Welcome to Playing the Tips!
Each week this will be the one-stop resource to soak in all the picks from our group of fantasy staffers from Rotoworld.com. We’ll have all of our selections from the GolfChannel.com, Yahoo! Fantasy Golf (coming January of 2015) plus my new expanded feature on my weekly selection for One-and-Done players.
GolfChannel.com Fantasy Golf
OHL Classic at Mayakoba
Glass
Final 2013-14
Season: $24,502,217
Rank: 1,194
2014-15
Season: $1,510,821
Rank: 11,013
Last year, I picked three winners in six events in fall and the Golf Channel shit canned the results once January hit. I would to have loved a screen shot of that based on the rubbish I have been putting together lately. Since this is THE LAST COMPETITION OF THE 2014 CALENDAR YEAR, I’m rolling the dice and hoping, if I fail miserably, that the Golf Channel will nuke the results from fall again this year. Rose and Garcia both didn’t live up to expectations last week but of course Rose finished worse. Sigh. I’m not going to relive the Kaymer disaster. Please read “Not So Elementary” from last Sunday. I’ll barf if I have to rehash that story. Westwood was top 10 until a 73 on Sunday killed him. Levy was great, no complaints. Another week of “almost” doesn’t make the pain go away. #LastPlaceRules
Group 1: Ben Martin
Group 2: Chris Stroud
Group 3: Robert Streb
Group 4: Hudson Swafford
ANALYSIS: Harris English has done LESS than MORE recently to be included as the pick in Group 1. I need to make up ground so I’m going with the steadier, tested Martin. The absolutely loaded Group 2 has too many excellent choices to list. I’m going with the guy who knows this course inside and out. Streb’s current form trumps Sabbatini’s temper. I would have taken Pablo Larrazabal this week, if available, after his 69-68 close to finish T14 last week in China but will go with Swafford to bounce back. Mark Wilson is the “form” pick based on his win here and recent back-to-back top 10s.
Rob Bolton
Final 2013-14
Season: $21,107,825
Rank: 5,802
2014-15
Season: $1,849,316
Rank: 7,648
Group 1: Harris English
Group 2: Charles Howell III
Group 3: Rory Sabbatini
Group 4: Mark Wilson
ANALYSIS: For the first time in some time we don’t match a single pick. I like it. He’s gone with the grizzled veterans in Groups 2-4 and has banked on the defending champion to regain his form in his title defense.
Ryan O’ Sullivan
Final 2013-14
Season: $24,613,036
Rank: 1,108
2014-15
Season: $2,008,497
Rank: 6,263
Group 1: Harris English
Group 2: Charles Howell III
Group 3: Robert Streb
Group 4: Spencer Levin
ANALYSIS: Bah, he’s on Streb this week, like me in Group 3 but the other three spots are up for grabs. I’ll need a big week from Martin to keep up with the group this week.
Ned Brown
Final 2013-14
Season: $26,869,991
Rank: 244
2014-15
Season: $1,797,485
Rank: 8,097
Group 1: Harris English
Group 2: Jason Bohn
Group 3: Robert Streb
Group 4: Mark Wilson
ANALYSIS: Ned makes one pick each week that ALWAYS makes me want to re-do my list and this week it’s Bohn-er. I grinded and grinded over this one but I am now FADING MYSELF. Congratulations Bohn on his win this week!
Yahoo! Fantasy Golf
Yahoo! Fantasy Golf will return in the winter of 2015 starting with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Take a look below to see how our boys fared during the 2014 season.
Ned Brown is a long-time contributor for Rotoworld Golf. He’s had documented success in Yahoo!’s game for years. Even if you’re confident in your selections for that game, give his insight a read. He’ll lead us off each week in the Yahoo! game.
“Pure Spin”
Final 2014 Season Rankings
Summer Segment Points: 2,080
Summer Ranking: 13,369
Season Points: 5,775
Season Ranking: 3,515
Ryan O’Sullivan (O)
“The Golf Aficionado”
Summer Segment Points: 2,188
Summer Ranking: 1,859
Season Points: 6,022
Season Ranking: 132
Rob Bolton
“@RobBoltonGolf”
Summer Segment Points: 2,168
Summer Ranking: 3,121
Season Points: 5,811
Season Ranking: 2,557
Glass
“@MikeGlasscott”
Summer Segment Points: 2,157
Summer Ranking: 3,985
Season Points: 5,868
Season Ranking: 1,353
One-and-Done
Each week I painfully writhe and wretch trying to figure out the proper strategy to find a player that will hit the top 10. Wins are great but aren’t likely so I’m satisfied with having a CHANCE to hit the big money. Missed cuts are absolutely the death in this game but even the surest of things don’t always happen in the reality world of fantasy golf. Remember, fade or follow, it’s up to you! I’m going to leave my 2013-14 results up for a few weeks so if you have any questions “mapping” your season, you can learn from my plays from last year.
