Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Fantasy Golf: The Bridgestone Preview

I'm basically pinning my whole one and done season on this tournament as I've been sitting on Tiger since January under the theory that, no matter what happens, we'll always have Firestone where he's won seven times and, more importantly, where he usually wins when he's on his game which he appears to be now (I think). This is clearly one of his favorite courses and every time he's played a track this year where he's super comfortable with the layout, he's won. (I'm not counting the Masters because the ball off the flagstick into the water may honestly have been the worst break in golf history and cost him the tournament).*

The bottom line is that if you still have Tiger on your bench, you're either using him here or next week and we all know how screwy the PGA Championship can be. Four of the last five winners have been Keegan Bradley (when he was a rookie), Martin Kaymer (before he started wearing a scarf on the course), Y.E. Yang (in the tournament that may have sent Tiger over the edge) and Padraig Harrington (in one of the least memorable majors ever).** Not to mention, the last time the PGA was played at Oak Hill in 2003, Shaun Micheel won it over Chad Campbell, Tim Clark and Alex Cejka with Tiger finishing tied for 39th. (Your other three major winners in 2003 were Mike Weir (Masters), Jim Furyk (U.S. Open) and Ben Curtis (British Open) with Tiger finishing T15th, T20th and T4th respectively. I think the WNBA and reruns of Full House had better ratings than the majors that year.***  

Anyway, here are this week's rankings. After Tiger are the two players who I think are currently the best and second best in the world followed by two top five machines. Dustin Johnson is right on the bubble but, before you pick him, be sure to read the disclaimer in the caption below.
  
I had Dustin Johnson on the list but
. . . CRAZY GIRLFRIEND ALERT!!!
The Bridgestone Top Five

1. Tiger Woods
2. Adam Scott
3. Justin Rose
4. Steve Stricker
5. Matt Kuchar

Last Week's Report Card: B+

1. Matt Kuchar -  T2nd
2. Hunter Mahan - W/D
3. Brandt Snedeker - 1st
4. Graham DeLaet - M/C
5. Morgan Hoffman - T52nd

I probably would have gone A- here if DeLaet had made the cut because I'm not penalizing myself for Mahan's decision that made every wife in America turn to her husband and say, "you'd have done the same thing right?" (More on that later). The only surprise was that Mahan wasn't my one and done pick of the week as I had already used him at the Houston Open where he missed the cut.**** I'd like to say that wound has long-since healed but they never really do. At least I didn't have to suffer through what must have been a brutal Saturday realization for those who picked him and then stared at their phone in disbelief as the letters "W/D" appeared next to his name. That would have made for an awkward afternoon at the beach with the FGW and kids . . . "why does daddy keep staring at the ocean and saying bad words?"

Endnotes

* What about Muirfield? He loves that course but he shot 79 on Saturday and finished tied for 65th? (Inserting fingers into ears) LA LA LA LA LA LA.

** Ben Curtis and Sergio Garcia tied for second followed by Henrik Stenson, Camillo Villegas and Steve Flesch. You had to drop all the way to 7th before you found any star power in Phil Mickelson. The tournament that year was hosted by Oakland Hills Country Club which is outside of Detroit and the most recent major played there prior to the 2009 PGA Championship was the 1996 U.S. Open won by the immortal Steve Jones. Might be time to stop playing majors at a course called "Oakland" something located just outside of Detroit. That's just too much bad mojo to overcome. (Reason no. 267 why I write the Fantasy Golf Report under a fake name).
That about sums up my 2013 season.

*** The mere mention of the year 2003 causes PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem to have flashbacks to the nasty phone calls from sponsors and the next thing you know he's Paul Dooley from Breaking Away - Refund?!?.

**** My pick last week was Ernie Els who made the cut on the number and then climbed all the way into a tie for 21st so, with two weeks left in my season, things may finally be looking up (cue the falling anvil).

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1 comment:

Takeareport said...

Tiger won't return to his famous form by playing only in majors and favorites and paid appearances.

This is one of two appearances between the Masters and the PGA that is not a major. (Other being TPC at Sawgrass.)

No grind in his schedule, no Scottish Open, no Canadian Open, etc. I'm not saying I wouldn't do the same, but the talk about him catching Jack is hot air. No golfer cruised his way to the top and Nicklaus' style was always to play more tournaments.