Golf Channel’s free-to-play game is back for another year.
Located in the NBC Sports Predictor app, Golf Pick ‘Em gives fans a chance to win cash and prizes by predicting how some of the top PGA Tour stars will fare against each other on a weekly basis. The focus will be on choosing between a series of head-to-head matchups as well as selecting an overall tournament champion and winning score.
Players can compete for weekly cash prizes, with a $50,000 jackpot available each week for any players who earn a perfect score. But there will also be at least $1,000 awarded each week in cash and prizes, even if there is no player with a perfect score. So be sure to download the NBC Sports Predictor app and make your free selections each week!
The contests kicks off this week with the Genesis Invitational and will continue through the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta. Here’s a look at some of the players to keep an eye on when making your Pick ‘Em selections as a star-studded field takes the stage in the shadow of Hollywood:
1. Justin Thomas: Thomas was second here a year ago, T-9 the year before that and might just be the hottest player on the PGA Tour right now. With three wins since August and a T-3 finish in Phoenix when he admitted he lacked his best stuff, JT continues to excel and could very well get his hands on a trophy that slipped away last year.
2. Jon Rahm: Rahm showed in Phoenix that even his off weeks are ending in top-10 finishes. It’s a strong state of affairs for the Spaniard, who could ascend to world No. 1 with a win this week and finished T-9 at Riviera last year. Rahm has the total package, and with only one finish outside the top 15 since June he has been a consistent performer in some of the biggest settings.
3. Rory McIlroy: McIlroy is the new world No. 1 and the betting favorite as he looks to distance himself from Brooks Koepka and the other challengers near the top of the world rankings. McIlroy has four straight finishes of fourth or better, and now he gets to a course where last year’s T-4 finish was his third straight top-20 results. Bombers tend to thrive at Riviera, and McIlroy fits the mold of a player who should thrive.
4. Dustin Johnson: Johnson has lost a step to the handful of players above him in the world rankings as he recovers from a knee injury, but this is one course where he tends to shine. DJ’s 2017 victory is the highlight of an eight-year run in which he finished outside the top 5 only twice. While he faltered Sunday at Pebble Beach, Johnson had two top-10 finishes before that and seems to be picking up momentum.
5. Xander Schauffele: Schauffele has come achingly close to adding another PGA Tour title over the last 12 months, and there’s reason to believe his drought will end sooner rather than later. After kicking off the new year with a playoff loss in Hawaii, Schauffele was in the mix through 54 holes in Phoenix before finishing T-16. Now back in L.A., where he’s cracked the top 15 each of the last two years, similar success could be in store.
6. Patrick Cantlay: The former UCLA standout should be in his comfort zone this week in L.A., where he tied for fourth two years ago and finished T-15 last year. He’s added a Presidents Cup appearance since and now is up to sixth in the world, tying his career best after a T-11 finish at Pebble Beach. Cantlay beat a similarly stacked field last summer at the Memorial, so don’t be surprised if he does it again this week.
7. Brooks Koepka: The former world No. 1 hasn’t looked up at any names in the rankings since May, but now he’s chasing McIlroy. Koepka missed the cut here in 2017 in his only appearance, meaning he doesn’t have some of the event history that other top stars boast. But a top-20 finish in Saudi Arabia showed that he might not be far from returning to 100 percent, and woe to anyone who dares add a chip to Koepka’s shoulder by doubting his ability to hang in any given week.
8. Tiger Woods: The tournament host will have plenty on his plate this week, not the least of which is the fact that he’s played Riviera more than any other Tour venue where he’s never won. Woods simply hasn’t figured out the vintage layout where he made his Tour debut back in 1992, although last year’s T-15 finish showed plenty of promise. He has totally overhauled his place in the game in the intervening 12 months, so there’s no sense in doubting that win No. 83 is possible - even if it seems like a (relative) longshot this week.
9. Bubba Watson: If numerology has any say, Watson is due for a win. The southpaw has been the man to beat in even-numbered years at Riviera, winning in 2014, 2016 and 2018. His potential at this event goes without saying, but now he’ll also bring with him some recent form after a T-6 finish at Torrey Pines and a T-3 result in Phoenix.
10. Adam Scott: Scott has enjoyed some time off since his win at the Australian PGA following the Presidents Cup, but he’ll kick off his 2020 campaign on familiar turf. The Aussie has enjoyed his time at Riviera, with three top-10s in his last five trips including a runner-up result in 2016. Scott ended last year in strong fashion and has plenty of game to take down a stacked field on a layout where course knowledge can often become a big factor.