Fantasy Preview: The Masters

According to Wikipedia, The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters (sometimes referred to as The U.S. Masters outside of the United States) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year. Unlike the other major championships, the Masters is held each year at the same location, Augusta National Golf Club, a private golf club in the city of Augusta, Georgia, USA.

There’s your intro, now on to the picks…

As always, the questionable picks dispensed below are based on Yahoo/PGATour.com league rules.

A-LIST

Phil Mickelson: His dominating performance in Houston left no doubt as to who this week’s favorite is. Lefty is peaking at the right time, shooting a weekend 63-65. He’s as good a bet as anyone to don the green jacket (again) on Sunday.

Nick Watney: He’s been the Tour’s most consistent—and, arguably, best—player all year, leading in scoring average (68.92) and birdies (4.80). What I really like is the short game, as Watney ranks second on the Tour in putting average (1.687 per GIR). He’s gone top 20 in each of his three starts at Augusta, including his first-ever Masters top 10 last April (seventh, including a 65 on Sunday).

B-LIST

Paul Casey: He’s been top 10 three times at Augusta, and he’s hitting a lot of greens (71.30% GIR in four starts). If he starts rolling his putts a bit better, he’ll be right there again this weekend.

Hunter Mahan: Mahan has gone top 10 at Augusta each of the past two years, including a T8 last year. He’s also been solid of late; after going T8 in Houston, he’s been top 10 in three of his past four starts. He’s gotten his putter back on track (1.741 putts per GIR, 30^th on Tour), and if he keeps it up he’s going to be right there on Sunday.

Bubba Watson: He’s the kind of big, high hitter who should thrive at Augusta. The implosion factor is always high with Watson, especially in the majors. But if he could just string together a day or two of steady play…

Justin Rose: Rose has pummeled greens all year (72.82% GIR, third on the Tour) and he’s simply been outstanding of late (T5 at Transitions, T3 at Arnold Palmer before taking a week off). He’ll have extra motivation after missing the Masters a year ago, and he’s always hung around at Augusta. He led after Friday in 2004 before falling apart with a third-round 81. And he finished fifth in 2007. Considering his strong recent play, this could be the year he puts it together.

C-LIST

Anthony Kim: He’s putting it together at the right time. Kim looked solid in Houston, finishing T13 in a week that included a second-round 64, and he has the track record at Augusta (third last year, including a 65 on Sunday, and T20 in ‘09). If you’re looking for a darkhorse, here he is.

Aaron Baddeley: The Aussie is playing arguably the best golf of his career over the past month and a half, including a win at the Northern Trust and a T4 in Houston last week. He broke 70 twice in his last trip to Augusta, finishing T17 in 2009.

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Fantasy Picks for the Wyndham Championship

A-Players
Anthony Kim: AK was on fire before thumb surgery put him on the DL for more than three months. Kim has two events under his belt post-surgery, a T76 at Firestone and a MC last week at the PGA. He was bumped off the Ryder Cup team by Dustin Johnson, so Kim will be looking to show Captain Pavin that he deserves a pick.

Jason Dufner: He's had an up-and-down season, but Dufner is coming off his best showing of the year, a T5 at Whistling Straits.

B-Players
Lucas Glover: Like Kim, Glover was bumped off the Ryder Cup team at the last minute. Fortunately for Glover, he's returning to a tournament where he's had some success. In his six appearances at the Wyndham, Glover has finished in the top 25 five times.

Fred Couples: Couples turned back the clock at Augusta this year, and he's already won twice on the Champions Tour this season. He's skipping the fourth senior major this week to play in an event where he tied for fifth last year.

Aaron Baddeley: After going through another swing change, Badds is slowly working his way back to playing well. While he has only recorded three top-25 finishes, Baddeley has only missed four cuts.

Garrett Willis: Willis has been playing some steady golf lately, finishing in the top 25 in three of his last four events.

C-Players
Carl Pettersson: The Swede tied for 24th at the PGA, less than a month after winning the Canadian Open.

Brandt Snedeker: He tied for eighth at the U.S. Open, recorded top-20 finishes at AT&T National and Greenbrier, plus Snedeker tied for fifth last year at the Wyndham.

Fantasy Picks for the Masters

Master's week has arrived and that can only mean one thing: deciding whether to start Tiger Woods or put him on the bench. This is not an easy Masters to handicap, partly due to the Woods saga, partly due to the players who are playing well on tour this year. Do you start a young, unproven player who has had a hot start like Charl Schwartzel or do you choose a former Masters champ like Mike Weir?

