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Yeah, I'm playing Henrik Stenson this week

2009-03-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

I couldn't believe my eyes last night when I saw a "naked golfer"... well almost naked.

It was Henrik Stenson. As the story goes, his ball buried in some mud and he didn't want to get his clothes dirty, so he stripped... right on the course. Fanny (his caddie) was doing her best to gather his clothes and get some towels ready.

He ended up bogeying the hole, but still gained some points for me.

Oh, and yeah... he's pretty good eye candy!

Time to update my progress...

2009-03-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

So far so good.

With the scoring method this year (on each round rather than FedEx Points), I'm holding my own.

Through last week's tournament, I was in the 94th percentile.

Of course it's still early in the season. We're just now settling into the "Florida Swing".

Mercedes-Benz Championship this week

2009-01-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

After one of the shortest breaks in all professional sports, the PGA Tour is underway again in Hawaii with the Mercedes-Benz Championship. This limited-field, no-cut, tournament is always a favorite. To qualify, all you have to do is win a PGA Tour event during the regular season.

This is also the unveiling of the new PGA Tour Fantasy Golf/Yahoo! Sports marriage. You get a whole new way of doing things, which I believe will be better than last year. I just wasn't a fan of tying the Fedex Points to the Fantasy golf game.

So, basically, you pick two golfers from the "A" list (those are the super-stars), four golfers from the "B" list (these are the guys who play well day in and day out, and sometimes even win), and two golfers from the "C" list (these are rookies, foreign "unkowns", and "over the hill" guys). Once you've selected your roster, then you pick half of the roster as your team, 1-A, 2-B, 1-C player. You may also adjust your team throughout the tournament.

I like this format, as you can adjust according to the 36 hole-cut, or DQ's, or WD's. Also, if you've picked a guy who isn't doing as well as one of your bench guys, you can make a change at the end of a round.

Scoring is "per round" basis with the lowest round golfer receiving 20 points and each stroke behind receiving 2 points less. Additionally, the tournament winner gets 20 points, second place gets 10 points and third place gets 5 points.

You can only "start" a golfer in a maximum of 10 tournaments. There is no reset at the start of the next "season segment" (total of three segments).

So, who did I select?

Hey, I can't give away all my secrets... Get signed up on Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf. Then go to private groups type in ID#5452 pw is entrecard.

2009 Fantasy Golf Season Starts Now!

2008-12-29T12:19:00.001-08:00

Here we go again... new partners, new format... Hopefully a better game overall.

Got a hankering to play PGA Tour Fantasy Golf? Are you a member of Entrecard? Join me at the Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf. Once you do that, you may join my private group by leaving a comment here on this blog. I'll send you the group ID and password via the Entrecard messaging system.

It looks like this could be a fun year. Tiger is on track to return for The Masters. Before that, there's the always "rough and tumble" western swing where sometimes the weather wins, and sometimes the golfers win. One thing for sure, there's no real dynasty.

Now, just to be clear, in order to play Yahoo! Fantasy Golf you must have a Yahoo! ID and you must be at least 18 years old, and a resident of the USA (50 states or Wash DC). These rules are in place to make sure you're eligible to win one of their many prizes, including a "PGA Tour Experience".

Most Loyal Advertiser Link Love!

2008-10-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

Quite some time ago, I instituted an "Advertiser Loyalty Program" for folks who belong to Entrecard, an advertising community for bloggers.

Here's the deal on my "Advertiser Loyalty Program".

Every time you purchase a 24-hr ad spot from me, I enter you into a pool of that month's advertiser. That means, at least, you have a 1 in 31 chance of winning at least 60 EC from me. I have five blogs, so you are welcome to advertise across all five and compete for each of the pools.

I also keep track of how many times you advertise with me. See that "Most Loyal Advertisers" in my Blogroll? Each of those bloggers have advertised at least 10 times with me. They may have advertised two times on each blog, or 10 times in just one blog. Either way, they all earned a permanent link for their efforts.

I also have a "big pool" made up of all the advertisers. I set aside 25% of the credits I receive from advertising, and when that totals 500, I go to a random number generator and select a winner, awarding them all 500 EC.

Who's been winning? That's where the link love comes in... Be sure to check out these folks. They each received at least 60 EC from this blog.

May Winner:

AnyApples

June Winner:

Wii Golf . net

July Winner:

Just 4 Families

August Winner:

This Just In Fantasy Football

If you'd like to get in on the action, join me at Entrecard. It's where bloggers really have come together to create a program that works.

Bet'cha wonder where I've been...

2008-06-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Life has been rather busy for the past few months. Now, that doesn't mean I've dropped out of the PGA Tour Fantasy Golf League. No, I'm still playing, just haven't had time to post.

Besides that... I'm not in love with the way we're playing this year. You see, I'm more of a "handicapper" than a "pick the winner" type player. I love to analyze the stats and pick players to win certain skills categories. This year, it's all about picking who will finish highest on Sunday.

With that said, let's just say I'm mediocre at best. Heck, my best weeks have been when I've "thrown darts" at the selection process.

At least the powers that be have broken this whole thing into several segments.

I finished segment 1 (The West Coast Swing) in 2855 place with 35,980 points. Here's what I can report regarding the last 8 weeks of that segment.

Phil Mickleson did have that breakout week... and he was on my team! However the other five guys really let me down. Only Rory Sabbatini and Charles Howell III even made the cut, and they finished way down the leaderboard. The rest of my team, Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker, and Charles Warren all got early starts on the next week.

Week 8 there are no results available... wasn't that a match-play week? Guess I didn't sign up for that game this year. They've got me so confused...

On week 9 I returned to less than mediocre as only 4 of my guys made the cut, and then didn't play particularly well, except Robert Allenby, who earned 1033 points. Joe Durant, Charlie Wi, and Boo Weekly played on the weekend, while Mark Wilson and Bill Hass headed to the next tournament site.

Week 10 was even more disappointing. This was the Pods Championship, where I had dismal results. Three guys made the cut. Robert Allenby, Mark Calcaveccia, and Steven Ames got to play on the weekend, but weren't the least bit impressive. Ernie Els, JB Holmes, and Dudley Hart moved ahead to the next tournament as they all failed to make the cut.

Finally... my MAN is playing... Tiger Woods! He didn't disappoint either as he swept the Arnold Palmer Invitational. This time, the supporting cast played much better, providing me a total of 5459 points. Only one problem... all those points were overshadowed by everyone else who had a lot more points. For the week, I was in 7281 place. See what I mean?

Ok, here's the supporting cast... Brandt Snedeker, Chad Campbell, Steve Marino, and Kenny Perry. Only Luke Donald failed to make the cut.

At the World Golf Championship, I actually had points on all six guys (that's the first time this year). Too bad Tiger Woods didn't win again. Oh well, my team (including Tiger) was Vijay Singh, Aaron Baddeley, Brandt Snedeker, Ernie Els, and Charles Howell III.

My team tanked at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans... C'mon guys, you're supposed to party AFTER the tournament ends. Mark Calcaveccia, Kevin Sutherland and Joe Durant barely made the cut and all stumbled home at the end of the pack. Chad Campbell, Stewart Cink, and Steve Marino couldn't get out of there fast enough. Would you believe a total of 251 points for the whole weekend?

By now, I'm throwing darts at the line up to see if I can do any better.

I get better results at the Shell Houston Open. My darts told me to select Chad Campbell, Steve Stricker, Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, John Mallinger, and Dudley Hart. Only the last two guys took a hike eariy.

I'll be back with results of the Southern Swing, a nine week sprint.

Used to be the Nissan, now it's Northern Trust Open

2008-02-14T12:03:00.000-08:00

But, it's still at the famed Riviera.

Once again, I'm going with veterans who have done well here for the most part.

Phil... you're getting a second chance from me. I really believe you're fighting mad now, and fully embarrassed. That's usually an indication you're ready to bust loose... ya think?

Rory Sabbatini has won in the past, and he's playing with tons of confidence.

Charles Warren hits the ball long and straight... now, can he putt on the tricky greens? I sure hope so.

Jim Furyk likes this course, and I expect steady play from him.

Charles Howell III won here last year and has it in him to repeat the performance. This course fits his eye well.

Brandt Snedeker stays on my lineup as I really believe he'll soon have another breakout. He's too good to keep off the list.

Which way did they go? Surely they weren't playing in the same tournament.

2008-02-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

Phil!!! What were you thinking... an 11 on ONE hole? I picked you to win... and you didn't even make the cut.

And Briny Baird... how come you were listed to play, but never showed up? I can't win when you don't play.

To the rest of you... thanks for not much. Yeah, you gave me a few points, but that doesn't cut the mustard.

Now, I don't want to hear your excuses... wind on the first two days, crazies on the 15th hole, the amateurs, the slow play... Hey, you signed up to play, and you've all played before.

Do I sound a little unhappy? Well, yeah I am.

