Last Week

Steve Stricker drained clutch birdies down the stretch to three-peat at the John Deere Classic. He’s not highlighted in Open Championship picks below but Stricker warrants heavy consideration in any format, particularly best ball games.

My selections from last week included the Stricker, the Must Start slam dunk, and hit a pair of sleepers in Charles Howell III (T5) and Bryce Molder (T30). Jason Day (T68) was a big dud while Louis Oosthuizen (just as disappointing) and Vaughn Taylor (not surprising) missed the cut.

This Week’s Fantasy Golf Picks

Luke Donald – Must Start

The World No. 1 is coming off a Scottish Open win and has finished outside of the top-10 only once in his last dozen world events played. On Tour, Donald ranks third in scoring and fourth in strokes gained – putting as well as birdies. In the last two British Opens, Donald has finished 11th and fifth.

Lee Westwood

The former World No. 1 finished T14th in the Scottish Open and hasn’t landed outside of the top-15 in any of his last seven world events played. Westwood was the runner-up in last year’s British after finishing with a share of third in 2009. On the European Tour, he’s 11th in scoring. Another real Must Start, Westwood is selection 1A.

Retief Goosen

After a roller coaster start to the season, Goosen has been far steadier since the month of May finishing 23rd or better in six world events played. On the Euro Tour, he’s first in putts per round and seventh in scoring. Since 1997, Goosen has eight top-10s and 14 British Open starts. Goosen finished sixth last year and T5 in 2009.

Webb Simpson

If you are up for rolling out a first timer, take Simpson for a spin following his four straight top-15 finishes. Simpson currently ranks fifth in scoring, sixth in birdies, 18th in total driving and first in All-Around Ranking. Simpson is nice value in salary cap games thanks to a quiet 2010 and never competing in this event.

Jeff Overton

If he’s able to carry the momentum from a second consecutive top-three finish in the AT&T National, Overton could be a great value. Last year, Overton finished 11th in the British after a third-place result in the AT&T. Another under the radar selection.

Fredrik Jacobson

The last noticeable finish for Jacobson in the British was a T6 in 2003, when it was last hosted at Royal St George’s Golf Club. After finishing T14th in the U.S. Open Championship, Jacobson won the Travelers Championship and is clearly on a roll. On Tour, he ranks eighth in scoring and 11th in strokes gained – putting.

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Fantasy Golf Picks

While Erik Planer works on the new Rotoff Fantasy Sports site, I’ll be the guest expert for the next four PGA Tour events. In addition to leading the Beat the Expert Leaderboard for much of the season, I’ve been covering various fantasy sports for the last two years. I’m currently in the 95th percentile in the Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf game and finished in the 92nd percentile last year. As I hold down the fort, the BTE game will continue to roll on. Here’s the point scale:

Winner = 10 points

2nd Place = 5 points

3rd Place = 3 points

Top 10 = 1 point

Think you can pick better?  Leave a comment with your 5 picks for the 2010 British 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.

Four players picked up 10 or more points by picking Steve Stricker in last week’s John Deere Classic. My concerns over Stricker’s health since returning from a clavicle injury steered me wrong and have relegated me to second place. No time is better than a major to rack up some more points.

Beat the Expert Leaderboard

Last Week:

In the first round of the John Deere Classic, Paul Goydos shot a 12-under 59  to become just the fourth player in PGA Tour history to accomplish the feat. Stricker was right on his heels with a first round 60 and would led by seven strokes with 17 hole remaining on Sunday. Goydos moved within two strokes at one point but hit the water on 18 to extinguish his hopes of preventing Stricker’s second straight win at TPC Deere Run.

Vaughn Taylor finished sixth to give him three straight finishes of 11th or better. He won’t be at St. Andrews but will head to the Reno-Tahoe Open where he’s a two-time winner.

My top pick, Zach Johnson, shot all his rounds in the high 60s but finished T21. His eight bogeys and one double bogey kept him from ever challenging.

K.J. Choi missed his first cut in 15 events this season. It was his first time in the John Deere Classic but this result still comes at a big surprise.

Chad Campbell ended his streak of eight straight rounds of sub-70 play at the John Deere with an opening round even 71. He rebounded with a 67 and two rounds of 68 to finish T34.

This week:

As the third major of the year, the Open Championship (aka the British Open) rotates between nine historic courses in Scotland and England. But every five years it comes back home to the Old Course at St. Andrews. The birth place of golf is both loved and hated, often in unison. The nuances of a links course can easily frustrate those unfamiliar with them. The difficult to locate fairways, the thick rough, the hidden pot bunkers, the wind coming off the bay and the revamped No. 17 Road Hole are all standing in the way of the field from hoisting the Claret Jug.

1.  Tiger Woods

Despite the personal turmoil and the nagging reporters that have greeted him in Scotland, Woods is at the best possible site to get that first win of the season. He’s won the Open Championship three times, twice at St. Andrews (‘05, ‘00). While Woods has struggled at times in limited starts this year, his best finishes have come at majors; T4 at both The Masters and the U.S. Open. Also, Woods is going with a new putter this week in hopes of fixing his short game. The comfort from a course he’s been so successful at and the spotlight of playing in another major should allow Tiger to rise to the occasion.

2. Ernie Els

With 12 Top 10s and eight Top Fives in 18 career starts at the Open Championship, Els is among the safest plays this week. At Opens held at St. Andrews, Els finished T11 in ‘95, T2 in ‘00 and T34 in ‘05. Els has two wins this season on the PGA Tour and has finished third in two of his last three starts, the most recent being the U.S. Open. He’s struggled on the European Tour, missing two straight cuts, but is using the extra time to get extra work in at St. Andrews.

3. Padraig Harrington

He’s a two-time winner of the Open Championship but Harrington is still a risky pick. Harrington’s wins came in ‘07 and ‘08 but were not at St. Andrews. Although he does have success there. In ‘02 and ‘06, the Irishman won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which holds two rounds (including the final round) at St. Andrews. Despite some inconsistent play, Harrington has four Top 10 finishes in 13 PGA Tour events this year.

Sleepers (outside World Top 50):  Simon Dyson (Won the ‘09 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, shot a 66 in both rounds at St. Andrews), Chris Wood (T3 in ‘09 Open Championship, T5 in ‘08)

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