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, based on the point scale below:

Winner = 10 points

2nd Place = 5 points

3rd Place = 3 points

Top 10 = 1 point

2010 Fantasy Golf Picks Total:  61 Points

2010 Fantasy Golf Picks Weekly Average:  1.69 Points

Think you can pick better?  Leave a comment with your 3 picks for the 2010 Tour Championship.  If you Beat The Expert in any week you will win a FREE 2010 Rotoff Golf Draft Kit (a $9.99 value) with one possible Grand Prize winner at the end of the FedEx Cup season.  See here for official BTE rules.

McClung stretches the lead with just one event left.  Getting 3 points for Matt Kuchar’s T3 finish and 1 point for Steve Stricker’s Top 10, it’s the third weekly win for McClung this year.  It appears the mighty McClung may have this contest wrapped up, with #2 Brad 10 points back.  But I’m sure Brad will bring his A game this week.

Beat the Expert Leaderboard

Last Week (well actually two weeks ago}:

Shutout again.   No points for Camilo Villegas, Tim Clark or Tiger Woods.  It’s a familiar spot for me this year, almost 40 points shy of my total of last season.  Of course it helped that Tiger was good for a few guaranteed wins in 2009.  The downfall of Tiger put a damper on my golf prognostication. 

This week:

But it sure made for a hell of a golf season.  And now it comes to a close.  From Phil Mickelson’s amazing weekend run at Augusta, to Rory McIlroy’s 62 on Sunday, Dustin Johnson collapse in San Diego and then in Wisconsin and his subsequent bounce back just two weeks ago.  It was a season of familiar winners, including Stuart Appleby getting back to Kapalua for 2011.  There were 59s (two actually) and a few final round major 80s. 

Amid all the drama another drama played out all season on and off the courses.  And ultimately golf fans will remember 2010 as the first year Tiger Woods did not win on the PGA Tour.  It was the first time in almost a decade that Tiger was not the Vegas favorite to win a tournament for which he was in the field.  So many firsts for Tiger in 2010, and as I’ve hinted in previous posts this can only be a good thing for golf, golf fans and the PGA Tour.  Tiger won’t be around forever.  It’s time the tour learned to survive (thrive?) with new faces.

Which takes us to Atlana and the final stop on the FedEx Cup tour.  East Lake is host to the 30 man field event at the Tour Championship.  Only a handful of golfers can clinch the FedEx Cup title with a win, but it’s certain to be entertaining down to the last shot on Sunday.

1.  Phil Mickelson

Hollywood could not write a better script.  Long written off after struggling all summer, Phily Mick could win not only his first FedEx Cup title this Sunday, but it would also put him #1 in the World for the first time ever.  Phil is defending champ this week and has four career Top 10s including another win back in 2000.  Just when we write him off he does something to amaze us.  I’m hoping Phil has saved the best for last, even if he will need some help from those infront of him to hoist the FedEx Cup.

2.  Luke Donald

You’d think this late in the season the only thing on Mr. Donald’s mind would be the Ryder Cup.  But don’t look now, a Brit could actually win the FedEx Cup.  Currently 7th on the FedEx Cup list, he’ll need a little help but it’s not impossible.  Donald has been solid in the playoffs, including a T2 finsih earlier this month.  With one Top 10 at East Lake in three career starts, expect Sir Luke to contend all weekend long.

3.  Robert Allenby

More of a sleeper pick but something tells me Robert Allenby will suprise us this week.  Allenby has six career starts here never finishing better then T11.  At 27th on the FedEx Cup points list he has no shot to win the title, yet I see him in my crystal ball atop the Leaderboard on Sunday.  

Hope everyone enjoys the golf this weekend.  I will be posting my season recap in a few weeks and then it’s a small blog vacation for me until December as we work behind the scenes to get the new site up and ready for 2011.   

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, based on the point scale below:

Winner = 10 points

2nd Place = 5 points

3rd Place = 3 points

Top 10 = 1 point

2010 Fantasy Golf Picks Total:  57 Points

2010 Fantasy Golf Picks Weekly Average:  1.72 Points

Think you can pick better?  Leave a comment with your 3 picks for the 2010 Barclays.  If you Beat The Expert in any week you will win a FREE 2010 Rotoff Golf Draft Kit (a $9.99 value) with one possible Grand Prize winner at the end of the FedEx Cup season.  See here for official BTE rules.

