Fantasy picks for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach

A-Players
Zach Johnson: With conditions expected to be firm and fast, short-knockers like Johnson should be in the mix. The 2007 Masters champion won at Colonial last month, and he ranks ninth in driving accuracy, is deadly with a wedge and is one of the best putters on Tour.

Phil Mickelson: This seems like as good of a time as any for Phil to get his first U.S. Open trophy. "The Thrill" has five second-place finishes at the U.S. Open, and he has won the AT&T three times.

B-Players
Jim Furyk: The 2003 U.S. Open champion already has two victories this season, and he's coming off a T10 at the Memorial. Furyk also tied for second at the 2006 and 2007 Opens.

Rory McIlroy: The 21-year-old tied for 10th in his first U.S. Open last year. Since then he's won at Quail Hollow and become one of the top-10 players in the world.

Lee Westwood: After surviving a grueling week in Memphis, the world No. 3 comes into the U.S. Open fresh off a win and brimming with confidence after finishing in the top five in the last three majors.

Adam Scott: Remember this guy? A top-three player just two years ago, Scott is back after winning the Texas Open and rediscovering his putting stroke, thanks to Dave Stockton.

C-Players
Mike Weir: The 2003 Masters champion may not jump out as a U.S. Open contender, but he should. Weir has finished in the top 20 in eight of his 11 starts at the U.S. Open.Plus, Weir has seven top 10s at the AT&T.

Francesco Molinari: The Italian has four top 10s in his last eight starts, including a ninth-place finish at the Players.

Fantasy Picks for the Valero Texas Open

The star of this year's Texas Open isn't Ernie Els or Sergio Garcia. Nope, it's the golf course. A week after playing at TPC Sawgrass, the TPC San Antonio Oaks course debuts this week. Zach Johnson is the two-time defending champion, but how much will past results factor in on a new course? That's something to keep in mind this week when making your picks.

A-Group
Zach Johnson: The Texas Open is at a new venue, and, surprisingly, Johnson has yet to record a top-10 finish this season. Still, it's hard to go against a player that's a two-time defending champ.

Justin Leonard: It's also hard to go against someone with eight top-10 finishes, including two wins, in his career at the Texas Open. Once again, past results are not a great indicator this week, and Leonard has missed four cuts this season, but he's a great option to have on the bench.

B-Group
Bo Van Pelt: Talk about someone who is due for a win -- Van Pelt has finished in the top five in his last three starts.

Adam Scott: I can't remember a time when picking Scott has turned out well, but I'm giving him another chance. While he hasn't won since the 2008 Byron Nelson, Scott has finished in the top 30 in four of his last five starts.

J.B. Holmes: I've used Holmes quite a bit this year, so I am keeping him on the bench. He's coming off a T13 at the Players, his sixth top-25 finish of the season.

Fredrik Jacobson: The flashy Swede has five top-25 finishes this season, including a T10 last week at Sawgrass.

C-Group
Jarrod Lyle: Another solid player from Down Under, Lyle has been playing well on two tours this year -- he has two top 10s on the PGA Tour, and two top-five finishes on the Nationwide Tour.

Matt Jones: Another unknown who's having a good year is Jones. He's missed five cuts, but Jones has recorded top 10s at the Hope, Pebble, New Orleans and Quail Hollow.

Fantasy Picks for the Northern Trust Open

This week the PGA Tour visits Riviera Country Club, which has been a lot kinder to two-time defending champion Phil Mickelson than Torrey Pines. Philly Mick will look to bounce back here after a disappointing 19th place finish at Torrey Pines.

The Pro Tip: Three peat? Not likely. Phil has a tendency to build toward a big moment, then have it fall apart on him. Since we all expect him to dominate the Tour while Tiger is gone, Phil will make sure to defy our expectations. Then he'll probably play lights out once Tiger returns. That's what makes Phil fun to watch and also why we think there's a better chance of Phil filming another "Entourage" clip while in L.A. than winning at Riviera.

A-Group 

Bill Haas
We may only be three tournaments into the season, but Bill Haas sits atop the FedEx Cup rankings entering the Northern Trust Open. Remember Fantasy Rule No. 1: Play them while they're hot.

A-Group Bench Player

Ryan Moore
In three tournaments this year, the supremely talented Moore has two top-10 finishes and is starting to tap into his vast potential on the course.

B-Group

Robert Allenby
Two tournaments. One runner up, the other a top 10. He is playing his best golf in years and hasn't criticized any players for staying out past their bed time.

Adam Scott
Call it a gut feeling. Adam fell from third in the world to off the radar during his terrible 2009 season. Then the Shark surprised everyone by picking his fellow Aussie for the Presidents Cup. In December Scott won the Australian Open and is now looking to bring that success across the pond to the PGA Tour.

