zurich Classic (in two of his last three and among six straight paydays), so I'm not begging for form to appear. Connect dots. ANY DOTS!

Rob … Patrick Rodgers (+425)

Playing it safer with this bet. Only the Top 10 has opened regularly (during awake hours in Arizona), but we've learned not to expect the same here.

The veteran of 207 PGA TOUR starts as a professional has logged six of them here. Two resulted in top 20s -- T8 (2018) and T18 (2020). He's comfortable to return to the FedExCup Playoffs, so it's like old times.

He has only one top 20 on his own ball in seven months, but he has the length and the precision to deserve this hope.

ROUND 1

LEADER

Glass … Cameron Young (+4000)

I'd prefer him to be going off the front but my hedge is he's in the first group out. His ride of podiums over the last three weeks has covered bermuda, bent and a major, but most importantly all new venues.

I'll highlight 66 at Riviera and 63 at Harbour Town – not exactly easy places to play or score – as my evidence to ride this rookie. And if not, I'll recalibrate throughout the morning/afternoon.

Rob … Patrick Cantlay (+2800)

Let my Cameron go.

Glass sniped me on the rook. This isn’t a draft, but I’ll counter with the defending champion and two-time winner who goes off No. 10 at 8:00 a.m. ET. If you include the Zurich Classic of New Orleans where Cantlay and his partner, Xander Schauffele, went wire-to-wire, he’s connected as the FRL twice in his last eight stroke-play starts (Amex).

It’s a coincidence that Cantlay is in the same threesome as the 2021 FRL, Collin Morikawa, but I’ll take the cosmic connection.

NOTE: While Glass and Rob typically stick with their selections as detailed in Pick ‘Em Preview, they are allowed the right to make changes at any time.