The Fantasy Insider: 50th Bob Hope Classic

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Ryuji Imada is usually a safe pick for any fantasy team.

Every tournament on the PGA TOUR is unique, but there are more nuances than normal to consider at the 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer this week. It's a five-round event, for starters, four courses are used, and it's a Pro-Am for the first four days. Don't underestimate what the Pro-Am element does to the pace of play; to win this event, you need a relaxed personality and plenty of patience.

And then there's the travel element for this week -- some pros will be coming over from the Sony Open in Hawaii, while others enter the event a little more rested. I'm not going to make that the make-or-break element as we handicap the field, but it can't be ignored.

Last Week: Charles Howell III (fourth) and Steve Marino (seventh) did us proud, but I didn't have any Top-3 selections (where you get bonus points) and my daily-start decisions were out of step for most of the weekend. With that, I scored a mediocre 152 points, a total that isn't acceptable. I guarantee we'll score higher this week (a trick promise, since there's an extra round). Okay, I promise we'll score more this week per round, how's that? You want a motivated handicapper, you've got one.

PGATOUR.COM Fantasy Golf
Here are the rules in a nutshell: We're picking eight players every week from three separate pools: two players from the A-List, four players from the B-List, and two players from the C-List. From round to round, you'll "start" four of those players (one of your A players, two from B, one from C), making daily changes as you see fit. If your guys play well that day or for the week, you score well. The eight players you pick at the beginning of the week are the only ones you can use and switch up during a particular tournament; the next week, you'll re-evaluate and refresh your group of eight.

You're allowed to use any player up to 10 starts for the year, and anything from 1-4 rounds in a given event counts as a single "start." As always, choose carefully, and have a long-term plan in addition to your short-term goals.

Alright, time to put the rulebook aside and head to California for some Week 3 winners.

Leonard

A-List Selections
Justin Leonard (Round 1 Starter): He's proven he can handle these courses and the demands of the event, winning the Bob Hope in 2005 and coming in second last year (along with two other Top-10s this decade). He ran fifth at the Mercedes-Benz Championship two weeks back, then rested last week. The amiable Texan has the personality and patience that's needed for a week-long Pro-Am. I'm not just putting him on my roster, but I'm also dialing him up in my expert league "one start per season" challenge -- basically I've deemed this the best time all year to use Leonard. Get on the train with us.

Other A-List Options
Cliff Kresge has a hit-or-miss resume at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, but his two checks were heavy ones (sixth, 16th) . . . Ryuji Imada had made it to my "anywhere, anytime" list for fantasy golf, he's such a smart, creative player. He's been solid in four turns here (16, CUT, 35, 12) . . . Mike Weir fits the personality suit for the event and he did win it in 2003, but he's contended just once since (41, CUT, 5, 48, 56) . . . Steve Flesch hasn't cracked the Top-10 in eleven tries here, and he's missed the cut almost half the time . . . Steve Elkington was fifth last year and was a birdie machine in 2008, but his slump the two previous years forces me into a wait-and-see approach as we hit the new season.

B-List Selections
Charley Hoffman (Round 1 Starter): An easy selection as the UNLV product meets all the criteria. Hoffman's making his season debut, he can hit the ball a country mile (a plus on this menu), and he's had plenty of success at the tournament, winning in 2007 and running eighth last year. I'm sold, sign me up.

Campbell

Chad Campbell (Round 1 Starter): He's got the ability to go low in the desert, we saw it in 2006 when he hoisted the trophy here, and Campbell is absolute money when it comes to January play and seasonal debuts. You've got a busy day, so I'll do the legwork for you: Campbell opened last year with a T12 and a T10; his 2007 season began with a tie for seventh; he blasted off in 2006 with a second and a win (here); he opened 2005 with a T17 finish; and Campbell was tied for 15th in his 2004 opener. No way I'm going against that trend.

Dustin Johnson: Another long hitter who fits well on these courses; Johnson was 12th at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic last year and he's the early leader in birdie average this season. I wanted a D.J. on my roster this week, and sorry Mr. Trahan, I have to hold the defending-champ burden against you.

David Toms: He came out of the chute smoking at the Sony Open, and you've probably heard that Toms is back to his old clubs and caddy (why would any successful player ever change those things?). Toms has made nine straight cuts here and I see that confidence in his eye again; let's roll with it.

Other B-List Options: This is always going to be the longest part of the column, because the B-List is the deepest group and requires the most picks. Get comfortable and let's have a good look around . . . Mathew Goggin is going to win this year, book it, and we'll use him plenty of times. But given the fact that he's yet to crack the Top 30 at this tournament, now's not the time to act . . . Stephen Ames is a big name that always catches your eye, but he's made one deep run here in seven starts (an eighth-place finish). I want more on the form before I commit . . . I'll check my bias at the door and admit to you that I always want to pick Fred Couples, and I don't need much of a stat push to do so. And if we were still in the 1990s, I'd be doing just that this week: Freddy won here in 1998 and pretty much owned this event for the decade. Alas, since 2001 it's a step slower for Boom Boom: he still makes the cut every year at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, but he hasn't gotten inside the Top 20 over the last seven starts . . . Pat Perez has ties to the area and he's had some dazzling rounds here (a 61 in 2003; a 60 in 2006), but somehow he finished 73th in 2006, even after that blistering 60 to start. Maybe he's a little spooked by the event because he didn't play here the last two seasons . . . It's never easy to look past Steve Stricker, but this hasn't been his best tournament (CUT, CUT, 48, 38, 23, 21, 29, 52).

C-List Selections
Harrison Frazar (Round 1 Starter): I've always seen him as a possible breakthrough player, and I definitely like him in the desert, where he's grabbed three Top-10 checks in five starts. You know he'll blast the ball off the tee; if the putter gets hot early, look out.

Crane

Ben Crane: He's never missed a cut here (6-for-6), including a 12th place check last year and a fifth-place finish in 2004. Fear the turtle? You bet.

Others C-List Options: You're going to read about Chez Reavie often in this space, as he's on my hometown auction team and someone I really like as an up-and-coming player. He ran fifth here last season and impressed me out of the gate in 2009. But he's also played two weeks in a row and now faces the extra travel and extra day of competition, and that makes me a touch nervous for fantasy purposes . . . Scott Verplank has eight straight cashes here, including a second and a fourth, so I don't blame you at all if you dial up the classy Texan in his seasonal debut . . . Heath Slocum missed the cut at the Sony Open and although he ran fourth here in 2007, he's done little in his other six starts here (nothing in the Top 30) . . . If Matt Kuchar had more past form here, I'd be tempted to make him a sleeper this week. Alas, the two starts were ordinary (CUT, 27) . . . Johnson Wagner finished 13th here two years back, but it doesn't seem like the type of event ideally suited to his skill set. We'll come back to him.