The Fantasy Insider: Bob Hope Chrysler Classic

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Focus. Patience. Rest.

We'll see all three of those themes come into play at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic this week, a 90-hole event that includes celebrities on the course and longer rounds. The test to focus is a little sterner this week, and let's also keep in mind much of the field has to re-calibrate the inner clock, settling in on California soil after a week or two on the islands of Hawaii.

Focus was also the key as I participated in my hometown golf auction Sunday night, a group I've been knocking heads with since 1999. I'll duck in brief glimpses of how that went as we look through this week's tip sheet.

PGATOUR.com Pick 'em
You need one player in each of the six groups, and every week, I'll be opening my books and spelling out the logic behind my selections. When the Salary Cap Cup Game opens next week at the Buick Invitational, we'll tackle those angles as well.

Group 1 Pick: Mike Weir
Other Options: Scott Verplank, Woody Austin, Brett Wetterich, Stewart Cink

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Weir's even temperament and easy-going nature serve him well at this event, with 90 holes of deliberate golf on the menu. He's also got a 2003 win here and a fifth in 2006. Rested off a week of downtime, relaxed, reliable; everything points to the Canadian in this spot, or in any other game you can use him. He's got my strongest endorsement.

If left-handers aren't your speed, I'll quickly sign off on Verplank (and not just because he landed on my auction roster two nights ago). The consistent Texan remains one of the best ball strikers on the circuit, and he's been close to winning here the last two seasons (second last year, eighth in 2006).

Austin did finish 11th at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic back in 1996, but, since then, not much has happened (four missed cuts in six tries, nothing better than 53rd). Wetterich has never played the event before, and I'm not about to get cute with a first-timer pick when multiple courses are in play. Cink's track record has some hits on it, including two top-10s last decade, but he hasn't been able to get inside the top 20 this decade.

Group 2 Pick: John Senden
Other Options: Mark Calcavecchia, Boo Weekley, Robert Allenby, Rod Pampling

I've been waiting on a major Senden breakthrough for a few seasons -- someone who's always near the top of the ball striking stats has to be doing something right. He's made six straight checks here, including a fifth and a sixth, so let's send it in on Senden.

Calcavecchia finished eighth last year and had a third in 2001, but I'm a little wary of him this time around on a short week and off two remote events. At some point, you wonder if fatigue comes into play. Weekley is another no-rest player on his third event, a theme I'll stay away from with my picks.

Allenby isn't always the most consistent player, but he does have an eighth-place check here and two other solid finishes, among his five starts. Pampling grabbed three solid checks before missing the cut last year, and he's considered one of the top 10 contenders this time around if you take the consensus of the handicapping pools.

Group 3 Pick: John Rollins
Other Options: Heath Slocum, Carl Pettersson

Rollins is a dangerous player when he gets that magical putter of his rolling, and he made a run at the last Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, finishing second. Slocum also showed up nicely last year (fourth), but his previous five starts left a lot to be desired (31, cut, cut, cut, 62). I thought Pettersson's style might be conducive to success here, but the resume disagrees (two missed cuts and nothing inside the top 30 through four starts).

You'll see Pat Perez and Peter Lonard also listed on your card, but they've withdrawn from the tournament so keep them out of your Week 3 plans.

Group 4 Pick: Anthony Kim
Other Options: Lucas Glover, Ryan Moore, Chris DiMarco, Joe Durant

Glover has turned into a fairly reliable option over the last two years, and he's got a 10th and a 13th at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, a solid trend. You need to make a gaggle of birdies to win here, and Glover was eighth in birdie average last year. He's the safe pick from this group.

Ah, but sometimes it's more fun to take a chance. Kim played some tremendous golf last summer after a slow start, and he'll get some extra kick from the gallery this week, essentially playing in his backyard. I don't think there's a question on his talent and looming greatness -- it's just a matter of the arrival date. His 45th-place finish last year might not sound like much, but at least he's been over the grounds, and he's capable of posting a bunch of red numbers in a row, as well (13th in birdie average last year).

Moore has improved in each of the last three seasons, though he didn't play on Sunday at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic last year. DiMarco I'm not going to use until I can clearly see he's 100 percent. Durant won it all here in 2001, and he's made five cuts in a row, but none of those finishes landed him in the top 15.

Group 5 Pick: Justin Leonard
Other Options: Nathan Green, Chad Campbell, Kenny Perry, Steve Flesch

Here's the easiest pick of the bunch. Leonard took the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in 2005, he's got two other top-10s, and he's made nine cuts in 10 tries. Off a week of rest, no need to hesitate.

Campbell and Flesch come off my sheet as they play their third week in a row. Perry needs to re-earn trust after a so-so couple of years (he does have solid results here if you look back far enough, including a win in 1995). Green finished 18th here last year, but he seemed to be struggling a bit with his game at the Sony Open, so let's make him play his way back on the squad.

Group 6 Pick: Bubba Watson
Other Options: Paul Goydos, Troy Matteson, Vaughn Taylor, Shaun Micheel

Watson's got the most birdie upside of this group (19th in birdie average last year), so I'll toss the dice with him. He's only been on the track once and didn't make it to Sunday, but Matteson and Taylor also have just one Bob Hope Chrysler Classic experience to draw on.

Micheel has been here six times but hasn't cracked the top 40 yet, so I'll skip him.

Goydos is someone I'm always pulling for, but he's another no-rester, and he broke 70 just once in Hawaii.

Tie-Breaker Pick: Kevin Na

He was top 10 in birdie average last year, so I'll ignore the fact that he's done little in three stops at this event. A wrestling match broke out when Na's name came up in my auction on the weekend, so here's a vote for the wisdom of the crowd.

I don't know what health has in store for Couples this time around, but if he's going to have a magical comeback year, it's going to be for me.

The room joked about how no one ever seems to own Howell two years in a row. I think the kid's getting an unfair rap. Charles, I'm prepared to reverse this trend -- stick in the Top 25 by the end of the year, and I'll pony up again.

I don't know what to expect off of Love's injured season, and I know I'll have to wait a bit on his return, but at $2, I couldn't resist. There's a lot of room for profit there.

Biggest regret: Not pushing harder when Joe Sheehan and I got into a wrestling match on Hunter Mahan. Joe got him for $32; I'll carry some regret around for most of the year on that one.

I'll try to make a waiver-wire steal somewhere along the line -- last year I picked up Anthony Kim (dropped elsewhere) and Woody Austin for nothing. As always, the key is recognizing these guys as early as possible, getting the most run possible.