B-Group Bench Players

Padraig Harrington
Harrington spent much of last season doing what the great golfers do best: fine-tuning his swing. Although he was criticized for too much tinkering, Harrington maintained that he needed to make changes to remain competitive in future years. It's his first tournament on the PGA Tour this season, and it will be interesting to see how Harrington's swing looks now. It looked pretty good at the PGA Championship until the fourth round.

Chad Campbell
Two missed cuts in three tournaments, but the other tournament was a top 10. If he makes the cut, he does well. Ideal bench player.

C-Group

Davis Love III
Another sentimental pick? Not exactly. Love has the lowest scoring average on Tour this season with a 67.39. (Of course he's only played one tournament, but that's still impressive.) He also leads the Tour in driving average at 314.6 yards.

Bench Player

Ricky Barnes
Had a nice tournament at Torrey Pines and, much like Ryan Moore, may be ready to fulfill the promise of a U.S. Amateur champion.

*All picks for Yahoo Fantasy Golf format. Confused? Check out the Golf.com Guide to Fantasy Golf.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the Quail Hollow Championship

With the Tour in Charlotte this week for the Quail Hollow Championship and then the Players Championship next week, the A-list players are out of their post-Masters hibernation. With an abundance of big names, it's time to start making some tough decisions about which players to start this week.

A-Players
Phil Mickelson: One could argue Phil is playing better than Tiger right now, plus Phil also has an excellent track record in this event: three top 10s in five starts.

Tiger Woods: I almost sat the World No. 1 this week, but it's hard to pick against Tiger. Even though he didn't play well at the Masters, he still finished T6.

B-Players
Nick Watney: After a great start to the season, Watney missed his first cut of the year last week in New Orleans. I'm not ready to give up on him yet. He's never missed the cut at Quail Hollow, and I think with some extra time off last week he'll be ready to contend.

Rory Sabbatini: Some poor putting on the back nine cost Sabbatini a win last week. However it was his second straight top 10 and third consecutive top-20 finish.

Adam Scott: Not a sexy pick, since Scott has missed three straight cuts, but he's too good of a player to stay down for long. In four trips to Charlotte, Scott hasn't finished out of the top 25.

Sean O'Hair: Quail Hollow hasn't been kind to O'Hair, but he's been very consistent this year. In nine events he has finished out of the top 25 only once -- a missed cut at the Transitions.

C-Players
Robert Karlsson: The big-hitting Swede isn't a household name, but he's 11th in the World Golf Rankings and one of the best choices from the C-players.

Retief Goosen: Charles Howell III is a better choice this week, but I've used him a lot this season, so the Goose gets the second spot this week. Besides, Howell is coming off another tough loss, while Goosen is playing for the first time since the Masters.

Fantasy golf picks for the WGC-CA Championship

Good news this week for fantasy players: there is no cut at the WGC-CA Championship! (Cue the party horns.) When setting your team, don't forget the type of players who do well at Doral: major champions ... especially those named Tiger Woods.

A-Players
Tiger Woods: Ok, so this isn't a shocker. Rusty or not, it's very hard to go against a guy who's won six of nine CA-Championships and three of the last four events held at Doral. Plus, this is the first time I've used Woods all year. Nine more to go!

K.J. Choi: Feel free to take Geoff Ogilvy -- he's a very good pick -- but I just have this feeling Choi is going to win another big event soon. He has three top-15 finishes this season, plus he has consecutive top-20 finishes at Doral.

B-Players
Zach Johnson: Already a winner this year, the former Masters champion has two straight T9s at Doral.

Aaron Baddeley: Badds hasn't done anything spectacular this season, but he has a T15 and T6 at Doral, and he's always a threat with his putter.

Adam Scott: He hasn't done much on the PGA Tour since a T2 at the Sony Open, but coming off a T9 last year at Doral, look for Scott to have a pretty good week.

Rory McIlroy: Ok, so the teenager doesn't know how to putt on bermuda greens. (Thanks for telling us that over and over again, Johnny Miller.) But for someone who can't putt on bermuda, he still finished T13 at the Honda.

C-Players
Retief Goosen: He tied for second last year, and with a third-place finish at Pebble, it looks like the Goose is close to getting his game back.

Ian Poulter: With his strong performances at the British Open and the Ryder Cup, Poulter seems to have taken his game up a level. I think he could be the next Geoff Ogilvy. (Hey, it's more realistic than calling him the next Tiger Woods.)

Players Championship

With one of the best fields of the year, even without the injured Tiger Woods, the Players Championship offers plenty of big names. But you may want to leave the biggest name in the field off your roster. There has never been a repeat champion at the Players, so if you believe in jinxes, keep Phil Mickelson out of your lineup.