The Pro Tip: The Master's is bigger than Tiger Woods and his controversies. However, Masters week has started out as all Tiger, all the time. It will be interesting to see if players matched with Tiger are affected by all the crowds and media attention, which will probably be more intense than they have ever experienced. So think twice before starting K.J. Choi or fantasy favorite Matt Kuchar, who will both be teeing off with Woods at 1:42 p.m. on Thursday.

A-Group

Anthony Kim
His skill is undeniable, and he is hot after winning last week in Houston. Does he have the maturity to make a run at golf's biggest tournament?  He has six starts this year, with four top 25s, two top 10s, and a win. He is fourth in scoring average and second in scoring average before the cut, so expect two good rounds out of him at least.

A-Group Bench Player

Tiger Woods
I know that he is the Vegas favorite, he owns this tournament and he wants to win this Masters more than any other tournament in his career. However, no one has seen him play a competitive round since the Australian Masters. He might be rusty, he might be nervous, he might let all the personal scrutiny affect him. There is no way to know. Make him a bench player at the least, but it is too risky to waste a start until he is in contention going into the weekend. 

B-Group

Dustin Johnson
Augusta National tried to Tiger-proof the course, but they'll have to buy more land to make it Dustin-proof.  Johnson is third in driving distance on tour, and his game is solid. He is first in par-breakers, second in holes per eagle and birdie average, and has four top 25s this season with a win at the AT&T Pebble Beach.

Retief Goosen
The most consistent player on Tour this year without a win, he looks ready to win a major again. Goosen has finished runner up at Augusta twice--in 2002 and 2007--and should be a factor all four days. I don't know if he has the killer instinct anymore to finally win the Master's, but he will get you fantasy points.

B-Group Bench Players

Hunter Mahan
In the Masters last year, he tied for 10th, and much like Kim he has the game to win a major. Mahan has won in Phoenix this year, and he is ninth in total driving in 2009. Mahan has struggled at points this season, so I am wary about starting him without knowing whether he will be the Mahan who won in Phoenix or the Mahan who missed the cut in Houston.

Camilo Villegas
He had four solid tournaments, including a win at the Honda Classic. He is sixth in driving distance, second in scoring average and third in birdie average. Villegas has the mental ability to shut out distractions and the ability to attack the Augusta pins (T-13 last year). I'd start him if he didn't miss the cut at Bay Hill.  

C-Group

Ian Poulter
He won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, and Poulter ranks first in final-round scoring average. What else do you want?

Bench Player

Mike Weir
He has a green jacket and is a solid bench selection in Augusta. He may be in a little rut right now, with only one top 10 this season in six starts, but Augusta is the place to turn it around. He is first in putts per round, and third in sand saves so his game is there, just not the results.

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

Fantasy Picks for the Shell Houston Open

The Shell Houston Open should be exciting, with the Masters lurking and the players making their final adjustments going into the biggest golf week of the season. Redstone is first-class course, with trees lining the fairways and fast greens, which emphasizes driving accuracy and ball-striking.

The Pro Tip: The last PGA Tour event before the Masters, players want their games to peak around this time, so the well-known, big-time players should be the favorites here. Mickelson may be a tough pick because his family issues are clearly affecting his game, but other players who have been laying low this season may break out this week.

A-Group

Ernie Els
With two wins in a row, how can you not pick Els this week? He is on fire and looks to be a strong pick for his final Master's tune-up in Houston. He is first in scoring average, third in birdie average and leading the Tour in FedEx points and money.

A-Group Bench Player

Anthony Kim
Redstone sets up well for his game, and he may be ready to make a big statement in Houston. He has a runner-up at the Honda Classic along with three top 25s in five starts this year. He is fifth in scoring average and fourth on par 4 holes.  

B-Group

Geoff Ogilvy
He won the SBS Championship, and has an additional top 25 in his five starts this season. He is sixth in birdie average and eighth in putting, which sets up nicely on Redstone and going forward this season.

Lee Westwood
Only has three starts on the PGA Tour this year, in which the fourth-ranked player in the world has two top 25s, one a top 10. He is fifth in sand-save percentage, and averages an eagle once per tournament. 

B-Group Bench Players

Fred Couples
Half-sentimental pick, half-practical. Boom-Boom has three straight wins (on the Champions Tour), and finished second in Houston last year. Throw in his roots as a Houston Cougar and the buzz around him for the Masters and he could be a factor. I have him on the bench, but start the 50-year-old character if you like.

