Golf Fantasy League Draft Kicks Off The New Year Right

Jan 08

Golf Fantasy League Draft Kicks Off The New Year Right

Happy New Year to everyone. Last night was one of my favorite events of the year: the annual golf fantasy league draft. Oh my, how this night illustrates that hope really does spring eternal. If you’re a golf nut like me and don’t participate in one of these things, I urge you to do so. There’s nothing like having a personal rooting interest in every tournament of the year.

The night started in the corner of my local Greene Turtle Pub with an hour or so of collecting entry fees and reviewing the ground rules. This league is based solely on earnings in official scheduled events on the PGA, Champions and LPGA Tours. Each team selects six players and the overall prize pool pays out to the top 3 teams for the year. Approximately 1/3 of the prize pool is set aside for the top team in the 4 major championships and the Players Championship.

Then the draft order is drawn out of a hat and the real fun begins. Everyone has their cheat sheets and is huddled around a table, much like professional teams during their draft. There is a ton of cajoling banter throughout and God help you if you take longer than a minute to make your selection.

You might think that drawing one of the top couple of spots in the drafting order would be advantageous. Au contraire, mon frère. Last year all three winners came from the middle of the pack. The reasons why are because the top players are divided into fractional picks and the draft order is reversed in the 2nd, 4th and 6th rounds. I drew a middle round slot this year, 12th out of 23 teams. My strategy was to avoid the partial picks and take 6 young players, all of whom play a lot and have a good to great upside. Here they are: Hunter Mahan, Pat Perez, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Matt Kuchar and Ji Yai Shin.

Looks like a winner to me!

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15 comments

§ ToddCommish said on : 01/08/09 @ 16:30
Post the draft board. I'd love to see where the LPGA stars went.
§ Shanks® said on : 01/09/09 @ 07:36
Draft board is too big to post, but I can tell you that Ochoa went 16th in the first round, Creamer went 20th in the third round, Wie went 13th in the 5th round, and Shin, Suzann Pettersen, Yani Tseng and Seon Hwa Lee all went in the 6th round.

The problem with taking women and senior men is that money doesn't count towards winning the side pots for majors. Now, having said that, the overall winner of the big cheese last year had Ochoa and 3 seniors.
§ Wendy (UK) said on : 01/26/09 @ 10:10
Well, well, well - didn't you do well! Does Stenson's 2nd place get you anything - or doesn't that tour count?
§ Shanks® said on : 01/26/09 @ 10:24
I wish! The only money that counts is earned in events on the U.S. PGA Tour schedule, as well as the Champions & LPGA Tours.

The good news for Perez (and me) is this victory qualifies him for the Masters too.
Most folks don't realize that he was first in the PGA Tour all-around category last year. Tiger usually wins that every year, but was ineligble due to lack of rounds.
§ Wendy (UK) said on : 02/13/09 @ 14:18
If Dustin Johnson wins this one, I shall demand a steward's inquiry into your selection process!

You've explained Pat; Stenson and Shin are obvious, why DJ and Matt Kuchar please?
§ Shanks® said on : 02/13/09 @ 14:33
Let's not give Johnson the win just yet, but obviously, I'm loving this action right now. I watched him win one of the Fall Series beating Robert Allenby down the stretch. And, my God, was he long! My thoughts on Johnson were that he was young, would play a lot and could manage his schedule better this year since he earned a 2 year exemption with the win. This guy earned his card in 2008 by going through all 3 levels of qualifying. Now I'll go back to crossing my fingers.
§ Shanks® said on : 02/13/09 @ 14:35
And on Kuchar, I just had a feeling he would improve on a steady 2008. He's only 30 and will play a lot too. Plus, he did win once during his first stint on Tour years ago.
§ Wendy (UK) said on : 02/16/09 @ 13:15
Whew - Congratulations! I wouldn't mind but I thought you were onto a real loser with Kuchar (although I like him) and he came up with T14.

Where do you stand now in your league?
§ Shanks® said on : 02/17/09 @ 08:17
Didn't hurt my feeling when they cancelled the 4th round! I'm in first place by about $600,000 but there's such a long way to go. I feel really good about my team because my 2 secret weapons haven't earned anything yet - Stenson & Shin.
§ Wendy (UK) said on : 03/10/09 @ 11:07
There she goes!!

Better get busy on your "To Do" list before this w/e?
§ Shanks® said on : 03/10/09 @ 11:22
Oh Jiyai, aren't you something!! Best kept secret in golf. Not only did she run down Hull & Creamer, but notice she was tied with Ochoa going into the final round. She's so cool under fire, it somewhat reminds me of Tiger Woods. In Korea her nickname is Final Round Queen.
§ Wendy (UK) said on : 03/10/09 @ 15:14
Yes, I noticed - tho' I was rooting for Lorena and Ai Miyazato, I was happy for Jiyai (and you). Her English is coming on a treat too!).

After Stewart Cink, Luke Donald (& now the Ulsterman)- one has to stay loyal through thick and thin - I'll support Henrik this w/e. I can't bring myself to go for Hunter Mahan -residual RC snarl, but at least I don't stick pins in him which I still do to Justin Leonard. Much to my chagrin, as I chortled at the latter's +4 at Honda, (yes, I am a little ashamed) Stewart then threw in the same score.

Fingers crossed!
§ Shanks® said on : 03/10/09 @ 15:35
Just don't root against Dustin Johnson continuing his hot play. He hasn't thrown any Ryder Cup darts at the Euros yet.
§ Wendy (UK) said on : 03/30/09 @ 10:57
May I be an honorary member of your
league gang, please? Opportunist - moi?

Where do you stand now - pls. post the odd update (while the going is good at least).
§ Shanks said on : 03/30/09 @ 15:16
Honorary? You're in! Will give an update shortly.

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