2019 PGA Golf Colin 'Mulligan' McShank's Start'em or Sit'em Week 1 Review.

                                                Colin 'Mulligan' McShank


- The 'Irish Highwayman' also called by his blokes back home, 'The Limerick Flash.'
-His claim to fame that makes him a semi-legend (at least in his mind), winning in the same year three of the four PGA Major Tournaments. However, after his meteoric rise to the top spot that season, he fell back down to earth, like a stone, more like a dive crash into a wall head first.


-The words 'in the pan' started to follow him wherever he went. People would blurt out, “There goes flash-in-the-pan, the Irish Highwayman.”


-It bothers him the many failed attempts to qualify for the same tournaments he won. The once promising golfer had fallen out of the top ranks of the PGA way before.


-After retirement (at the age of just 32!) when his sponsors all dropped him, a usual place to find the once promising golfer was hustling the general public at courses in Southern California.


-Then fate comes knocking on his doorstep when he becomes a golf virtual pro and brand ambassador at WOGO. The company was a startup global virtual reality golf experience organization, poised to go public in the future. As luck would have it, they could not find anyone on the cheap to be a spokesperson, and maybe it was just the luck of the Irish that brought them together one day. The Vice President of the company played a round with Colin. Naturally after spotting a stroke a hole, the Highwayman won his wager and soon after a career.


-McShank worked in the beginning at WOGO basically for peanuts, no literally like the ones with no shells served in bars most of the time. The company was very young without much cash on hand, and an unconventional corporate culture, a great fit for McShank. He also starts to accumulate vast amounts of company stock that he shoves into a kitchen draw back home. He was told the paper was useless right now, that was five years ago.


-The 'Irish Highway Man' as the company marketed him to the virtual golf world, almost over night became a cult like hero. The equivalent to the famous Formula One race car driver from the 1970s, Jackie Stewart.


-His new found status as a golf guru makes him a very sought after sports advertising commodity. The endorsement deals rival superstars in the NBA, like Durant, James and iconic brand Jordan. Also, those now useful stock shares total now over $175 million dollars, life was finally getting good.


- In the PGA, his 'Home League' as he likes to mention when he can as a television golf analyst. Colin gives shout outs to the 'Folks back home.' The PGA started to market some of his iconic comments on all sorts of items with his calling card or slogan (said in his Irish brogue), “Hey, golf matess, get off yer soft cushions and hit some roundness on the greens and let's get riled up today, go PGA all the way!”


- As a writer, the weekly, 'McShank's Player Picks' has become the industry's equal to the NFL's Fantasy Football-Start'em or Sit'em each week.


-Colin 'Mulligan' McShank will never be knighted for gallantry on the green. However, his gritty determination to succeed in the sport he loves, make 'The Irish Highwayman' a modern day icon for the game of golf.

                The Irish Highwayman's Start or Sit Selections

                            Week 1 The 2019 Desert Classic

2018 Top 5

Top 5 Players last year:

1. John Rahm -22 (Won playoff)
2. Andrew Landry -22
3. John Huh -20
4. Adam Hadwin -20
5. Martin Piller -20

                        The Facts About The Tournament

The third PGA tournament of the year, back with a new name. The Desert Classic is an unusual tournament with its roots firmly in the Pro-Am days of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby and it is played over three courses in California. If fires permit...

I am going to start only three golfers this week, the reason being all I have entered to play in California. But, I caved and took a popular pick from the gallery, figure out who. It was two, until I picked up sleeper Aaron Wise. Last year's winner John Rahm liked by many betting establishments to repeat again this year. It looks like Justin Rose and Rahm, could battle for the title.

The group of challengers might be dropoffs for results. Patrick Cantlay leads in the PGA Power Rankings, and 11^th place in the FedEx Rankings. A good solid players.

Canuck Adam Hadwin best finish in this tournament ended with a solo second in 2017 but that’s just the start of the story. The 31-year-old has three straight top 10 finishes in this event and holds the course record of 59 at the La Quinta Course, set in 2017.

Also look for Charles Howell III, a runner-up here in 2013, and Andrew Putnam could be there for the money on Sunday.

The BIG draw name is Phil Mickelson, who at 48 must slow down soon to give the younger guys a chance. However, if he gets off to a quick start like last season who knows what Lefty can do on the greens. Won this Tournament twice (2002 and 2004).

Look out for Patton Kizzire, and a value play Chez Reavie who tied for third in Hawaii last Sunday. Reavie high in the Power Rankings.

Long shots or play them if no one better is on yourh roster: Hudson Swafford, Zach Johnson, Kevin Kisner, Luke List, and Ryan Palmer could all make the Top 10 this week.

Start'em:

John Rahm, Justin Rose, Patrick Cantlay, Adam Hadwin, Chez Reavie and Phil Mickelson.

Long Shot: Ryan Palmer

Sit'em:

Hudson Swafford, not sold on him as a consistent top 10 player yet. Bill Haas, I like as a player, but a slow starter. John Huh...Huh? Yes, the one that finished -20 last year in this same event, but, cannot seem to make a cut now (0-5), and runner up Andrew Landry, has made 3 of his last 5.