Fantasy Preview: Transitions Championship

This week it’s off to the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club for the Transitions Championship. The Copperhead Course at IR&GC (as the kids call it) is a par 3-heavy course (five of 'em) featuring the kind of tight fairways that demand precision and mistake-free golf.

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

A-LIST
Padraig Harrington: I was going to give this spot to Nick Watney, but it seemed a little too on-the-nose. So instead I’ll tab Paddy, who looked just fine at the Cadillac (T10) and posted a T8 at Copperhead a year ago, including a second-round 65.

Jonathan Byrd: He’s had some nice weekends at Copperhead, going T8 last year and ’07 and T12 in ’09. Considering his strong finish at Doral (68s on Saturday and Sunday) and the fact that I’m contractually and, quite frankly morally, obligated to link to this again, Byrd is indeed the word this week.

B-LIST
Bubba Watson: Hopefully he had himself some green tea, and all signs point to Watson being a go this weekend after missing Doral because of the flu. He’s leading the Tour in GIR (76.8%), coming off a fourth-place Match Play showing and finished third at Copperhead a year ago.

Justin Rose: He always seems to be hanging around at Copperhead, going T13 a year ago and T14 in ’08 (he didn’t play here in ’09). Right now he’s eighth on the Tour in bogey avoidance (11.94%) and his steady play should serve him well this weekend.

Retief Goosen: Goosen has had loads of success at Cooperhead, including wins in 2009 and ’03, and a fifth-place finish a year ago. He was shaky at Doral, but broke 70 twice en route to a T31. That’s good enough to earn at least a bench spot this week.

Vijay Singh: We’ll go in the way-back machine for this one, all the way back to 2004, when Singh set the tournament scoring record at Copperhead (266). Considering how well he’s playing this year (with the exception of the Honda Classic disaster), there’s plenty of reason to feel good about Vijay this weekend.

C-LIST
Martin Kaymer: Through two rounds at the Cadillac he showed why he has no right being on the C-list, shooting 66-70. Sure, he sputtered with back-to-back 74’s to finish T24, but he’s still the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world, and thus he’s still a must in your C-list spot.

Charles Howell III: CH3 has a solid track record at Copperhead, including a T2 in 2009 and a T6 in ’07. He already has four top 15’s this year and, sitting fifth on the Tour in bogey avoidance (11.56%), is in good position to make it five.

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Fantasy Golf Picks for the John Deere Classic

Each week, we'll identify eight players we like -- two A-players, four B-players and two C-players. (Note: This follows the format of many other popular fantasy games.) If you haven't already, sign up for fantasy golf to compete for great prizes.

The pool of "A" players is pretty sparse this week, with Kenny Perry being the obvious choice. The tough decisions lie in the pool of "B" players, especially if you're like me and have maybe used one player too many times. Despite his good play recently, I'm benching David Toms this week, because I can only use him four more times.

Fortunately, there are still plenty of good choices.

A-Players
Kenny Perry: The defending champion has never finished out of the top 25 in eight appearances.

Ryan Moore: After missing three of four cuts, Moore has finished no worse than T11 in his last three starts.

B-Players
Bryce Molder: After a horrible start to the season, Molder has found his game, finishing in the top 25 in his last four events, including fourth at the AT&T National and a T2 at the St. Jude Classic.

Lucas Glover: The U.S. Open champion is not slowing down, and it appears to be working for him. Since his win at Bethpage Black, Glover has finished T11 at the Travelers and T5 at the AT&T National.

Steve Stricker: While he may be out of chances to win the Comeback Player of the Year for a third time, Stricker is continuing his great play this season. He's notched 11 top-25 finishes in 14 starts, including a win and five other top 10s.

Zach Johnson: With two wins and nine top-25 finishes this season, Johnson is becoming a favorite each time he tees it up.

C-Players
Scott Verplank: He's coming off a T9 at the Travelers, and Verplank has six top-25 finishes in 15 events.

Charles Howell III: It's been a rough few months for Howell, missing five of his last six cuts, but he's finished in the top 25 in three starts at the John Deere.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans

For a tournament without many "big names" this week, there are plenty of good storylines at the Zurich Classic. Kenny Perry returns for the first time since losing in a playoff at the Masters, U.S. Amateur champion Danny Lee makes his pro debut, and if history holds true there could be a first time winner on Sunday.

A-Players

John Merrick: With the last four Zurich Classic champions winning their first title in New Orleans, Merrick is a good choice to continue the trend. He earned another trip to Augusta after finishing T6 at the Masters. Merrick also has two other top 10s this season, and he tied for seventh last year at the Zurich Classic.

Justin Rose: He's won all over the world, but Rose is still looking for his first PGA Tour title. He's finished second three times, but has yet to close the deal. Rose has never missed the cut in three trips to New Orleans.

B-Players

Nick Watney: The 2007 champion has been one of the best players on Tour this season. Watney won at Torrey Pines, and he has finished out of the top 25 only once in nine events.

