AimPoint PGA Tour Picks

Fantasy Golf Picks

I’m giving myself points for picking winners.  Hopefully my picks can help you win your fantasy golf league this season.  My goal is to get to 111 points for the season, or the equivlant of picking a Top 3 finisher or better each week.

Winner = 10 points

2nd Place = 5 points

3rd Place = 3 points

Top 10 = 1 point

2009 Fantasy Golf Picks Total:  97 Points

2009 Fantasy Golf Picks Weekly Average:  2.85 Points

Last week: 

I’ll take the 5 points for Tiger and move on.  Both Garcia (-6) and Streelman (-3) got off to great starts on Thursday but could only manage one round in the 60s (Streelman 69 in R3) between the two of them the rest of the tournament.  I’ve been noticing a funny thing the last month or so.  Is it just me or has that feeling that Tiger will just find a way to win disappeared?  It used to be if Tiger was within two shots of the lead on Sunday you just knew he’d come back and win.  As close as Tiger got last weekend I never felt that he was going to win.

That said, I never felt like Slocum would win either.  As the final groups approached the back nine I was sure Stricker would take it home.  But that is what is so great about golf, and this year in particular, it’s been like an indie movie with the unpredictable ending.  And it’s kept us watching.  I get the feeling the rest of the FedEx Cup race will be much of the same.  Congrats to Heath Slocum for getting his first win since 2005.

This week: 

The FedEx Cup Playoffs continue in Boston over Labor day weekend (Friday-Monday golf).  The field of 125 from last week has been cut to 100.  I’m staying away from Tiger this week but not due to his play here.  He has four Top 10s including a win here in five starts.  However Tiger has not been putting well for months now and that will bite him on this course.  Am I saying he won’t finish in the Top 10?  Not so much, I just don’t see a win this week from El Tigre. 

1.  Ernie Els

Ernie finished T3 here last year in his only appearance at TPC of Boston.  Mix in a T2 last week and there should be no suprise to see Els get back into the win column for the first time since early 2008.  There may be no one outside of Tiger playing better golf then the Big Easy as of late.  With four Top 10s in his last six starts this may be a harbinger of FedEx cup glory.  Anything less then a Top 10 this week will be a disappointment.

2.  Jim Furyk

Normally a force in the summer time, Furyk has not managed a Top 10 finish since early July.  A 69 last Sunday is a good sign and his T15 last week was his best finish in months.  Jimmy is winless on Tour since 2007 and is due.  Even in his struggles he only has two missed cuts on the year, in twenty starts.  Furyk finished T7 here a year ago and has never missed the cut in four starts.  Sitting 18th in the FedEx Cup standings I expect Jimmy to contend all weekend long.

3.  Fredrik Jacobson

At this point in the season to be making your first appearance in the Rotoff Golf picks means you are playing good golf.  So is the case with Fredrik Jacobson who has stepped up his game for the playoffs.  With six of his last eight rounds in the 60s, including a 64 on Sunday at the Wyndham, Jacobson has finished T17 and T6 in these playoffs.  In 2007 he finished T9 on this course so it’s not out of the question for Jacobson to continue his rise up the FedEx Cup standings and who knows, maybe his first PGA Tour win.  In this year of indie movie endings you just never know.

AimPoint PGA Tour Picks

Fantasy Golf Picks

I’m giving myself points for picking winners.  Hopefully my picks can help you win your fantasy golf league this season.  My goal is to get to 111 points for the season, or the equivlant of picking a Top 3 finisher or better each week.

Winner = 10 points

2nd Place = 5 points

3rd Place = 3 points

Top 10 = 1 point

2009 Fantasy Golf Picks Total:  92 Points

2009 Fantasy Golf Picks Weekly Average:  2.88 Points

Last week: 

A swing and a whiff!  Last week’s picks were embarrassing.  Clark WD in the first round, Letzig missed the cut and Glover finished T24.  Still stuck on 92 points but I’m confident I can get back into the win column.

Ryan Moore got his first career PGA Tour victory and should be a factor in the FedEx Cup playoffs, though I don’t see him winning anytime soon when the fields are as deep as they will be over the next four weeks. 

This week: 

Ok, this is another one of those weeks when Tiger should run away from the field.  Coming off another major disappointment, Woods has two wins and a T4 in his tournaments following majors this year.  All majors that he didn’t win.  That Tiger choked (HA, love it, Tiger and choke in the same sentence.  Eat your heart out Greg Norman) can only mean he will win the FedEx Cup.  The first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs begin on Thursday. 

1.  Tiger Woods

Do I need to explain further?  Well ok, maybe I do.  Tiger has played The Barclays only three times in his professional career and has finished no better then T13 (2003).  It’s one of the only events that Tiger does not have a Top 10.  I’m going to go out on a limb and say he breaks that streak. 

