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1. Opportunistic at opposite eventWith the worlds top-ranked players some 12 time zones away in China, PGA Tour rookie Cody Gribble took advantage of the circumstances Sunday by winning the Sanderson Farms Championship, known as one of the PGA Tours opposite events.There are four such tournaments on the schedule, and they dont offer a spot to the winner in the Masters, dont offer as many FedEx Cup points as a regular tournament (300, compared to 500 at regular events) and typically come with less than a $1 million payday -- although Gribble is surely not quibbling about his $756,000 first-place check.But there are other valuable perks, not the least of which is the two-year PGA Tour exemption which means Gribble has a place to play through the 2018-19 season (it is two years beyond the current season). He also will get a spot in the winners-only Tournament of Champions in January, where there is a guaranteed paycheck, and sets himself up for a shot at the WGC-Mexico Championship by virtue of his place in the FedEx Cup standings.And those 300 points come in handy as it relates to getting in the FedEx Cup playoffs next August.A win is huge no matter the player or circumstances, but for someone in Gribbles position, it is especially so. Gribble, who played college golf at the University of Texas with Jordan Spieth and was making just his eighth PGA Tour start, earned his spot through the Web.com Tour, where he was 40th in the priority rankings. That number can change based on performance, so there was no guarantee he would get the playing opportunities necessary to keep his status.Now hes got it -- and for another two seasons -- along with a big check and a good head start on his rookie season.2. No guaranteesGribble does not have to do much research to find that others who have won opposite events have not necessarily prospered. In fact, Peter Malnati, who won the Sanderson Farms Championship last year, has missed 20 cuts in 32 events since. That is the beauty of having the two-year exemption. Malnati still has time to work out any issues. Nick Taylor, who won the event in 2014, had just a single top-10 in 2016, missed 10 cuts in 24 events and has slipped to 410th in the world.Tony Finau, who won the Puerto Rico Open last year played opposite the WGC-Dell Match Play, has probably had the most success, although hes had no top-10s in 18 tournaments since his victory. He is ranked 80th in the world.Greg Chalmers won the Barracuda Championship in July opposite the WGC-Bridgestone. He has placed no better than a tie for 33rd in seven events afterward and missed nine cuts on the PGA Tour in 2016. J.J. Henry, who won the Barracuda a year prior, has played 30 tournaments since, missed 13 cuts and had no top-10s.So while these tournaments provide an excellent opportunity, they are not necessarily an indication of future success.3. Should there be more or less?Currently, the opposite events are Sanderson Farms (WGC-Bridgestone), Puerto Rico Open (WGC-Match Play), Barbasol Championship (The Open) and the Barracuda Championship (WGC-Bridgestone).Some believe there shouldnt be any, that if you cant qualify for the PGA Tour event being played that week, so be it. But that is a minority view; the bulk of PGA Tour players want playing opportunities, and the PGA Tours mission is to provide them. Hence, the schedule that seemingly never ends.That does not help the overall product, however. The calendar is saturated with golf events and if anything, there needs to be less, not more.So as crazy as it might sound, why not add some opposite events? They would be played at the same time as some of the bigger tournaments, offer more playing opportunities, possibly affording the PGA Tour the ability to somewhat contract its schedule.Now there are 47 tournaments spread across 43 weeks, including the FedEx Cup playoffs.There is no movement to cut back, so why not have a few more tournaments opposite the big ones and shrink the schedule that way? There could easily be eight opposite events -- the same week as the four majors and four WGCs. (The Sanderson Farms used to be known as the Mississippi Masters as it was played the same week as the Masters from 1969 through 1993.)You could play the same week as the Players Championship, too, and maybe the same week as one of the invitationals where there are limited fields, such as the Arnold Palmer Invitational or the Memorial.The negative for the sponsor, of course, is playing the same week as a bigger more prominent tournament means less exposure. But many get little attention, especially some of those this time of year such as this weeks Shriners Hospital For Childrens Open, or the OHL Classic next week or the RSM Classic in two weeks.Make the FedEx Cup points and the purse half of a regular event. Those who play in these tournaments will have the benefit of less competition but will have to play well in a couple of them to earn the same number of points and money. More players get a chance, a sponsor potentially gets a break in fees and the tour can offer more playing opportunities while cutting back on tournament weeks.4. OopsBecause the Shriners tournament in Las Vegas was moved from October to November this year, those few extra weeks mean even less daylight. Hence, the tournament requested a reduction in field size from 144 players to 132 in order to better be able to complete the first two rounds. Alas, a clerical error at the PGA Tour led to players committing to the tournament under the previous 144 provisions, leaving the tour no choice but to go with the larger field size -- and the likelihood of rounds having to be completed the following day.5. Congrats from a fellow Longhorn ...Gribble got a shout out from his more famous former Texas teammate. 