Players Picks

Adam Scott: The 2004 Players champ followed up his playoff win at the Byron Nelson with a top-10 finish last week at Wachovia. He has three career top 10s at the Players, and he has only missed the cut once.

Retief Goosen: Playing in his first PGA Tour event since a T17 at the Masters, Goosen has missed five cuts at the Players, but his recent history shows improvement with a T28 last year, second in 2006, and a T12 in 2005.

Anthony Kim: This was a tough call. Who knows how he'll play after his first Tour victory? But he's played great in three straight tournaments, and after missing the cut last year in embarrassing fashion (78-83), Kim has a lot to prove this week.

Jim Furyk: He lives a pitch and a putt away from Sawgrass, but that hasn't meant much for Furyk's success at the Players. He has only two career top 10s at the Players. But, he's only missed the cut once and he's on a roll, with two straight top 10s at the Wachovia and the Verizon.

Stewart Cink: This guy is due. Cink has three straight top 10s dating back to the Masters, and he has recorded four top-five finishes this season. After a lackluster record at Sawgrass, Cink finished T3 last year.

Sleeper

Fred Couples: It's hard to call a two-time Players champion a sleeper, but Couples has quietly notched three top 10s this season, including a T8 last week. He got in at the last minute after Will MacKenzie withdrew, so look for Couples to make the most of his good fortune.

Players to Avoid

Justin Leonard: The 1998 Players champ is having a great season, despite no W's, but he's struggled lately at Sawgrass, missing three straight cuts.

Steve Stricker: After another great start to the season, Stricker has cooled off in his last four events with three missed cuts. Plus, he hasn't played well at Sawgrass since a T6 in 1999.

Trevor Immelman: What a strange four-event stretch for Immelman. He missed the cut in Houston a week before the Masters; he won the Masters; then Immelman missed the cut the past two weeks. In three trips to Sawgrass, Immelman has yet to make the cut.

Wachovia Championship

We'll be going through some Tiger withdrawal this week, as the defending champion is recovering from knee surgery. But even without Tiger, it's the first of two great weeks in golf. Big events usually bring out the big names, and that's what we're banking on this week for our fantasy lineup.

Wachovia Picks
(Last 5 events are listed oldest to newest, with the most recent result at right.)

Phil Mickelson
Best Finish at Wachovia: T3 (2007)
Last 5 events: T17, T21, T20, T23, T5
With the exception of his missed cut at Pebble Beach, Mickelson hasn't finished worse than 23rd in nine events this year. His putting may keep him from winning this week, but look for Mickelson to be in the hunt.

Vijay Singh
Best Finish at Wachovia: Win (2005)
Last 5 events: T36, T5, T3, T2, T14
Singh has four top 10s in five  appearances at the Wachovia. He's been close all  season and seems due for a win.

Adam Scott
Best Finish at Wachovia: 3 (2006)
Last 5 events: T17, T9, WD, T25, Win
Scott came through with a big win last week after he nearly threw it away. The way Scott won, with a 9-footer on the final hole to force a playoff and a 48-footer to win on the third playoff hole, shows what kind of a competitor he is. He knows he can make an ever bigger statement this week with another strong finish.

Geoff Ogilvy
Best Finish at Wachovia: T10 (2006, 2004)
Last 5 events: T10, T14, 1, T2, T39
After missing three straight cuts to start the season, Ogilvy is looking like the same guy who won the U.S. Open in 2006. After another WGC win at the CA Championship in March, he almost won again in his next start, finishing second in Houston. Plus, Ogilvy has never finished outside the top 25 in four starts at Wachovia.

Jim Furyk
Best Finish at Wachovia: Win (2006)
Last 5 events: T31, T2, CUT, T33, 4
Furyk has had an up-and-down season so far with three top-5 finishes and two missed cuts. Our Tour insider said Furyk is back to putting well, so look out for him this week and next week at Sawgrass.

Sleeper

Kevin Sutherland
Best Finish at Wachovia: T10 (2004)
Last 5 events: T38, T14, T42, T8, T7
Sutherland has two-straight top 10s, and he has never missed the cut in five starts at Quail Hollow.

Players to Avoid

Luke Donald
Best Finish at Wachovia: T15 (2004)
Last 5 events: 2, CUT, T20, CUT, T19
Donald has been solid one week, then off the next. Judging by his record at Quail Hollow, Donald won't find his game this week. He has made only one cut in four starts at the Wachovia.

Stuart Appleby
Best Finish at Wachovia: T15 (2004)
Last 5 events: T10, CUT, T34, T23, T14
It's easy to pick Appleby since he is tied with Tiger Woods and Stewart Cink for the most top 10s this season. But he hasn't scored a top 10 in nearly two months, and he's only made one cut at Quail Hollow.

