Looking Back on the 2016-2017 PGA Tour Season
Looking Back on the 2016-2017 PGA Tour Season
The 2016-2017 PGA Tour season had some interesting storylines, from Sergio Garcia shedding the moniker of “best player to never win a major”, to Rory McIlory having a season he’d soon like to forget. But in a year that saw over 61,000 birdies and 1400 eagles notched in official events, perhaps the biggest storyline was the correlation between the aggressive approach of today’s players with the increase in popularity of Daily Fantasy Golf.
The Youth Movement
The onslaught of rookies and young phenoms posting low numbers and shattering scoring records week after week gave DFS players an array of options when seeking out a competitive lineup each tournament. The 2016-2017 season saw 19 players under the age of 30 account for 28 tournament victories. Additionally, the player of the year, the Vardon trophy winner, and three of the four major champions were born in the 1990s.
PGA player of the year and FedEx Cup champ Justin Thomas won a whopping five tournaments on the season, finishing second in scoring average. At age 24, he throws his hat in the ring with the other young mashers vying to be the best player on the planet. While Justin Thomas was the PGA player of the year, Jordan Spieth continues to draw parallels to a young Tiger, winning the Vardon Trophy by finishing 1st in scoring average, with a 68.846.
Thomas and Spieth continually found themselves in the hunt each Sunday, with other 20 somethings such as Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, and Rickie Fowler lending their talent to the youth movement as well. And at the ripe age of 23, rookie of the year Xander Schauffele won two tournaments, while posting an impressive 70.10 scoring average.
Phil Mickelson, who turned 47 this past season, finds himself one of the few golfers over 30 remaining competitive with the army of young talent. Typically known as a birdie machine throughout his career, Mickelson found himself outside the top 50 in birdies this year with 305. While the big lefty may still maintain the bomber approach, he was often not worth the expense to draft him in tournaments this past season.
Converting Birdies to Dollars
The 2016-2017 season was one for scoring, as 20 under par is the new normal for a chance to win the tournament. Many credit Tiger Woods and his decade of revolutionizing the game as the influence of today’s aggressive play and low scoring. This new generation of players grew up watching Tiger and Phil take that fearless, aggressive approach, and now they’re taking over golf by instituting that style in their games.
While Charley Hoffman topped the birdie list this past season, notching 423 in 112 rounds, Tony Finau fast became a go-to player in Daily Fantasy Golf lineups. Finau’s rise to dominance saw him post 415 birdies and 16 eagles in official play, finishing 9th in scoring average.
With the number of birdies or better hit this past season, there were plenty of players to pick up cheap with a great FPPG average. At DK Legends, our members can take advantage of the information provided by our pros to help them plan a winning fantasy golf strategy. If you want access to expert daily fantasy advice, sign up for a membership today!
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