Chris

Stroud

The Lamar product opened with 70-66-66 but saved his best for last with a six-birdie 65 on Sunday. Highlights included a 20-footer at the fifth and a 47-foot birdie bomb at the 12th. It was a balanced attack this week as he ranked 9th in strokes gained tee-to-green and 11th in putting. “I kind of ran out of tournaments right now, but I’m really starting to warm up and play great, and finally got the putter going in the right direction. I wish I had one or two more weeks. I’ll have to sit on the holidays. It will make Thanksgiving taste pretty good, but when I come out on the west coast, I’ll probably start in Palm Springs, I’m assuming. I may not play Sony, I’m not sure there yet, but I kind of wish I had a few more to go.” This will go in the books as his first top-10 finish since a T4 at the 2019 John Deere Classic. He’s been dealing with back injuries for most of the time in between but he’s proven recently that he can still strike it solid when his body holds up.

The 40-year-old Stroud missed the cut last week at the Honda Classic, making his fifth missed cut in seven starts this season. He had made seven previous appearances at Grand Reserve CC, missing the cut just once and posting two top 10s including in his last appearance in 2017. The 31-year-old Gribble, a Korn Ferry Tour member, will be making his second PGA Tour start this season after missing the cut last October at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He’s made two KFT starts in 2022, missing the cut at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic and finishing T-63 at the LECOM Suncoast Classic. This week will mark his tournament debut in Puerto Rico.

The 39-year-old Stroud would have made his sixth start at Torrey Pines, where has made three cuts with a best finish of T-49 in 2008. Stroud is playing on a medical extension -- he did not play in calendar year 2021 due to a back injury -- and has 19 events this season to earn 441 FedExCup points to keep his card. He’s made five starts in the new season (four in the fall series) and has missed four cuts including last week at the American Express. He’s seen one payday, finishing T-35 at the Houston Open. Knous will make his third start at the Farmers, where he missed the cut last year and finished T-29 in 2019.

The 34-year-old Stroud was given a sponsor exemption (one of two for members not otherwise exempt) and is competing this season on a medical extension. He has 17 starts remaining and needs 440.355 FedExCup points to earn top-125 points and play the remainder of the season out of the Major Medical Extension category. Subsequently, if he earns at least 287.137 points in those starts, he’ll be eligible for the 126-150 category for the season. Stroud has missed the cut in two starts this season, at the Fortinet Championship and Bermuda Championship, but in 13 previous appearances in Houston, he’s made seven cuts with two top 25s and a best finish of T-12 in 2014. He did not play in last year’s event, making just three starts during the wraparound season -- all in 2020 -- and did not play during the 2021 calendar year due to a back injury.

The Texan enters the week with two WDs and two missed cuts on his recent form log. Going even further back, he hasn’t posted a top 25 on the PGA TOUR since the Mayakoba Golf Classic last fall. It’s been a rough stretch but Stroud should feel some good vibes when he steps on the island this week. The last time he showed up to the Corales he posted four rounds of 70 ot better to post a runner-up finish, despite swalloing a triple-bogey snowman in his opening round that week. For the week, he racked up 22 birdies and an eagle. Fans of course history might give him a look this week but otherwise he’s easy to overlook when setting fantasy rosters.

Stroud continues to battle with injuries which has been the case for his entire career. Playing his 18th event of the season, this is his second mid-tourney WD and will officially eliminate him from FedExCup Playoffs consideration. Over his career, he now has 19 mid-tournament WDs in 365 events played. That’s one of the highest WD-to-start rations you will see of anyone on TOUR, which continues to make him a high-risk option for weekly fantasy gamers.

Stroud arrives with a 7-for-10 record at PGA National with notable finishes of T9, T13, and T12 in 2012, 2013, and 2014. His most recent appearance was a T33 during the 2018 edition. The Texan could use one of those big finishes this week as he’s just 180th in the FedExCup race. Entering the week with six straight missed cuts, any gamers that are taking a shot on him this week will be flying solely on course history.

This is the 13th Mayakoba and the Lamar alum has teed it up in all of them. He’s 8-for-12 with five top 25s and three top 10s, all three doubling as top 5s, most recently a best of T3 in 2014. The Texan checked in 2-for-3 on the season and off a T61 at the Houston Open five weeks ago (73-70-72-74). Beginning off No. 10 tee, he found nine (of 14) fairways and 11 greens in regulation, penciling five birdies at 13, 3, 6, 8 and 19. The 37-year-old registered 1.545 putts per GIR with 24 total putts.

Stroud has battled with injuries for years now. In fact, he’s now accumulated 17 mid-tournament WDs in 347 career starts on the PGA TOUR. That’s one of the highest rates you’ll find of any golfer on TOUR. However, his healthy weeks are still productive as he recorded four top 10s this season in 26 starts. His season will be over today as he entered the week ranked 94th in the FedExCup race and only the top 70 will move on to play the BMW Championship in Chicago next week.

This was the Texan’s 11th Deere, 10th cash, fifth top 25 and second top 10, joining a previous-best T5 in 2015 (68-68-67-63). He improves to 9-for-23 on the season with five top 25s and four top 10s, first since a season-best T2 at the Corales 11 starts ago, and jumps 26 spots to 95th in the FedExCup standings. After opening with 68-66-66, the 37-year-old began T9, three adrift of co-leaders Cameron Tringale and Andrew Landry. He hit nine (of 14) fairways and 14 greens in regulation, losing strokes off-the-tee (-1.433) and around-the-green (-0.099), but gaining 1.444 on approach. The Lamar alum carded seven birdies at holes 2, 7, 8, 12, 13, 16 and 17, two from between 19 and 23 feet, taking some luster off with bogey-5 at 4 and double bogey-6 at 11. He recorded 1.500 putts per GIR and 1.745 SG: Putting, wrapping the week with 25 birdies, T2 in that stat, against six bogeys and one double.