2.  Sergio Garcia

While were on the subject of choke (and I know that word gets thrown around way to often in golf) how about Sergio last weekend?  A 64 on Saturday puts him on the lead heading into the final round followed by an even par on Sunday, settling for a 4th place finish.  Doesn’t it seem like we’re watching the same movie over and over again.  Will the “tragic hero” ever get a happy ending?  It was only his second Top 10 of the year.  Sergio, who was ranked #2 early this year and within shouting distance of that elusive #1 World Golf Rank, is now ranked #7.  But now that he is showing signs of life it’s hard to pick against him this week, two wins, a 2nd, 3rd and 4th in nine career starts here with no missed cuts. 

3.  Kevin Streelman

Speaking of signs of life (man, I’m getting good at this transition thing) how about Streels?  After a roller coaster first half to his sophmore season, Kevin has made six of the last seven cuts.  He sputtered a bit last weekend after shooting 65 and 68 on Thursday and Friday but gets on the radar this week based on his finish at the Barclays last year.  Though they are playing on a new course this year I’ve seen enough from Kevin over the last month to sugest he’s on the rise.  This is very much a sleeper pick so buyer beware.

AimPoint PGA Tour Picks

Fantasy Golf Picks

I’m giving myself points for picking winners.  Hopefully my picks can help you win your fantasy golf league this season.  My goal is to get to 111 points for the season, or the equivlant of picking a Top 3 finisher or better each week.

Winner = 10 points

2nd Place = 5 points

3rd Place = 3 points

Top 10 = 1 point

2009 Fantasy Golf Picks Total:  92 Points

2009 Fantasy Golf Picks Weekly Average:  2.88 Points

Last week: 

For all those that emailed last week with your concerns, I am happy to report your online intervention has worked.  I am now off the CRACK.  Did I really pick Phil Mickelson last week over Tiger?  Sometimes I let my personal wishful thinking cloud my judgement.  Mix in a little crack and you get bad prognostication.  Well, no more crack, no more cloudy judgement.  I’m back on focus to get to that 111 point mark.  I’ve got five weeks to get 19 points.  Time to get back to work.  From this point forward we will never mention my 2009 PGA Championship picks again.  It will be our little secret.

What we won’t keep secret however is how much our valued partner AimPointGolf.com is dominating this season.  Once again the AimPoint PGA Tour Picks gets another major sleeper in Yang that was not on many people’s radar (just like Glover at the U.S. Open).  Very impressive!   

So what does last weekend mean in the golf world?  I’ve been pondering that question all week long and to be honest I’m still not sure.  To see Yang step up and beat Tiger head-to-head on Sunday was a dream come true.  If you are a long time reader of my blog you know I’ve been calling for this for years.  Infact here’s an excerpt from my 2009 U.S. Open preview:

“Tiger has not been as intimidating on Sunday’s as in years past (see Players Championship or Quail Hollow),  so the door might be open for someone to step up and beat Tiger on the lead……on a Sunday………….at a major.  I would like to see it at least once in my lifetime.”

Well now we’ve seen it.  Tiger CAN be beat when he’s on his game.  It was just a matter of time.  It’s simple probability.  Congrats to Y.E. Yang for not only winning his first major but for helping to grow the game in Asia and around the world.  His win will have a bigger benefit for the game, especially with the 2016 Olympics looming, then if Tiger would have hung on. 

Plus it was sooooooooooooo damn great to see Tiger lose on a lead……on a Sunday.    ;o )

This week: 

We are just one week away from the FedEx Cup Playoffs and many golfers have some work to do this week to get in.  Current golfers in the field at Greensboro and not in the Top 125 in FedEx Cup points include Ken Duke, Stuart Appleby and Rocco Mediate.  The field is rather weak, with only one Top 10 World Ranked golfer (Sergio) and only two in the World Top 25 as many take a rest before the playoffs.

1.  Lucas Glover

The only other Top 25 golfer in the world playing this week, Glover should be getting tired with the schedule he’s played this year, but is showing no signs of wear.  With another Top 10 last week, his fifth this year, it is easily his best season on tour.  Glover plays well at the Wyndam, never missing a cut in five starts with one Top 10 in 2006.  It seems Glover’s missed cut at the Open Championship actually gave his battery a bit of a recharge.  Don’t expect Lucas to hit the wall anytime soon.  Another Top 10 if not a win this week and watch Glover be a factor in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

2.  Tim Clark

Timmy is past due.  Playing perhaps the best golf of his career with only one missed cut this year (the brutal Open Championship), Clark is easily the best player on tour without a PGA Tour win.  Any day now.  With a T16 last week Clark should be in good company in this field.  With two Top 10s in this event in his last three starts this may be as good as chance as any to get that elusive win.  If nothing else his performance this weekend will dictate my own playoff hopes as Clark will be my #2 this week in Rotoff Golf where I am desperately holding on to the #6 seed and final playoff spot.  Here’s to you Timmy, get’r done!