Jim Furyk was my top point producer with 364. Mark Wilson came along with 118 and Brandt Snedeker limped in at the very bottom of the players on Sunday generating 58 points. What a bunch of losers! I really had a lot of faith in y'all.

So, where does this carnage leave me? Somewhere at the bottom of the pack. I lost more rank than I had in points, dropping 979 places to 2844. My opponent is now at 250 having gained another 113 places.

Pebble Beach, one of the most beautiful courses...

2008-02-06T14:30:00.001-08:00

Here we go, it's ATT Pro-Am time At Pebble Beach. What a wild and crazy time!

This crazy tournament is like several tournaments in one... you play on four different courses, and the low amateurs play right along with the pros on the weekend.

Let's hope I do better this week.

This week, I really like Phi Mickelson. He's won this tournament multiple times, and and aside from 2006 when he was "re-tooling", he's finished well. I chose him over Justin Leonard, Daniel Chopra, D. J Trahan, and J. B. Holmes.

In the second group, it's a tough choice between Brandt Snedeker and Kevin Sutherland. I'm choosing Brandt Snedeker this week based on his playing confidence at the FBR Open. My other choices were Steve Elkington, Steve Marino, and Kevin Na.

Group 3 is all about Jim Furyk who has the right temperament and game. He's finished well there several times. My other choices include Mike Weir, Nick Watney, and first-timer's Dustin Johnson, and Chez Reavie.

I'm selecting Mark Wilson for my Group 4 player. He's playing a little steadier than the remaining golfers in that group. The guys I'll leave on the bench are Hunter Mahan, Pat Perez, Charlie Hoffman, and Tom Pernice, Jr.

Jonathon Byrd played well enough this past week to make my team again this week. He's finished as high as third in a past year. My benched players include Vijay Singh, Ryan, Moore, Charlie Wii, and Parker McLachlin.

Briny Baird rounds out my team for this weekend. He showed a lot of spunk this past weekend. My benched players include Jeff Quinny, Brian Gay, Matt Jones, and Brett Rumford.

Now, if the amateur teams just don't get in the way... and my guys play well, like they know what they're doing.

I only got one thing right at the FBR

2008-02-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

Phil Mickelson didn't win... almost, but didn't.

As for my team, they didn't like the weather, the crowds, the wind... you name it, they just didn't play well at all.

Four of the six played on the weekend. Hunter Mahan and Aaron Baddeley went home early. I was especially surprised at Baddeley not making the cut, as he's played well here in the past, and lives in the area.

Boo Weekley gave the course a good run, but couldn't keep up with J. B. Holmes, who was looking for redemption.

For scores, Boo Weekley had 650 points. Jonathon Byrd, who at one time was contending, finished with 469. Rory Sabbatini and Camilo Villegas each earned 118 points.

This was one of my worst team performances, dropping me back to where I started. With only 1355 points, I dropped 567 positions back to rank 1865.

On the other hand, the other guy in my league had a pretty good week. He's now up to 363 with with a total of 21238 points. I have a total of 16886 points.

My picks for the FBR Open

2008-01-29T11:19:00.000-08:00

Yes I know... Phil Mickelson is the perennial favorite here. But... he's not gonna be on my team.

Here's why.

I'm picking Rory Sabbatini. He's playing as well as he's ever played right now, and he feeds off of crowds, too. I look for him to continue playing well this year.

My choices in the first group were from among Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Steve Stricker and Geoff Ogilvy, each of whom are very strong competitors with both Phil and Vijay being previous winners.

My second choice is last year's winner, Aaron Baddeley. He's coming off a strong T13 finish at the Buick Open, and has fond memories of the very noisy crowd here. He lives nearby, and loves the desert weather.

Other's in that group included Stewart Cink, Trevor Immelman, Aaron Oberholser and newcome Andres Romero.

Hunter Mahan is my third choice. It was really tough between Brett Wetterich and Mahan. The rest of the group included Woody Austin, Stuart Appleby, and Mike Weir.

I've been watching Boo Weekly, and he's playing much better this year. His length off the tee will be a real asset as well as the how he could feed off the crowd. This guy brings new fun to professioal golf.

Others in this group were Charles Howell III, Brandt Snedeker, David Toms and Nick O'Hern.

My next choice is Camilo Villegas. He has good memories with a T2 in 2006. He also played very well at the Buick Invitational, finishing T13.

The guys I didn't choose included Mark Calcavecchia, Robert Allenby, John Senden, and Rod Pampling.

Group six includes Johnathon Byrd, Jerry Kelly, Carl Petterson, Sean O'Hair, and Peter Lonard.

My choice is Johnathon Byrd, as he has good memories of the FBR Open.

As tie breakers, I've selected Justin Leonard as the top FedEx Point finisher among players who are not on my team or on the original options. The further tie breaker score for the final round winner's score: 68.

Thanks Tiger!

2008-01-29T10:38:00.000-08:00

Like I said... don't bet against Tiger Woods.

With the 4500 FedEx Points from him, I exceeded my goal of getting total points into 5 digits.

I picked up a cool 6392 points with Stewart Cink coming T3 and Charles Howell III coming in T13.
It would have been real sweet to have the other three guys playing on the weekend, but there's always next week.

So, my new standings are as follows.

I'm now in 1284th place with 15531 points. The other guy in my league is still ahead of me, but not as far. He's at 542nd with 17678 points. The overall leader has 25019 points.

Be sure to check back in a day or so, as I'll be announcing my team for the "ever-rowdy" FBR Open.

My Fantasy Team for the Buick Invitational

2008-01-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

With the weather once again looking like an issue, I'm choosing playing experience at Torrey Pines as my primary qualification. For the most part, I've chosen players who have made the cut here more than they've missed it.

Tiger Woods is kind of a "no brainer". He's after his fourth consecutive win on a course he's played many, many times in his storied career. I would NEVER bet against a win if there's a record to attain. Only three other players have won the same event four consecutive times. Woods has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational four times. Woods will have a chance later this season to win his fourth in a row at both the WGC-CA Championship and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Stewart Cink has played well at Torrey Pines finishing as high as T10 in recent years. My other choices were Rory Sabbatini, Aaron Baddeley, Geoff Oglivey or Trevor Immelman, and Cink had a better record than any of the other player.

Tim Clark has missed one cut in the past 4 years and has finished as high as T10, with another finish at 12. Again, the other possible players were Woody, Austin, Hunter Mahan, Stephen Ames, and Brett Wetterich.

Charles Howell III has the highest (non-winning) finish amongst my team, finishing 2nd last year. He played in the final two-some with Tiger more than once, and understand the pressure. I look for him in the top ten again this year. My other choices were Boo Weekly, Stuart Appleby, Nick O'Hern, and Mike Weir.

Brandt Snedeker gets a spot on my team this year after his play last year. He learned a lot about pressure, finishing alone in third place. If I could have had a second player from this group, it would have been Mark Calcavecchia. The remaining players in this group were Robert Allenby, John Senden, and Rod Pampling, who has also played well here.

Jerry Kelly rounds out my team. He's had his up's and down's with Torrey Pines, but his opening play at the Sony Open leads me to believe he's my man. None of the other players could show me a better record. Those not selected were Camillo Villegas, Carl Petterson, Sean O'Hair, and Peter Lonard.

Fun in the desert... all six of my guys played on Sunday!

2008-01-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

One of these weeks, I'm gonna pick a winner!

Once again, all six of my guys played on the final day. They just needed less competition and a few more holes to climb to the top.

All kidding aside...

Top finisher was Vaughn Taylor with 700 FedEx Cup points. He was followed by Robert Allenby with 606 points. Scott Verplank garnered 250 points. The other three finished far back in the pack. Heath Slocum had 76 points, Chad Campbell had 60 points, and Lucas Glover ended up with 53 points.

Even with the mediocre scores, I moved up in the standings, now in 1834th place. The other guy in my league continues to move up, too. He's broken into the top 1000 at 839.

My goal for this next week is to end up with a total points (for the season) in five figures. Actually I'd like to move from 9139 points to better than 11,000.

Stay tuned for my picks at the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines. I just peeked, and it's kind of a "no brainer"... I see Tiger's in the field and on my pick list. Ok, off to feed my sheep, then return and do this week's picks.

Bob Hope Chrysler Open... fun in the desert!

2008-01-15T11:02:00.000-08:00

Here we go again... and expect the wind to blow, too. That will present the biggest challenge. Playing 90 holes and having all the amateurs in the field will be the least of their problems. Wind will put teeth into the Classic Course.

I just checked the Weather Underground and it's calling for winds 15 to 20 mph for Wednesday and Thursday. Now, here in Utah, we're expecting the jet stream to run nearly north to south right over our western border through the weekend. That's because there's a very strong high pressure area building over the Nevada desert.

This is reminiscent of the weather pattern last year... so, I look for the wind to blow again this year.

With that in mind, here are my picks. I allowed last year's finish to influence my decision.

Scott Verplank is nearly unflappable... unless it has to do with a possible rules infraction. You can bet he won't be soling or grounding his club anywhere near the ball this week.

