Fantasy picks for the Memorial Tournament

A-Players
Ernie Els: The Big Easy has six career top 10s at the Memorial, including a win in 2004, and he's secured two wins at tough tracks this season -- one at Doral and the other at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill.

Kenny Perry: The Tour vet is turning 50 in August, but he's not going quietly to the Champions Tour. Perry is coming off three consecutive top-25 finishes, plus he has three wins at Muirfield Village.

B-Players
Geoff Ogilvy: The 2006 U.S. Open champion tied for 13th last week at Colonial, and he's finished in the top 10 at Memorial the past three years.

Jim Furyk: The 2002 Memorial champion finished second at Muirfield Village last year, and he already has two wins this season.

Robert Allenby: With eight top-25 finishes in 12 events this season, Allenby is bound to win soon. He's making his first start since finishing second at the Players.

K.J. Choi: The 2007 Memorial champion is a solid option to have on the bench. Choi hasn't missed a cut this season, he's only missed the cut once at Muirfield Village and he's finished in the top 25 seven times this year.

C-Players
Angel Cabrera: It's his first time at the Memorial, but the two-time major champion has the game to win Jack's event.

Matt Kuchar: Despite not winning a tournament this season, Kuchar has earned more than $1.9 million, and he hasn't finished worse than T13 in his last three trips to Muirfield.

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 Transitions Championship

Tiger Woods might be Topic A for all golf fans this week, but he's not going to get you any fantasy points yet. Instead, you need to focus on the Transitions Championship this week at Innisbrook's Copperhead course. Retief Goosen won this event last year, as well as in 2003, and the Goose will be among the favorites to win it this season too.

The Pro Tip:Retief Goosen is the only player to shoot all four rounds under par in this tournament's history, and that was when he won last year. Consistency is key to winning here so avoid streaky players.

A-Group

Steve Stricker
The second-ranked player in the world has done what Phil Mickelson couldn't--take advantage of Tiger's absence. This season Stricks has three top-10 finishes including a win at Riviera and a third-place finish at the Sony Open. He is No. 1 in all-around ranking on Tour this season and his T-4 at Innisbrook last year means he is a solid pick this week.

A-Group Bench Player

Zach Johnson
Four top-25s in five starts this season, the 2007 Masters champion is gearing up for April, and he is once again my group A bench selection. He is first in birdie average and fourth in ball striking, which makes Zach Johnson a solid safety net.

B-Group

Retief Goosen
The defending champion is looking to become the first three-time champion at this tournament, as well as the first back-to-back champion. Last season he had all four rounds under par. He has three top 10s in five starts this season, and he ranks first in final-round scoring average as well as fifth in total putting. His final round at the Sony Open (62) is tied for the lowest round on Tour this season.

Padraig Harrington
He carded a T3 at Doral and is stopping by the White House on Wednesday for St. Patrick's Day. Paddy is first in scrambling from theroughand fifth out of the sand.

B-Group Bench Players

Geoff Ogilvy
He won the SBS Championship and is ranked first in top 10s and total eagles. He is eighth in birdie average and 14th in total putting.

Sean O'Hair
He won this event in 2008, the youngest winner ever, in a very windy tournament that tested his full array of shot-making skills. He is in the top 15 in six of the 15 standard stat categories (GIR, putting average, birdie average, FedEx cup points, money leaders and par breakers).

C-Group

Rickie Fowler
Fowler has two top 10s in his first season on Tour, with a second-place finish at the Phoenix Open. Be cautious about using him to start here and have a solid backup ready, because he has made only three of seven cuts this season.

Bench Player

Ian Poulter
On the PGA Tour this season, he has two top 10s in three starts, without a missed cut, making him a nice safety net to Fowler while not necessarily having to use up a valuable start. He is fifth in putts per round and ninth in putting average. He is also tied with Goosen for the top final-round scoring average on tour.

*All picks forYahoo Fantasy Golf format. Confused? Check out theGolf.com Guide to Fantasy Golf.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the Players Championship

When Tiger Woods hasn't finished in the top 10 since 2001, you know this is going to be a different week for fantasy golf. Yup, it's time for the Players Championship, the tournament where nobody has ever defend their title. (As if you needed a reason not to pick Sergio right now.)

A-Players
Geoff Ogilvy: Like many players, Ogilvy's track record at Sawgrass isn't pretty. But he's already won twice this season, and he's been pretty consistent each time he tees it up: no missed cuts, plus five top-25 finishes in nine events.

Jim Furyk: The Jacksonville resident always seems like a good pick for the Players, probably because he's only missed the cut twice, and he has come close to winning this event several times.

B-Players
Boo Weekley: After missing his only cut of the year at the Masters, Boo has chalked up three consecutive top-13 finishes. I'm just hoping he has the lead on Sunday, hits the 17th green, then gallops around the pond like he did at the Ryder Cup.

Hunter Mahan: Another guy quietly having a good, consistent season is Mahan. In 10 events he's finished in the top 25 seven times.

Nick Watney: I've been on the Watney bandwagon for a few weeks now, and it's hard to get off with nine top-25 finishes in 11 events.

Charley Hoffman: In his last three events, Hoffman has been in the hunt with the exception of one bad round. Look for him to put together four solid rounds this week.

C-Players
Ian Poulter: Coming off a T5 at Quail Hollow, Poulter has finished out of the top 20 only once in six events.

Henrik Stenson: One of the few players with a solid record at Sawgrass, Stenson has finished T10, T23 and T3 in his three starts at the Players.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the Masters

Hello, friends. It's time for the first major of the year, and it can't come soon enough. We've got Tiger and Phil peaking at the right time, Padraig Harrington going for a third consecutive major, Greg Norman returning to Augusta and a crop of youngsters ready to crash the champions dinner.

