In just the past couple of years, fantasy golf has grown in popularity - joining its baseball, football, and basketball counterparts. If you're following the sport from a fantasy perspective for the first time, you'll be pleased to know that being a scratch golfer yourself is not necessary. As long as you become knowledgeable about the game, and are able to differentiate between Augusta National from your neighborhood Putt-Putt establishment, you can be successful with your own team of professional grinders.
Good examples of Fantasy Golf games on the market include, but are not limited to...
YAHOO FANTASY GOLF - This free game allows teams to carry a roster of two listed "A" golfers, along with four "B's", and two "C's". Out of those you can have one A, two B's, and one A active for each round. Lineup changes are allowed for each day. You can use the same golfer for up to ten tournaments for the entire season (out of 40). Even if you have a golfer active for one round in a given tournament, that counts as an appearance for the week. This puts a premium against wasting a valuable performer for just one round. Points are rewarded for each round as follows, the golfer with the best score that day gets 20 pts, other golfers get 20 points minus 2 points x each stroke behind the days best score. Example, your golfers that day finish with -5, -3, -1, and +2. The best score of the day was -6. Your team then gets 46 points (18, 14, 10, 4). The winner of the tournament, as long as you have him active for at least one round, nets an additional ten points, the second place finisher five, along with two for third place.
CDM TOUR TRADE - Similar to "Challenge" games CDM runs in other sports, this games allows an active roster of nine regular tour golfers, along with senior tour golfers - which must stay under a ten million dollar cap. You receive points equivalent to the money earned by the golfers that week. This makes the performance of players in major tournaments more important than in normal tournaments.
CDM ONE AND DONE - The object is to simply choose one golfer each week for 37 weeks. No golfer can be used more than once for the entire duration. Again, points are awarded equal to prize money earned.
CDM MAJORS CHALLENGE - Involving only the traditional four major tournaments, players select a unique foursome for each event.
Now for some insight on some of the highlights occuring during the 2002 Golf season. The most important tournaments as far as prize money are concerned is as follows...
Now for helpful tips to improve your fantasy golf game...
 |
It never hurts to put a Tiger in your tank, just be careful on when to use it... |
Tiger Woods Schedule - Obviously, you'd like to have TW in any event he plays. His usual schedule is selected and is as follows - Pebble Beach (February), San Diego (February), Match Play, Bay Hill (March), Players Championship, Masters, Colonial (May), US Open, Western Open (July), British Open, Buick Classic (possible, in August), PGA, World Invitational, Canadian Open (possible, in September), World Championship, Disney Open (October), and the Tour Championship. That would put Tiger in about 16-17 tournaments. TW will also play in the Ryder Cup along with a handful of European events.
Check Entrant Lists - Obviously, no player participates in every tournament. The top-level tend to enter the big-money tournaments. Tournaments that occur in the weeks immediately proceeding or following a major (especially the British Open) are devoid of the big names. The event running accross the Ryder Cup in September will be another opportunity for some of the lesser stars to shine. Same holds true for late-season tournaments (the Fall Finish). Also keep tabs on the European Tour stars who come stateside for a warm-up tournament or two before a major. One other note, take one final look at the wire on Wednesday Night. Big names are notorious for pulling a last second withdrawl (with no warning) at literally the last second, especially when it is not a major tournament.
Come Up With a Game Plan - For the Yahoo and One and Done game, you need to have a plan on when to use particular players. Use players who have had a good record at a particular tournament (golfonline and thegolfchannel.com are good resources). Grab the European stars in those tournaments in which they are available. Know your grinders (think Jerry Kelly) for some of the lesser events. Late in the year keep an eye on players trying to break into the top thirty (to qualify for the Tour Championship) or even into the top 125 (to keep their Tour Card), who will be especially motivated. An intriguing question for One and Done is when to use your Tiger. One good possibility is to wait all the way until the Tour Championship, when TW will only have 29 other competitors. The risk though is if some autograph seeker manages to step on his foot and know TW out of action, then you're out of luck. The more conservative play may be to use Tiger in the World Invitational in Akron, where he usually dominates.
Be Aware of the Cut - In a typical tournament, approximately 150 players start on Thursday. The field is normally pared down to 70 (plus ties) after the second round on Friday. Players not making the cut do not earn any money for that week. Be sure to replace players (if possible) who failed to make the cut for the weekend. Events with a limited field (World Championship Events and the Tour Championship) do not have a cut so you need not worry on those weeks. The International Tournament in August has two cuts -one after Round 2 and another after Round 3. The top 36 players then participate in the final round.
There are other varitions to the golf schedule to be aware of. Events are always subject to weather delays and/or postpoments. In Yahoo this does not change the daily deadlines, so you may have to do some guesswork in speculating who will end up making the cut. Most tournaments make every effort to play the full 72 holes, even if it means a Monday finish - although a shortened 54 hole tournament is also a possibility. Also, the Las Vegas Open (in October) is a 90-hole event beginning on Wednesday.
One and Done begins with the Match Play Championships, which is a simple bracketed elimination tournament (similar to the NCAA Hoops tourney) featuring 18-hole matches. In 2000 64 of the 65 top-ranked golfers particapated with the final four featuring heavyweights Tiger Woods, David Duval, and Davis Love, along with Ireland's Darren Clarke. The tourney ended with Clarke (then ranked #19)upsetting TW in the 36 hole final. The 2001 Match Play tourney was held in Austrailia just after New Year's, with many players skipping the event. Unhearlded Steve Stricker (not even ranked in the top 100) was the winner there. I suggest using a foreign player for this, as this format often proves to be a crapshoot. It wouldn't even be a shock for the #64 player (no slouch) to knock off TW over 18 holes in Round 1. Yahoo will not use this event, instead using the Tucson Open consisting of the diluted field of those not in the Match Play Event.
Although the majority of events take place on one course, some (Pebble Beach, San Diego, Las Vegas among others) utilize multiple courses. The US Open, British Open, and PGA are played on different courses each year. The Masters is always played at Augusta National but the course has been lengthened dramatically this year (will favor long, accurate hitters). Another good idea is to scout the courses for upcoming tournaments. No two courses are alike, some favor the long hitters, some favor accuracy, and still others put an even bigger premium on putting.
If a newcomer to the world of fantasy golf, take notes as the season goes on. Pay attention to who is playing well, as well as who performs on certain types of courses. Just as in participating in the game itself, experience and homework is the best way to improve in the weeks, months, and years to come.