Robert Allenby finished T8 last year. That tells me he can hang in there under very difficult conditions. Having missed the cut at the Sony Open, he's had plenty of time to get ready for the duel in the desert.

Heath Slocum is another high finisher last year finishing T4. He's playing well this year, having gone T10 at the Sony Open. I look for Heath to have a breakout year.

Lucas Glover plays well with the Amateurs, and seems virtually unflappable when it comes to slow rounds, and high winds. Last year he finished T13 and that's good enough for me to select him this year.

Chad Campbell gets my nod again. He's won here previously, and is playing solid golf this year. Yes, he missed the cut last year, but I'll forgive him. He's playing much better golf this year.

Vaughn Taylor rounds out my team. This year he began his tournament play at the Sony Open and played through the weekend, finishing T25. Last year he began his season with the Bob Hope Chrysler Open, and finished T33.

So, there you have it. My goal is to have all six make the cut and play. That means they all have to do better than just making the cut, as only the top 78 will progress to the weekend. I'd love to have a winner, and I'll hedge my bets with either Lucas Glover or Chad Campbell.

My Sony Open results... did much better this week

2008-01-15T10:21:00.000-08:00

Even though I looked at KJ Choi and didn't choose him... neither did the very top PGA Tour Fantasy Golf winners.

How did I do?

Jerry Kelly was my top finisher and earned 1700 points. Pat Perez was T4 and earned 984 points. Stephen Ames and Chad Campbell were each T10 and provided me combined total points of 1072. Jim Furyk finished T20 with 281 points, and then there was Charles Howell III who was among the "MDF"... that means "Made Cut, Did Not Finish" thanks to the new "made for TV" rule about limiting fields so play can be completed before darkness.

Overall, I earned 4083 points. That moved me to a total of 7494 points for the season, and puts me into 2105 place an upward movement of 3575 places.

I'm gaining on that dude that's ahead of me. He didn't fare quite as well, moving up to 1703 a gain of 2686 places.

Watch for my next post. I'll release my team selection in that one.

Did the new rule catch you, too?

2008-01-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

Here we are, late Friday evening... the last golfers are now in the clubhouse, the cut has been made at EVEN, but the main topic at the bar is that "making the cut doesn't mean you'll play tomorrow".

During the off-season, the players' representatives negotiated a new deal to help move the game along, fit within broadcast schedules, and in general become even more streamlined.

The problem: With very large fields, often as many as 90 golfers (think the ATT Pro-Am) would make the week-end cut. That would require threesomes simultaneously off both front and back nines. Well, sometimes there would be just enough of a lag, that by the time you played the first nine and came around to start the second nine... you'd have a two group wait. Time on that could be anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.

If there was any kind of weather delay, or delay for rules interpretation, it got really ugly, to the point of rounds not completed before darkness stopped play.

This year's solution: First, establish the cut line... that means "the top 70 players plus ties" .

Now, if there are more than 78 players, who have met the above criteria, go back to the next score closest to the total of 78 players. Those who made the cut, but don't get to play, automatically earn FedEx points for last place, and retirement points (a very important thing).

Here's how this affects the Sony Open.

The cut line was "even". That made for a total field of 87. Eighteen players made the cut "on the number". However 69 players played to -1. So, the guys who played to "even" will get paid for last place, but not play today or tomorrow.

For me, that means Charles Howell III is locked in at last place for FedEx Points this week.

The good news is that I have five other players, who made the weekend playing roster. With the leader at -11, my guys have some work to do. Currently Jerry Kelly is T6 at -6, Pat Perez and Chad Campbell are T12 at -5, and Stephen Ames and Jim Furyk are T48 at -2.

Sony Open, and I think I've got it figured out

2008-01-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

Keeping in mind that the ONLY thing that counts this year is FedEx Points from week to week, here is my team for the Sony Open being played at Waialae CC, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Once again, I'm selecting Jim Furyk as he knows this course like the back of his hand. He's finished in the top 10 here for the past two years and has been steadily moving up the earnings board. His unorthodox swing has proven to serve him well as he finished 2007 #2 on the World Money List.

Stephen Ames is my second choice. He played very well at the Mercedes Benz Championship and simpy ran into a couple of buzz saws (Daniel Chopra and Steve Stricker). I don't look for a repeat of the DQ last year. Although it's been a while since he's had success here, at the Sony Open, I believe it's time for a break out. He has his family with him... and that could make all the difference in the world.

Last year, Charles Howell III dueled with Luke Donald for second. He likes this course, knocked all the rust off at the Mercedes and could be a serious factor here. Over the years, he's finished in the top 10 several times. (I think he likes the flat course.)

Jerry Kelly is the "best kept secret" here. When you look at "overall returns", Jerry ranks the highest over the years... He simply loves this course and plays well year in and year out.

Pat Perez is now 32 and after last year, my confidence in him has grown. He did well here last year, and I'm giving him another opportunity.

Chad Campbell wasn't in the best of shape for the Mercedes, having taken a long vacation, and yet he still turned in solid round. He's done well at the Sony Open, and gets my nod again this year.

Now, I picked my guys based on my knowledge, analysis, and gut feelings. After I selected my team, I peeked in on the experts. The guy who has best record so far, agrees with me... Jim Furyk to win.

What a tournament finish!

2008-01-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

Too bad none of my guys were in the playoff.

That's ok. Now that I understand how this game is being played this year, I'll make more intelligent choices.

This year I have to select one player from each of the six groups whom I believe will come in first in that group, as well as finish highest in the final standings. The only score that matters is the FedEx Cup point total.

With that said, here's how my guys fared.

Jim Furyk finished T5 and collected 913 points. He mounted a charge on Saturday, but just couldn't keep pace with Steve Stricker and Daniel Chopra (the eventual winner) on Sunday.

Charles Howell went way low on Sunday, but it was too little, too late as he finished T8 and collected 750 FedEx points.

Mark Calcavecchia was my last player in the top ten. He finished T10 and collected 650 FedEx points. Would you believe he was a full six shots off the lead at 12 under par?

My remaining guys finished as follows.

Chad Campbell was T12 and collected 525 FedEx points.

Scott Verplank had a rough go of it this week after getting into a rules discussion, which he lost. He finished T18 and collected 363 FedEx points.

Completing my team, Fred Funk finished T25 and collected 210 FedEx points. I knew Freddie didn't really have a chance when the weather turned wet, as his driving distance (short) puts him at a real disadvantage on this long course.

For all my team's effort, I finished in 5584 place with 3411 points. Another dude in my league beat me soundly... but, don't look for that to happen again.

The #1 team garnered 10765 points. Anyone who had Daniel Chopra, the winner got 4500 points. If they had Steve Stricker, too... they got 2700 points. Steven Ames, in third brought home 1700 points and Mike Weir in fourth earned 1200 points.

The maximum points available for the top six positions was 11926 FedEx points.

Buddy leagues are ready! I've got "Girls Rock the PGA"

2008-01-01T14:32:00.001-08:00

Wanna' play golf with me?

I've started the "Girls Rock the PGA" League at PGATour Fantasy Golf. You're invited to join me there. Not sure how many teams they'll have in each league. Last year we had eight teams.

This is a free to play game, and the thrill is in the chase. There are some really nice PGA Tour Experience prizes for the top winners.

Get your team in place now for the Mercedes Benz Championship and then search for "Girls Rock the PGA" and join my Buddy League.

See ya there!

My picks for the Mercedes-Benz Championship Tournament.

2007-12-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

I love this tournament. It's a restricted field, composed of last year's tournament winners... well most of them. This year, 34 golfers will assemble for the challenge.

Now, working under the new PGATour Fantasy Golf format, I've selected my players.

My "numero uno" player is Jim Furyk. He has a home there, and really understands the elevation changes, the wind changes, and the very subtle greens. This represents the first time in three years I've had Jim on my team.

I've selected Scott Verplank as my second player. He's also new to my lineup. He's not played in the Mercedes-Benz Championship since 2002. However, over the past year, his game has matured and become very solid.

In the number three slot is Charles Howell III. This is his first return to the Mercedes since 2003. However he has routinely come to the islands for the first tournaments, starting with the Sony Open.

I have Mark Calcavecchia on my team for the first time. He's a Mercedes veteran and should add stability to my team. He's played well, finishing T-5 in 2002.

Chad Campbell returns to my team this year. He's got plenty of experience at the Mercedes Championship and I really expect him to finish well this year.

My final active player is always a fan favorite... Fred Funk. He's also my oldest player, shortest driver... Depending upon how points are awarded this year, Fred can be a real asset as he drives the ball straight as an arrow, has an awesome short game, and is an accurate putter.

I've chosen Joe Ogilvie as the highest FedEx point golfer and have selected the final round winner's score as 71.

I believe tomorrow they are opening the leagues and I'll find one to join.

Bet ya' wonder what happened...

2007-12-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

Not sure what I did last spring, but long about Masters week, I got locked out of my PGA Tour Fantasy account. No matter what I did, I couldn't get back in... yeah, I requested my password and never received it.

