Bolton: Tips for tackling Truist Championship during tricky Segment 2 finish

This week’s Truist Championship is up next in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by PGA TOUR Superstore, but before analysis and advice on how to proceed with the sixth Signature Event of the season, it’s valuable to review the broad strokes of how we got here and how we can use the lessons moving forward.

Because varied forces affected the usage of Rory McIlroy (limited schedule), Scottie Scheffler (injury) and Xander Schauffele (injury), we were not strained for roster management in Segment 1. For veteran gamers, it was essentially a carryover from the same phase of previous iterations of the game when it launched. However, what may have been overlooked by all, or at least not respected enough, was how to leverage the role of the captain.

When Segment 2 began, it was a certainty that gamers who play the long game were going to be required to ration starts. THE PLAYERS Championship led off, so it was easy to defer to the indiscriminate reality of TPC Sawgrass and rest the haymakers. Sure, Rory McIlroy was an understandable and deserving champion, but he was also a bonus in the context of our experience. And because THE PLAYERS slots early in the season, slow-playing decisions have merit for gamers who weren’t on board for his victory.

The next premier event was the Masters. After investing time over the first few weeks of Segment 2 to review the scoring and consider the deeper implications of the captain, my messaging in this space evolved into how to use it best. The obvious advice in my preseason primer was that a big-time talent always should be your captain, but it wasn’t until the Masters when it became clear that spreading out its usage among the same golfers for whom you might be inclined to save starts could be more impactful, so long as the golfers deliver.

The advice escalated quickly after the RBC Heritage had concluded, so it was time to put the education into play. It’s why I went hard on Scheffler as captain for THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Lo and behold, he totaled 372 fantasy points while matching the 72-hole aggregate scoring record on the PGA TOUR. Talk about understanding the assignment.

By comparison, en route to his win at the Masters that awarded 150 FedExCup bonus points (as opposed to the 100 for Scheffler in Texas), McIlroy amassed 348 fantasy points as a captain. So, and not surprisingly given the predictable ease of TPC Craig Ranch, Scheffler not only outscored McIlroy’s win in a major but he also covered the 50-point deficit in FedExCup bonus points with which he opened the week.

While all results always carry unique context in private leagues, the moral of the matter is that we should be concerned about who is going to be our captain and where before we should be engrossed in where we want to start those who won’t be captain. Consider this approach for the remainder of Segment 2, as there are two Signature Events and a major in the last four stops.

When evaluating what to do at the Truist, it’s relative to next week’s PGA Championship and the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday that remain in Segment 2 because The Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course is an unknown to the field. So, depending on how many starts you have left for McIlroy, reserving him as your captain for either or both of the other two tournaments has more merit than it does now. However, Scheffler will be competing alongside McIlroy in both, and both cannot be your captain at the same time, so choosing McIlroy at the Truist is akin to having Scheffler as the captain at THE CJ CUP. The biggest difference is that none of those three tournaments will yield the kind of fantasy scoring that Scheffler achieved last week, but that’s secondary to the advice on how to utilize your captain.

Now all McIlroy has to do is deliver.

Captain

Justin Thomas … Won in his last appearance at the RBC Heritage, so he’s added rest to the upswing. I have two starts remaining for McIlroy, but after connecting with Scheffler at home in Texas, I can afford to ease off the throttle in favor of traditional roster management in a tournament with no cut.

Other considerations

• Rory McIlroy … See above.
• Collin Morikawa ... Consideration for him objectively already is strong, but there’s some juice to his switch in caddies to Joe Greiner, so it’s worth piggybacking in our world, and a change in a bagman is not something that captures my attention often. In an interim role as Thomas’ caddie, Greiner was employed for the win at Harbour Town, Thomas’ first win in three years. This isn’t to say that Greiner is a secret weapon, but if Morikawa thinks that Greiner can make a difference in a way that can end his own victory drought, which is over 18 months long, then who are we to argue?

Rounding out the roster

After having decided on Thomas as captain, I’m keeping the rest simple with no cut. I’m particularly fond of permanent class, who has shown recent signs of scuffling because it usually doesn’t take long for that talent to figure it out and make the decision obvious in retrospect. As a big-stage performer, this is Ludvig Åberg’s position and profile this week.