6. ... and a former college rivalJustin Thomas, who played college golf at Alabama, congratulated Gribble by noting his eligibility for the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii at Kapalua. 7. Japans finestHideki Matsuyama won for the third time on the PGA Tour and became the first Asian player to win a WGC event with his seven-stroke victory Sunday at the HSBC Champions. It followed a victory two weeks earlier at the Japan Open and moved Matsuyama to a career-best sixth in the world -- just one spot below the best ever by a Japanese player, Jumbo Ozaki.Masahi Jumbo Ozaki, now 69, was quite a character in his day, wearing colorful clothes and flying in a sushi chef for tournament appearances outside of Japan.Ranked among the top 10 in the world for nearly 200 weeks, Ozaki had little success outside of Japan. His record was often criticized for that very reason; he had 94 wins on the Japan Golf Tour -- including 12 money titles -- and more than 100 in his career -- but just one outside of Japan at the 1972 New Zealand PGA Championship. Ozaki was highly-ranked into his early 50s and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2010. But he had just three top-10s in major championships among his 48 appearances.8. First-world problemsMatt Kuchar thought he had won a Cadillac when he made an ace at the par-3 17th hole Saturday at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China. A car was placed at the hole for just that purpose, but there was some fine print in play. For insurance reasons, the car was being offered only if the tee shot measured 200 yards or more. For weekend play, tournament officials moved up the tee due to conditions and noted the change to the prize being offered as well. Kuchars shot was from 193 yards.I was teased by this beautiful car sitting there thats not to be mine, Kuchar said.9. Look, theres a tee back thereThey are really doing this at the Turkish Airlines Open this week. This is the 16th hole, which has a back tee atop a villa at the European Tours first of three Final Series events. Reggie Phillips Jersey . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. 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The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. The top seven starting pitchers on Monday can all view their local Fourth of July fireworks while 12 of the bottom 14 will have to ask someone for the closest display following their road starts. Home cooking will come in handy since theres only one elite ace on the hill, meaning the rest of the strong starting options will get the 5 percent skills bump most pitchers enjoy at home. Lets kick off the first Monday of the second half with all the Daily Notes you need.PitchingEliteIts too bad that his early start relegates Max Scherzer to just a handful of DFS contests, as the matchup doesnt get much juicier for the dominant righty. The visiting Brewers tote the highest strikeout rate on the road versus right-handers. Furthermore, with the fifth-lowest home run rate on the road against righties, the guests arent set up to take advantage of Scherzers penchant for allowing the long ball. Its worth setting the alarm early to get some exposure to Scherzer on DFS sites where hes available.SolidIn full disclosure, Carlos Martinez originally landed in the elite tier with a projected game score of 61. While the St. Louis Cardinals righty had a stellar first half, he just doesnt strike out enough hitters to be an ace for DFS tournaments. Plus, the opposing Pittsburgh Pirates sport an above average weighted on base average (wOBA) and below average strikeout rate versus righties. Martinez does check the all-important home field box and should get ample run support with Jonathon Niese taking the ball for the Bucs, so hes a solid cash game option. But the paucity of strikeouts dampens his GPP potential enough to override and drop him to the top of the elite.Coming into the 2016 campaign, there were some questions as to whether Kyle Hendricks would maintain the strikeout spike he exhibited last season, and halfway through the year, the answer is yes. He has seen some good fortune on batted balls (especially for an extreme ground ball pitcher), which has resulted in a first-half ERA (2.76) much better than the mid-threes rate suggested by FIP and xFIP. Hendricks is a candidate for regression, though it may have to wait a little while as hes set up nicely with a Wrigley Field affair against the light-hitting Cincinnati Reds. The floor is there for cash play along with sufficient strikeout upside to be considered for GPP action.Matt Harveys last start was cut short by a rain delay, ending his streak of five consecutive outings lasting at least six innings. He did, however, extend his homerless games to six straight, which is especially relevant in light of increased power across the league. Look for Harvey to