Hunter Mahan
In his last four starts in Houston he has three top 25s, with a T-11 last season. He won the Waste Management Open in Arizona last month, so the Houston heat won't be an issue.

C-Group

Paul Casey
Four PGA starts, four top 10s. He is fending off Els at this point to hold on to his sixth ranking in the world  and is tuning up for a run at his first major at the Masters. Throw in that he is the defending champion and he is putting much better than last season, Casey is a safe start in the C-Group.

Bench Player

Matt Kuchar
He has three top 3s this season, and is first in scoring average, birdie average, final-round scoring average, second in all-around ranking and sixth in putting for this season. If your C-Group starter falters, there is a good chance that Kuchar will be there to clean up the mess.

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

Fantasy Picks for the Honda Classic

The 2010 West Coast swing is in the books, and now the PGA Tour begins the Florida swing with its first stop at the Honda Classic at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. But this tournament, at one of the Tour's toughest courses, always attracts a decent field.

The Pro Tip: The Bear Trap (holes 15-17) tempts players and those who are aggressive and accurate will be rewarded. This three-hole span (two par 5s and a par 3) brings water into play on every hole and it's a great test of mettle. You've got to be mentally tough to survive. Three of the last five winners here hold major titles (Y.E. Yang, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington).

A-Group

Anthony Kim
Had an OK Phoenix Open. While he struggled at times, AK still posted some good numbers and finished T24. From 75-100 yards out, he is first in GIR.

A-Group Bench Player

Steve Marino
He has two top 10s this season and while no one stat stands out, his all-around game is solid and he should be in the mix for a top 10 finish. Steve-O might not be a realistic pick to win the tournament, but he can still get you some points.

B-Group

Y.E. Yang
Won the Honda last season and finished third last week in Phoenix. Looking to become the first repeat winner of this tournament since Jack Nicklaus.

Camilo Villegas
Playing well and coming off two solid tournaments, Camilo will look to continue his recent strong play. He is third in all-around rankings in 2010, trailing only Steve Elkington and Steve Stricker, and he is leading the Tour in driving distance, averaging 311.3 yards.

B-Group Bench Players

Sergio Garcia
Serge has only played two tournaments in America this season, but finished in the top 25 in both. His most recent tournament yielded a fourth-place finish at the WGC-Accenture Match Play, and he looked strong until he fell to eventual winner Ian Poulter.

Robert Allenby
Has finished in the top 5 in his last three starts here, and he is having a strong season, finishing T-8 in Phoenix, T-9 at the Farmers Insurance Open, and runner-up at the Sony Open.

C-Group 

Brandt Snedeker
Having a great season so far, with two top 10s and four out of his five tournaments have produced top-25 finishes. Sneds is first in putting average and second in total birdies.

Bench Player

John Rollins
He has three top 25s out of five tournaments this season, and finished second to Y.E. Yang at the Honda Classic last season. This season he is ninth in total driving and looking to rebound after a disappointing showing in Phoenix.  

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

Fantasy golf picks for the FBR Open

When the FBR Open begins Thursday, the players will have to deal with the Tour's wildest crowds, especially those at the 16th hole. Some guys elevate their games when the gallery is rowdy, while others shrink inside their golf bags or don't even bother to show up. Keep that in mind this week when filling out your roster. I tended to lean toward guys who did well in another intense event held last September in Louisville.

A-Players

Phil Mickelson: With the exception of a missed cut in 2007, Mickelson has recorded five top 10s in his last six trips, including a win in 2005 and a playoff loss to J.B. Holmes in 2008.

Anthony Kim: Coming off a shoulder injury, Kim doesn't seem like a good pick this week. But with the FBR Open being such a rowdy place, I have a feeling Kim will feed off the crowd and have a great finish.

B-Players

Brian Gay: Gay is emerging as a solid player after winning last season and notching three top-20 finishes to start '09. He also has top-20 finishes in his last two trips to Scottsdale.

D.J. Trahan: Another guy off to a good start after picking up his first win in '08 is Trahan. He's a steady driver, and he currently leads the Tour in birdies.

J.B. Holmes: With two wins at the FBR Open, this is as good a time as any to pick Holmes. The defending champion proved in 2008 that he's more than just a bomber. After knocking off Mickelson in a playoff at the FBR, Holmes went on to solid performances at the Wachovia, Players, Memorial and the Ryder Cup.

