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:  66 Points

2009 Fantasy Golf Picks Weekly Average:  2.44 Points

Last week: 

I’m heating up just in time for this week’s Open Championship.  Snedeker’s 2nd place finish was good for 5 points and marked my seventh straight week with points.  Perry got off to a great start but shot two rounds over par during the weekend to finish T59.  Dufner shot a 66 on Friday but was never truly in contention, finishing T39. 

Stricker’s win makes yet another golfer with multiple wins on tour this year.  It should be an exciting FedEx cup chase.

This week: 

The Open Championship returns to Turnberry for the first time since 1994.  Tiger will be looking for his first major in 2009, fifteenth in his career.  Among the many storylines this week, the most interesting to me is Padraig Harrington and the disappearance of his golf game.  It’s no secret that Paddy has changed his swing but after a streak of good golf earlier this spring he has missed four of five cuts including the U.S. Open.  That said this is still his event, expect him to play well but not to win.

Now that Tiger is healthy again the age old question arises, “Tiger or the Field?”  While I could easily pick Tiger for the win this week I’m going Field for one reason, Tiger has yet to play this course outside of practice rounds.  All that said I could easily see Tiger winning, but to keep it interesting I’m betting against him this week.

1. Lee Westwood

Westwood is coming off two straight Top 10s on the European Tour, including a T8 at last week’s Barclay’s Scottish Open.  His best finish in the Open is a solo 4th place in 2004 with only four missed cuts in fourteen starts.  While Lee has struggled here the last few years, his game is suited for links golf and an Open win will happen before his career is over.  I’m guessing sooner then later.

 2. Ernie Els

Ernie’s record in the British Open is spectacular, eleven Top 10s in seventeen starts with one win and zero missed cuts.  I’ll say that again, zero missed cuts.  He has been streaky in 2009 but like Westwood is coming off a good finish (T13) at the Scottish Open last weekend.  Two missed cuts in majors this year makes me nervous but Ernie always gets up for this championship.  I’ll take a Top 10 and if he is in contention on Sunday I’ll shake the nerves.

3. Sergio Garcia

You either love him or loathe him and for the first time this year I’m picking Sergio.  It should be noted that before the season began I called for Sergio to win his first major in 2009.  And though Serg has not played consitently good golf all year, he is coming off a T10 at the U.S. Open.  That he is under if not off the radar this week only bodes well.  Sure there are his past failures here that will be mentioned by the media but if Sergio can find a putting stroke this week look out.  I know that’s a big if (so is my not picking Tiger).  But Sergio is due and his six Top 10s in twelve starts should not be overlooked.

Sleepers:  Rory McIlroy, Camilo Villegas

Happy Open Championship Sunday to all!