Looking at the proximity buckets this week, East Lake is a pretty balanced second shot golf course. There isn’t one range that is overly emphasized where we specifically want to look at certain golfers. Since this is the case, I want to showcase the best overall approach players in the limited 30 man field.

Over the last 24 rounds, here are the top 10 plays who average the most strokes per round on approach:

Player Profile: Viktor Hovland

We were on Viktor Hovland last week and my numbers continue to suggest that Hovland is a lot closer to breaking through that glass ceiling than his results would suggest. Hovland is coming off another top-10 finish last week where he ranked 12th in strokes gained off the tee and third in strokes gained approach. Of course, the short game and putter failed him, but Hovland now travels to another golf course with thick greenside rough that should allow him to tread water around the greens and really let his ball-striking get to work.

Hovland is obviously a former champion at East Lake, and he nearly won the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, another Donald Ross course that was restored by Andrew Green with thick rough, narrow fairways, and deep bunkers. This is Viktor Hovland’s music, and I fully expect his best effort this week.

Closing Stretch

Josh Segal

Who will Keegan Bradley’s Captain’s Picks be?

After Keegan Bradley won the Travelers Championship in June, I wrote in this newsletter that he should no doubt be competing in the Ryder Cup as a playing captain. I still believe Keegan Bradley is one of the best twelve American golfers in the world and should be on this team, but the continued wrinkle of being assigned as the lead captain makes the decision even more interesting as he has also not been in form over the last month. 

I believe since his signature event win at the Travelers Championship, himself and the rest of his staff have prepared for him to play. 

Here are the five players that I believe Keegan will select to join him as captains picks:

Locks: Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Ben Griffin

Cantlay and JT’s Ryder Cup records speak for themselves. Cantlay was the best player in Rome in 2023. Cantlay did not win an event this season, but he has played better than people want to give him credit for. Even with another disappointing major season and disappointing play over the past month or so, JT has done enough in my book to warrant a pick. He won the RBC Heritage and finished runner-up at the Truist Championship, both being signature events. He is the spark plug for this team and will be needed in a big way come late September 

Ben Griffin has been arguably the 3rd or 4th best American golfer this year, with the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, and J.J. Spaun. He has been supremely consistent this year and doesn't have a glaring weakness in his game. He seems to love the heat of the moment and believes he will thrive under the bright lights. 

Last Two In: Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa

Ever since Burns figured out his irons back in late May at the Memorial, he has been playing some impressive golf. He had a great chance of winning the US Open, but got derailed by the weather delay and couldn’t figure it out after. He recently finished T4 at the BMW Championship. In match play, you need to make a ton of putts, and Burns is one of the best putters in the world. The Americans need Scottie Scheffler to play well to have a chance. Why not pair Scheffler with his best friend in fourball? (insert boys club joke here). 

Collin Morikawa is my last man in. I really wanted to leave him off this team, but his experience and his ball striking is too valuable. It has been the weirdest year for Morikawa with so many caddie changes I can't even count anymore. With not many bubble players making a strong case, I believe Morikawa gets the benefit of the doubt and is on this team. 

First man out: Cameron Young (Sorry RB)

We will find out on August 27th who the official picks will be!

Josh’s Favorite Fantasy Football Draft Targets by Position

We have talked at length in the newsletter about Kyle’s beautiful best ball rankings, which hopefully helps win you money this year in your contests. In case you missed it, Andy, Kyle, and Rishi did a NFL Preview and Best Ball podcast that I will provide the link below:

We are inching closer and closer to week 1, which means your home league draft that you have been doing with your buddies for years is fastly approaching. With golf season coming to an end, I have been diving deep into fantasy football research. Here are some of my favorite draft targets by position, which is applicable for re draft leagues and best ball contests:

QB: Brock Purdy

After finishing last in the NFC West with a 6-11 record, mostly due to injuries derailing their season, most notably Christain McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk, I believe the 49ers offense as a whole will bounce back. Since they finished dead last season, they have one of the easiest schedules in the league. 

With CMC projected to be healthy to start the year, this opens up the entire offense for Brock Purdy due to CMC’s presence alone. Outside of CMC, Purdy’s weapons include arguably the best TE in the league in George Kittle, projected second year breakout Ricky Pearsall, and hopefully Jauan Jennings who gets his contract sorted out. When Purdy had a healthy CMC in 2024, he finished as the QB6. I am bullish on the entire Kyle Shanahan offense, but I truly believe Purdy will bounce back this year in a big way.

RB: Chase Brown

One of my favorite fantasy football analysts to follow on twitter, Joe Orrico, summed it up on his case for Chase Brown:

Chase Brown doesn’t have much competition behind him and with the Bengals defense projected to be one of the bottom five in the league, that means more opportunities for the offense to score. I want to try and get as much exposure to this offense as I can. If I have an early pick, I am being aggressive and trying to draft Chase Brown in the late 2nd round. 

WR: George Pickens

It pains me to write that one of my favorite draft targets is on the Dallas Cowboys as a Philadelphia Eagles fan, but it’s hard to ignore the opportunity Pickens has. Pickens came over in a trade from the Steelers to the Cowboys this offseason. I am sure Pickens is quite excited to join an offense that will be pass first, as the Cowboys don’t have a bonafide stud RB to lean on like in previous years. With CeeDee Lamb as the alpha in the offense, should give a ton of 1 on 1 looks for Dak to target Pickens often. Similarly to the Bengals, with the Cowboys defense expected to be bad, that screams more opportunities for fantasy points from this offense. One of my favorite picks to target in the middle rounds of your draft. 

TE: Tyler Warren

Call me a homer as I am a Penn State graduate, but Tyler Warren is a stud. The Colts drafted Tyler Warren for a reason in the first round, to be one of the vocal points of the offense. I believe Shane Steichen will want the passing offense to run through the big TE, especially in the middle of the field, where he did a ton of damage last year at Penn State after the catch.

Rishi Loungani

U.S. Open Dark-Horses

The U.S. Open is tennis at its most electric - a two-week showdown every late summer in New York where the world’s best battle it out under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium. With roaring crowds, epic late-night matches, honey deuces flowing and the pressure of being the season’s final Grand Slam, it’s known for producing unforgettable moments and legendary champions. A number of us from the ISN hive will be there in New York, where the sport’s biggest stars and rising talents create history of one of tennis’s grandest stages.

With the draw out Thursday, we will post an official card on Friday. We do have some early leans on dark-horses…

Early dark-horse picks:

Mens

- Alex De Minaur 80/1 -- While we have a good idea of how it will go on the men's side with Sinner and Alcaraz, De Minaur has had a breakout 2025 season, reaching his first Australian Open quarterfinal and winning the Washington Open in dramatic fashion after saving three match point just a few weeks back. His best finish at the U.S. Open was 2020 where he lost to eventual champion, Dominic Thiem. The Demon has won at every level except a slam. He may just be one of those players that never gets a slam under their belt, but if the draw opens up the right way, there is a lot of value here. 

Womens

- Emma Radacanu 40/1 -- in 2021, with some luck of the draw, Emma Radacanu showed she can win this tournament. But the value in this play is that she is playing better in 2025 than she was when she won in 2021.  Her aggressive, early-strike game is perfectly suited to the fast New York hard courts. She’s already proven she can handle the pressure by winning the 2021 title as a qualifier without dropping a set.  With her fearless style and strong crowd support, she has all the tools to make another deep run if she stays healthy and consistent.