J.B.

Holmes

The big-hitting Kentucky Wildcat was last seen in action in the fall of 2021, missing the cut at the Fortinet Championship. He was just a few months removed from a back injury that forced him to WD from the 2021 John Deere Classic. Holmes sat out the rest of the season and hasn’t posted a top 35 since the 2020 Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He’ll kick off his Major Medical Extension this week with 26 starts to earn 289 FedExCup Points. He arrives with an 11-for-16 record at the Farmers with a trio of top 10s including a runner-up finish during the 2015 edition.

This is the Univ. of Kentucky product’s 10th mid-tourney WD in 345 events. It’s his second of the season in 19 starts, WD’ing (back) during R2 of the Memorial on a sponsor invite. The 39-year-old was 5-over thru three holes (1 triple, 1 double) and 6-over total after an opening 72, when he called it quits. He arrived 205th in the FedExCup standings with seven made cuts and 10 missed cuts, and a best of T36 at the Travelers two starts ago (70-68-67-71). The Kentucky native did not qualify for the upcoming Open Championship but is more than likely to tee it up at the opposite-field Barbasol in his home state.

This is the 39-year-old’s ninth mid-tournament WD in 341 events, first of the season in 15 starts, and first since last season’s Workday Charity Open at this course, where he WD (shoulder) after 1-over 73 in R1. After opening his 13th Memorial with 76 (2 birdies, 6 bogeys), which he completed on Friday, he was 1-over thru seven holes in R2 (2 birdies, 3 bogeys) when he called it quits. Holmes arrived 5-for-14 on the season, missing five of his last six cuts, and 210th in the FedExCup standings after finishing 148th in FEC points last season in just eight events played. He hasn’t recorded a top since his fifth TOUR win at the 2019 Genesis Open 40 starts ago. At press time, the University of Kentucky product is in the published field at next week’s inaugural Palmetto Championship at Congaree.

After opening with 69-67, the Orlando resident began T16 on 4-under, one shy of the overnight top 10 and eight adrift of leader Aaron Wise (75). He conjured six (of 14) fairways but pelted 15 greens in regulation, losing strokes off-the-tee (-0.037) and around-the-green (-0.367), but gaining 4.491 on approach. The University of Kentucky product squared two bogey-5s at holes 4 and 16 (3-putt from 41'3"), camouflaged by five circles at 3, 5, 11, 14 and 15, two from between six and 12 feet. This is the first time this season in eight starts that he’s been in the top 10 after 54 holes, and the first since last season’s WM Phoenix Open, where he was T3 before finishing T16 (64-65-70-75). The 38-year-old is vying for his sixth TOUR victory in 334 events, first since the 2019 Genesis Open 33 starts ago, where he came from four back (T2) with 1-under 70 to win by two. “I didn’t really miss an iron shot on the back side. So, it was playing very difficult, it wasn’t a lot of room for error. But I struck it really good and putted it well (posted 0.339 SG: Putting). If I hit it like I did today it would be great (referencing tomorrow). It would be nice if I made a few more putts.”

The big hitter from Kentucky arrives with a 3-for-7 record this season that has produced nothing better than a T46 finish (Safeway Open). His distance is still there but he currently ranks 220th in Driving Accuracy and 201st in GIR Percentage. Next up is a showdown with the Champion Course at PGA National. Holmes has six previous visits with three of those producing paychecks including a T12 back in 2010. Holmes has also picked up Kip Henley as his bagman. Funny enough, Holmes is paired with Austin Cook and Brian Gay during rounds one and two this week, two golfers that Henley has previously caddied for. As for Holmes, he is likely off the fantasy radar until he flashes a bit of form.

The 38-year-old went 6-for-8 during last season’s COVID-shortened schedule with three top 25s, three straight, with a best of T14 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He also logged two mid-tourney WD’s, including during Round 3 at the no-cut CJ CUP (shoulder), and prior to R2 (shoulder) at the inaugural Workday Charity Open after opening with 1-over 73. In the 11 regular-season events contested after the restart, the Kentucky native’s only round completed was at the Workday, and was also a pre-tourney WD four weeks later at the PGA Championship citing an “injury”. He has returned to action this season, playing in three of a possible 12 events: a T46 at the season-opening Safeway, a 65th at the Sanderson Farms, and a missed cut by five at the Shriners 10 weeks ago (72-68). The Orlando resident owns five TOUR victories in 329 events, most recently the 2019 Genesis, where he came from four back (T2) with 1-under 70 to win by one over 54-hole leader Justin Thomas (75). Since his last start at the above-mentioned Shriners, there were four events that he was eligible to play in and didn’t tee it up in any of them, so at press time, it’s an unknown when we might see him back in action. Of note, in the past 12 months, the University of Kentucky product has only played in nine events, so a roster spot for him would be a risky endeavor considering his injury history.

The big hitter cited a shoulder injury in early July when he withdrew from the Workday Charity Open after a 1-over 73 in round one. He was also a late WD ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March due to elbow troubles. The injuries seem to be piling up for the 38-year-old. On the bright side, Holmes did rattle off three straight top 20s early in 2020 so his game still stacks up when he’s healthy enough to go. Gamers should consider him a high-risk, high-reward option until he puts together a few tournaments without further injury. Holmes finished solo 9th in his last appearance at Silverado Resort and Spa, two years ago.

The big hitter roared into the early lead with five birdies in his first 11 holes on Thursday but faded with four bogeys and a double on his way into the clubhouse. This will be his 8th career mid-tourney WD with the most recent coming last fall at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. He also cited a shoulder injury for that early exit.

The big hitter had been rounding into form lately with three top 20s over his last four starts, during the West Coast Swing. Holmes has seven career mid-tourney WDs but this won’t fall in that bucket since it happened before his first tee time, which also allowed the first alternate, Sepp Straka, to get an opportunity. It’s likely too late to sub him out of weekly games but gamers should wait for a clean bill of health before reinvesting in future weeks.