Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider will include reviews of Hideki Matsuyama, Sam Burns, Cameron Smith, Tony Finau and Matt Fitzpatrick among other notables.
After the 2020 Playoffs during which the FedExCup points were tripled to accommodate playing time lost due to the unscheduled truncation of the Regular Season, points are again quadrupled for the 2021 edition. THE NORTHERN TRUST is the last tournament of the season with a cut. The low 65 and ties after 36 holes will survive. The top 70 in the FedExCup standings at the conclusion of THE NORTHERN TRUST will advance to next week’s BMW Championship.
Eighty-six golfers in the field at Liberty National competed when the course last hosted this tournament in 2019. The highest finisher who has not returned is Louis Oosthuizen (T6), who also is the only qualifier sitting out the series opener. He’s resting a sore neck. Opening as the 8-seed, the South African is projected to advance to the TOUR Championship.
After its debut in 2009, Liberty National underwent significant changes for its second staging in 2013. The course’s routing was reconfigured for the 2017 Presidents Cup, and then played traditionally for this tournament in 2019, but the setup has continued to evolve.
With new space for back tees on the par-3 fourth, par-4 seventh and par-5 13th holes, but with the par-3 11th promised to be no longer than 230 yards (reflecting a minimum reduction of 20 yards), the overall length is up 40 yards to 7,410. Par is 36-35—71 with three par 5s. More recent updates to contouring, bunkering and other enhancements will be new to all.
Because greens average about 4,650 square feet, which is below average by PGA TOUR standards, hitting them in regulation is the most challenging component to rising on this leaderboard. However, after scoring in 2013 averaged 71.151, the field pounced two years ago for 70.246. It averaged 11.1 greens in regulation per round and 3.87 par breakers per GIR, which is a cut favorable to the golfer. Bentgrass greens are prepped to touch as long as 13 feet on the Stimpmeter, but they reward precision because of their size.
En route to a one-stroke victory at Liberty National in 2019, Patrick Reed ranked T8 in fairways hit, T5 in GIR and 29th in converting those chances into par breakers. He also showcased his renown touch in finishing second in scrambling (17-for-21) to post 16-under 268.
Liberty National’s exposure to open water makes it more vulnerable to wind but breezes will be moderate at worst at any point during the tournament. The threat of rain and boomers exists throughout but a smaller field with 13-and-a-half hours of daylight will assist any lengthy delays. Daytime temperatures will climb into the 80s.
In addition to a projection of the 30 to reach the finale, Tuesday’s special Power Rankings for the FedExCup Playoffs will include trends and historical data.
ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE
PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled.
MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (FedExCup Playoffs); Sleepers; Fantasy Insider
SUNDAY: Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Rookie Watch
* – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.
