The Fantasy Insider: The Honda Classic
By Scott Pianowski, The Fantasy Insider
This longtime event switched to PGA National back in 2007, and the new course has proven to be a bear, checking in as one of the ten toughest tracks the PGA TOUR has seen over that span.
No surprise there, given that Jack Nicklaus was responsible for the redesign of the course earlier this decade. The ability to stay patient will be critical this week; this is a track where you have to pick your spots to attack.
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.
A-List Selections
Robert Allenby (Round 1 starter): He's proven his mettle at PGA National (fourth, fifth), and we know Allenby has one of the purest swings in the game today (he ended last year second in GIR, eighth in scoring average, fourth in ball striking and 19th in total driving). It's been a while since Allenby hoisted a trophy on the PGA TOUR (dating back to his four wins in 2000-01), but he's far too talented for that trend to continue much longer. He'll contend this week, and you might see a lot of him on the weekend.
• Ernie Els: He quickly got comfortable at PGA National last season, rallying for a Sunday victory, and he's in fine form in 2009, as his deep run at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship attests. Els has his confidence back with the putter and that gleam in his eye again; you can easily envision him returning to elite status this season.
• Other A-List Options: Sergio Garcia's debut at PGA National was ordinary at best (T43), and he's still looking for his best foot thus far in 2009 (he was an upset victim at the Match Play last week). We'll wait on the Spaniard.
• Stewart Cink has some older success at The Honda Classic but he's yet to give it a go at PGA National. He comes in with some confidence, fresh off another impressive run (third) at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
• It could be a good time to invest in Camilo Villegas. He had two dominant wins at the Accenture before losing to eventual champ Geoff Ogilvy, and he was tied for third at the Buick Invitational in his last match-play event. He's had plenty of success at The Honda Classic, grabbing three solid checks (24, 3, 31)
• Justin Leonard won this event at the Country Club at Mirasol back in 2003, and he finished a respectable T30 last year after missing the cut the prior season. His scores haven't reflected it yet in 2009, but he's doing a lot of things right on the course (22nd in driving accuracy, sixth in GIR, 13th in putting).
• Justin Rose introduced himself to PGA National with a T15 finish last year, including a 67 on Sunday. He's never missed a cut in four Honda Classic starts.
• Michael Letzig's balanced game gives him a shot anywhere, and he's already had a go at PGA National, finishing seventh at The Honda Classic last season.
• John Merrick is also comfortable on this layout, running 15th and 31st the last two seasons. He's cashed five times in six starts this year, including a second at the Bob Hope Classic.
B-List Selections
Mark Wilson (Round 1 starter): He won the maiden voyage at PGA National in 2007, and he's coming off last week's win at the Mayakoba Classic, so it's a logical time to buy in on Wilson. He's always been one of the more accurate drivers on tour, and he's capable of making noise with his putter. Let's take a shot on Wilson to keep the momentum going.
• Rory McIlroy (Round 1 starter): The young phenom entered the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship with plenty of buzz, and he certainly did not disappoint, winning three matches before he ran into the buzz saw of Geoff Ogilvy. McIlroy is making his first trip to The Honda Classic and PGA National, but he's too hot right now to look past.
• Davis Love: He's always liked teeing it up at The Honda Classic (14 straight cashes), and he's made a few deep runs on the earlier courses (finishing second in 2003 and 2004). He can handle PGA National, running 30th and 13th the last two seasons. When you see this much consistency from a player at an event, even with some venue changes, you roll with it.
• Mark Calcavecchia: Here's another veteran who likes coming to this event, winning twice and grabbing ten Top-25 checks over the years. Calc was in the running for the crown at PGA National last year before a bad break on the back nine dropped him out of it; he wound up finishing fourth. Another notable week will not surprise us at all; we've come to expect it from Calc at this time of year.
Other B-List Options: Boo Weekley finished second at PGA National two seasons ago and he's had a good push off to 2009, finishing T15 at the Mercedes-Benz Championship and T9 at the Sony Open. He's having a fantastic ballstriking year (38th in driving distance, 25th in driving accuracy, second in GIR); at the end of the day, it's going to come down to putting with Weekley.
• Chad Campbell hasn't missed a cut in four starts this season, though he hasn't been in serious contention since his T9 at the 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer. He finished 20th at The Honda Classic last year
• Steve Marino got back on the beam last week at the Mayakoba Classic (T20), and he's had decent results at The Honda Classic (24, 20). You know our stance on Marino, we're expecting him to break through and win at some point in 2009.
• J.B. Holmes has cashed in his last three starts, including a snappy T6 finish at the Northern Trust Open, but we'll temper expectations for him here given that he's making his The Honda Classic debut.
• Stuart Appleby hasn't done better than T57 in his three stroke-play events this year, and he was quickly bounced from the Accenture last week, so let's give him some time to work out the kinks. He's played The Honda Classic several times, but never on the PGA National track.
• Carl Pettersson is one of those "anywhere, anytime" players, and he's had respectable showings at The Honda Classic through the years (24, 22, 55, 46, 13, 14). You have to give him a shot this week
• Angel Cabrera is certainly fun to root for and he was in a groove in LA two weeks back, finishing T13 and closing with a 68-66-66 rush. He missed the cut in his lone PGA National try, two seasons back.
• Dudley Hart deserves a spot on your sleeper list for this event. He won it all at The Honda Classic in 2000, he was sixth in 2006, and he fashioned a solid T15 at PGA National last year.
C-List Selections
Ben Crane (Round 1 starter): Patience has always been a key at this event, and we know that's a strength of Crane's game. He's 3-for-3 in cuts made at The Honda Classic, including a T12 finish in his PGA National debut last season. Fear the turtle.
• Matt Kuchar: He's won The Honda Classic before (2000), albeit on a different track, and he's grabbed four checks in a row this season, even with some rocky moments at times at the Northern Trust Open (75 in the third round). Kuchar has been consistent with the driver and confident with the putter this season, a dangerous combination.
Other C-List Options: Luke Donald would be an easy C-List favorite here if not for the wrist injury that popped up last week. He's still hoping to tee it up, but until we see him play a few rounds, it's hard to gauge where he's at. The Northwestern University product has never missed a cut in five starts at The Honda Classic, including a win in 2006 and a second-place finish last year.
• Nick O'Hern looked back in form at the end of the Mayakoba Classic last week, and he's another player you like when the course demands deliberate play. He missed the cut at PGA National two years back, but don't look for a repeat of that
• Unfamiliar courses haven't been a problem for Webb Simpson this year, so don't be afraid to dial up the snappy rookie as he makes his Honda Classic debut. His putter can bail him out when his ball striking isn't perfect, and he'll make birdies on any track, even one as demanding as PGA National.
• Charlie Wi has some nice history at this event (69, 13, 22), and he's especially dangerous when his iron game falls into line.
• Scott Verplank showed a steady hand at the Mayakoba Classic (T15), and that might ride into another good week here. He's cashed in three of his last four visits to The Honda Classic, including a T8 three seasons ago.
• We'll close with a word on Heath Slocum, who was sharp from the get go in Mexico last week (68-69-66-67). He finally cashed at The Honda Classic last year after two misses, and you have to give him a shot based on his straight driving (58th) and true putting (34th).
Last Week: Picked up another 1,600 slots in the overall standings, as seven of our eight selections made the cut. David Toms (T6), Ted Purdy (T13), Steve Marino (T20) and Brian Gay (T20) were the biggest breadwinners of the week.
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