Signing up for a new account wouldn't work, as I wouldn't have my same team... so, I was dead in the water... guess it was time for me to go do some farming.

I'm back... got a new account and I see they're doing things differently this year.

I'm playing the PGA Tour Pick'em Fantasy Game.

This year, we'll be picking an entirely new team for each tournament, selecting one golfer (6 total) from each group of five golfers. I'll then have to select a seventh golfer from the remaining field list and I'll have to predict the winning golfer's final round 18 hole score.

The season starts with the Mercedes-Benz Championship, and I'll select my team tomorrow.

So, I'll be back tomorrow with the low-down on who I'm selecting for the start of the season in Hawaii.

It's Masters Week. The cream always rise...

2007-04-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

I made one big mistake last week... I sat Stuart Appleby on the bench. I did that because he's been struggling miserably this year (in my estimation). Of course, last year he had won the Houston Shell Open... but then, he'd also had a better run up.

This week, he's playing.

My Masters lineup:

Stuart Appleby has made the cut every year since he missed it in 2002. He's still riding my bench... and here's why.

Steve Stricker is hungry. He has a lot to prove as this is his first return trip to The Masters since 2002.

Charles Howell III is a "homey". He didn't do particularly well last year, feeling way too much pressure. This year he knows how to win. He's playing with tons of confidence in his hometown on a course he's played many times.

Geoff Ogilvy is leading the Aussies as the 2006 US Open winner. I like his chances. Last year, as a "Masters rookie" he played to a T16.

I'm gambling with Henrik Stenson. He's an unkown aside from missing the cut last year. I like the way he's been playing this year. His stats aren't particularly reliable as they cover too few tournaments... let's just call him a really "dark horse".

One final thought:

We're now entering the middle "third" of the season. The longer the season, the more difficult to make points moves. My team is currently in second place, six points out of first. For me to move to first, the team in front will have to stumble, and my team will have to play way above average.

Let The Masters be a positive for my team.

Final Tune-up before the Masters...

2007-03-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

This week we're playing the Shell Houston Open and most of the "super-stars" are taking the week off in preparation for the Masters in Augusta next week.

My guys played honorably last week in a tournament that Tiger OWNS. Three of the four were in "high money" and managed to move me up in the rankings again. I climbed all the way to second just three points out of the lead.

So, what do this week look like?

I'm playing my "hot hands" from the West Coast Swing. That means I'm playing Craig Kanada, Doug LaBelle II, Brandt Snedeker, and Steve Stricker.

Here's what I expect from their play this week.

Craig Kanada isn't a long-hitter, so I don't expect points from him on 300+ yard drives. He does put the ball in the fairway 65.03% of the time, so will be looking for contribution to my driving accuracy pct., which is currently 60.83%. With a putting avg of 1.759 he should also contribute in that area. I'm only .003% away from another point in putting.

Doug LaBelle II is another of my "accuracy pro's". He won't provide any 300+ yd drives, but should help with the driving accuracy as he's currently showing a 68.44% avg for staying in the short grass. His putting average matches Craig's and his greens in regulation is slightly above my current standing.

Brandt Snedeker continues to play well. As long as he plays to at least his averages, and makes the cut, I'll be very pleased.

Steve Stricker is my "wylie coyote" of the week. With a third place finish at the Shell Open last year, and then an amazing run after that, I'll be asking him to once again step up to the plate and carry my team. This year's stats aren't really indicative of what he can do... and since he's doing his final tune-up for his first Masters appearance in five years, I'd expect him to really be honing his edge.

Standings wise I need to defend points in driving accuracy, putting, and stroke average. I could gain points in total sand saves (difference of 4 saves), eagles (tied with 10) and the next level is 11. I could move up one more time in putting with really solid play by all four on my team. If they all continue to the weekend, I could also move up the board in stroke play average.

Sliding down the board a bit...

2007-03-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

Gee, I had four guys playing all through the weekend... and dropped clear to 4th, 6 points out of first place.

So much for last week's stratgey.

This week, I'm playing my "hot" players. Forget whether or not their the "undroppables".

Whatever points these guys can muster up will be greatly appreciated.

There's only one cure for what ails this team... these guys have to each play better. They've got to find more fairways, reach more greens in regulation, and put more balls in the hole in less than two putts.

So, how do I think my "hot" guys stack up?

Charles Howell III is ranked #2 in the FedEx Cup run and #15 in the world. He hits the ball a long ways, but only finds the fairway 52.62% of the time. He hits the green in regulation 68.58% of the time and his putting average is 1.76.

Paul Goydos is ranked #9 in the FedEx Cup run and #42 in the world. He doesn't hit the ball a long ways, but he does find the fairway 71.88% of the time. He hits the green in regulation 64.29% of the time and his putting average is 1.757.

Henrik Stenson is ranked #10 in the FedEx Cup run and #5 in the world. He hits the ball longer than Goydos, but not as long as Howell. He finds the fairway 57.14% of the time. He hits the green in regulation 63.89% of the time and his putting average is 1.739.

Geoff Ogilvy is ranked #15 in the FedEx Cup run and #8 in the world. He hits the ball longer than Stenson and finds the fairway 55.47% of the time. He hits the green in regulation 64.51% of the time and his putting average is 1.837.

I don't see gaining points in the 300 yd drive category, as my team is 11 drives behind the next position. The team behind me is 10 drives back.

When it comes to driving accuracy, I have a chance to regain a point if my team can hang it together. My team is .2% behind the next team. I could use a little help from them... suppose they could miss the fairways?

Greens in regulation is where I should gain a point or more as there is .03% to the next point and .2% to the point after that. My team this week will have to play above their average to gain ground as I show a current team average greens in regulation of 65.04%.

I could see improvement in the scrambling percentage, although that's an indication that your team isn't having great success with greens in regulation.

This team shows great promise for moving up a point in putting, if... and that's a big IF, they putt to at least their average, if not slightly better.

Lastly, I could gain a quick point or two with a couple of eagles.

Total birdies, sand saves, and FedEx points take care of themselves with solid play... and all four guys playing on Saturday and Sunday.

Dropped to 2nd place by a half point...

2007-03-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

Last week wasn't nearly as good as I wanted. I limped across the finish with three guys on the the weekend... not good when others had at least three and in one case, four.

In a woulda-coulda-shoulda moment, I would have played Heath Slocum. Who knew he'd make a strong run early, before fading on Sunday.

I'll give him a chance this week along with Stuart Appleby, Charles Howell III and my newcomer, Henrik Stenson.

I've dropped Ryuji Imada in favor of Stenson. As I've watched him play over the last couple of years, he's got a lot of drive, and isn't bothered in the least by less than optimal conditions.

With Stenson, I gain length, a better putting average, and of course, that "winner's edge".

I'm looking for strong play this week from Stuart Appleby. He's off to a bit of a slow start, but has good memories of Bay Hill. He's come close to winning and has finished in the money more times than not.

Charles Howell III is playing so solidly, he's a "no-brainer" to start this week.

My goals are four guys playing on Saturday and Sunday; good putting as I need points in putting average, and it's very possible; over 60% of the drives in the short grass; and nice high finishes for FedEx points.

Most of the other teams in this league are playing four players this week, so the real winners will be those who have the most players playing on the weekend.

Areas where I can attack and move up include putting average. I'm showing a 1.785. With the kind of putting my team averages, I could pick up a couple of points. The team with 5 points shows a putting average of 1.781 and my guys average 1.750. There's only .001 separating me from the next team and a point.

I could pick up points in the stroke average, too if my guys play well. I'm .02 away from the next point as I'm showing tied (sharing a point) at 70.64 with the next point at 70.62. Right now, my team has about a 70.32 average. Like I said earlier... Stuart Appleby's had a slow start. I expect him to come to life this week.

Other points up for grabs include total eagles, as well as the FedEx points.

I have to defend against losing points in driving accuracy and greens in regulation, as well as stroke average.

Four team members playing in the late afternoon on Sunday would give me great joy!

Wow, I'm still in 1st place...

2007-03-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

After a thorough butt-kicking this last week, I was amazed to find myself hanging onto 1st place by .5 points.

Seems PGA National ate everyone's lunch last week.

Ok, some very quick observations... Ryuji Imada is riding my bench for a while... I'm sorry, unless you're injured, you play the game. I wasn't crazy about his withdrawl after going 6 over on the front nine and then quitting.

Others on my team kept playing despite their issues with the course, the wind, and the water.

This week's line up emphasizes putting strength again, as that is where I can gain the most points.

Paul Goydos brings accuracy, and strong putting skills. Additionally, as a winner this year, he knows the feeling.

Charles Howell III brings length, strong putting skills and the same winning knowledge.

I really like Doug LaBelle's scrappiness... he just doesn't quit. Last week he played his heart out to come from 43rd and finsh T-13th.

I'll play Steve Stricker for the first time this year. Last week he played very well and I would expect him to continue. His putting skills and low scoring average are welcome additions.