Beat the Expert Leaderboard

Last Week:

Oh what could have been.  Until rather average rounds of 67 on Sunday for both Lucas Glover and Brandt Snedeker it was looking like I’d be making a huge jump up the BTE LB.  But as it turns out both finished outside the Top 3 but still in the Top 10 and good enough for 2 Points for me.  Jerry Kelly shot in the 60s all four rounds but never lower then 66 (par 70) to finish T34.   Hard to complain though in a week when no one else managed to score points.  Oh what could have been. 

Speaking of what could have been, how about what was?  Arjun Atwal wins his first career PGA Tour tournament.  Not bad for a PGA journeyman and Monday Qualifier with only seven career Top 10s since 1996.  That is what makes golf such a great game.  Did anyone have Atwal even making the cut last week?

This week:

It’s playoff time!  And there’s never been a more wide open race for the FedEx Cup.  The Top 125 on the FedEx Cup Points list compete for a chance to ultimately get into the final 30 at East Lake at the end of the month, with the winner taking home a cool $10 million prize. Of course the FedEx Cup points are a little more complicated then that but that’s the jist.  Jist win baby!

1.  Phil Mickelson

Just when everyone writes off Phil Mickelson’s season he tends to play well.  Phil has had a rather lousy summer by Phil standards but don’t think that’s he done just yet.  Not only a shot at the #1 World ranking is on the line in these playoffs but also his first FedEx Cup title.  Phil has not been terrible in this event, if not a little average.  He only has one Top 10 in seven starts but has never missed the cut.  His T12 finish in his last start at the PGA Championship is a good sign that the roller coaster may be heading upwards.

2.  Kevin Streelman

Kevin Streelman is close.  Although he has missed cuts in three of his last four events he finally put together four solid rounds last week for a T18 finish.  In his previous two events he shot lights out…..for one of two rounds.  Streelman finished T4 here in 2008, the last time the event was played at Ridgewood Country Club.  I expect a Top 10 at least from Kev this week.

3.  Justin Leonard

The streaky Justin Leonard got his first Top 10 of the season last week, shooting four straight rounds in the low to mid 60s, enroute to  a 3rd place finish at The Wyndham Championship.  Up until now it’s been a subpar season for Leonard but all that could change over the next four weeks.  Sitting 70th in the FedEx Cup standings, Justin can make a big move with another Top 10 this week.  He has two Top 10s here in seven career starts including a T7 in 2008.  Let’s see that good play continue.

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, based on the point scale below:

Winner = 10 points

2nd Place = 5 points

3rd Place = 3 points

Top 10 = 1 point

2010 Fantasy Golf Picks Total:  37 Points

2010 Fantasy Golf Picks Weekly Average:  1.61 Points

Think you can pick better?  Leave a comment with your 5 picks for the 2010 U.S. Open.  If you Beat The Expert in any week you will win a FREE 2010 Rotoff Golf Draft Kit (a $9.99 value) with one possible Grand Prize winner at the end of the FedEx Cup season.  See here for official BTE rules.

Joey Books gets back on the board with his 3rd weekly win.  Not only did he pick the winner in Lee Westwood but also gets a point for Camilo Villegas’ Top 10.  His 11 total points move him up the board into a tie for 4th and within striking distance of the overall top spot.  Funny to note all other teams in the Top 3 also picked Westwood. 

Beat the Expert Leaderboard

Last Week:

My intentions were good in picking a Brit to win last week, I just picked the wrong Brit.  Rory McIlroy was on his way before a weekend of 72-71, and a disappointing T29 finish.  Also finishing T29 was David Toms who didn’t play bad, there were just twenty-nine golfers better then him for the week.  Had he cracked a round better then 70 in the first three rounds who knows (a final round 65 was too little too late).  And last but not least my best pick falls just shy of points, as Zach Johnson ended just outside the Top 10 at T12.  My (lack of) skills for picking winners has all but left me, as I haven’t picked a winner since Dustin Johnson at Pebble Beach back in February.  I’m hoping that will be a good omen of things to come.

This week:

The time has arrived my friends.  Not only is summer knocking on the door but we might be on the cusp of a whole new golf world.  All the buzz this week surrounds Phil Mickelson and for good reason.  A win this weekend and we’ll be talking Phil Slam.  A friggin Phil Slam!  With all the hoopla surrounding World #1 this year it’s amazing how the stage is being set.  A Lefty Masters win, dominant Europeans and no Tiger, oh my! 

But it’s Tiger Woods that makes this week so intriguing.  At the site of the most dominant major win in the history of golf, Tiger returns to a 2nd U.S. Open at Pebble Beach where he won last time by fifteen strokes.  Ten years later we are on the brink of a changing of the guard.  For the first time in that same ten year span Tiger is not the outright favorite in Vegas to win (he and Phil are tied at 7/1).  A new number one?  Long live the king?  The king is………………all but dead.

