No, you're not seeing things. Fantasy Golf is back on CBSSports.com!
In 2011, we're here to make the four majors just a little more interesting than they already are, if that's even possible. And, if that's not enough to get your toes tingling, then maybe the prospect of winning free airfare from Southwest Airlines will!
To start things off, we have many people's favorite major -- the Masters, scheduled for April 7-10 at legendary Augusta. While the field is pretty much set for the first major of the year, I'm going to focus this opening column on the 12 current Masters favorites -- the "Dynamite Dozen" we'll call them. Once we get to Masters week, I'll bring you another piece focusing on my picks for the entire field, the weather and more.
But before we look at the guys that the bookmakers think are most likely to slip on the Green Jacket in Butler Cabin, let's go over the rules and some tactics for Fantasy Golf Challenge.
In our game, you get $1 million worth of funny money to spend on five golfers, who range in price from $75,000 to a whopping $300,000. The earnings those golfers make in each tournament are converted into points for your Fantasy team.
Also, an additional 50,000 points will be awarded to the golfer leading after the first round, 100,000 points to the golfer leading after the second round, and 200,000 points to the golfer leading after the third round. You can change your picks for each tournament, and can tweak your lineup for each event up until 6 a.m. local time before the first round.
Along with a season-long grand prize, we will be awarding prizes for the Fantasy champ in each major, so even if you forget to enter a tournament, you can still win something!
Tactics-wise, there are pretty much two trains of thought for Fantasy Golf Challenge. You can either stack your lineup with two very expensive guys and fill in with three cheap guys (the Studs and Duds method), or you can spread your money out a little more evenly between the five slots. It's all just a matter of preference.
The Dynamite Dozen (odds provided by GolfOdds.com)
Tiger Woods (7/1) -- Yes, Tiger is still the favorite here, which might be a little shocking to some. However, when you realize he hasn't finished outside of the top six at Augusta since 2004, it doesn't seem as crazy. Before the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Woods' last round was the superb 66 he shot in the final round at Doral, a score that will no doubt have many folks thinking he might have sorted things out finally. One element of his game Tiger will have to work on before he heads to Georgia is his putting, as he currently ranks 100th on tour in putting average.
Phil Mickelson (8/1) -- The defending Masters champion got off to a good start this year with a second-place finish at Torrey Pines and a ninth at Pebble Beach, but he didn't manage one round in the 60s at Doral and his ball striking has left a lot to be desired so far in 2011. He hit three-quarters of his greens last year during his victory, which is a full 10 percent better than his 65 percent success rate this season. Keep an eye on how he does at Bay Hill, where his form has been spotty in the past, before thinking about making him one of your top two selections.
Rory McIlroy (15/1) -- The curly-haired youngster was seriously in the mix at Doral after three rounds in the 60s, but a final-round 74 left him tied for 10th, eight shots behind eventual winner Nick Watney. McIlroy took his time getting to the States this season, as he's only played in three PGA Tour events so far in 2011. His form in a pair of Dubai events on the European Tour was solid though, as he picked up a T2nd and a T10th. This will be his third trip to Augusta, following a T20th in 2009 and a missed cut last season. The talent is certainly there for Rory, but is he ready to win a major at just 21?
Lee Westwood (15/1) -- Like McIlroy, the world No. 2 didn't show up in the U.S. until late February after playing a whopping four times in the Middle East, producing just one top-10 desert finish. Since arriving in the U.S. though, Westwood has played pretty well, with only one poor round derailing him at both the Honda and the Cadillac. All signs point to him just getting warmed up for a run at his first major title at Augusta, especially considering how close he came last year in his runner-up finish, and he will undoubtedly be a popular Fantasy pick in all four majors this year. He would be even more popular if he wasn't trying to become the first Englishman to break a 15-year drought in the majors!