Zach Johnson
Best Finish at Wachovia: 84 (2007)
Last 5 events: T54, T9, T57, T20, CUT
Johnson hasn't played that well this season, and he's never played well at the Wachovia, missing three cuts in four starts.

EDS Byron Nelson Championship

The Tour is back in the Lone Star state this week, so that means your fantasy roster should be filled with guys from Texas, right? Whoa there, cowboy. Last year, Scott Verplank became only the third Texan in 43 years to win the Nelson. Here’s who we like this week.

Nelson Picks

Luke Donald: A quick recap of Donald’s last four tournaments: 2, Cut, T20, Cut. Going by those results, Donald is due for a good week. Plus, he has two straight top-10 finishes in this event, and he hasn’t finished out of the top 20 since missing the cut in 2002.

Trevor Immelman: The Masters champ is making his first appearance since donning the green jacket, and it would be easy to pick against him due to fatigue, etc. While only one guy (Tiger Woods) has won the next tournament following a Masters victory, 15 of the past 20 Masters champions have finished in the top 25. In short, if you’re looking for some safe points, take Immelman.

Adam Scott: He’s the only top-10 player in the field this week, and Scott could use a win to lift his spirits after an illness hampered his preparations for the Masters. Scott recorded a T3 in his only appearance at the Nelson in 2006.

Anthony Kim: Kim was great television last week as he tried to catch Boo Weekley in Harbour Town. Kim knows he is close to winning his first tournament, and it showed last week as he seemed to live and die with every shot. His desire to win could hamper his efforts, but look for him to cash another big paycheck this weekend.

Scott Verplank: The defending champion has only one top 10 finish this year, and he has missed the cut in three of his last five starts. But Verplank, a friend of the late Byron Nelson, had only one top 10 entering last year’s Nelson, and he won. Verplank seems to find magic at this tournament, and look for him to find it again this week.

Sleeper

Rod Pampling: He’s missed five of his last eight cuts, but Pampling has two-straight top-10 finishes at the Nelson, and he hasn’t missed the cut since 2003.

Players to Avoid

Justin Leonard: It’s hard to go against a guy who (A) Is having a great year, and (B) Is from Texas. But Leonard is playing for the fourth straight week, and he hasn’t done very well in this tournament. In 14 trips, he has only two top-10 finishes. 

Sergio Garcia: The 2004 champion would be a great choice every week if putting wasn’t a factor in golf. Garcia’s struggles with the flat stick this year are well known, and so far, things aren't looking any better on the greens for Sergio.

Shell Houston Open

Only one more week until Jim Nantz's silky-smooth voice is cooing through our TV sets. The Shell Houston Open is not the Masters, but it should be a nice warm-up for the year's first major.

The world-class field includes Phil Mickelson and the defending champion, Adam Scott, and the course will be set up with Augusta-like conditions.

Speaking of world class, keep the Australian players in mind this week. In the past 10 years, Adam Scott ('07), Stuart Appleby ('99, '06) and Robert Allenby ('00) have won in Houston. (Vijay Singh won in '02, '04 and '05, but he's not in the field this week).

Houston Picks

Stuart Appleby: He has one of the best records in this event, with two wins and two runner-up finishes. He also has five top-10 finishes in seven events this season.

Phil Mickelson: Mickelson is playing this event for the first time since 2003 because of the course conditions. An Augusta-like setup should favor the two-time Masters champ.

Padraig Harrington: We liked Harrington last week because of his stellar play across the globe this year, and he didn't let us down, finishing T4. He's played this event twice, making the cut both times.

Adam Scott: The defending champion defends well. Scott has five PGA Tour wins, and he has followed three of those victories with top-10 finishes in the same event the next year. Will he make it four of five this week? Scott even defends his unofficial wins well. He won the rain-shortened '05 Nissan Open, and finished second in '06.

K.J. Choi: It's a hometown event for Choi, and he hasn't finished out of the top 20 since missing the cut at the Buick Invitational.

Sleeper

Bob Estes: It's been a rough year for Estes. He has made only three cuts in eight events. But he made the cut last week, and he has two straight top-10 finishes in this event.

Players to Avoid

Steve Elkington: Elkington is off to a nice start this year, but he's never fared well in Houston. In his last six trips to Houston, Elk has made the cut only once.

Andres Romero: Romero had a great win last week, but this will be his first start in Houston, and he may be looking ahead to his debut at Augusta.

Steve Stricker: Despite his good play this year, and in this event, we're going to side with our anonymous Tour pro and say that Augusta-like course conditions may not favor Stricker.