Hunter Mahan: Along with Mickelson, Mahan is making his debut this week. He was another impressive performer at the Ryder Cup, and he carried that momentum to a T17 at the Tour Championship, a T24 at the Timberlake and a T3 at Tiger's event in December.

C-Players

Charles Howell III: Howell still has trouble closing the deal (see 2009 Sony Open), but he's added some muscle to his frame and posted good finishes in his last two trips to Scottsdale.

Webb Simpson: Who needs experience? Simpson, a rookie, has made a quick first impression on Tour after top 10s in his first two events. I hope he's the next star on Tour -- I've got enough Simpsons references to last an entire season.

Fantasy golf picks for the Mercedes-Benz Championship

The 2009 PGA Tour season kicks off this week at Kapalua, and that means it's time to get ready for another season of fantasy golf. Each week, we'll identify eight players we like -- two A-players, four B-players and two C-players. (Note: This follows the Yahoo! Sports format but should be a good guide for other fantasy games as well.)

My picks for this week's squad:

A-Players
Vijay Singh: For once the Big Fijian is not being overlooked. Singh won the FedEx Cup, took a month off to heal an injury, gave us some tips, then won Tiger's charity event. Now he starts the season at an event where he's finished in the top 10 eight of the last nine years.

Justin Leonard: Ernie Els, Anthony Kim or Camilo Villegas might be sexier picks this week, but many leagues limit the number of times you can pick a player over the course of the season. Like your 401k, you've got to think long term. That's why we went with Leonard this week. He had a very good 2008, and he's notched two top 10s in his last two trips to Kapalua.

B-Players
Zach Johnson: The 2007 Masters champ missed most of the playoffs, and he's been working hard in the off-season to retool his game. He says the Plantation course doesn't fit his eye, but he has a plan this week, which is more than most guys can say.

Daniel Chopra: Lets face it, this might be the only time I pick Chopra all year. And why not? He won here last year, and with the top four players absent this week, it's a good time for players such as Chopra to grab a nice paycheck.

D.J. Trahan: Add Trahan to your list of Players to Watch in 2009. He won the Hope last year, then followed it up with solid finishes in big events, including the U.S. Open (T4), the Bridgestone (T8), the BMW (T5) and the Tour Championship (T17).

Will MacKenzie: Except for a victory at the Viking Classic and a T4 at the John Deere, MacKenzie had a terrible 2008. But he had his coming-out party at the Mercedes two years ago, when he finished T4.

C-Players
Chez Reavie: With a small field this week, it's slim pickings in the C-field. But Reavie is a solid choice after notching his first win last year in dramatic fashion at the Canadian Open. Our guy Peter Kostis thinks Reavie is the next Jay Haas, so it's hard to argue with that.

Johnson Wagner: Loved the way he went out and won the week before the Masters last year, and with a solid finish at the Deutsche  Bank, he should be feeling good heading into 2009.

Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial

Ben Hogan's old playground welcomes five of the top 10 players this week, including No. 2 Phil Mickelson. But don't be lured by all the sexy names. There are several players with low profiles who have done well at Colonial.

Colonial Picks
Phil Mickelson: The 2000 champion at Colonial hasn't been out of the top 25 since missing the cut in February at Pebble Beach. He's clearly the best player in the field, and he'll play like it this week.

Kenny Perry: Perry is a streaky player, and despite some bad breaks last week, he's definitely on a streak of good play right now. Since 2002, Perry has two wins and a second at Colonial.

Anthony Kim: Kim tasted victory at Wachovia, followed it up with two solid rounds at the Players, then crashed on the weekend to finish T42. After a week of rest, look for him to be in the mix this weekend.

David Toms: Winless since the 2006 Sony Open, Toms's game seems to be coming back. He's had several good, but not great, tournaments this year. He has a good track record at Colonial, notching four top 10s in the past eight starts.

Justin Leonard: Leonard has never missed the cut in 14 trips to Colonial, and in 13 events this season he has seven top-25 finishes.

Sleeper
Nathan Green: How's this for a track record? In two starts at Colonial, Green has yet to finish outside the top five.

Players to Avoid
Rory Sabbatini: There's only one player who defended his title at Colonial: Ben Hogan.

Steve Stricker: The Comeback Player of the Year the past two seasons needs another comeback after missing cuts at the Masters, Wachovia and the Players.

Geoff Ogilvy: He missed the cut at the Players, and he's making his first appearance at Colonial since 2005. Ogilvy's best finish in five starts is 34th.

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.

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.