Course: TPC Scottsdale, one of the most recognizable golf courses on tour, with the desert of Arizona weaving throughout the course. It measures at 7,216 yards, and the difficulty depends on the weather conditions. There are birdie holes available, but you can not get greedy.
Strength Of Field: B-. This ranking drops considerably if Phil Mickelson is unable to tee it up on Thursday. A lot of top name players are missing, but guys like Brandt Snedeker, Keegan Bradley, and Hideki Matsuyama still provide enough high profile names to make this tournament watchable for the casual golf fan.
Extra Tidbits: My bucket list includes attending this event and sitting at the 16th hole, if only for one day. A lot of golf purists hate it, but I find it actually brings excitement to golf, something that lacks a lot of the time...Phil Mickelson almost recorded a 59 in the first round last year...JB Holmes returns to the PGA Tour this week after injuring himself in a rollerblading accident last year. Holmes has won this event twice...Top European Tour pro Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano begins his PGA Tour season this week. Top ranked Asian Tour player Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand also makes his first 2014 start...Last year, Phil Mickelson went wire-to-wire and dominated the event for a third time. Phil has a bad back, and it is questionable whether he will play or not.
Fantasy Four:
Graham Delaet - Had a chance to win at Torrey Pines last week until Scott Stallings birdied the final hole. One of the best players on tour without a victory. Picking up where he left off last season, with three Top 10 finishes already to his name.
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano - Finished 7th in the Race To Dubai last year, including a victory in their kind of, sort of playoffs. Hits it a mile. Putting can be a question, but the greens in Phoenix shouldn't cause much stress on the Spaniard. Trying to win some Ryder Cup points, and top finishes on the PGA Tour can go a long way to making that possible.
Padraig Harrington - Sleeper Pick. Has struggled quite a bit the last several seasons, but off season interviews suggest that his head is in the right place. Has performed well on this golf course in the past. This pick is based solely on what I think he can do, rather than what I have seen him do recently.
EDIT: After more research, I found that last years event was the first time Padraig played in Phoenix. For whatever reason, I thought he had a few more starts here. Either way, he tied for ninth, and it does not change my feelings.
EDIT: After more research, I found that last years event was the first time Padraig played in Phoenix. For whatever reason, I thought he had a few more starts here. Either way, he tied for ninth, and it does not change my feelings.
Hideki Matsuyama - Healthy again after injuring his thumb in Hawaii. Finished one shot out of a Top 10 last week, but performed well on the weekend when everyone else struggled. Should use this event to springboard him into the first WGC event of the year.
(Note: I originally added Justin Leonard to my team, but removed him in favor of Gonzalo. Just recording this for prosperity in case Leonard makes me look like a fool.)
Last Weeks Team:
Tiger Woods: MDF
Phil Mickelson: WD
Jason Day: T2
Lee Westwood: T47
No comments:
Post a Comment