My starters

• Ludvig Åberg
• Shane Lowry
• Collin Morikawa
• Justin Thomas (C)

My bench

• Xander Schauffele (1)
• Rory McIlroy (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 those who demand a pause and why.

Andrew Novak ... He’s No. 15 in my Power Rankings. It’s probably a compliment to drop him into this section because it means that expectations are elevated after going T3-T2-win across his last three starts, but that win was his first on the PGA TOUR, so it’s fair to anticipate a letdown. (The playoff loss was at the RBC Heritage, so this has nothing to do with his value relative to the field.)

Hideki Matsuyama ... His victory to open the season at The Sentry remains his only top 10 in 10 starts. He had seven top 10s in 20 starts in what was a mammoth 2024, but we’ve seen this ebb and flow from him over the last five years. Still a force in full-season formats but lacking sizzle in weekly situations.

Wyndham Clark ... At last check, his cut among owners was just shy of 10 percent, but it ranked him inside the top 20-most owned in the field of 72. He’s too erratic to warrant the captain role, and in general, for the conservative investor that I am, but it’s that same inconsistency that can be a difference-maker in tournaments with no cut. Probably overpriced in DFS, though.

Aaron Rai ... The strong argument that ball-strikers benefit from unfamiliar greens favors him more than most – he leads the PGA TOUR in fairways hit and slots 30th in greens in regulation – but compared to others in the same lane, he’s been underperforming. That said, with no cut, he’s a bargain in DFS.

Returning to competition

Alex Noren ... In the field at the Truist, it’s his first start anywhere in seven months. This wasn’t the plan, of course, but he suffered “a hamstring and glute tear” early in 2025. He’s eligible for all of the Signature Events, but the bonus of this one for him is that there’s no cut. And not only is he guaranteed four rounds to see how his game responds after the break, but it also doubles as a tune-up for the PGA Championship. Snag him if he’s still somehow a free agent in your league.

Aaron Wise ... Committed to the ONEfirst Myrtle Beach. It’s his first PGA TOUR start since the 2024 Puerto Rico Open, which was his only start last season as he took time off to focus on his mental health. He went 1-for-4 on the Korn Ferry Tour to open 2025 and has 26 starts on a Major Medical Extension on the PGA TOUR, but let him ease back in to reconnect with the competitive juices at this level before considering the plunge.

Notable W/Ds – Truist Championship

Scottie Scheffler ... Resting for the PGA Championship after last week’s superb performance. Given the unfamiliarity of The Philadelphia Cricket Club, it’s wise timing, too.

Billy Horschel ... After withdrawing early from the Zurich Classic of New Orleans due to what he described at the time as a lower body injury, he announced today on X that he’s scheduled to have surgery on his right hip early next week. It’ll cost him a few months of action. The 38-year-old is 58th in the FedExCup and fully exempt as a winner through 2026.

Jason Day ... Second early exit of the season. Official word as to why has not been disclosed. His first at THE PLAYERS Championship was due to illness. The Aussie is now poised to tee it up at the PGA Championship with three weeks of rest from competition. He’s 28th in the FedExCup and has cashed in 14 straight starts, but given his history with neck and back issues, it’s understandable if you’re compelled to hold your breath.

Notable W/Ds – ONEfirst Myrtle Beach Classic

Nicolai Højgaard ... Tumbled to sixth in the Aon Swing 5 for entry into the Truist but opted out here anyway. It’ll grant him a week’s rest ahead of his fourth consecutive appearance at the PGA Championship.

Jake Knapp ... When Patrick Rodgers withdrew from the Truist, Knapp rose to second alternate, but he had already withdrawn from the ONEfirst Myrtle Beach. He’s 43rd in the FedExCup and headed to Quail Hollow Club for his second PGA Championship.

Isaiah Salinda ... Karl Vilips is the only member of the 2025 rookie class on the PGA TOUR with a victory thus far, but Salinda is in the early mix to be on the ballot to win the Arnold Palmer Award as the Rookie of the Year. Currently 65th in the FedExCup.

Webb Simpson ... In what is his last season of fully exempt status via a multi-year extension for timely titles, he’s just 2-for-5 with one top-45 finish, and he’s not yet 40 years of age. It’s wild how quickly he found the slope of the career bell curve.

For resources to overcome a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER today.