(Fantasy Related/Good Info)
Recap: Arnold Palmer
Ernie Els has won in back-to-back starts and is playing amazing golf. He held on for a two shot lead on a Monday finish over Kevin Na and Edoardo Molinari. The sizzling play in '10 will send Els into the Masters as the early favorite. We will approach that subject on another day. This week and the early part of '10 belongs to Els. He told Arnold Palmer after walking off the 18th hole on Monday afternoon that he limped in for the win, but there is no more doubt on whether he can close the door as we might have said the last four years.
After his win at Doral two weeks ago, I said in the Fantasy Scorecard, "We have not seen a drastic increase in his GIR in '10 and I am going to treat this week's T2 in GIR as an anomaly instead of the rule." Els finished T9 in GIR this week as well, I have changed my tune, and the slight change in his ball position after a disappointing Honda Classic is paying huge dividends.
Els drove the ball nicely all week and was in the top-ten in putts per round and in putts per GIR. The improvement in his ball-striking and putting has propelled him back into the world's elite golfers and he is a force to contend every week. The two golf courses he won at are difficult tests of golf and they brought several PGA Tour pros to their knees.
Once again, the fantasy players that went with Els in '10 are riding a wave of jubilation and the rest of us who doubted the Big Easy are in the corner sulking. I guess you could say I am a believer now.
[SIZE=+1]What I learned from the Arnold Palmer Invitational[/SIZE]
- Kevin Na put a nice charge on Sunday and Monday to force the action, but came up just short. He has made all seven cuts in '10, but came into the week look-warm. Na is not playing next week in Houston, but will be playing in his first Masters. I do not see him as a contender at Augusta, but it is nice to see him back in contention.
- Edoardo Molinari had his highest finish in a PGA Tour event (never made a cut before this week in five starts) and ended up in a tie for second with Na. He used this week as a tune up for the Masters and will he will be playing for the second time at Augusta after winning the U.S. Amateur in '05. His younger brother, Francesco (finished T4 this week on European Tour) caddied for Edoardo at the Masters in '05, but will be a participant at Augusta in two weeks himself. This was an extraordinary week for the Molinari brothers and I am sure two weeks from now at Augusta will be even more special.
- Chris Couch finished T4 this week and now needs $218,410 in 13 starts to earn full playing privileges for the remainder of '10. He gets a slight bump up the fantasy golf board with his strong play this week and this was his second T4 in four weeks. I picked him up in my home league and dropped Harrison Frazar and I expect him to continue to play well.
- Ben Curtis decided to be the latest member of my Demotions to crash the contender party. Unlike Furyk, Curtis is not back and will have to prove over time that he his play garnishes attention in the fantasy game.
- D.J. Trahan is playing great golf and will be hard to ignore next week at Houston.
- Do not read too much into the missed cut by Camilo Villegas this week. He has never had success in three previous appearances at Bay Hill. The missed cut allows a little more preparation for the Masters in two weeks where he finished T13 in '09.
- Every player who missed the cut this week was unable to shoot in the 60's on either Thursday or Friday.
- Only 32 rounds were shot in the 60's over the first three days and the changes to the course and switching to a par-72 did not provide lower scores as tournament officials expected. Firm greens were partly the issue and the inability for the players to stop the ball on approach shots will always be a hindrance for low scoring.
- I have a hard time being critical of the players who missed the cut this week. Bay Hill is just a tough place to play and the changes to the course threw just enough a wrinkle into the mix to create more havoc.
- When preparing for the Shell Houston Open this week, do not look at results prior to '06, they played a different course than Redstone Golf Club Tournament Course.
[SIZE=+1]Nationwide Tour Report[/SIZE]
Each week I will break down the Nationwide Tour winner in hopes of providing background and relative information that will pertain to Fantasy Golf for '11. The Nationwide Tour has become a gateway to the PGA Tour over the years and winning on the Nationwide Tour is the first step in obtaining a PGA Tour card the next year.
The Nationwide Tour resumed play this week at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open and Fabian Gomez blitzed the field with a final-round 64 to win by six shots. This week is a perfect week why we discuss the Nationwide Tour because I have never heard of him and he is most likely going to qualify for the PGA Tour in '11. He finished 27th on the Nationwide Tour money list in '09, but ranks third in '10.
This is the fourth season on the Nationwide Tour for the product of Argentina. Gomez is not tall by any standards and does not hit it a long way, but he can absolutely roll the rock. He is second on the Nationwide Tour in putting and is eighth in scoring average. Great putters with solid ball-striking (63rd thus far in '10) eventually find their way at some point.
The 31-year old has nine wins internationally or on smaller tours and this win solidifies his ability to get it done when in contention. We will be looking for Gomez on draft day in '11.