So what does this mean for your fantasy roster this week? Not much, besides remembering the names Woods, Mickelson and Harrington.

A-Players
Tiger, Phil and/or Harrington are obvious picks this week, but here's a few others to keep in mind. (For the record I am starting Tiger, with Phil coming off the bench if needed.)

Geoff Ogilvy: His driver looked a little shaky last week in Houston, but a lot of guys looked terrible on a tough course in 50 mph wind. Still, he finished T6. I don't think he'll win this week, but he's due for a good showing at Augusta.

Stewart Cink: The Georgia Tech grad is often overlooked as a favorite for the Masters, but he's finished in the top 20 every year since 2004, including a T3 last year.

B-Players
Zach Johnson: Until the Lords of Augusta change the course again, it's hard to not pick against a guy who's won a green jacket since 2006. Plus, Johnson already won this year and finished third at Bay Hill.

Lee Westwood: He finished T11 last year at the Masters, then nearly won the U.S. Open, plus he has two top 10s on the European Tour this season.

Fred Couples: Hopefully the momentum of a great week in Houston carries over for the 1992 champion. Couples missed his first cut at Augusta last year, and I am sure he is motivated for one last run.

Tim Clark: He has two top 10s this season, and since 2003 Clark has finished second and T13 twice at the Masters.

C-Players
Retief Goosen: The Goose is back after winning at the Transitions, and oh by the way, he hasn't finished out of the top 20 at Augusta since 2001.

Henrik Stenson: As long as he can avoid the numerous water hazards at Augusta (sorry, couldn't resist), Stenson has a great shot. He comes in with consecutive top-20 finishes at the Masters, and his caddie used to loop for Nick Faldo, owner of three green jackets.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the Shell Houston Open

The good news is I've picked the winner for two straight weeks. The bad news is after 12 weeks of fantasy play, my team ranked 24,002. Ouch! (Don't tell my boss there are 24,001 people better at this than me.)

I'll try to do better as we start the spring session of fantasy golf. This week, the Shell Houston Open welcomes an E.B.T. field -- Everybody But Tiger. There are plenty of great storylines as many top players need a good week heading into the Masters, and anyone who wins this week who is not otherwise exempt into the Masters, gets a tee time at Augusta.

A-Players
Phil Mickelson: Coming off an impressive win at Doral, many experts say Mickelson's overall game is better than Tiger's right now. While I'll never believe that for a second, I think Phil will make a strong run this weekend.

Geoff Ogilvy: After Phil and Tiger, Ogilvy has to be a favorite heading into the Masters. He has two wins this year, no missed cuts, and he tied for second last year in Houston.

B-Players
Hunter Mahan: Mahan should have been in the mix at Bay Hill, but several stupid mistakes, including a five-putt, ruined his chances for a big paycheck. I think he'll recover and have a nice week.

Stuart Appleby: A two-time winner in Houston, Appleby hasn't finished out of the top 25 since the tournament was moved to the Redstone Golf Club's Member and Tournament courses in 2003.

David Toms: With three top 10s this season, and no tee time at Augusta thanks to a No. 64 world ranking, Toms has a lot to play for this week.

Rory McIlroy: His first tour through America as a pro has been a huge success ... lets hope it continues this week.

C-Players
Luke Donald: He hasn't finished out of the top 25 in six starts this season. Luke, buddy, it's time to win again.

Charlie Wi: Wi is on a roll with consecutive top 10s at the Honda Classic and Transitions Championship.

The Memorial Tournament

It's never easy picking a fantasy lineup in this fickle game, but a quick glance at the list of past champions at Jack Nicklaus's Memorial Tournament should give you some guidance. With names such as Woods, Singh, Els, Furyk, Couples, Norman, and, yes, Nicklaus, the game's best tend to shine at Muirfield Village. There is also a history of solid pros breaking out at the Memorial (Lehman, Perry, Choi, Azinger, Strange).

Memorial Picks

Geoff Ogilvy: Coming off a missed cut at the Players, we recommended benching Ogilvy last week, and what did he do? Finished T7. Looks like Ogilvy is back on track, and he has had plenty of success at Muirfield Village, finishing in the top 25 in three of the last four years.

Sean O'Hair: After three straight missed cuts, O'Hair also seems to have found his game after a T26 at Colonial. In his last two trips to the Memorial, O'Hair finished T5 and T12.

Stewart Cink: He is due for a win this year, and he is due for a win at the Memorial. Cink leads the PGA Tour with six top 10s, and he has four career top 10s at Muirfield Village, including a T5 last year.

Paul Casey: In two appearances, Casey has a decent record at the Memorial. He's one of several players making the trip across the pond after the BMW Championship, where he tied for 10th.

Jeff Quinney: Quinney is knocking on the door for his first PGA Tour win. He jumped to the No. 9 spot on the money list after top 10s at the Players and Colonial.

Sleeper

Carl Pettersson: It might be a stretch to call the 2006 Memorial winner a sleeper, but how often do you consider Pettersson for your fantasy lineup? If you're like most people, not often. But maybe you should. He’s been solid at Muirfield Village, and in his last 11 starts this season, he has only missed one cut.

Players to Avoid

Charles Howell III: Howell has played decently this season, but he seems to be shrinking in the big moments. He missed the cut at Bay Hill, the Masters, and the Players. He tied for eighth at the AT&T Classic, but he had the lead after three rounds and shot 74 on Sunday.

Jim Furyk: He has a great record at the Memorial, but we're going on a Furyk diet due to his streaky play this year.

Steve Stricker: Don't mean to kick a guy while he's down, especially a nice guy, but Stricker has made only one cut in his last six events.  Stricker withdrew from the tournament on Tuesday.

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.