Fantasy Golf: Buy, Sell and Hold For The Waste Management Phoenix Open

 

I wish they had a better name for the Phoenix Open since it is usually one of the more exciting events each year on the PGA Tour. Actually Waste Management is a great company and a great sponsor that loves having its name on this event. Who can forget Tiger Woods' ace at the little par-3 16th in 1997 and the crowd reaction that ensued. This tournament is one big party.

Last year, Hunter Mahan, shot a 6 - under 65 on Sunday to win by one stroke over Rickie Fowler. Fans were on the edge of their seats watching that finish.

A good field is present this year in Phoenix. Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Geoff Ogilvy and possible the hottest player on tour and the best story so far in 2011, Jhonattan Vegas are all slated to play in Phoenix.

The course is the TPC of Scottsdale, and with the stadium seating on the 16th and the tough dramatic finishing hole in the 18th, the cream usually rises to the top in the desert.

Buy

Phil Mickelson (A) A strong start to the season for Phil at Torrey Pines. A second place finish will give him a lot of confidence this Spring. Phil is a two-time winner here in 1996 and 2005. He might be a 3-time winner after this weekend.

Dustin Johnson (A) Two top-10 finishes already this year. He's a force every time he tees it up.

Jhonattan Vegas (C) - I'm turning into a believer, Vegas is hot and you might want to ride the hot player. He's playing out of this world golf.

Bill Haas (B) - He's on fire as well. Tied for second at The Hope and is currently 15th on the Tour in scoring, and moving up. Let's ride with him as long as we can.

Mark Calcavecchia (C) - Sure he's old and has a bad back, but he's a three-time winner here and he made the cut at The Hope. If you need another C player, pick up Calc.

Sell

Derek Lamely (B) - Hasn't played all that bad recently, still no reason to start him as a B pick this week in Phoenix.

Andres Romero (B) - Really hasn't done much since 2008. Missed the cut last week at The Farmers shooting 70, 77.

Nick O'Hern (C) O'Hern's game doesn't usually come around until the Summer months. He played awful at both The Hope and The Farmers. There are many more options for C-level players than Nick this week.

Hold

Geoff Ogilvy (A) - Geoff is off to a surprisingly slow start in 2011. He cut his finger before the Sony Open and is now back trying to find his game. Don't play his as an A level player this week, but keep a close eye on his game, he should be a solid performer in a few weeks.

Don't forget to listen to this week's AudioBoo for our "Flyer" of the week.

Fantasy Golf: Buy, Sell and Hold for Farmers Insurance Open

 

A great course, a great event, and a great field this week at Torrey Pines.

The Farmers Insurance Open also marks the 2011 debut of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to the PGA Tour. It will be the first start for Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines since his U.S. Open win there in 2008. He missed the 2009 Farmers Insurance Open due to injury and in 2010 when he sat out the first three months of the season due to personal problems. Tiger has won this event six-times.

They will be joined by the likes of Lucas Glover, Dustin Johnson, Kenny Perry and Davis Love III. Both the North and the South courses will be used for tournament play this week. Here is this week's buy, sell, and hold:

Buy:

Tiger Woods (A) - Is Tiger looking to make a big splash to open 2011? We'll find out, but this would be a message to all the other players that Tiger is back. He loves this tournament and loves this course.

Phil Mickelson (A) - This course is home to Phil who always plays well here.

Charley Hoffman (A) - Usually plays well in the West Coast events. He's had some good finishes here and might be ready to break out. His length off the tee also help him here.

Justin Rose (B) - Give this Brit credit for playing full-time on the PGA Tour. He will win a lot of events in his career. He has started out the year with a T-13 and T-14 so far this year, setting him up for a top-5 finish on a course he should play well on.

Fredrik Jacobson (C) - After playing two events, Jacobson's game seems to be rounding into form. He's always a good play as a C level player. Finished T-22 last year at Torrey.

Charles Howell III (C) - Another solid play for a C player. He had a top-15 finish last week at the Hope and has never missed the cut in this event. A must play as a C player this week.