The only thing left is for these guys to play like I know they can. This week's test will be nearly as difficult as last week. With the Florida "breezes", the courses toughen considerably. Previous PODS Tournament's have been played in the fall, and having lived in Florida, I can attest to the difference between spring and fall.

Here we go... the Florida Golf Swing

2007-02-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

With a whole new location, this should be a very interesting week.

My "franchise players" are sitting out. Stuart Appleby made an early exit at the Accenture WGC Match Play Tournament, while Geoff Ogilvy battled both the elements and some very worthy opponents before losing in a playoff to Henrik Stenson.

This week, I'm concentrating on lowering my putting average. Most of my stats are "safe" from erosion, so time to bring up the point level... after all, I'm only .003 behind the next point break.

My team is a mix between some "young guns" and some veterans. All have proven their worth on the Nationwide tour or have spent years toiling in the shadows of Tiger and others.

Heath Slocum is having a breakout year. So far this year, he's played in four tournaments and has finish no lower than 44th and has two "top 10" finishes. He's also ranked 10th in putting stats.

Ryuji Imada is consistently making it to the weekend. While he doesn't have stellar stats, having him play all four rounds is most important.

Craig Kanada is also doing well each tournament, and has a very good putting average. He's made the cut in all five tournaments and has had top 25 finishes in 3, missing the other two by just a couple of spots.

Doug LaBelle's length helps me defend the driving points. I also expect his putting average will improve as we make the Florida swing.

At this time, I'm in first place by 4 points and feel that with solid play, I can maintain points while hopefully picking up points in the putting stats.

The Golf Channel discovers "Fantasy Golf"

2007-02-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

PGA Tour Insider has just featured a whole segment on "PGA Tour Fantasy Golf". They're calling it the "craze of the season", building on the success of other fantasy games.

I've been playing Fantasy Golf since Yahoo and CBS teamed up a few years ago.

Thankfully, refinements have dramatically improved the game. For me, the biggest improvement was the establishment of leagues, so you could compete within a smaller group, and not be exposed to some the real "idiots" in the forums.

If there is one aspect I've never enjoyed about fantasy golf, it has been the attitude and activities of some of the forum posters in years past.

I currently specialize in the "roto" play rather than the head-to-head competition. Perhaps next year I'll attempt to manage two teams... or then again, I may be way too busy here on the farm to take on the extra work.

Thanks to Charles Howell III

2007-02-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

My strategy paid off... and boy was I ever glad.

I selected my team early in the week and then lost Internet connection until after the Nissan Open had started. Now, normally, I check in again on Wednesday evening to see who changed their mind. This time I couldn't, and thankfully all my team played.

I had Stuart Appleby, Charles Howell III, Ryuji Imada, and Geoff Ogilvy playing this week. I was torn about maybe playing Brett Quigly, but because I lost connection, the decision was made for me.

Thanks to Charles Howell III defeating Phil Mickleson in a 3-hole playoff, I regained the top points in the FedEx Cup.

For the week, I gave up progress on driving accuracy in favor of drives over 300-yds.

Looks like I need to find some decent putters as I'm still falling behind in that stat. Maybe as we move from Po 'Anna to the Bermuda things will change.

Next post I'll talk about this week's lineup... that's if it really happens. As of this afternoon, the PGA Tour Fantasy page wasn't showing that we're playing this week.

Yahoo! I made my goals...

2007-02-12T09:43:00.001-08:00

Goal #1 was to have four players playing still in round #4. Goal #2 was to take over first place in my Fantansy League. Goal #3 was to radically improve my team's driving accuracy stats.

All four of my team members made it through to the final day. Greg Kanada faded slightly, but finished first on my team. Doug LaBelle was a pleasant surprise as he played better on the weekend. Paul Goydos worried me for a while, but pulled through at the end, and Brandt Snedeker held up quite well under all the pressure, and with the very nasty weather on Saturday.

I am now in first place by 4 points. Later I'll reveal my plan to stay there.

My team's driving average improved to the point of earning me four points rather than one.

In all, I am very pleased with how a group of "journeymen and rookies" played over the weekend.

Next post I'll discuss my strategies for the Nissan Open and reveal my team.

Bulletin! Always return and check your team...

2007-02-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

Good thing I make it a habit of checking the final field for a tournament.

This morning I discovered Ryuji Imada has chosen not to play this week. You see, final commitments aren't made until about 48 hours before tournament start time.

Doug LaBelle II is now on my team. There's something about this years rookies... they're much more seasoned, some having toiled for years on the Nationwide Tour, which is not cakewalk. I released Bo Van Pelt even though he has a higher "all around" than Brett Quigly.

Why would I do that? Well, Brett has demonstrated that he can play, and he also has made statements this year about wanting to win, rather than just place. I've not heard from Bo on the subject.

I know y'all think I'm crazy to sit Brett down this week, since he's made statements about how much he loves Pebble, and how he's made the cuts a couple of times, I believe he's still having issues with staying "in the moment" and not being too hard on himself.

So, what do LaBelle's stats look like? He has a 60.48% driving accuracy and is ranked 55th in all around stats. He also has a very good putting stat, and that is critical at Pebble Beach, as it is one of the most difficult courses for making putts.

One other thing, I said weather shouldn't be much of an issue... Wrong, it is expected to be rainy and probably windy, too. The good news is that it's been dry for a while, so maybe it will remain quite playable.

The makings of a winning Fantasy Golf Team

2007-02-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

I've thought a lot about what it takes to win in Fantasy Golf.

Here's what I've discovered.

It's a lot like trying to stick a square peg into a round hole. You see, golf is considered an "individual" sport. Pay attention as this is what I believe is a clue to Team USA's poor Ryder Cup performance.

Most people select their fantasy team based on how individual players finish in various tournaments. There's a place for that... but fantasy team selection has to include much more than the simple finish. It really is about "how they play the game" in addition to whether or not they win.

Let me explain.

My first priority is to select players who make the cut. After all, if you have to quit half way through the tournament, then you're of no value. So, I tend to pay close attention to two things... how are they playing now? That is, are they making the cuts or are they going home?

Secondly I look at their history in past tournaments. Some tournaments don't yield the desired results. While I admire the player who continues to return with the "I'll conquer this course yet" attitude, I'm not likely to consider that player on my team for that week. A history of success is a better indicator of points than desire for success.

For example, a few tournaments are played on multiple courses as opposed to a single course. Like the FBR Open, some are "noisier" than others. The environment has a lot to do with how a player will play. Oh, and don't forget the weather... some folks just hate to play in the rain. Often it has more to do with the delays than with the weather, as they're unable to get into a routine.

Few players play in most tournaments. That means with a full roster of 12 players, I may have a handful who are not playing... or worse, I may have only a handful who are playing, limiting my options.

Once I see who on my roster is playing in a particular tournament, I begin selecting based on point needs to improve my overall standings.

This week it's real obvious. I'm dead last in driving % accuracy. Oh yeah, I've had a bunch of long hitters... but they're not playing in the really nice short green grass on their second shots.

My team driving % accuracy is a mere 55.00% with the next team up the ladder having a 55.57%.

Here's my solution.

Greg Owens was part of my original draft. He's either not played or missed the cut each time I've made him a starter. While he has a nice high driving accuracy %, he hasn't played on the weekend for me. Needless to say, he's been replaced.

I have replaced him with Ryuji Imada who has made three out of four cuts, and placed in the top 20 in all three. While his driving accuracy is not as high as I'd like, his "all around" ranking is 14th.

Jose Maria Olazabal has yet to provide really solid play for me. His driving accuracy is below my team average. His "all around" ranking is very low at 134th on the tour.

I added Paul Goydos, as he is returning to play in the USA. With an accuracy of 64.00% he should provide points. While he did miss the cut last year at the AT&T Pebble Beach, he did very well in 2005. Looking back at the two years, his stats this year are more reflective of 2005. The weather shouldn't be much of an issue, so I expect him to play all four rounds. This year's all around ranking is 38th.

I've removed John Daly as he has the worst accuracy record. I dearly love his long drives, but wild play and missed cuts don't help my team.

I have replaced John with Craig Kanada, who was cut from another team last week. His driving accuracy is 60.22% and he has an all around ranking of 22nd. While he may not have a stellar PGA record, having toiled for years on the Nationwide Tour, he appears ready this year, having made three straight cuts.

So, what does my team look like this week?

The only one I've not mentioned is rookie Brandt Snedeker, who continues to play very well. His driving accuracy is 57.42% and his all around is 68th.

Now, who's on my roster and entered in the AT&T that I'm not playing?

Brett Quigly is sitting this one out as his driving accuracy is way below average and he has an all around average rank of 117th.

Bo Van Pelt is also riding the bench. Again, his driving accuracy is way below average and his all around rank is 90th.

Congratulations to Heath Slocum!

