Fantasy Golf: Hot Topics

July 1, 2008 1:00pm CDT

- There's no hope in dope (right?)

If for nothing else, this week's AT&T National will be famous for serving as the berthing ground for drug testing in the PGA. The Tour will implement their new Anti-Doping initiatives this week by randomly selecting golfers for urine screens. The members of the Tour were alerted and given a list of banned substances several weeks ago to insure all were aware of the situation.

Wisely, those opposed on the Tour have turned the debate to why there are beliefs asserting any drug can help your golf game. The common-man's saint, Rocco Mediate, went on a prolonged tirade about his disdain for the system (he threw a few curse words in there as well, but we can forgive… if you saw it, you know he was on a roll), but he ended with a few poignant words.

"There is nothing we can take to help you in golf. We're not Olympians here. If I take steroids, I'm not going to shoot better scores. I can assure you of that."

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem was on his side of the fence not that long ago and asserted as much in press conferences just a year ago. Today, he believes it has become a necessity, both from a business and moral perspective. The fans and, more importantly, the sponsors benefit from a position against performance-enhancing drugs, and keeping those that pay the bills happy is priority #1.

Yet Mediate makes a valid point as well. In essence, we are telling the gifted golfers of the world that they must live a different existence in selecting health care and lifestyle for use of the wrong medications or supplements could cost you a career that can be, even at its lower levels, very rewarding. You are not allowed to visit the local pharmacy and hit the shelf for relief from you allergies, for the ingredients may include a banned substance. You have to be checked and approved to take any and everything.

And guys like John Daly… those woes could fill a novel.

That is a moral question as well, and noting that the benefit gained from taking such a stance is negligible asks the true question, and it may be one other sports should be asking as well. We are compromising the choices to attain health for athletes that can only perform when they are in fact healthy, and that makes little to no sense at all.

It's a great debate, and you can bet it will rage for months (if not years) to come.

- Ryding it out…

We would be remise if we didn't mention that Kenny Perry (the Hot Hand for last week's article) earned his second Tour victory of the season last week, coming from behind to overtake Bubba Watson and Woody Austin for a trophy at the Buick Open.

A few weeks ago we relayed a story raising a debate about Perry's approach to this season. Two weeks before the Tour turned to Torrey Pines for the US Open, Perry announced he would not be making the trip west and would pass on his spot in the second major of the year. At the time, the Ohio native told reporters his full focus was on insuring a spot on this year's Ryder Cup team. The event will be held in front of Perry's hometown crowd on a course he's played more than any other in his life. He wanted to focus on tourney he felt would get him in that position.

And he's done it. This win all but assures Perry will be on that team, and we applaud his effort.

On a side note, Perry also reports he will still be taking a pass on the Open Championship (a.k.a. the British Open). He committed to be a part of the field in Milwaukee that week (the Tour secondary event for those failing to qualify for the major), and he wants to honor that promise.

You can bet he'll be in the field at the PGA Championship.


~ Hot Hands ~

- Dudley Hart
If you are one of the few that counts the PGA Tour as a passion, I would bet you could name the bulk of the top 50 on the current Money Leaders list… but I also bet few would think to name Dudley Hart as one of those guys. He's been around for 18 years and has become the face of the grinder on the circuit, consistently competing and earning checks while rarely standing alone from the group.

This season has been one of this best to date, but you rarely give him a thought when you review the field for the week. In 15 PGA starts, he's missed just five cuts versus a total of four top-10 finishes. He's spread the wealth throughout the schedule, never getting too hot or cold for any prolonged streak of time (though matching results seem to come in pairs).

Review the list of finishes and you'll see what we mean. He started poorly, going T66 at the Sony Open and missed cut at the FBR. From there he warmed up, finishing T3 at Pebble Beach (a top early-season field), T15 at the Honda Classic and T12 at the Zurich (he sandwiched at T74 in the middle at Puerto Rico, but I tend to ignore that tourney… you know Hart would rather be at The Masters that week). Then came two missed cuts, followed by two more stout finishes: T7 at the Byron Nelson, T5 at the Wachovia (two strong fields, two of his best finishes in recent memory).

