Looking for 2017 v picks, either for betting or fantasy golf games like DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo, Golf Channel or the PGA Tour?
We have your 2017 CIMB Classic rankings and expert picks, as we do each week of the PGA Tour season.
The Asian Swing starts this week in Malaysia, with TPC Kuala Lumpur hosting as Justin Thomas defends after an awesome showdown with Hideki Matsuyama last year. The no-cut field means guilt-free picks as everyone is going to cash and get you four rounds of points.
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2017 CIMB Classic rankings: Top 10 picks
1. Justin Thomas -- The best player in the world right now is two-time defending champion and coming off the high of being lights-out at the Presidents Cup.
2. Hideki Matsuyama -- Hideki wasn't great in the final weeks of the last PGA Tour season...so, a few weeks ago. But he likes the event and is clearly a class player in the field.
3. Xander Schauffele -- The Tour Championship winner has enjoyed a few weeks off before this big road game. Not entirely sure he's demonstrated comfort going maybe 20 deep to win, but he's clearly on the upswing.
4. Paul Casey -- Top five in four of his last six starts and just one out of the top 13? C'mon. Play him.
5. Kevin Na -- Gotta consider Na here, given his record and how he seems to play his best golf in the fall (American fall, that is).
6. Pat Perez -- Perez with three top-16 finishes to round out the playoffs. If he can continue his short-game form, then he should do well. He thrives in tournaments where going deep is a must.
7. Rafa Cabrera Bello -- RCB was horrid in August, but he was pretty good in the last two playoff events. A T-10 here last year.
8. Anirban Lahiri -- The guy single-handedly extended the Presidents Cup to a fourth day that sort of mattered. Contended here previously.
9. Gary Woodland -- Woodland is a horse-for-course pick here, though he was T-56 last year. Some top 25s in the playoffs are encouraging.
10. Scott Piercy -- He needs to be mentioned, albeit tepidly. Came back from a three-plus-month break with a top-25 finish at the Safeway. Great record in this event.
My DraftKings lineup for this week:
- Xander Schauffele - $9,700
- Pat Perez - $9,000
- Kevin Na - $8,200
- Anirban Lahiri - $8,200
- Bud Cauley - $7,600
- Stewart Cink - $7,000
