Fantasy Golf: Hot Topics

June 9, 2009 10:01am CDT

- Let the Games Begin

To be honest, I'm not sure they ever ended.

Fresh off the heels of his second victory on the Tour this season, Tiger hit the links at Bethpage Black today to pick up 18 holes of preparation for the pending U.S. Open. For most, the win solidified one simple-yet-powerful assertion: Tiger is destined for his triumphant return to the game's main stage and is all but assured to win his 15th career major.

ESPN's Bob Harrig spoke with Jack Nicklaus, the man Tiger is chasing, and he quipped, "If he drives the ball like that, it won't be a contest."

He's got a point. Tiger hit 14 of the 18 fairways on the course on Sunday and used a wide variety of clubs to do so. The guy that suffered the wrath of the pairing, Michael Letzig, finished 10 shots beyond Tiger's card on Sunday. And Letzig was happy to admit that he became a fan during the round.

"I had a blast," Letzig told reporters in the scorer's tent. One asked what the conversation was like, and Letzig noted it was rather one sided. "It was just, 'Nice shot. Nice shot. Nice shot.'"

"I really controlled my flight and felt in control with shaping the ball both ways. I didn't really have a problem hitting it either way," said Woods. "That's when you know you feel like you're in control of what you're doing. I didn't hit any surprises out there."

His work with the short irons is what struck this writer as the most alluring part of his game. The guy was never that far from the hole, a trait that has earned him the bulk of those 15 majors thus far and an undeniable gift that any golfer would envy, much less one getting ready to attack the course that produce the most exciting U.S. Open we've seen in some time. He hit 73% of greens in regulation (3rd for the week), he hit 49 of 56 fairways (2nd for the week), and on Sunday, he hit 13 of the 18 greens in regulation (three coming just short, stalling on the fringe).

And while we all focus on the numbers and the beauty of the opportunity to watch Tiger play at this level, it may be that pairing that should make the Great One such a heavy favorite in the week that lies beyond the St. Jude Classic. This is going to be the most passionate crowd the Tour will see this season, and the venue… it's magnificent. It's also the most challenging course we've seen on the Tour this season, and it is not going to be terribly giving to those that suffer from any definitive fault.

On a stage this big, in a light this bright, it would seem impossible to expect any golfer but Tiger to win the title. He is one of few that can withstand the heat of that kitchen, and he may be the only one that craves it.

You can't blame him. The spotlight has served him well.


~ Hot Hand ~

- Mark Wilson
The temptation to continue the Tiger lovefest is strong but we know the fantasy owners of the world would benefit from the gifts of a low-tier candidate. That would be Wilson, enjoying a string of strong outings with very few falls from grace.

The surge to win at the Mayakoba Classic, while the elite were occupied elsewhere, got him started. The confidence built in winning a tightly-fought battle at El Camaleon has produced five quality fantasy finishes over his nine starts made since.

Two weeks after victory Wilson was in the mix again, shooting 68 on Sunday to finish T12 at the Transitions Championship. Then a string of three starts that failed to produce any noteworthy finishes still managed to keep fantasy owners happy, finishing T56 at the Heritage and T55 at THE PLAYERS with a missed cut at Quail Hollow in between. For the cost of adding Wilson, the cuts made can be as rewarding as any finish possible.

However, the three finishes coming into this week's St. Jude Classic - T11 at the Texas Open, T22 at the Crowne Plaza, and T3 at the Memorial last week - show Wilson is playing as strong as ever. If he can keep the good vibes going, you have to like his chances to stay competitive.


~ Cold Feet ~

- Padraig Harrington
How do we get to the second major of the season and have last year's top dog, the winner of two major championships, sitting outside of the top 100 on the Tour's Money Leaders list? It defies logic, and now it appears Harrington may be getting worse as we head towards the U.S. Open.

There were early signs in the season to suggest problems were afoot. There were consecutive missed cuts at Pebble Beach and the Northern Trust. He failed to make good in match play (dismissed on Day 1), but then he appeared to get right. He finished T20 at the WGC CA Championship, followed by T11 at the Arnold Palmer. The T26 that followed at the Houston Open was a slight fall, but it was still a sign of improved play.

He's continued downward instead: T35 at The Masters, missed cut at Quail Hollow, T49 at THE PLAYERS, and missed cut last week at the Memorial.

The way he is going, there is no reason to discuss it further. We'll check in later and see if gets better. For now, he's better off on your opposition's roster.


Official World Golf Rankings
RANK PLAYER PTS.AVG.
1 Tiger Woods 10.51
2 Phil Mickelson 8.14
3 Paul Casey 6.94
4 Sergio Garcia 6.54
5 Geoff Ogilvy 6.17
6 Henrik Stenson 5.98
7 Kenny Perry 5.62
8 Steve Stricker 5.50
9 Vijay Singh 5.12
10 Jim Furyk 5.02
11 Padraig Harrington 4.97
12 Camilo Villegas 4.80
13 Sean O'Hair 4.43
14 Robert Karlsson 4.42
15 Anthony Kim 3.91
16 Ernie Els 3.75
17 Rory McIlroy 3.75
18 Ian Poulter 3.71
19 Lee Westwood 3.67
20 Zach Johnson 3.61
21 Luke Donald 3.46
22 Mike Weir 3.41
23 Martin Kaymer 3.33
24 Alvaro Quiros 3.29
25 Retief Goosen 3.28


- PGA Money Leaders
PLACE PLAYER MONEY
1 Geoff Ogilvy $3,319,045
2 Zach Johnson $3,305,441
3 Tiger Woods $3,246,813
4 Phil Mickelson $3,238,635
5 Steve Stricker $3,117,036
6 Sean O'Hair $3,047,542
7 Kenny Perry $2,776,705
8 Nick Watney $2,587,386
9 Paul Casey $2,560,610
10 Rory Sabbatini $2,419,619
11 Jim Furyk $2,147,603
12 Dustin Johnson $2,078,103
13 Kevin Na $1,890,219
14 Ian Poulter $1,864,808
15 Retief Goosen $1,755,992
16 Brian Gay $1,732,535
17 Angel Cabrera $1,690,695
18 Tim Clark $1,636,636
19 Brian Davis $1,609,951
20 Charley Hoffman $1,545,078
21 David Toms $1,532,315
22 Mike Weir $1,520,729
23 Jerry Kelly $1,515,263
24 John Rollins $1,450,465
25 Luke Donald $1,449,450


- FedEx Cup Point Standings
PLAYER FEDEX POINT
Zach Johnson 1,609
Geoff Ogilvy 1,511
Steve Stricker 1,497
Tiger Woods 1,449
Sean O'Hair 1,387
Phil Mickelson 1,377
Kenny Perry 1,347
Nick Watney 1,289
Paul Casey 1,139
Rory Sabbatini 1,115
Dustin Johnson 1,009
Brian Gay 968
Jim Furyk 964
Retief Goosen 897
Charley Hoffman 889
Kevin Na 870
Tim Clark 817
Steve Marino 806
Charles Howell III 795
Luke Donald 791
Pat Perez 791
David Toms 782
Angel Cabrera 772
Brian Davis 760
Lucas Glover 756