Once again, that was followed by two missed cuts (THE PLAYERS, the only top field he has failed to compete against thus far), but he is now riding another string with two strong finishes out of his last three appearances, including T30 at the Memorial and T9 and Buick Open.

The trend might suggest you avoid him this week and next, but you cannot deny Hart should be in your thoughts when you are filling your roster against top fields. He has put some of the best rounds of his season on the line when the game's elite are teeing off next to him, and that is an asset any fantasy owner can appreciate.

~ Cold Feet ~

- Vaughn Taylor
I entered this season with high expectations for Mr. Taylor, coming off strong outings in '07 with an outstanding finish and hopes of taking another step forward as he enters the prime years of his career (having just turned 32 this year).

Instead, Taylor has floundered, especially over recent weeks. He began as we expected, finishing T25 at the Sony Open followed by T8 at the Bob Hope. It appeared our hopes of progress were quickly coming to fruition, but the wheels have since fallen off the Taylor bandwagon.

In the 17 PGA starts Taylor has made since those opening successes, Taylor has missed eight total cuts, including six missed cuts in an eight-start span through April and May. He has not registered a single top-10 finish since the Bob Hope. In fact, he has not finished in the top 20 and has hit the top 30 just twice.

His putting is on (averaging 1.768 putts per green, 32nd on Tour), but that's it. He's not getting to the green in regulation (61.5%, 142nd), he's not hitting fairways (63.0%, 94th), and he has yet to post an eagle this season.

Over his last five starts, he has gone T52, T26, T37, T69, and missed cut. That's as cold as it gets short of missing more cuts, and while making the weekend is the first step in fantasy success, it is not the only bullet point of value on a golfer's fantasy resume.

We suggest you find alternative options until further notice.


- FedEx Cup Standings
RANK PLAYER POINTS
1 Tiger Woods 22,695
2 Phil Mickelson 15,940
3 Kenny Perry 15,933
4 Stewart Cink 15,039
5 Justin Leonard 11,959
6 Ryuji Imada 10,854
7 Geoff Ogilvy 10,660
8 Vijay Singh 10,309
9 Boo Weekley 9,280
10 Anthony Kim 9,080


- US Ryder Cup Point Standings
RANK PLAYER POINTS
1 Tiger Woods 11,365.627
2 Stewart Cink 4,906.065
3 Phil Mickelson 4,419.030
4 Kenny Perry 3,626.350
5 Jim Furyk 3,210.332
6 Justin Leonard 3,065.016
7 Boo Weekley 2,591.546
8 Anthony Kim 2,339.310
9 Woody Austin 2,200.799
10 Brandt Snedeker 2,088.287


- PGA Money Leaders
PLAYER EVENTS EARNINGS
Tiger Woods 6 $5,775,000
Phil Mickelson 14 $3,959,500
Stewart Cink 15 $3,718,671
Kenny Perry 18 $3,575,350
Justin Leonard 16 $2,945,007
Geoff Ogilvy 14 $2,745,454
Vijay Singh 15 $2,582,531
Ryuji Imada 15 $2,423,877
Sergio Garcia 12 $2,397,170
Boo Weekley 17 $2,177,282


- Official World Golf Rankings
PLAYER EVENTS AVG PTS
Tiger Woods 40 20.73
Phil Mickelson 44 9.94
Geoff Ogilvy 46 5.66
Adam Scott 48 5.64
Ernie Els 56 5.53
Stewart Cink 51 5.45
Steve Stricker 46 5.14
Sergio Garcia 52 5.10
Justin Rose 48 5.09
K.J. Choi 55 4.97


- World Money List
PLAYER EVENTS EARNINGS
Tiger Woods 7 $6,196,717
Phil Mickelson 14 $3,959,500
Stewart Cink 15 $3,718,671
Kenny Perry 18 $3,575,350
Justin Leonard 16 $2,945,007
Geoff Ogilvy 14 $2,745,454
Vijay Singh 13 $2,602,307
Sergio Garcia 12 $2,481,902
Ryuji Imada 14 $2,423,877
Anthony Kim 13 $2,288,347