Those who don’t recall history are condemned to repeat it.
2013-2014
Glass OAD
Results
SEASON TOTAL: $6,283,986; 45 events
Wins: 1; Jimmy Walker (AT&T Pebble)
Seconds: 1; Dustin Johnson (NTO)
Thirds: 1; Sergio Garcia (PLAYERS)
Top 5s: 9
Top 10s: 13
Top 25s: 24
MC: Gary Woodland (Frys.com), Rickie Fowler (FIO), Lee Westwood (WFC), John Senden (FESJC) and Marc Leishman (Greenbrier)
Thermometer: awful, just awful
2014-15 Glass OAD
Frys.com: Brooks Koepka. Let’s get this started off on the right foot. Koepka, playing without any status last year, led on Sunday by three shots at the turn. He finished T3 and learned a valuable lesson. His recent form has been scintillating as he has four top 15s in his last four worldwide starts, including the PGA at Valhalla (T15). He was T9 last week at the Dunhill. Koepka did what was expected and racked up a top 10 for $168,000.
Shriners Open: It came down to Moore, Watney and Piercy for the OAD place this week. Laird was also in the conversation but I’m going with the best putter of the group mentioned above and there’s not a place that Moore HAS TO BE USED later. Sure, he beat Gary Woodland in a playoff last year at CIMB but I don’t use defending champions. #WeakSauce. He shares the tournament record has three top 10s in his last four. More Moore please! ANY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE THREE OTHER THAN MOORE would have been just fine. Moore has wiped me twice in eight events. The good news is I don’t even have to CONSIDER his presence again until October of 2015.
McGladrey Classic: This is the CLASSIC HEDGE MOVE for gamers. I’m going with Kuchar above but Simpson down here to cover my ASSet. Look, save Simpson for Greenbrier, Sedgefield or TPC Boston, but I’m going with a guy who is hot NOW and will find someone else later. HOW COULD THIS GO WRONG, RYAN MOORE??? Nothing like a T41 to back up a MC.
CIMB Classic: I’m loading up on Charl Schwartzel since I can’t play him on the Sunshine TOUR at the Dunhill or Joburg. His course form is overwhelming and in a limited field with limited views of this track, his experience and successes here are huge. He’ll probably WD. He couldn’t catch up after his opening round 74; T19, $94,500.
WGC-HSBC Champions: I’ll go with the guy who holds the course record, the 2011 title plus two other top eight finishes in four starts, Martin Kaymer. Did I mention he made 29 birdies here last year? Ok, good. If I was a casual golf fan and just picked up the newspaper on Monday morning to see that Kaymer finished T6 I would have been thrilled…$216,337
Sanderson Farms: It came down to Tony Finau or Hudson Swafford and I went with the Georgia ‘Dawg. Both are hot so I’ll go with the local-er of the two and the better ball-striker. I should be required to take the “Silly Season” off. BOTH missed the cut. I’m ready for 2015…
OHL Classic: Can I just pass? Since I couldn’t pull the trigger on Jason Bohn in the Golf Channel game, I’ll hedge him here with Stroud and Sabbatini right behind him. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? I need a vacation.
Results
SEASON TOTAL: $498,447; 6 events
Wins: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Seconds: just stop it
Thirds: DARE TO DREAM
Top 5s: 0
Top 10s: 2
Top 25s: 3
MC: 1, Ryan Moore (Shriners), Hudson Swafford (SFC)
Thermometer: I doubled my money this week. That’s like getting last place is a smelliest fart contest.
Coming Wednesday
And the analysis doesn’t end here. Rotoworld’s Rob Bolton and I will be co-hosting a live chat Wednesday at 10 AM ET. PLEASE NOTICE THE TIME CHANGE for the final chat of the 2014 calendar year. We will be breaking down the field at the OHL Classic and answering your questions. Simply return to the golf home page to join in on the chatter.