I don’t have the balls to pick him but don’t be suprised to see Tiger’s best this week.  Afterall he is still chasing Jack’s record of eighteen majors.  When you’ve lost your image the only thing left is immortality.  And I know I beat this dead horse just about every April and June but If we’re lucky we’ll see a Tiger/Phil final pairing on Sunday.  And maybe if we’re luckier, Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington just infront.  If Phil gets to career major number five…….it’s gonna be one hell of a summer for golf fans (or maybe just for Phil fans?).  If Tiger should win number fifteen will we forget the last eight months?  Or will a relative unknown step up and steal immortality for themselves? 

The ifs will all be answered come Sunday. 

1.  Phil Mickelson

Bet you didn’t see this coming.  This is by far the consensus pick by all the golf world but for good reason.  Already a major win in 2010, Phil has a great track record at Pebble Beach over the years including three career wins and six Top 10s in fifteen career starts.  Phil was in contention (kinda) in 2000 if not for a 76 on Sunday (well and the fact that Tiger ran away and hid from the rest of the field), but still finished T16.  You no doubt know Phil’s near misses in U.S. Opens.  I’ll say no more then that for fear of jinxing him.

2.  Lee Westwood

You no doubt know Lee’s near misses in U.S. Opens.  Now that he’s won for the first time since 1998 it would not suprise me in the least to see anther British slump end at Pebble Beach.  He finished T5 here in 2000 and has only one missed cut in the U.S. Open since that same year.  That’s seven starts.  In eight starts in 2010 he has yet to miss a cut along with five Top 10s.  There’s a reason why he’s number three in the world.  And there’s a reason why you should pick him in your fantasy golf lineup this week. 

3.  Stewart Cink

Under the radar for most, except for you as a dedicated reader of this blog, Stewart Cink is a threat to win this week.  He has not had a round over 71 in his last twelve rounds.  How’s that for research!  Stewart is no stranger to majors and (as you know) plays his best golf in the summer months.  He finsihed T8 here in 2000 and has three career Top 10s in fourteen career U.S. Opens.   If Stewie can get out to a good start he will be in contention come Sunday.  And know that he knows how to win majors he just might do it again.

Sleepers (outside World Top 50):  Heath Slocum, Mike Weir

(all that and not a mention of the triple bogey gift from last Sunday, it must be U.S. Open week)

Happy (early) U.S. Open Sunday and to all a good night!

______________________________________

Poll:  Please vote on the newest poll at the upper right hand side.  Do you think it will be Tiger, Phil or McClung victorius?

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, based on the point scale below:

Winner = 10 points

2nd Place = 5 points

3rd Place = 3 points

Top 10 = 1 point

2010 Fantasy Golf Picks Total:  36 Points

2010 Fantasy Golf Picks Weekly Average:  1.80 Points

Think you can pick better?  Leave a comment with your 3 picks for the 2010 Crowne Plaza Invitational.  If you Beat The Expert in any week you will win a FREE 2010 Rotoff Golf Draft Kit (a $9.99 value) with one possible Grand Prize winner at the end of the FedEx Cup season.  See here for official BTE rules.

No weekly winner last week as four (Brad, Joe, John and Ed) tie with 1 point for each picking Dustin Johnson (T7).

Beat the Expert Leaderboard

Last Week:

After a 65 on Friday, Sean O’Hair looked to be on his way to an easy Top 10 or better.  But a one over round of 73 on Sunday saw him finish right on the cusp (T12).  Combined with poor showings by then defending champ Rory Sabatini (T43) and Brett Wetterich (T32) it’s another shut out week for Planer.  Which means I’m not f’n around this week.

This week:

The last stop of the Texas tour sets the scene for a possible new #1.  But it won’t be easy for current world #2.  This week marks one of the deeper non-major fields of the year including the return of Steve Stricker from his recent shoulder injury.  Five of the world Top 10 are teeing it up at Colonial, the second oldest tournament (behind the Masters) on the PGA Tour.

1.  Phil Mickelson

So one of the great things about this BTE contest is there are no pick limits.  Now that I’ve fallen behind my pace from last season it’s time to bring it.  I don’t feel guilty at all that this is the fifth time I’ve chosen Phil Mickelson this year, it only hurts that I don’t have more points to show for it.  I don’t need to tell you that Lefty won here in his last start (2008) or that he hasn’t missed the cut here since 1998.  There’s no suprise to hear that Phil has nine Top 25 finishes (with two wins) at Colonial in thirteen career starts.  I mean it’s mutha f’n Philly Mick, soon to be world #1.