keep the momentum going in a positive direction in a home date with the Miami Marlins. The Fish dont offer much strikeout potential for opposing pitchers, so count Harvey among the options better suited for DFS cash play and not so viable for GPP deployment.Dont fret, GPP enthusiasts, we have you covered too. Danny Salazar and the Cleveland Indians host the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Salazars 10.3 K/9 is impressive and he has the platoon edge over the bulk of the visitors best hitters. Theres some risk, as the Tigers hit righties well, but Salazar is much better than an average right-handed starter. Its not an ideal setup, but relative to the other options, Salazar profiles as a top GPP candidate.Sorry, were back with another arm better suited for cash than GPP action, as Jerad Eickhoff and the Philadelphia Phillies entertain the Atlanta Braves. Eickhoffs first half had a couple of rocky patches, but he was solid overall. The Braves are one of the weaker-hitting clubs in the game, so look for the 26-year old righty to start the second half on a strong note.If you are an Aaron Sanchez owner in seasonal leagues, the original thought may have been to deal him halfway through the season as the assumption was the Toronto Blue Jays would move their young righty to the bullpen to control his workload. However, there may be a change in plans as the Jays brass is hinting the 24-year old may stick in the rotation all season, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.dddddddddddd. Part of Sanchezs success is an above average 8.2 K/9 which puts him in the mix for both cash and GPP action, since the visiting Kansas City Royals have been whiffing considerably more lately, especially against righties on the road.StreamersA whopping 18 of Mondays 30 starters check in with a projected game score in the streaming range. However, many of them are far from safe as they will be taking the hill in enemy territory. Here are the better options but as always, even on the holiday, Ill monitor the comments and my Twitter @ToddZola for questions on pitchers that arent covered.Archie Bradley is owned in a scant 14 percent of ESPN leagues. That number should increase as many scramble to pick him up for his date with the San Diego Padres in the desert. Bradley has the stuff to be dominant, he just needs to be more efficient with his pitches so he can go longer into games. A 9.2 K/9 may be impressive but a 4.3 BB/9 tempers its effectiveness. That said, the Friars are in the bottom third of the league in terms of wOBA versus righties, fanning the fifth most in that scenario, rendering Bradley not only a strong streaming option but also in play for DFS tournaments.Matt Moore has quietly strung together several solid outings, pitching at least six frames in six of his past seven efforts, striking out 41 while walking just 12 in 45 1/3 innings. Backed by the pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field and facing the middling Los Angeles Angels, Moores 19 percent ESPN ownership rate should surge.If youre still hanging onto James Shields, you may as well find out if his recent stretch of mediocrity is for real when the New York Yankees visit the Windy City. The Chicago White Sox righty had much better command last time out, which really is all you can ask for at this stage of his career.Rick Porcello is very much in play as the Texas Rangers visit Fenway Park. The Boston Red Sox bats are getting warm again and should be able to continue heating up facing Nick Martinez, aiding in Porcellos bid for a win.Both the visiting Tyler Anderson along with the home pitcher?Jake Peavy are options as the San Francisco Giants welcome the Colorado Rockies to AT&T Park. Anderson is also a sneaky DFS play if his salary isnt too excessive.AvoidWade Miley, Luis Perdomo, Cody Reed, Jonathan Niese and Edinson Volquez join Ricky Nolasco and Nick Martinez as pitchers too risky to roster.HittersFireworks should start early in Fenway Park with the flammable Nick Martinez taking the ball for the Rangers. Look for Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez to ignite the Red Sox attack.Look for Wade Miley to get lit up by the explosive Houston Astros in Minute Maid Park. Right-handers George Springer, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Evan Gattis and Carlos Gomez are all in line to go off against the Seattle Mariners incendiary southpaw.Fueled by a 3.4 HR/9, Cody Reed is in danger of getting lit up by the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field. Granted, its only 16 innings, but the Cincinnati Reds rookie left-hander has surrendered six homers. Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Javier Baez, Addison Russell and Anthony Rizzo have the pop to blow that up even more.Finally, look for the St. Louis Cardinals to send the lefty tosses of Jonathon Niese into orbit with Aledmys Diaz, Matt Holliday, Stephen Piscotty, Jhonny Peralta and possibly Jedd Gyorko and Thomas Pham leading the charge.Most likely to go yard: After a bit of a drought, David Ortiz is getting the power stroke back, so look for Big Papi to get the second half started off with a bang.Most likely to steal a base: Odubel Herrera had a sparkling first half is in a good spot to turn on the jets and rocket around the base paths with rookie righty taking the hill. ' ' '