2007-02-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

Heath, you didn't get near the recognition you deserved for your hole-in-one at the fourth hole of the FBR Open. It was especially sweet to see it occur in the fourth round with the raucous crowd.

I played Heath Slocum, Brandt Snedeker, Charles Howell III, and Geoff Ogilvy. Everyone except Geoff made the cut. With three players playing on the weekend, I was able to move to second place, just four points out of first place in my league.

For the season-to-date, my team has earned 7 points for 300-yd drives, 1 point for driving % accuracy, 7 points for greens in regulation %, 5 points for Scrambling %, 2 points for putting average, 4 points for total stroke average, 4 points for eagles, 7 points for birdies, 5 points for sand saves, and 8 points for Fed-Ex Cup rank.

Do you see where I can improve? I sure do...

Check my next post to see what strategy I am using to improve my overall stats.

Buick Invitational and Tiger Woods is playing...

2007-02-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

What a difference a year makes. This year someone else has the Tiger on their team. I'm really ok with that as I had him on my team last year.

There's no doubt he's the greatest golfer on the tour, but because he plays so few times a year on the PGA Tour, you have to have a very strong supporting team to take real advantage of his strengths.

This year I'll be surprised if he plays enough to have a serious impact on the fantasy game.

Made my first roster change. Dropped Ryan Palmer in favor of John Daly. While John is having to rely on sponsor's exemptions this year, he could get hot and provide welcome points in the driving distance as well as short game (100 yds). Then again, he could blow up and be of little value. I'll keep him around for a little while.

My active players for the Buick Invitational include John Daly, Jose Maria Olazabal, Brett Quigly, and Charles Howell III.

Once again, only two of the four made it to the weekend.

The guys with the most experience, Daly and Olazabal didn't make the cut leaving just Howell and Quigly to do battle with Tiger Woods.

Howell gave his all and provided a lot of points as Quigly sort of faded. That's ok, he provided much needed points throughout the four days.

By tournament end, I had climbed to fourth position overall and felt ready to make a charge to the top.

Week 2... the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic

2007-02-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting tournament in that it's played over several courses, each with it's own personality.

This week I didn't have a lot of choices and wasn't prepared yet to execute trades, or drop players and sign free agents.

My team consisted of Charles Howell III, Ryan Palmer, Carl Pettersson, and Heath Slocum. Unfortunately, goal 1... have more than 2 players make the cut wasn't achieved.

For the time they played, however, they did generate sufficient points to move me up the board a bit. When it was all said and done, I was in 5th place still, but only 19.5 points out of first having come in third for the week.

This is better, but my goal is to win this league. To do that I have to assemble a team of players who make the cut, and play to their strengths while supporting the best they can in areas where they are challenged.

Time for a recap of my first week

2007-02-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's been a few weeks since I last posted. I've really been busy with web design and a new site for some folks.

Let's look at week one... how I fared and what I did to prepare for the next week.

This was the Sony Open in Hawaii.

I played Stuart Appleby, Geoff Ogilvy, Carl Pettersson, and Brett Quigly.

Only Ogilvy and Quigly made the cut, and while they did provide me good points, the best I could muster was an overall 5th position and 26 points out of first.

My team generated 5 points for 300-yd drives, 3 points for driving % accuracy, and 2.5 points greens in regulation. We got 4 points for scrambling, 6 points for a good putting average, but only 2 points for stroke score average. Finishing the stats, we tied at dead last with 2 points for no eagles, 5 points for birdies, 5.5 points for sand saves, and 5 points for the FedEx Cup total points.

As you can see, I have my work cut out for me... First goal have more than 2 players still playing after the cut.

And the 2007 PGA Tour Fantasy League is underway

2007-01-21T16:50:00.000-08:00

Wow!

The 2007 season started without me and now I'm playing "catchup".

First, in December, I relocated to a very rural area of Southwestern Utah and we've had either snow or have been below freezing pretty much since I got here.

What's that got to do with golf? Everything... you see, I'm on a satellite connection and it can get a little spotty from time to time. Besides that, I do have another life, one of earning my living on the Internet, so first I work, then I play.

Ok, enough about me... now about the 2007 PGA Tour Fantasy League.

I joined the first league I could find, once I was finally able to get registered for this year. Silly me, I figured if I was registered last year, it would carry over... NOT!

I'm the 8th member of the league, and as usual I believe I'm the only woman... Shades of last year.

The biggest difference this year is that about 30 minutes before the live draft, our satellite connection died, not just for a few minutes... for 5 long days. Thankfully, there was an "auto draft" for those of us who couldn't make it.

Here's my initial 12-man team.

Charles Howell III
Ryan Palmer
Carl Pettersson
Heath Slocum
Stuart Appleby
Richard S. Johnson
Geoff Ogilvy
Jose Olazabal
Greg Owen
Brett Quigley
Steve Stricker
Bo Van Pelt

My two "franchise" players are Geoff Ogilvey and Stuart Appleby. That means they must remain on my team throughout the season.

Overall, for not having had any input, I believe I've fared pretty well. Next posts will discuss each of my team.

Shari

Somwhere in Southwestern Utah, outside of Beryl - Beryl Junction.

Season has ended... actually several weeks ago

2006-09-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, I finished the PGATour Fanatsy League in 2nd place. The fears that I would run away with the lead just never really materialized when Tiger had to take part of the season off. With him out of the picture, my team was little more than average.

That's ok, I'll play again next year. Maybe I'll get lucky and draft Tiger again... maybe I won't. What's important is that it elevated my interest both in golf and in statistics.

Until next season... I'll be rambling on about my views on the Ryder Cup, not why we lost, but what can we do to get it back.

Less that 100 days now 'til the start of the new season!

Shari

It feels so good to have two winners in a row!

2006-07-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

Yep, John Senden broke through for his first win at the John Deere Classic. He then hopped a quick flight to England and the British Open where he made it clear through the weekend.

And then there was Tiger... my man!

I loved the way he out funked Fred Funk... a 2-iron off of nearly every tee, and he actually hit 46 of 48 fairways... That was totally awesome!

Yes, I actually got out of bed before sun up to see Tiger play... and he didn't disappoint me at all.

Watching Tiger methodically go about his business, I was reminded of the great differences between him and Phil Mickleson.

I really believe Phil is in greater need of of a sports psychologist than the entourage he's travelling with. While Pelz and friends can prepare him in every way... twice now, I've heard him apologize for "poor execution". To me, that means his problem kis between his ears... not anywhere in the mechanics of his golf swing.

Tiger, on the other hand, has a mental toughness honed through years of discipline. Sure, he has gone through a two year period of swing changes... preparing his body for the long years ahead.

There's nothing natural about a golf swing when it comes to the impact on your body. Just ask any chiropractor or sports physio-therapist. You place an unbelievable strain on the back, the low abs, the knees and hips.

So, what's next? While I'm solidly in second place now in the Fantasy league, I've set some goals... improve upon my personal league stats. More on that in my next update.

Shari Thomas

And the John Deere Classic is underway...

2006-07-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

Woudn't you know it... just when I have a real opportunity to widen the distance between my team in 2nd place and the also rans, Ben Crane decides not to play.

What's worse... he made that decision AFTER player selection time. Now, normally I wouldn't make mention of this... however... this isn't the first time my homeboy has let me down.

A quick review of his 2006 stats tells me he's off my team for the rest of the year, no matter how much I like to support my local players.

No problem, I'll compete this week with Arjun Atwal, Daniel Chopra, Ruyji Imada, Billy Mayfair, and John Senden.

Looking at their stats, it's no wonder I've climbed back into second place after a couple of disterous weeks.

Onward and upward!

Yikes! We're half-way through the season!

2006-07-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've been playing each and every week... just have had no time to post.

That changes this week as I'm re-committing to this whole blogging thing. I've never been real good at relationships, and having a blog is a little like that. You'll see in the sidebar I have more than one blog. In fact I work online. Since I write for a living, it's somehow less interesting to write for fun.

Time to put the fun back in my life.

Watch for me to make a number of updates as my team has evolved considerably over the season.

As far as the league standings, I'm in a distant 2nd place, thanks in part to a couple of weeks with less than a full team, Tiger's layoff, and other's who have had less than stellar stats.

Shari's picks for the Buick Open... will they propel her to the top?

2006-01-24T11:36:00.000-08:00

Finally, I get to let the Tiger out of the tank! Yes, Tiger Woods is playing this week, defending his title at the Buick Open. Look for this to be the classic battle between Phil Mickleson and Tiger Woods.

The weather is perfect, no rain for the 3 weeks, in the mid 60's and no fog, either. That should make both courses fast, firm and fun.

The South Course has been "toughened", getting ready for the US Open in 2008. Length is the big draw on the South Course. With the dry conditions, I look for the big boys to let the air out as often as possible. Don't ya know I'll be rooting for both Tiger Woods and Chad Campbell to pull out the big sticks.

So, who else is on my team and why?

Little known stat: Kevin Sutherland has never missed the cut at Torrey Pines, and has four Top 10 finishes in 10 starts. Yes, I'll be playing him this week.