Woody Austin: Aquaman had his best finish of the year last week, tying for 11th at Harbour Town. He hasn't missed a cut this year, and he hasn't placed out of the top 25 in New Orleans since 2004.

Stephen Ames: Ames has four top 25 finishes this year, and while he has played in New Orleans only once since 2004, he has three career top 10s.

David Toms: The Louisiana native, and 2001 champion, has three top 10s this season, plus he'll have the home crowd on his side.

C-Players

Charles Howell III: Making his first start at the Zurich Classic since a T2 in 2006, Howell hasn't been great this season, but he has been a more consistent player. He has two top-five finishes and only one missed cut.

Scott Verplank: After missing two straight cuts to open the season, Verplank has finished in the top 25 four times.

Fantasy golf picks for Transitions Championship

It's NCAA Tournament week, and the only thing tougher than picking a final four is trying to figure out who will win the Transitions Championship.

Some of you might be asking, What's the Transitions Championship? It's not a new tournament, just a new sponsor, Transitions Optical. The event was sponsored by PODS the past two seasons.

What hasn't changed is the golf course. Since the tournament was started in 2000, it's been held at the Copperhead course at Innisbrook Resort. That means there is a solid track record of how players have done at this event, which should help you set up your fantasy roster. If you need help filling out your bracket, don't ask me. Ask these guys.

A-Players
Kenny Perry: I'm kicking myself for not starting Perry more this season. When he gets hot, he's hard to beat. My only fear is that I'm jumping on the bandwagon too late. But judging by his play at Doral (T9), and his record at this event (never finished out of the top 30), Perry is my man this week.

John Senden: John who? I know, I know. It's a bit of a risky pick since there are more prominent players available such as K.J. Choi and Jim Furyk, but remember, it's a long season and you can only use a player 10 times. Plus, Senden has consecutive T2 finishes at this event.

B-Players
Nick Watney: What a coming-out party last week for Watney. His win at Torrey Pines this year was impressive, but there's a big difference between going head-to-head with John Rollins and Phil Mickelson. Watney not only held his own, but he proved he belongs in the conversation with Anthony Kim, Rory McIlroy and Camilo Villegas as the next superstars in golf.

Sean O'Hair: He's without a win this season, and that's probably why no one is talking about O'Hair's great start. Six events and six top-25 finishes, with five of those finishes in the top 15. Oh yeah, and he's the defending champion.

David Toms: Finally healthy again, Toms is back to playing like a top-20 player. The problem is he's currently ranked No. 66 and needs to get inside the top 50 to get into the Masters. With that weighing on his mind, Toms has turned up his game with three top-6 finishes this season.

Steve Stricker: Another guy continuing to post solid finishes, but no W's, is Stricker. In five of six events, he's finished in the top 25, with a second and a T3.

C-Players
Retief Goosen: The pickins remain slim in the C bracket, so that's why I'm sticking with Goosen. He hasn't played very well since a third-place finish at Pebble Beach, but he is a past champion at Innisbrook.

Charles Howell III: A beefed-up Howell has been erratic since he finished fourth at the Sony Open, but he had a nice week in Puerto Rico with the exception of third-round 77.

Fantasy golf picks for the Buick Invitational

For the second straight week, fantasy players are stuck with the same dilemma: To start Phil, or not to start Phil?

Despite his stellar record at the FBR Open, Mickelson found ways to hit behind what few trees there are at TPC Scottsdale on his way to missing the cut in his season debut.

Now Mickelson is back at Torrey Pines, where his resume at the Buick Invitational is second only to Tiger's. Since 2000, Mickelson has two wins and four top 10s. But will he fool us again as he tries to shake off the winter rust?

A-Players
Padraig Harrington: Sorry, Phil. The buzz this week is the return of the reigning British Open and PGA champ. He ran out of steam at the end of '08, but came back in form at Abu Dhabi, finishing T5 in a very strong field. With Mickelson's struggles last week, Harrington looks to be the favorite.

Kevin Sutherland: Coming off a great 2008 season, Sutherland returns to Torrey Pines, where he has four career top 10s. In his last two trips to the Buick, Sutherland has finished in the top 15 both times.

B-Players
Charley Hoffman: He's a Southern California guy who lost in a playoff to Kenny Perry at the FBR. Hoffman's record at Torrey Pines isn't stellar, but he hasn't missed a cut since last July.

Rory Sabbatini: Remember this guy? In his first two events, he's finished in the top 12 both times, plus he tied for third last year at the Buick.

Rod Pampling: Pampling's good for about five top 10s a year, and he's coming off a stellar 65 at the FBR.

Aaron Baddeley: Badds has been playing solid golf for most of the past year without any W's. Call it a hunch that a guy who's consistently good, and one of the best putters on Tour, is due for a win soon.

C-Players
Charles Howell III: Despite a missed cut last week, Howell stands out from the "C-players" with three top 10s in six appearances at the Buick.

Luke Donald: The Donald continues to play good, consistent golf while coming back from a wrist injury. He's making his first visit to the Buick since 2006, but Donald has never finished out of the top 25 in five starts.

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.