Rotoff Golf » Phil Mickelson

2009 BMW Championship Preview

Erik Planer — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:07:22 +0000

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: 98 Points

2009 Fantasy Golf Picks Weekly Average: 2.80 Points

Last week:

Furyk held the lead through 36 holes only to falter on Sunday (which would have been Saturday), still I get 1 point for his Top 10 finish. Ernie Els stunk, missing the cut and Jacobson was no where near the super sleeper pick that I envisioned, finishing 69 (dudes!). I’ve got two weeks left to get 13 points. With the smaller fields my odds are better but I’m not holding my breath. I know I need to come strong this week.

My only regret was forgeting to edit Furyk into my Yahoo! Golf lineup as my season long goal to be the best Expert will now be a tough task. My only saving grace is I have one start left for Tiger……..who just may have found his putting stoke………..stay tuned next week.

This week:

Just two more tournaments until the FedEx Cup champion is crowned. And the roller coaster ride continues at Cog Hill in Chicago. With his win last week, FedEx Cup #1 Steve Stricker overtook World #1 Tiger Woods in the FedEx Cup standings. It feels like a showdown is brewin (or just maybe Jason Dufner wins the FedEx Cup and we put this wacky season to rest).

1. Phil Mickelson

Did you really think Phil, the World #2, hotel pimp extrodinaire and addmitted SLS favorite would just ride off into the sunset without a peep? How ’bout a 66 last Sunday….er…Monday? It reminded me of the Phil that won two tournments this season, a confident Phil with a confident putter. There are many golfers with a better track record here (Phil has no Top 10s at this event in eleven starts) but I don’t think Phil is going to just disappear without a fight. Probably won’t win but should get a Top 10 finish to position himself for the Tour Championship. Don’t let me down.

2. Jim Furyk

I still stick by what I said last week, Jimmy is close. As mentioned above he held a 36 hole lead last week before a disappointing 73 on Sunday in round 3. Even still a 68 final round is a good sign. An even better sign is Furyk has won in this event on this course in 2005 and has eight Top 10s here in thirteen starts. Though winless on Tour since 2007, not many have made more money then Jimmy last last two years with well over $6 million. A win this week would not only add to that impressive total but would make him a top favorite to take home the FedEx Cup trophy. I think he just may get it done this week.

3. Steve Stricker

I know what you’re thinking. Where the hell was this pick the last few weeks? Well it’s better late then never I hope. We’ve seen this kind playoff play from Stricker before, who won the very first FedEx playoff event in 2007 to cement another Comeback Player of the Year award. The only difference this year is Steve won’t be sneaking up on anyone, and won’t have too. There is no one playing better golf, tee to green, then Stricker right now. He has not missed a cut since early April and has eight Top 10s (two wins) in his last twelve starts. Ouch. I’m kicking myself for not exploiting these trends earlier. With a 2nd place and a Win in these 2009 Playoffs, Stricker not only has a real shot at the $10 million FedEx Cup first prize but an outside shot at Comeback Player of the Year. Well maybe not the last part. Stricker won this event when it was the Western Open (and yes still the same course) in 1996 and has finished in the Top 10 here the last two years.

P.S. Please forgive the Ace of Base search reference. What started out as a silly joke has now esculated into that damn song being burned into my mind, stuck in my head. I’ve even caught myself singing it a bit. Quick, anyone know the cure for ACE of BASE?

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2009 PGA Championship Preview

Erik Planer — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:00:43 +0000

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

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.

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2009 St. Jude Classic Preview

Erik Planer — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:48:40 +0000

AimPoint PGA Tour Picks

Fantasy Golf Picks

Winner = 10 points

2nd Place = 5 points

3rd Place = 3 points

Top 10 = 1 point

2009 Fantasy Golf Picks Total: 49 Points

2009 Fantasy Golf Picks Weekly Average: 2.23 Points

Last week:

Well, as it turns out, I am a dumbass for not picking Tiger. He struggled early but put on a clinic during the weekend. But all is not lost. I managed to get my second straight week with points as Furyk was money as predicted, finishing solo 2nd place. Na and Casey both made the cut but neither were ever in contention after the first round. I’m feeling confident that I can take my points streak to three with the U.S. Open on the horizon.

This week:

It’s the last tune up before the second major of the season. And luckily for golf fans we have an intruiging field this week in Memphis. Phil, Sergio and Henrik will all be preping their games at TPC Southwind. Even John Daly will be in the mix, playing his first PGA Tour event since his six month suspension.

1. Phil Mickelson

Phil returns to the tour for the first time since the annoucement of his wife Amy’s battle with cancer in May. Lefty is making only his second career start in Memphis in preparation for next week’s Open. He has been steady this season with only two missed cuts, two wins and five Top 10s. The outpouring of support for the Mickelson’s over the last few weeks should be motivation this week (and next) and as the highest ranked golfer in the field Phil should make some headlines.

2. Camilo Villegas

We haven’t seen Spider Man in serious contention since the WGC-CA Championship where he finished T5 for his third Top 10 in four weeks. With only five rounds (out of twenty eight) in the 60’s from then to now, Villegas could be seen as slumping. Enter Memphis. Camilo has three starts here with out a missed cut and two Top 20 finishes. When he is putting well he is one of the premier golfers on tour, when his putter is off he is mediocre at best. His putter woke up last Sunday with five birdies and no bogeys on the back nine at Muirfield. Expect a Top 10 from Spidey this Sunday.

3. Justin Leonard

The defending champ is back in form. Leonard was money on the Texas Swing with one Top 10 and finishing no worse then T16. In that span he only had two rounds in the 70s. That’s a good sign for Leonard who dominates at TPC Southwind, where he has two wins (2008 and 2005) and five Top 10s in ten career starts. Better yet he has not missed the cut here going back to 1998. I’ll take that consistency.

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