Carl Pettersson is an eagle hunting Swede who's been playing very well, especially at the end of the week. He also finished second here in 2003.

Of course I've got Billy Mayfair playing. "Mr Birdie" is an eagle waiting to land, and the greens at Torrey Pines are very Mayfair friendly.

The last guy on my team is Ben Crane. While he's off to a bit of a slow start, he has made 13 consecutive cuts going back to 2005. In my book, playing on the week-end gets me points. Besides that, he's an Oregonian. We don't have many of those guys in the PGA.

Here's my lineup and where I'm looking for points.

Tiger Woods, drives over 300 yds, Successful Scrambles, One Putts, Birdies, Scoring Average, Money with a very strong assist in all the other categories. After all, he was ranked #1 in the all-around.

Chad Campbell, drives over 300 yds, putting (his putter is smoking), and all around help. Chad's confidence is at an all-time high right now, and that alone will carry him forward.

Billy Mayfair, short game assistance including birdies and eagles. When he's made the cut at the Chrysler Classic, he's also made the cut at the Buick, so I fully expect Billy to be playing on the weekend.

Carl Pettersson should provide support points. If he has some breakout rounds, he could be most valuable in the par breakers... scoring birdies and eagles at opportune times. He may be my "bounce back" points man.

Kevin Sutherland loves Torrey Pines. He's a Californian, and even though he's playing way south of his home, the good weather should bring out the best in him. I look for points in driving accuracy, as well as support all around.

Ben Crane is a rookie in this event. I selected him for his tenacity. He's not missed a cut in a long time. I expect all around support from him on the weekend. Should his putter get hot, he could land some big points.

Let the Buick Open begin, under sunny skies!

The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic was AWESOME!

2006-01-24T11:08:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Chad Campbell, I'm in the hunt for league leadership... just 3.5 points back of the leader.

Last week's team came through nicely with 5 of my 6 players still playing on Sunday. Only Sean O'Hair failed to make the cut.

Looking at the weekly (period) standings, I won that hands down.

I'm finally figuring out this "points" thingy... We play for a total of 80 points each week. There are 8 teams and 10 different stats, 1 put, Birdie, 300yd Drives, Fairways Hit, Greens Hit, Bounce Back, Successful Scrambles, Eagles, Money, and Scoring Average.

While it would be nice to lead in all the categories, I just don't see that happening. And that... is where the fun begins.

At the Chrysler Classic, my team led in only one category, Fairways Hit. I scored the full 8 points for my team of 6 hitting 270 fairways over 5 rounds of golf. Fairways hit applies only to par 4 and par 5 holes. At the Chrysler Classic, the players played 5 rounds over 4 different courses. My guys averaged 9 fairways hit per round.
Generally there are 12 to 14 available fairways per round.

My team came in second, scoring 7 points, in Greens Hit, Money, Scoring Average, and Successful Scrambles.

They garnered third place in one putt, birdie, and eagle stats.

Now, I don't consider long driving to be THE most important statistic. It shows as my guys came in 4th in that category. This next week that will change a bit as Fred Funk is not playing, and Tiger Woods is playing his first tournament of the year.

The lowest stat for my team is bounce back. I think I like that. You see, bounce back is a stat that tracks how well you've done after a bogey. I'd rather my guys not have bogeys.

So, here are the standings... overall, I'm in second with 64.5 points. The leader has 68 points. Look for that to change this week.

More to come as I reveal my picks for the Buick Open.

My Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Team

2006-01-18T11:04:00.000-08:00

This week, I've chosen guys I believe will last through the week-end. Was in the enviable position this week of having 9 of them 10 total players actually registered to play in the desert.

I'm going with Sean O'Hair, Ben Crane, Carl Pettersson, Chad Campbell, Fred Funk, and Billy Mayfair.

O'Hair says he actually likes playing with the amateurs in the Pro-Am. It relaxes him and he can play more easily.

While Ben didn't do well in Hawaii, his putting should improve dramatically on the desert greens. Also, there shouldn't be nearly as much wind.

Pettersson is off to a good start and I look for him to continue.

Campbell should give me more long drives this week. I look for the wind to be down and his accuracy to be superb.

Funk, well... mr consistency will never bring me big numbers, but in a supporting role, I can usually count on him to be there on Sunday.

With 90 holes, Mayfair has a lot of extra chances to make birdies this week.

So, there's my team for the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Let's see if I move up in the league standing this week.

Last week... the Sony Open...

2006-01-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

Good learning curve...

I learned that it's best when all six of your guys make the cut. For me, there were four on the weekend, including Chad Campbell.

I managed to come in third in my league, but looking at the stats... the guys who had more players left after the cut were the winners. The guy who had David Toms on his team only had three players after the cut and he landed below me in the stats.

Now... how to figure out who'll make the cut in the desert.

Wow, I'm sure glad that week didn't count...

2006-01-10T21:32:00.000-08:00

Oye! My guys didn't fare so well in the Mercedes... good thing the real rotisserie league hasn't started yet.

Ok, I've done a little "fine tuning" to my team. Ted, sorry dude. You're not playing in the Sony Open, and I've got to fill a team. Doing due diligence on the stats leads me to replace you with Heath Slocum.

While I'm at it, I see that Kevin Sutherland is available and his 2005 stats lead me to believe he's more valuable than Bob Tway.

As far as the Salary Cap... well, let's just say it's a good thing everyone got paid. I'm somewhere near the bottom of the pile in that one.

Sergio was my "Pick-a-Pro" and he didn't win, so no points there either.

All in all, week one was a learning experience.

Mercedes Championship Tournament... after 36 holes

2006-01-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

Question: Who's winning, the golfers or the course?

Have you been following this tournament? There are 28 tournament champions playing, and believe me, about 18 of them are feeling just a little lost right now.

When you look at the leaderboard, there's something very obvious... those who have played there before, or who have played lots of tournaments in very difficult conditions have an obvious edge.

My "Pick-A-Pro" selection, Sergio Garcia is a former winner of the Mercedes. He's on the leaderboard... only a couple of strokes down.

The rest of my guys... well, let's just say they're gaining a lot of experience.

Everyone gets paid this week. With no cut, the salary cap competition will be tough for me to win. I chose to go with the guys on my regular rotisserie tournament. That was more so I could get the hang of tracking stats, than to go in for a quick win. It's a long season, and one tournament with 28 guys most likely won't affect the outcome.

While I was watching the live coverage, I was totally impressed with the utter patience of all the players. I didn't get to watch Carl Pettersson today, as he was having a terrible round, but from what I heard, trying to putt (using the long putter) was really giving him fits.

The tradewinds blew for a second day. Today, they were gusting to over 40 mph. You could see the balls wobbling on the green as players were getting ready to put. Now, that's a serious wind. The beautiful 18th hole which has yielded many eagles in the past, gave up very few birdies even, today. The wind just wouldn't let many players reach the green in two.

Would you believe I heard the tradwinds are forecasted to blow for the rest of the tournament? Kapalua is playing as it was designed, with the tradewinds rather than the more friendly Kona winds.

Watch for scoring to look more like US Open or British Open. The champion will be lucky to be double digots under par, and it wouldn't surprise me to see this go to extra holes again this year.

Appleby has to continue as the odds-on favorite, but I wouldn't write of the top 8 players after 36 holes. That would be Campbell, Furyk, Toms, Singh, Garcia, Browne, Bohn, Bryant, and Short.

I get a sneak peek this week...

2006-01-04T13:55:00.000-08:00

With several of my team playing in the Mercedes Championship Tournament this week, I'll get a sneak peek at their readiness.

I've decided to join the PGATour Salary Cap Fantasy League too. That way I can look at things from a slightly different perspective.

Will I always play the same guys as I have on my roto team? Maybe yes, maybe no. It all depends upon the needs of my teams.

I've also decided to try out this new "pick a pro" thing. My first week pick is Sergio Garcia.

You can only select one pro, and if I understand it correctly, I can't play him again for the rest of the season in this game... talk about a roulette wheel!

Oh well...

My salary cap players this week are Fred Funk, Ben Crane, Sean O'Hair, Ted Purdy and Carl Petterson. They're all on my roto team, so this should be fun.

Bob Estes rounds out my PGA Tour Fantasy Golf team

2006-01-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

With my 10th pick, I chose Bob Estes. Quite frankly, I was surprised he was still available.

Bob is a good journeyman rotisserie pick, as he makes a high percentage of cuts. Playing all four days with average stats is a lot better than no stat to show in my book.

I'll be sure to play him in the FedEx St Jude's Tournament as he seems to favor that course, having won once and then collected another top ten finish last year.

Bob does the Aloha swing, however, he will be my first alternate for the Sony Open.

Bob Tway, one of my solid veteran players

2006-01-03T14:02:00.000-08:00

I chose Bob Tway as my 9th overall pick for his hard working attitude. While he hasn't won in a couple of years, he does post stats which are rotisserie friendly.

