Perhaps you’ve heard that both Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are teeing it up at the Texas Children’s Houston Open this week. It’s a coup for countless reasons, all of which are obvious, but it actually poses a spot of bother for gamers who like to plan in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by PGA TOUR Superstore.

This is the third tournament of 11 in Segment 2 with the first two majors and the next three Signature Events still to come – all in which it can be expected that both Scheffler and McIlroy will compete – and having already checked off THE PLAYERS Championship where McIlroy emerged victorious, this is the kind of week when it feels like you should be able to nod toward your opposition fishing for a “Good good?” ... as in, “Let’s both sit this one out to save the starts.”

Not unlike the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort for last week’s Valspar Championship, Memorial Park Golf Course will punish more than it will please, and that will result in lower fantasy scoring on the par 70

Even in a shootout, round-by-round scores never need to originate from favorites to win for you to be successful, so you can get away with another four golfers to get the work done pre-cut in Houston and automatically save your starts for Nos. 1 and 2 in my Power Rankings. It’s what happens next that drives this week’s plan of attack.

Ideally, to hedge you’d slot both Scheffler and McIlroy on your bench and leave them there through three rounds. While unlikely for either to miss the cut, that approach also protects your starts. Then, you’d assess the merits of plugging either or both into your starting lineup for the FedExCup bonus points that await all starters in the final round.

It sounds great in theory, and occasionally it works like a charm for an unexpected injection of big points which can be everything if you’re chasing segment prizing, but there are drawbacks in the context of the long game.

For one, with only one winner, at best you’d add 100 FedExCup bonus points for a win (if he’s your captain) and 30 for a solo second. However, consider that you can compensate for that with lesser finishes in the FedExCup Playoffs in which a two-way T2 yields 98 FedExCup bonus points (for non-captains) and a solo 10th kicks back 30. That’s in Segment 3 but the points all contribute to your grand total.

For another, you’ve forfeited one of your remaining chances for beefier FedExCup bonus points in the five remaining premier stops in Segment 2.

In sum, because the introduction of the captain has allowed for greater impact this season, the advice is to designate only the best golfers who can score the most points in the richest of tournaments for that role. Save Scheffler and McIlroy for another score to settle.

Captain

Aaron Rai … To arrive at the Englishman, I needed to pretend that Scheffler and McIlroy weren’t playing. Rai has been automatic from every angle, and that’s exactly what I want across four rounds en route to a top 10.

Other considerations

• Tony Finau … Still swerving around Scheffler and McIlroy, the No. 4 in my Power Rankings is a no-brainer. Chased his win here in 2023 with a T2 last year. Also has flashed enough form in 2025 to rebuke the bias of course history.
• Jason Day … Sits No. 6 in the Power Rankings. If not for his string of paydays dating back 12 starts worldwide, he probably doesn’t warrant the faith. However, he’s more dynamic than the usual suspects, so in a week when we’re aiming to maximize impact away from the top two, he presents a potential powder keg of possibilities as captain.

Rounding out the roster

This is where I began to feel much better about the notable omissions. With these six, I won’t have to worry about roster management over time. It also frees me up to adjust to weather and performance mid-tournament.

My starters

• Jason Day
• Tony Finau
• Aaron Rai (C)
• J.J. Spaun

My bench

• Davis Thompson (1)
• Min Woo Lee (2)

Careful

For almost every tournament, a usually impressive subset of the field warrants avoiding, and it might be represented in my Power Rankings which is not written in the context of any fantasy golf format. In this section, I single out who demands pause and why.

Thomas Detry ... No. 8 in the Power Rankings. Co-runner-up in his debut last year but his form has tailed considerably since his breakthrough win at the WM Phoenix Open. The solace is an end-loaded T22 at Copperhead, but conservative gamers wouldn’t mind a bit more before reinvesting.

Sungjae Im ... For a guy who was red-hot across the last two-thirds of 2024 and January 2025, it’s glaring that he’s gone six starts with only one top 30 (T19, Bay Hill). Of course, with his firepower, he’s a contrarian who the speculative love, so surround him with more reliable pieces if you can’t resist.

Mackenzie Hughes ... The Canuck is 4-for-4 at Memorial Park with a T7 among three top 20s and a scoring average of 68.75, but he’s currently 112th in the FedExCup with but one top-35 finish (T22, Bay Hill) in nine starts.

Taylor Moore ... He’s been one of my favorite complements in weekly situations since he has proven himself quickly at this level, but he had been misfiring for too many weeks that he didn’t crack my Power Rankings for last week’s Valspar Championship where he won in 2023 and finished T12 in his title defense. On cue, he missed the cut. Shared runner-up honors at Memorial Park last year immediately on the heels of that experience, so course-history buffs are set up for another trap.

Returning to competition

Wyndham Clark ... Walked off TPC Sawgrass during his second round of THE PLAYERS Championship with a sore neck. While he’s an exceptional talent to be sure, he’s teased more than he’s delivered relative to his price tag. If he wasn’t returning to competition, he’d be up there with the rest in “careful.”

Lee Hodges ... First start since the WM Phoenix Open. An injured rib thwarted appearances at PGA National and TPC Sawgrass, so expect some rust. Just 1-for-2 with a T46 at Memorial Park in 2021 as well.

Charley Hoffman ... Completed only eight holes of the Valspar Championship (in birdie-free 4-over) before calling it quits due to a cranky back. It’s been his malady du jour over the years, but it had been over three years since he last succumbed to it during a tournament (2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am). Consider this week as timely to observe in advance of next week’s Valero Texas Open, where he’s the all-time earnings leader with a win among five podium finishes at TPC San Antonio.

Patton Kizzire ... Also finished just eight holes at Copperhead before walking in (at birdie-free 3-over) and also cited a sore back. Just 1-for-8 on the season with a T40 at The Sentry.

Paul Waring ... Of the 10 DP World Tour members who earned PGA TOUR membership this season, the 40-year-old from England is the only one who hasn’t cashed (in three starts), but he’s been bothered by an injured shoulder. Avoid.

Notable W/Ds

Brian Campbell ... After breaking through in a playoff for his first PGA TOUR victory at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld, he went 1-for-4 on the Florida Swing with a T48, so it’s not such a bad idea to take a breath as he looks ahead to his debut at the Masters.

Erik van Rooyen ... Second straight early withdrawal. No news has emerged to explain but it’s now a trend. Just one top 25 in eight starts this season and ranks 101st in the FedExCup.

Carson Young ... Also his second consecutive early withdrawal after four in a row through THE PLAYERS, but his wife was due to deliver the couple’s first child.

Andrew Putnam ... Sitting this one out for the second consecutive year. Missed his last two cuts, but he’s 91st in the FedExCup with a pair of top 25s.

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