The Starter no.18

We’d rather be golfing. In my adult life as a San Francisco 49ers fan I have only experienced heartache and pain. Have we had some great seasons? Yes. Have we been to Super Bowls? Yes. I was 8 years old when this franchise last raised the Vince Lombardi Trophy in triumph. Although, I don't doubt I was well into my slumber wearing my Steve Young jersey before the game was decided. Needless to say I am in a glass case of emotion as this weekend holds something that all fans strive for but it also can bring an emptiness and despair that cuts deeper than the Mariana Trench (it's deep… look it up.) In the end, you need to be willing to hit the mat if you choose to step in the ring. Andy Reid, we are coming for ya, Go Niners! -BY

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The Perfect Storm

Greg Norman must have done something over the holidays to regain a slight bit of favor with the golf gods. Even with all of the offseason hype surrounding the acquisition of Jon Rahm and later TyrrelI Hatton, the opening event of the LIV Golf season would still be hard pressed to draw the attention of the golf world away from a PGA Tour Signature Event taking place at one of the most beloved venues on the planet, Pebble Beach. An attention grabbing 59 shot by Joaquin Niemann at Mayakoba on Friday was quickly trumped by a historic 60 from Wyndham Clark at Pebble on Saturday. But the guardians of the game enlisted Mother Nature to pay The Shark a major solid in the form of a once in a generation storm that postponed and eventually wiped out the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

With Jim Nance and co sheltered away in the Monterey Peninsula, CBS opted to broadcast a replay of the 2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. LIV Golf was the only girl at the dance on Sunday afternoon and the stage seemed to be set for the 3rd year tour to make its breakthrough. But even a dramatic 4-hole playoff between eventual winner Niemann and Sergio Garcia wasn’t enough to entice fans over to the CW as the CBS replay drew 1.211M viewers vs. 432K for the final round of LIV Golf Mayakoba. In fairness to LIV Golf, the viewership numbers don’t account for anyone who may have streamed the final round via the multiple channels available to do so, but it’s still a tough pill to swallow for the LIV faithful.

Personally, I didn’t tune in to any golf on Sunday (I was out playing!) but I must say that the buzz around LIV Mayakoba throughout the weekend felt much different than any tournament they’ve played in the previous two years. The social media coverage of the event from non-LIV accounts felt exponentially greater than any prior competition. Rahm, Hatton, and rookie Caleb Surratt competing for the new Legion XIII added an instant boost. IMO, even with the Tour crushing LIV again in viewership ratings over the weekend the Mayakoba event will be the start of a shift in sentiment towards the league because of the two following reasons:

1) The final leaderboard at Mayakoba was stacked! The top 10 is a scribe of world class players. Don’t recognize D. Burmester? Oh, he is just few weeks removed from winning back to back events on the DP World Tour. Rahm and Hatton answered the call. 11 major titles won between this top 10. An impressive group at the top to say the least.

2) In an ironic twist, Wyndham Clark was crowned the champ at Pebble Beach after only 54 holes and jumped from 10th to 6th in the OWGR because of his triumph. Jaoquin Niemann also won a 54-hole tournament vs. a world class field and dropped from 66th to 74th in those same rankings. Yikes 🥴 !

I can only speak for myself, but I’m looking forward to watching LIV Golf Las Vegas this weekend just as much as I am the WM Phoenix Open. Now, if I can only find the CW….. -MM

Rain Dance!

Let’s just get this out of the way now…Pebble Beach Pro-Am final round was cancelled due to weather which means technically the event was complete after three rounds but really, we all know it wasn’t…BY’s back-to-back pick winner streak continues as Fleety and Speith were both charging and probably would have finished T1 and been in an epic playoff to crown a champion. Very easy storyline to foresee playing out. On we go to “The Greatest Show on Grass” and my quest for a 3^rd straight pick winner!

Do I even need to introduce the WM Phoenix Open played at none other than TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course)? It was recorded that roughly 4.6 million alcoholic beverages were sold over 4 days at last year’s event, oh, and some golf was played too. The golfers just have to embrace the atmosphere and have fun at this one. I hate to say it, but I have never been…it’s on the list.