He currently ranks 69th on the moneylist, so is able to contribute to the money earners stat. He also has a decent cuts made ranking 18 of 24 for 69.20% on the year.

He doesn't do the Aloha swing so won't be placing him on my active team until late January or early February.

I look for Bob Tway to contribute moderate stats to the game, not shining in any particular area.

Carl Petterson, a dark horse on my team

2006-01-03T13:46:00.000-08:00

There are those who would say I'm nuts for selecting Carl Petterson. On paper he's no more than an average tour player, making the cut in just a little over half his starts (58.2%).

One thing I noticed over the last two years, he plays much better after it warms up. In 2004 he didn't miss a cut after the middle of June, and in 2005, he made the cut in in his last 8 tournaments. He finished that run with a win, a tie for second, a tie for fourth, and an 11th.

In 2004, he was kind of the same way. You can bet I'll be playing him more as the season warms up. Until then, he may be sitting on the fantasy bench.

Carl was my 7th of 10 picks for my fantasy team.

Ted Purdy, a real schedule warrior..

2006-01-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

Ted Purdy played in 34 tournaments last year, making the cut in 28 of them. This bodes well for rotisserie leagues as you can only gain points when you're playing.

I believe Ted is now coming into his prime, having been a pro now for 10 years. Last year was his best year, winning the Byron Nelson and playing in his first ever Tour Championship where he finished where he finished tied for 17th.

When I look at his history and see he's really not played in the PGA that long, I've got to put some money on him. His stats show great promise.

One thing I'll be watching and researching is how he handles poor weather. If memory serves me right, the majority of his missed cuts were in tournaments with weather delays.

Billy Mayfair, my choice for true team player

2006-01-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

Billy Mayfair doesn't win very many tournaments, but when it comes to rotisserie league players, his stats are impressive.

He has a high birdie/bogey ratio. That means he can get the job done.

He doesn't hit a long ball, but when it comes to getting the ball on the green, he was 10th in the league last year.

He also plays in a high number of tournaments and maintains a high cuts made % of 87.10%.

Watch for me to play him in a lot of tournaments, as he brings all around talent to my team.

I chose him as my 6th pick on my 10 man team.

Chad Campbell, another golfer who fits well on my team

2006-01-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

I chose Chad Campbell as my #5 pick. The strength I'm looking for with Chad is his "GIR" where he ranked 20th last year.

His driving average of 294 yards could bring points also.

I know I'll be rooting for him on every par 3... he was 2nd last year in par 3 scoring making birdie on better then one out of every six par 3 holes.

The really good news is that he's pretty consistent, with a nice positive birdie/bogey ratio, and a high cuts made % of 81.5% (22 of 27 tournaments).

Chad will definitely bring depth to my team.

Ben Crane, the hottest "putter" on the tour

2006-01-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

Ben Crane was my #4 pick. I wanted him specifically for his putting, but got a bonus as he also hit nearly 25% of his drives over 300 yards.

A couple of things I'll have to keep an eye on... he only played in 22 tournaments last year. Sure hope he commits to a few more this year.

If it's possible, I'll play him when Tiger isn't playing. He's a very good scrambler having a par breaker % second (on my team) to Tiger.

Fred Funk, the guy I figure to be my "secret weapon"

2006-01-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

I selected Fred Funk with my third pick.

I watched him carefully over the last quarter of the 2005 season, and something has come together for him. Winning the Players Championship has rounded not only his game, but his new-found winning attitude.

Did you see what he did during the "silly season"? That was reason enough for me to select him, even when the 2005 stats didn't look as strong as you'd think.

Sean O'Hair, my "young buck" of the bunch

2006-01-02T20:40:00.000-08:00

I chose Sean O'Hair with my second pick. This young man is polished, has a win under his belt, and the drive and determination to do very well on the tour. I don't personally believe he'll be the least bit affected by a "sophomore slump".

As he is only a second year PGA player, he carried a very low selection rank, easily overlooked by the other team owners.

Here's why I like him on my team. He's one of the longest drivers on tour. He also made a very high percentage of cuts (82.8%). He is also ranked as my second best ball striker (Tiger's #1 on my team). I expect Sean will play a fairly heavy schedule, having made 29 starts last year. His birdie/bogie ratio is 1.36 meaning he makes more birdies than bogies, and that's always good.

He finished his rookie year ranked #38 on the money list and was named "Rookie of the Year". I expect him to rank well within the top 30 this year.

Tiger Woods, everyone's #1 pick... and he's now on my team

2006-01-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

Yeah, Tiger Woods was my #1 pick on my draft sheet. But I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd actually get that pick.

You see, he brings a special set of stats that may or may not lend themselves to being the "franchise" player.

Here's why you need to really pay attention to everyone else.

1. He doesn't play that many tournaments. In 2005, he only played in 22 tournaments. The PGATour Fantasy Golf season is 31 tournaments long. That means I'll have to keep a close eye on Tiger's schedule. He's already announced he's playing in the Dubai tournament, so will reduce his PGA schedule by still one more game. This is also a Ryder Cup year, so he'll be otherwise occupied that week.

2. Tiger is ranked #1 in "Birdie/Bogey" and "Par Breaker %" stats. That means he finds a way to win, no matter what kind of day he's having. Unfortunately, there are 10 different stats, some of which he doesn't rank very well.

PGATour Fantasy Golf rewards you in a total of 10 different stats; Drives 300+ yards, Fairways Hit, Greens Hit, Successful Scrambles, One Putts, Scoring Average, Total Eagles (includes Double Eagles), Total Birdies, Bounce Back, Money Earned.

Now, Tiger is a wonderful driver, but I'm not sure I can count on him week in and week out to produce a high percentage of drives over 300 yards. Great news! I just peeked at the "official rules" and here's how Driving Distance is selected and measured. They'll select 2 holes per round and measure all drives, no matter where they land.

Fairways hit is where Tiger tends to fall down a bit. I'll have to be careful to pair him up with one of my more accurate drivers, like Fred Funk. As an overall ball striker, Tiger ranked #9.

When it comes to the short game statistics... Tiger is ranked #17, and even in Putting stats he's only ranked #13.

What makes him really special though are these categories... Successful Scrambles, Scoring Average, Total Eagles, Total Birdies, Bounce Back and Money Earned.

And for those reasons, he's the most coveted player around. Lucky for me, he's on my team and for 21 tournaments or so, you can bet I'll be playing him.

Journey to the team of my dreams...

2006-01-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

I've been playing the Yahoo version of Fantasy Golf for several years, and finally finished in the top 10,000 this year. To me, that was pretty good... not awesome, but pretty darn good.

When PGATour.com came out with the opportunity to play league fantasy golf as well as a few variations, well... I just couldn't resist.

The last couple of weeks I've been familiarizing myself with some of the abbreviations, and learning my way around the site. Remember... I'm a rank rookie, and have no coach.

My first task was to choose a name for my team. Now, I don't know much about picking team names, but I do know a little about picking domain names, especially when you're looking for great indexing.

For years, I've owned 123Go4Success.com and it got great indexing. Here's a tip I learned from one of my own copywriting coaches... it's not alphanumeric... it's numericalpha. So, why not use the 123Go3SuccessGolf name?

So, after spending many hours reading, clicking on links, thinking about how to do all this, I was finally able to customize my "draft list". I was still a little clueless going into this process, but soon began to feel somewhat comfortable.

The first unknown for me was the draft order. With 8 teams, I could be first last or anywhere in between. I got lucky with the team name, as the draft order (announced as random) was numericalpha.

I had chosen Tiger Woods as #1 not really believing I'd get him. In fact, I was actually aiming more for spot 5 through 8 and had loaded my sheet accordingly. Interestingly, I got Sean O'Hair on my second pick.

Spot #3, where I was again picking first, I got Fred Funk, and then Chad Campbell in the #4 spot. Five through 10 were just as rewarding... Billy Mayfair, Ted Purdy, Carl Petterson, Bob Tway and Bob Estes round out my full team.

To see exactly why I chose these players, stick with me as I write about each one individually. You see, I took the time to completely customize the first 80 slots on my draft list, once I figured out that each team would choose one player in turn,

Ok, on to my personal analysis of each player and why I put them on my draft sheet.

Come with me as I explore the wonderful world of Fantasy Golf

2006-01-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

This is gonna be fun!

I've signed up as the only woman on the first-ever, real PGATour Fantasy Golf League. Oh... and in the automatic draft (we were allowed to customize our lists), I got Tiger Woods as my #1 pick.

Follow along this year as I find out whether Tiger's a blessing or a burden.

I've got a team of 10 guys and get to play 6 each week. This whole thing follows similar strategies of other fantasy leagues. Stats are a really big deal. As a rookie to fantasy leagues in general, watch as I struggle to make heads or tails out of the stats board, and then to make the correct decisions for my "playing team".

Can I rise to the top of this 8 team league? Or will I be an embarrassment to the women in this sport. One woman in an 8 man league, and I've got the team of my dreams.