Sell:

Jhonattan Vegas (C) - The Venezuelan rookie surprised everyone and won last week at the Hope. Coming off that high, I don't think he is a great play this week.

Ben Crane (B) - The defending champ doesn't appear in good form. If you are one of those players who always goes with players who historically play well in certain events, you may want to go a different direction this week and not play Crane.

Hold:

Bill Haas (B) - Can he keep up his outstanding play? He's already made over $600,000 in his two 2011 starts and it a cumulative 43-under par. Might want to hold him this week.

Remember to listen to the AudioBoo for this week's "flyer" pick of the week.

Fantasy Golf Buy, Sell, or Hold For The Bob Hope Classic

Here's this week's AudioBoo where you can get my "flyer" pick of the week.

Here's this week's Buy, Sell, and Hold:

The PGA hits the mainland for the first time this year as the pros and celebrities head to the Bob Hope Classic.  For over 50 years, the Bob Hope Classic has hosted some of the greats of golf and the biggest names from the movies, music, broadcasting, politics, and other sports.

All these worlds collide this week in the California desert where the scoring will low and the competition fierce.  

The Bob Hope Classic is just as much about the courses as it about the players who play them.  This year, the players will be spread out over these four courses.

SilverRock Resort

Embraced by the natural splendor of the Santa Rosa Mountains, and gently sculpted out of 525 acres of what is considered the last great piece of golf property in the Coachella Valley, SilverRock Resort is ready to take its place among La Quinta's elite golf courses.

La Quinta Country Club

La Quinta Country Club was established in 1959 and for fifty years has been known to the world's golfing community as the "Jewel of the Desert."

Nicklaus Private at PGA WEST

The Nicklaus Private Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is considered by many to be the finest course to play in the Coachella Valley. This unbelievable championship layout features a wide array of unique holes, even the most discriminating golfer will be impressed.

Palmer Private at PGA WEST

The Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA West, designed by the master himself, was the second of four courses to be added to the magnificent 2,010-acre recreational resort development in La Quinta, California.

When making out your lineup this week, you may want to consider some players who play well on one or more of these specific courses.

Buy:

Pat Perez (B) - As a B selection this week, Perez is a solid choice.  He loves this tournament, and when he gets it going he can go low.  He shot a 60 at the Palmer Private Course in 2006.  

Steve Marino (A) - Another player who can get hot is Marino.  He's coming off a strong performance in Hawaii and when he has a good tournament, he usually string a few good ones together.  Marino is almost a must play this week.

Chad Campbell (B) - Campbell likes this event and usually makes the cut here.  Played pretty well in Hawaii and should be a solid play this week.

Ryan Palmer (C) - Ryan has played well so far this year, including two good rounds in Hawaii last week.  Let's hope he gets over his jet lag quickly and look for him to have a hot start at "The Hope."

Rory Sabbatini (A) - A T13 in Hawaii.  Shot every round in the 60's.  That should boe well for "The Hope."

Sell:

D.J. Trahan (B) - Didn't play well in Hawaii.  Has played well in here in the past, especially at SilverRock.  Keep him off your team this week.

Jeff Maggert (C) - A player well past his prime.  Shot a 75, 75 in Hawaii.  Was anyone considering playing Maggert?

Ricky Barnes (A) - It's his first start of the year.  Give him some time.

Hold:

Bill Haas (B) - Haas won here last year.  He's still a bit of a question mark in my book.  Take him if you think he can repeat.

There are 5 rounds in the tournament this week.  See how your league handles that.  Also play begins on Wednesday, so don't procrastinate on getting your lineup set.

Remember to listen to this week's AudioBoo to get our "flyer" of the week.

Fantasy Golf Buy, Sell, or Hold For Sony Open

Here's an AudioBoo preview, with a bonus "flyer" pick available only in the AudioBoo.  Give it a listen!

The first full field event of the season is where we head next.  A field of 144 will tee off at Waialae where they will face 7,000 challenging yards of lush fairways and sloping greens.

I wouldn't say it is a great field that will begin play this week, but it is a good one.  Davis Love III will join Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk in the field this week.  