3.  Michael Letzig

Letzig got one of his few Top 10s last season here (T9).  And coming in with two straight Top 10s (T8 Canadian Open, T6 Buick Open) Letzig should continue to play well.  Since turning pro in 2003, Letzig has broke the $1 million in earnings mark just once which was last year.  He is well on his way to doing it again this season.  Expect Letzig to contend on a familiar course. 

In honor of “Glory’s Last Shot” I am putting up my private SPA Golf RC collection for auction.  If you are a fan of golf cards and/or graded cards please check out my eBay Store.

AimPoint PGA Tour Picks

Fantasy Golf Picks

I’m giving myself points for picking winners.  Hopefully my picks can help you win your fantasy golf league this season.  My goal is to get to 111 points for the season, or the equivlant of picking a Top 3 finisher or better each week.

Winner = 10 points

2nd Place = 5 points

3rd Place = 3 points

Top 10 = 1 point

2009 Fantasy Golf Picks Total:  92 Points

2009 Fantasy Golf Picks Weekly Average:  2.97 Points

Last week: 

Sometimes my job as a self proclaimed golf prognosticator is easy, so has it been the last few weeks where Tiger has continued to play well in events and courses where he has a dominant history of winning.  I get 10 more points for Tiger’s win last week plus a point for Westwood’s Top 10.  Goosen failed to contend all week, finishing T29.  Don’t look now but my goal of picking 3rd place or better each week is a distinct possibility.

I know I throw around the “must see golf TV” phrase a lot but Sunday really was a joy to watch.  Seems sometime on Wednesday of last week Paddy pulled his head out of his ass, only to put it back in on the 16th hole on Sunday.  Up until then though it was quite a battle of major winners.  That Paddy had a meltdown is probably more a testament to the pressure of being paired with Tiger then a commentary on Paddy’s ever changing golf game.  It’s good to see Paddy playing well and I wish him well in defense of his PGA Championship title this week.

This week: 

It’s starting to feel a bit like cheating in picking Tiger for a third straight week.  So I won’t.  There are reasons to think Tiger can cruise to a third straight win at Hazeltine but there are also signs that he won’t.  Should Tiger fail to win in Minnesota it will be the first time he hasn’t won at least one major since 2004.  While Tiger is scolding hot coming into the final major of the year it is interesting to note he has also entered each of the previous three majors this season coming off an impressive win.  So just for kicks I’m not picking Tiger this week, even though I expect him to contend.

1.  Phil Mickelson  

Is anyone a bigger sleeper this week then Mickelson?  Well probably not a sleeper, but coming off an abysmal performance last weekend (75 and 73 his last two rounds) don’t be suprised if Phil gets it right this week.  You better believe that Phil will be up for this major.  In two majors this season Lefty finished 5th and T2.  He has eight Top 10s at the PGA Championship in sixteen starts including a win in 2005.  In 2002 at Hazeltine Phil finished T34 that included a 68 on Sunday after a 78 on Saturday.  Rumor has it that the Mickelson family will be in attendance in Minnesota.  I can’t think of anything better then Phil winning another major with his family in tow, well maybe that he beat Tiger head-to-head on Sunday to do it.  It would be a great story after the year the Mickelson family has had. 

2.  Robert Allenby

Allenby was T10 here in 2002 and is coming off his third Top 10 of the season (T2 at WGC-Bridgestone).  He hasn’t impressed in the majors this year (T38 Masters, MC U.S. Open and T52 British) but that he is familiar with this course and playing well coming in is enough to think he’ll be in the mix.  Allenby had arguably his best season on tour last year with nine Top 10s but adding a major trophy to his trophy case would easily make 2009 his best.  Top 10 or bust. 

3.  Justin Leonard

I picked Leonard for the Masters and got burned with a missed cut so proceed with caution.  Since also missing the cut at the U.S. Open Justin had a major Top 10 at the British and a T14 at the Buick Open.  Leonard was in contention through most of the weekend the last time the PGA was at Hazeltine before a final round 77 derailed his title hopes.  Still a T4 was not bad considering he was +5 on Sunday.  In fourteen career starts in the PGA, he has six Top 10s and six missed cuts.  I’m giving him a chance to redeem his Masters missed cut this week. 

Sleepers:  Alvaro Quiros, Boo Weekley

Happy PGA Championship Sunday to all!

In honor of “Glory’s Last Shot” I am putting up my private SPA Golf RC collection for auction. If you are a fan of golf cards and/or graded cards please check out my eBay Store.