I am going with two medium plays this week and both get the nod to turn up the dial if you’re feeling the feel. Starting out with a top 30 finish from Kurt Kitayama at +150. A Vegas guy who is no stranger to desert golf with an upside that has me excited. His finishes may not breed confidence, but I hope my enthusiasm will. My bet is he feels at home here and can pull one out and give the fans what they want! Finally, and not because his first name is nearly my first initial and last name in one, but I like Byeong Hun An with a top 20 finish at +140. If his putter is there, tie a bow on him. He had a strong finish to 2023 and started 2024 off with a bang in Hawaii. Like I said before, you just need to get into the conversation…and I think these two guys can do that for me. BY for three!! -BY

Draft Kings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will give my three strongest value buys for DFS play. I am only getting you started, finishing your line up will be up to you!

• S. Theegala: $9,100

• T. Detry $7,600

• T. Hoge: $7,300

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly

Time to Party!

The PGA Tour heads to the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale for the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The OG of golf party tournaments will be a welcome escape for the players in the field who fought through the elements at Pebble Beach last week. Can Wyndham Clark go back-to-back? Can 2023 winner Scottie Scheffler add another trophy to his collection? Will Joel Dahmen shotgun a beer shirtless on the 16th hole?

Betting Favorite: Scottie Scheffler (+450)

Super Bowl LVIII isn’t the only show visiting Sin City this weekend as LIV Golf heads to Las Vegas Country Club for their Vegas debut. Not to be outdone by the fellas in Phoenix, the par 3 eighth hole at Las Vegas CC will serve as the party hole for the weekend.

Betting Favorite: Jon Rahm (+400)

The DP World Tour wraps up their five event stretch in the Middle East with the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club. No party holes this week in Qatar, just some good old fashioned golf. Take a look at this primer for more info heading into the weekend.

Betting Favorite: Rasmus Hojgaard (+1000)

Around the Game

🏌️ The PGA Tour agreed to an investment partnership with the Strategic Sports Group that could infuse upwards of $3B into the Tour. Under the new PGA Tour Enterprises, nearly 200 PGA Tour members have the opportunity to receive over $1.5 billion in immediate and future equity. Upon announcing the partnership, the PGA Tour also confirmed ongoing negotiations with PIF on a potential investment, subject to any necessary regulatory review and approvals. Jordan Speith, who hasn’t said much publicly regarding the evolving landscape of professional golf made headlines following the announcement when he stated that he didn’t believe an additional investment from PIF was needed moving forward. This lead to global golf enthusiast Rory McIlroy leaving a group chat which included Speith (we’ve all been there) and seemingly caused an even larger rift between the top players remaining on the PGA Tour.

🏌️ Netflix announces that season two of their golf docuseries Full Swing will drop on March 6. Plenty of storylines heading into the second season of the popular show. Featured players include Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Tom Kim, Joel Dahmen, Matt & Alex Fitzpatrick, Keegan Bradley and Justin Rose. The season will also feature unique access to the Ryder Cup.

🏌️ The U.S. Women’s Open locks in a new title partner along with an infusion of prize money for the major championship. Ally Financial is the new presenting sponsor and the U.S. Women’s Open will now feature a $12 million purse, the largest in women’s golf.

🏌️ Bernard Langer suffered a torn Achilles tendon during training exercises. The legendary Langer underwent surgery on February 2nd and released a statement sharing his desire to return to competition. No timetable has been set on his return but a final start at Augusta National this April appears to be in doubt.

🐐 One of Us. The greatest QB of all-time has the most relatable moment of his athletic career as he duffs a tee shot during the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. I wish they had the shot tracer set for this swing…that would’ve potentially broken the internet!

💉 Juiced Olympics. Billionaire Peter Thiel announces his intent to launch “The Enhanced Games” in 2025. This promo video is something to behold 👀 .

🥊 Showstopper. You won’t find many boxing references in The Starter but Ben Whittaker’s performance over the weekend is must see stuff. Afro Thunder in the flesh!

🤝 Another Bundle. ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery announce a new joint streaming platform for sports.

🔨 Nail in the Coffin. The end seems to be getting closer every day for the NCAA. The latest nail came from the National Labor Relations Board on Monday when they ruled that men’s basketball players at Dartmouth are employees and free to unionize.

🐅 Tiger Watch. “Siri, set a reminder for next Monday”