Fantasy Golf Preview – BMW PGA Championship and Dean & DeLuca Invitational

BMW PGA Championship - Wentworth

We did tell you that it pays to back the favourite, and those fantasy managers who heeded the TG Tipster’s advice last week were handsomely rewarded on Sunday night as Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia notched their first victories of the year.

The duo more than vindicated their hefty price tags, with McIlroy’s three-shot victory at the Irish Open catapulting the Ulsterman to the top of the game’s ‘in-form’ leaderboard.

But fantasy managers be warned: McIlroy is among a host of big names missing from this week’s BMW PGA Championship, including fellow Ryder Cup hopefuls Justin Rose and Ian Poulter.

Dispensing with the world number three’s services in favour of Danny Willett seems the smart move, especially as the Masters champion is one of only four players competing inside the world’s top 30.

The others comprise defending champion Byeong Hun An, Irish Open runner-up Russell Knox and in-form Spaniard Rafael Cabrera Bello.

Across the pond, the PGA Tour ends its stint in Texas this week as the Dean & DeLuca Invitational takes centre stage at the Colonial Country Club.

Last year’s runner-up Jordan Spieth will have the backing of a hometown crowd for the second successive week and is the bookies favourite with Jason Day absent once again.   

The world number two is joined in the field by 2014 victor Adam Scott, two-time champion Zach Johnson and Colonial member and last week’s top tip Ryan Palmer.

Top-five fantasy picks…

Matt Kuchar (£12.5m) – Dean & DeLuca Invitational

The likeable American ranks fourth on the list of top fantasy points getters so far this year and tees it up at Colonial looking to complete a hat-trick of top-three finishes on the PGA Tour. He has carded four top 10s in his last six starts and has a solid, if unspectacular, record at the par-70 course. His record includes two top 10s and just one missed cut in nine career appearances.

Charl Schwartzel (£12m) – Dean & DeLuca Invitational 

The form guide may suggest otherwise, but the stats make the South African a strong outside bet in the eyes of the TG Tipster this week. Granted, he has endured a mix bag since winning the Valspar Championship in March, but he’s still only failed to make the weekend once since the start of the calendar year. What’s more, he finished third in the efficiency stats from between 400-450 yards at the AT&T Bryon National. If he can replicate similar ball-striking at Colonial this week, he could thrive on a course which features seven par 4s that fall within this distance.   

Russell Knox (£12m) – BMW PGA Championship

The Scottish number one hit the big time with his maiden victory at the WGC-HSBC Championship back in November and has thrice come close to backing up his breakthrough win. Runner-up finishes at the OHL Classic and RBC Heritage have catapulted him to third on the FedExCup standings and he even had a one-shot lead with three holes to play at the Irish Open before McIlroy’s heroics. This week, he makes his debut at the European Tour’s flagship event as the second highest-ranked player in the field behind Willett and the TG Tipster fancies his chances with several big names absent this year.

Martin Kaymer (£11.5m) – BMW PGA Championship

The two-time Major champion may be one of the costliest players in the game competing at Wentworth, but it’s worth the outlay when you look at his recent form. The former world number one is coming off the back of successive top-six finishes on the European Tour and closed with a 65 at the K Club – the joint lowest score of the week. A victory has eluded the German on the West course thus far, but he has still posted five T20s in his last nine starts, missing the cut just once.

Luke Donald (£7.5m) – BMW PGA Championship

The former world number may be a fading force, but his record at Wentworth eclipses everyone in the field this week. The 38-year-old grew up near the West Course and became one of only three men to retain his title with victory in 2012. Since then, he’s struggled for form and fitness, but he’s now gone back to his old swing and has seen his fortunes change for the better. A runner-up finish at the RBC Heritage in mid-April has hinted at a resurgence and for £7.5m, he represents superb value for money.