Fantasy Insider: Olympic Games

* * * BREAKING NEWS * * *

We interrupt Segment 4 of PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf for the Olympics. Officially dubbed the Olympic Men's Golf Competition, it is not an official event on the PGA TOUR, so it does not contribute to the fantasy game at PGATOUR.com. Segment 4 will resume with next week's World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

But you already knew that, so that's not all.

RELATED:Power Rankings | PGATOUR.COM Expert Picks

The real breaking news is that PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf is undergoing a renovation for the 2021-22 PGA TOUR season.

The bones of the game as you know it today will remain the same. They include roster construction of up to four starters and two bench players per round, as well as limited starts per golfer per X-number of Segments.

The refinements are many but they are being introduced to simplify and improve gamer experience. So, if you're inclined to be overwhelmed by change, you'll be fine.

It begins with a fresh interface. There will be a familiarity to it but design upgrades will make it more intuitive. Once you learn the basics, it'll be easier to navigate.

The most notable modification is that ShotLink no longer will be used to measure performance. So, no shot-level data will be gathered. Only actual scores and bonus points will be tabulated. Scoring per hole will resemble what you'd find in DFS, which was, in part, derived from Modified Stableford scoring. The FedExCup points bonus at the conclusion of the tournament will remain 10 percent.

By eliminating ShotLink, real-time fantasy scoring and its completion after a round and a tournament will be faster, plain and simple. Save Monday finishes, obviously, the days of waiting until Monday afternoon every week for confirmation that everything is buttoned up are over.

If you participate in a league, your experience also will be enhanced. Roster comparisons, sending invites and other concepts will be seamless and, again, more intuitive.

In addition to finer detail to much of the aforementioned, other tweaks and performance upgrades also will be baked into the platform. I've seen the mocks and they're impressive.

This evolution was made possible largely because your opinions and feedback have been heard. Too often gamers or users of anything digitally consumed can't feel or quantify how their voices make a difference. I experience the same in my own pursuits away from the gig, so I get it. Well, I'm here to tell you that your voice has mattered, and it's not unprecedented in my tenure. The tech team, as I've often referred to it, went to work and on your behalf.

I'm still digesting what I've learned in the short period of time I've known about what's coming, so it'd be presumptuous to predict how ownership philosophies and game play will be affected. In due time, gang.

Until then, it's back to regularly scheduled preview material next week!

PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf

RETURNING TO COMPETITION

Si Woo Kim … Sidelined since withdrawing during his first round of the John Deere Classic with a sore back. It's been the through line of the career for the 26-year-old. Can't help but wonder if it could complicate matters if he fulfills his military conscription in his native South Korea. Unless he medals at this week's Olympics, he'll be required to register by age 28. Sungjae Im also is pursuing the same dispensation, but he's only 23, so he could have another chance in Paris for the 2024 Games if he doesn't medal in Tokyo.

NOTABLE WDs

Jon Rahm … Tested positive for COVID-19. Just prior to the news, he announced that he wouldn't be competing in next week's World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, but the commitment deadline for the season's final WGC isn't until this Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET. So, it's reasonable that he'd change his mind and compete.

Bryson DeChambeau … Also tested positive for COVID-19.

POWER RANKINGS RECAP - 3M Open
Power Ranking Golfer Result
1 Louis Oosthuizen T2
2 Dustin Johnson MC
3 Emiliano Grillo MC
4 Tony Finau T28
5 Bubba Watson T51
6 Luke List T58
7 Hank Lebioda WD
8 Charl Schwartzel T2
9 Ryan Moore MC
10 Matthew Wolff T39
11 Robert MacIntyre MC
12 Stewart Cink MC
13 Mito Pereira T6
14 Steve Stricker MC
15 Dylan Frittelli MC
Wild Card Patrick Reed T34

SLEEPERS RECAP - 3M Open
Golfer Result
Brandon Hagy MC
Wes Roach MC
Roger Sloan T16
Cameron Tringale T16
Erik van Rooyen T58

BIRTHDAYS AMONG ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PGA TOUR
July 27 … Jordan Spieth (28)
July 28 … Will Gordon (25)
July 29 … Harrison Frazar (50)
July 30 … Graeme McDowell (42); Justin Rose (41)
July 31 … none
August 1 … none
August 2 … Jonathan Kaye (51); Brian Davis (47)

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