Recap: Arnold Palmer
Ernie Els has won in back-to-back starts and is playing amazing golf. He held on for a two shot lead on a Monday finish over Kevin Na and Edoardo Molinari. The sizzling play in '10 will send Els into the Masters as the early favorite. We will approach that subject on another day. This week and the early part of '10 belongs to Els. He told Arnold Palmer after walking off the 18th hole on Monday afternoon that he limped in for the win, but there is no more doubt on whether he can close the door as we might have said the last four years.
After his win at Doral two weeks ago, I said in the Fantasy Scorecard, "We have not seen a drastic increase in his GIR in '10 and I am going to treat this week's T2 in GIR as an anomaly instead of the rule." Els finished T9 in GIR this week as well, I have changed my tune, and the slight change in his ball position after a disappointing Honda Classic is paying huge dividends.
Els drove the ball nicely all week and was in the top-ten in putts per round and in putts per GIR. The improvement in his ball-striking and putting has propelled him back into the world's elite golfers and he is a force to contend every week. The two golf courses he won at are difficult tests of golf and they brought several PGA Tour pros to their knees.
Once again, the fantasy players that went with Els in '10 are riding a wave of jubilation and the rest of us who doubted the Big Easy are in the corner sulking. I guess you could say I am a believer now.
[SIZE=+1]What I learned from the Arnold Palmer Invitational[/SIZE]
- Kevin Na put a nice charge on Sunday and Monday to force the action, but came up just short. He has made all seven cuts in '10, but came into the week look-warm. Na is not playing next week in Houston, but will be playing in his first Masters. I do not see him as a contender at Augusta, but it is nice to see him back in contention.
- Edoardo Molinari had his highest finish in a PGA Tour event (never made a cut before this week in five starts) and ended up in a tie for second with Na. He used this week as a tune up for the Masters and will he will be playing for the second time at Augusta after winning the U.S. Amateur in '05. His younger brother, Francesco (finished T4 this week on European Tour) caddied for Edoardo at the Masters in '05, but will be a participant at Augusta in two weeks himself. This was an extraordinary week for the Molinari brothers and I am sure two weeks from now at Augusta will be even more special.
- Chris Couch finished T4 this week and now needs $218,410 in 13 starts to earn full playing privileges for the remainder of '10. He gets a slight bump up the fantasy golf board with his strong play this week and this was his second T4 in four weeks. I picked him up in my home league and dropped Harrison Frazar and I expect him to continue to play well.
- Ben Curtis decided to be the latest member of my Demotions to crash the contender party. Unlike Furyk, Curtis is not back and will have to prove over time that he his play garnishes attention in the fantasy game.
- D.J. Trahan is playing great golf and will be hard to ignore next week at Houston.
- Do not read too much into the missed cut by Camilo Villegas this week. He has never had success in three previous appearances at Bay Hill. The missed cut allows a little more preparation for the Masters in two weeks where he finished T13 in '09.
- Every player who missed the cut this week was unable to shoot in the 60's on either Thursday or Friday.
- Only 32 rounds were shot in the 60's over the first three days and the changes to the course and switching to a par-72 did not provide lower scores as tournament officials expected. Firm greens were partly the issue and the inability for the players to stop the ball on approach shots will always be a hindrance for low scoring.
- I have a hard time being critical of the players who missed the cut this week. Bay Hill is just a tough place to play and the changes to the course threw just enough a wrinkle into the mix to create more havoc.
- When preparing for the Shell Houston Open this week, do not look at results prior to '06, they played a different course than Redstone Golf Club Tournament Course.
[SIZE=+1]Nationwide Tour Report[/SIZE]
Each week I will break down the Nationwide Tour winner in hopes of providing background and relative information that will pertain to Fantasy Golf for '11. The Nationwide Tour has become a gateway to the PGA Tour over the years and winning on the Nationwide Tour is the first step in obtaining a PGA Tour card the next year.
The Nationwide Tour resumed play this week at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open and Fabian Gomez blitzed the field with a final-round 64 to win by six shots. This week is a perfect week why we discuss the Nationwide Tour because I have never heard of him and he is most likely going to qualify for the PGA Tour in '11. He finished 27th on the Nationwide Tour money list in '09, but ranks third in '10.
This is the fourth season on the Nationwide Tour for the product of Argentina. Gomez is not tall by any standards and does not hit it a long way, but he can absolutely roll the rock. He is second on the Nationwide Tour in putting and is eighth in scoring average. Great putters with solid ball-striking (63rd thus far in '10) eventually find their way at some point.
The 31-year old has nine wins internationally or on smaller tours and this win solidifies his ability to get it done when in contention. We will be looking for Gomez on draft day in '11.