Dustin Johnson (15/1) -- Johnson comes into his third Masters appearance looking for his first top-25 finish following rough weekends in his first two trips. The 26-year-old came storming out of the gate this season with top-10 finishes in both Hawaii and San Diego, but struggled in four February starts. Johnson looked good in Miami though, as a third-round 65 propelled him to a runner-up finish. While his unlucky finish at the PGA Championship might still be in people's minds, Johnson has three top-10s in his last five majors and is probably the young guy with the game best suited to Augusta success.
Martin Kaymer (15/1) -- The world No. 1 for nearly a month now, Kaymer achieved that ranking with a runner-up finish at the Match Play. In his only other U.S. event to date at Doral, Kaymer played well on Thursday and Friday but faded badly on the weekend. Unfortunately for the German, he has yet to find his game in three missed cuts at Augusta, having not broken 71 in any of his six rounds. Last year, Kaymer hit just 16 of his 36 greens in regulation, something he'll have to fix if he wants to finish in the money for the first time. With his lack of Masters form and his high price tag in Fantasy play, many owners might shy away from Kaymer.
Nick Watney (20/1) -- Watney picked up his biggest career win earlier this month when he topped a stellar field at the Cadillac Championship, and has been on fire so far in 2011 with five straight top-10 finishes to open the season. If you love to go with the hot hand, then Watney is certainly your man at Augusta, especially as he has a very solid history in three trips (7th, 19th, T11th). He's driving it far (13th on tour), hitting greens (33rd) and sinking his putts (third), so if Watney continues to play like he has, this guy is a superb value pick in the low 200,000s.
Luke Donald (25/1) -- Behind Watney, this guy might be the second-hottest guy in golf at the moment. After playing superbly in the second half of 2010, Donald has picked up right where he left off this season, winning the Match Play and picking up back-to-back top-10s in Florida earlier this month. While some golf fans worry about Donald's lack of length off the tee hurting his chances of Masters glory, the Englishman finished tied for 10th in 2007, after the course was lengthened to its current 7,445 yards. He has struggled here in recent years though with two MCs in his last three trips, so Fantasy owners should certainly take that into consideration.
Hunter Mahan (30/1) -- Mahan fell just short of defending his Doral title and is off to a very nice start in 2011 after a disappointing overall 2010 campaign. In addition to his ninth at the Cadillac, Mahan has picked up early top-10s at Torrey Pines, Pebble Beach and the Match Play, and will be looking for a third straight top-10 at Augusta after finishing 7 under in each of the last two years. With his hot form and good success in this event, Mahan is a very nice pick around the quarter-million price tag.
Anthony Kim (30/1) -- The odds seem a little short here for a guy who played well in the first two tournaments of the year but has shown little form since injuring himself last season. Maybe the bookies know something we don't? Kim does have a very nice brief history at Augusta, with a third-place last year that featured a final-round 65, and a T20 in 2009, but he opened with an 80 at Doral en route to finishing almost dead last. Stat-wise, Kim really isn't doing anything very well except maybe putting half-decent this season, so I wouldn't touch him in Fantasy play at the moment.
Matt Kuchar (30/1) -- The leading money winner and scorer on tour last season has continued to hit the ball superbly this season, claiming five top-10 finishes in his first seven events. Like Donald, he doesn't have much length off the tee, but Kooch has managed two top-25s in his four trips to Augusta, and his lack of pop is more than made up for by his great ball striking and putting skills. While he won't come as cheap as he used to, thanks to the fact he's ranked ninth in the world, Kuchar will be a very popular pick this year in Fantasy Golf Challenge.
Graeme McDowell (30/1) -- The defending U.S. Open champ has shown that victory was no fluke by maintaining his good from through late 2010 and early 2011. He shot a final-round 62 at Kapalua to finish third back in January, and also closed strongly at the Honda with a 64 that put him tied for sixth. Buyer beware a little bit though, as McDowell has missed the cut in three trips to Augusta, with only two of his eight rounds in the 60s. If he can keep that red-hot putter going however, watch out.