2.  Tim Clark

Two words, two seconds.  Tim Clark has finished runner up in this event the last two years.  Since missing the cut in his first try way back in 2004, he has finished no worse then T21 in five starts.  Now that Timmy has that pesky win out of the way we just might see him get two in the same season.  It’s hard not to pick Clark in this spot, infact even Vegas likes him as a 20-1 shot, third best odds of the entire field.  Timmae!

3.  Stewart Cink

It was around this time last season that Stewart Cink started heating up, in the run up to his first major victory at last year’s Open Championship.  Stew’s never missed the cut here in twelve starts.  That’s right.  NEVER.  He has come in T22, T18 and T4 in his last three starts.  I know Cink has been struggling thus far in 2010 but I’m telling you, the summer is his time to shine.  This is where it all begins.  Look for a Top 10 from Stewie this weekend.

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, based on the point scale below:

Winner = 10 points

2nd Place = 5 points

3rd Place = 3 points

Top 10 = 1 point

2010 Fantasy Golf Picks Total:  32 Points

2010 Fantasy Golf Picks Weekly Average:  1.88 Points

Think you can pick better?  Leave a comment with your 3 picks for the 2010 Players Championship.  If you Beat The Expert in any week you will win a FREE 2010 Rotoff Golf Draft Kit (a $9.99 value) with one possible Grand Prize winner at the end of the FedEx Cup season.  See here for official BTE rules.

No weekly winner from last week but I’m back on the map baby.  Both Brad and I got 6 points for Phil Mickelson’s 2nd place finish and a Top 10 (Anthony Kim for me, Jim Furyk for Brad).  Brad moves within 2 points of 1st place on the BTE LB, while I’m just happy to get off the schnide.

Beat the Expert Leaderboard

Last Week:

I’m back!  So what if Tiger Woods missed the cut.  5 points for Phil and 1 point for AK is enough to keep me going.  I’ll be hard pressed to pick Tiger again until he gets back in the win column.  Most disappointing of all is that he completely gave up on the back 9 on Friday, knowing he’d already missed the cut.  Will the rise of the young guns be enough to motivate TW, or is this the beggining of the end for the World’s best golfer?

This week:

And on that note it’s a great time to be a golf fan.  With Rory McIlroy and Ryo Ishikawa shooting career final rounds all the buzz these days is just how great the future is.  I say to hell with the future.  The future IS this week!  Phil could be #1 with a win,  Tiger could miss two consecutive cuts for the first time ever, and all this with the deepest field of the year.  Everyone will be teeing it up at TPC Sawgrass.  Well everyone except Steve Stricker (hurt), Anthony Kim (hurt), Ryo Ishikawa (prior commitment), and Shooter McGavin (fictional character).  The best non-major tournament of the year is here.  The future is upon us.

1.  Jim Furyk

If not for a horrible showing at the Masters, Jim Furyk would be the hottest golfer outside of Lefty.  As it stands now Jimmy is still a real threat to win this week, even if he did choke at Augusta.  It’s been a career year for Furyk in 2010 and we’re not even half way through.  Despite an opening round 75 last week he still managed a Top 10 finish to put him over $2.5 million for the year.  With three career Top 10s at the Players and only two missed cuts in fourteen starts he is about as safe a pick (and that includes the struggling Tiger) as you can get.   Top 10 or bust.

2.  Phil Mickelson

It may not have happened as quick as we had hoped but all of a sudden this has become the year of Phil.  After a super slow start on the West Coast I personally thought it was an opportunity missed.  Now with a win and a 2nd place finish in his last two starts Phil has a shot to overtake the World #1 ranking with a win and Tiger finishing outside the Top 10.   Given his track record at TPC Sawgrass that is a very real possibility.  He won here in 2007 and hasn’t missed the cut since 2000.  I’m sticking with Phil while the gettin’s good. 

3.  Ben Crane

Ben Crane likes this course.  He has two Top 10 finishes the last two years at the Players.  On top of that he is probably playing the most consistent golf of his career (five Top 25 finishes in ten starts this year) even coming off a missed cut in New Orleans.  Crane sat on the 54 hole lead last year before a final round 72.  Already with a win in 2010 this just might be the year that he hangs on to that late lead, unless of course McIlroy shoots a final round 62.

 Happy early Players Sunday!