Fantasy Golf Picks for the PGA Championship

It will be hard for anyone to leave Tiger Woods off their roster this week since Woods is going for his third win in as many weeks. But remember he's teased us all year. Woods won every event he played in before a major, and he has yet to win one. Will this week be different?

A-Players
Tiger Woods: He has to win this week, right? Woods has five wins this year, and he lost out to Rich Beem the last time the PGA was at Hazeltine.

Stewart Cink: So much for a post-British Open letdown. Cink finished T6 at the Bridgestone in his first start since winning at Turnberry.

B-Players
Steve Stricker: I always worry about Stricker being able to finish the job on Sundays, but he's been having a great year, with eight top 10s and two wins.

Lee Westwood: Westwood is another guy who is continuing to play well after the Open. He hasn't finished out of the top 10 in his last four events.

Angel Cabrera: His record has been shaky since winning the Masters, but Cabrera is coming off solid finishes at the Scottish Open, the British Open and a T4 at Firestone.

Boo Weekley: Boo has eight top-25 finishes this year, and in his two starts at the PGA he's finished T20 and T9.

C-Players
Retief Goosen: If it's not going to be Tiger this week, I like The Goose. Goosen won earlier this year after struggling with his game, and in his last five starts he has four top 10s. Oh, and he's won two U.S. Opens.

Luke Donald: The sweet-swinging Brit has five top 10s this year, and if not for a wrist injury earlier in the year, he might have had even more. He played a great final round at Turnberry to finish T5.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the Travelers Championship

Normally after a major championship the field for the next tournament is lacking star power. Not the case this week as many big names made the short trip from Long Island to Hartford for the Travelers Championship.

A-Players
Sergio Garcia: So much was made of Garcia's return to Bethpage after he was heckled by rowdy fans in 2002. But what slipped under the radar after the Open was Garcia finished T10 despite not having much confidence in his game coming into last week. He's only making his second career start at the Travelers, but Garcia's game seems to be coming back.

Stewart Cink: A two-time champion at Hartford, Cink has finished in the top 30 in his last three starts, including a T8 at the Memorial.

B-Players
Hunter Mahan: This has to be the easiest pick of the year outside of taking Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson in any tournament. In his last three starts at the Travelers, Mahan has finished T2, Win, T2. Oh, and he almost won the U.S. Open.

Dustin Johnson: The young bomber has seven top-25 finishes, including a win at Pebble Beach.

David Toms: Toms is due for a win any week now. Well, technically he did win, but it was at the CVS Charity Classic. Regardless, Toms has six top 10s this season and a solid record at the Travelers.

Bubba Watson: Bubba's been playing well since a T2 at Quail Hollow. He finished T6 last year at Hartford, and he is coming off a T20 at the U.S. Open.

C-Players
Nick O'Hern: He only has three top-25 finishes this season, but O'Hern has played solid at the Travelers, with two top 20s in his last two starts.

Charlie Wi: Wi's having a really good season so far, with six top-25 finishes, including three top 10s.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial

The final leg of the Texas Swing rolls in Fort Worth this week for the Colonial. Phil Mickelson will not be around to defend his title, but there are plenty of top players on their games as they try to conquer the Texas version of Hogan's Alley.

A-Players
Stewart Cink: He hasn't been on his game since a T3 at the Match Play, but Cink has four top-20 finishes at Colonial since 2003. Plus he tweeted about the course changes, and Cink said he is a fan.

Justin Leonard: The Dallas native is having a solid Texas Swing with a T5 at the Texas Open and a T16 at the Nelson. Leonard has also never missed the cut at Colonial in 15 starts.

B-Players
Rod Pampling: In his last four trips to Colonial, Pampling finished T2, T12, 3, T6.

Charley Hoffman: Another player having a solid Texas Swing is Hoffman. He's finished in the top 25 in both events, plus he hasn't missed a cut this season.

Steve Stricker: The two-time Comeback Player of the Year is having another great season. He's finished in the top 25 in nine of his 11 starts, including five top 10s.

Rory Sabbatini: I'm probably a week too late on this pick, but Sabbatini is a former champion at Colonial, and he has five top 10s this season in addition to his win at the Nelson.

C-Players
Matt Kuchar: After solid finishes at the Players and the Nelson, Kuchar was the medalist on Monday for British Open qualifying.

James Nitties: The rookie has missed eight cuts this season, but Nitties has also finished in the top 25 six times, including two top 10s.

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.

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.

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.

PODS Championship

This week's PODS Championship features a strong field on a tough course, Innisbrook. The list of past champions includes a who's who of players not named Tiger or Phil -- Mark Calcavecchia, K.J. Choi, Vijay Singh, and Retief Goosen have all won this event. Expect more strong performances by the big names this week, but we've also tracked down a few lesser-known players who could be ready to break out.

PODS Picks

Ernie Els: The Big Easy has said that he wants to catch Tiger Woods, and he made a small step last week by winning the Honda Classic, his first PGA Tour victory since 2004. Els finished tied for sixth in 2006 at Innisbrook, and he should be the favorite this week with Woods and Phil Mickelson sitting out.

Stewart Cink: It's easy to remember Cink's last outing, an 8-and-7 drubbing against Woods at the WGC Match Play. But don't forget who Cink beat to get to the final: Angel Cabrera, the 2007 U.S. Open champ, and Padraig Harrington, the 2007 British Open champ. He also knocked out two of Europe's best players, Colin Montgomerie and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Cink has a good record at Innisbrook, finishing tied for 19th in 2006 and tied for third in 2005.

Steve Stricker: In four of five appearances this year, Stricker has earned a six-figure paycheck to take back to Wisconsin. It seems clear that the last two seasons were no fluke; Stricker is here to stay. He played the PODS last year, his first visit to Innisbrook in three years, and missed the cut. Still, he's a solid pick.

Stuart Appleby: No one is more due for a win than Appleby. The guy hasn't finished out of the top 10 in four events this season. He's never played well at this tournament, but it's hard to go against a guy who has been so consistent.

Boo Weekley: Does anyone else on Tour play golf so he can afford to go huntin' and fishin'? It's working for Boo. He has three top 10s this season, and he's playing in his home state. His short-range putting is still shaky, but he should have a solid finish this week.

Sleeper

Matt Jones: If you watched the Honda this weekend, you know Johnny Miller really likes this guy. Yet another strong player from Australia, Jones was one shot behind Els until he went for glory on the par-3 17th. The wind caught his ball and sent it into the drink, but it was still an encouraging performance. He hasn't missed a cut this season. 

Players to Avoid

Mark Calcavecchia: It would be easy to pick Calc because he nearly won the Honda, and he's the defending champion. Throughout his career, however, consistency has been a problem, and his putting last week shouldn't give you (or him) much confidence.

Retief Goosen: He tied for second at the Masters last year, but that was his only top 10 of 2007, and he's coming off a T60 at the Honda.

Geoff Ogilvy: Where did this come from? Ogilvy has missed as many cuts this season as he did all of last year (three). He lost in the first round of the WGC Match Play to Justin Leonard, and he's playing Innisbrook for the first time since 2005.

Chris DiMarco: Anyone else see DiMarco this weekend in the TV ads for the PODS Championship? Yes, Chris, we know you're a fighter, we know you're competitive. But we also know you've missed four of six cuts this year. Even when you made the cut, you were way down the leaderboard, finishing T67 and T54.