Will Jonathan Byrd continue his hot play from last week?  Will one of the twelve Australians in the field break through with a win, or will we see a first time winner emerge?

All of these questions will be answered by Sunday afternoon.

Until then, we'll look at the Buy, Sell, or Hold for the 2011 Sony Open at Waialae.  Remember the players are in A,B, or C categories.  Take that into consideration.

Buy:

Jim Furyk (A) - Anytime Jim Furyk tees it up in Hawaii you need to have him on your team.  Furyk hasn't played this event since 2008, but he has won it once and has five top-1o finishes.

Robert Allenby(B) - You get good value here for Allenby as a B player.  He loves the course, is in good form, and was the runner-up last year.  Add that to three top-10's in his last five appearances here.

K.J. Choi(A) - He plays well here, winning the title in 2008 and five other top-15 finishes.  K.J. is streaky, you might have him streak to a win this week.

Sell:

Charles Howell III (C) - I know he's usually a good pick for a C player, but he can be erratic off the tee and that will be his demise in the winds at Waialae.

Dustin Johnson (A) - Normally he would be a solid pick, but take note, he has withdrawn to attend a funeral in South Carolina.

Derek Lamely (A) - Lamely, a rookie on the PGA Tour struggled at the Hyundai last week.  I have to admit I don't know much about Derek, but you don't want to start him as a A-level player.

John Daly (C) - Even at the C level, don't take a chance on Daly.  He missed the cut last year and I don't expect him to fare any better this time around.

Hold:

Jonathan Byrd(A) - He rode a hot putter to a win last week at Kapalua and he's looking to continue it this week.  He hasn't fared as well at Waialae, but if you like playing the hot golfer, you'll want to have Byrd in your lineup.

Fantasy Golf - Buy, Sell, or Hold: Hyundai Tournament of Champions

No, I'm not crazy. But I do play Fantasy Golf. It's what I do after another disappointing Fantasy Football season.

And what great timing, Fantasy Golf starts up just as Fantasy Football ends. Actually the Fantasy Golf league I've been involved in for four years is just as competitive as the main football league I participate in.

Here are the basics. There are three categories of golfers for each tournament. (A,B,C) You need to select golfers from each category and there scores are added up after each round to give you a score. The A-level players are typically your Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Ernie Els types. B-levels players include players like Justin Rose, Hunter Mahan, and Tim Clark. That leaves the C-level, which consists of players playing on a sponsor's exemption or guys like Cameron Beckman and Rocco Mediate.

Many weeks, your C-level player will determine how your team fares. If you have players that miss the cut, your scores will go down.

Different teams owners look at different factors when selecting a team each week. Some like going with the hot players, some like players that play well on certain courses. Sometimes you get that "gut" feeling and just go with an off-the-wall pick. One other thing to consider is you can usually use each player in 10 events the whole season. So you can't pick Tiger, Phil, Steve Stricker and John Daly each week. Well, I'm not sure you want to pick John Daly any week, but that's another story.

This week, the PGA season tees off with the annual Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. The track this week is the Plantation Course at Kapalua, and remember this is not a full-field event. 34 golfers this week, so that can help or hurt you as the tournament progresses.

Here's the Buy, Sell, and Hold for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions:

Buy:

Geoff Ogilvy (A) - Two-time defending champ is in good form and loves playing in Hawaii.

Ernie Els (A) - Won recently in South Africa, has finished well many times here, and should be near the top this year.

Matt Kuchar (A)- One of the biggest surprises of 2010, he finished third here in 2010. He's a great putter.

Francesco Molinari (C) - You get good value with a Molinari Brother here as a C-level selection.

Sell:

Justin Rose (B) - Coming off a long layoff. The course suits him, but he might be rusty.

Derek Lamely (B) - Won the Puerto Rican Open last year to get here. He won't win this week.

Hold:

Rocco Mediate (C) - Well all root for Rocco, but do we want to start him here?

Update on Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 6:15PM by Rick C.Limpert

Here's my AudioBoo on this weeks picks and event in Hawaii.

At the end of the broadcast is a bonus "Flyer" pick you won't see in the blog.

Good luck this week and stay out of the trees.