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Fantasy Four: Season Recap

September 26, 2010 by 1 Comment

The main season of the PGA Tour is all wrapped up and what a great first edition of the NG Nation Fantasy Four. Jim Furyk’s win was a great cap to pick up his 3rd win of the year and a ridiculous paycheck. It was a great 5 months of Fantasy Four action and before I recap the season, I will recap The TOUR Championship.

We had some very good picks this week with a bunch of Top 10′s and lots of scoring. I was happy with my picks and predictions, as I thought Els, Furyk and Villegas would be sleepers and all ended up with Top 10′s.

Ryder Cup Note: DJ, Stricker, Kuchar, Phil, Overton and Bubba did not play well this week. If I’m sprinkling cash on the Ryder Cup, I’m all over the European Tour, especially with Paddy’s T8 in the Vivendi Cup.

Let’s hit the stat pack!

  • Number of Entries: 10 (no Drew this week & Mosher DQ)
  • Number of Golfers Selected: 18 (that’s great for a field of 30)
  • Most Popular Pick: Steve Stricker – 6 picks
  • Number of Missed Cuts/WD’s: 0
  • Number of Top 10’s: 10  – Furyk, Donald, Casey,Watney,  Goose, Hoffman, Choi, Els, Camilo, Streels
  • Number of Top 10-Top 25’s: 6 – Mahan, DJ, Phil, Kuchar, Stricker, Day
  • Top Nike Golfer: Paul Casey (T4)
  • People That Selected the Winner: 2 – Brian and Jane
  • Average Points: 36.2

Jane absolutely dominated the playoffs picked 3/4 winners. I’m blown away. Also, Jane missed the first 6 events of this contest, so per event basis, she was Topps Trading Cards. She was beastin’. At least she wins the Playoffs and a dozen Nike ONE Vapor Speed balls.

Jane’s winning team (56 points): Jim Furyk (1), Els (T7), Phil (T22), Stricker (T25)
Brian’s winning team (56 points): Jim Furyk (1), Charley Hoffman (6), Phil (T22), Stricker (T25)

Check here for the TOUR Championship point totals.

Despite Jane’s win and playoff push (much like Luke Donald’s or Paul Casey’s), she falls short of the overall crown. However, she did manage to tie for the lead for Most Wins.

Chris Wang is the overall season winner, dethroning his lover, partner, competitor, Meredith Wang who showed up with a measly 12 points and pulled a Kuchar/Stricker/DJ in the final event. Chris wins his choice of a Method putter, SQ Machspeed or VR Driver.

Check below for the season and monthly totals.

(Chris and Jane, NG Nation will be in touch with you for your prizes!)

Please leave any feedback about the contest, as this will hopefully become an annual event. I feel as though the FedEx Cup format worked quite well with the double points in the Playoff events. Next year we will definitely consider bonus points and a points reset.

I’d like to thank everyone for playing and continuing to participate. I try to keep it fun and not offend people, but I’ll try and make more jokes as time goes on and we expand our contest to more participants!

NEW CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT: To tide you over, I will gladly be running the NG Nation Fall Series Fantasy Four starting at this week’s Viking Classic! This will be 5 events and there will be 4 prizes. We really hope come back and play and also tell your friends! We’re going to try and spread the word with this. It will work the same as the regular season; pick 4 golfers each event for 5 events and win some free Nike Golf swag!

Check back this week and don’t forget to keep repair your divots and ball marks!

Filed Under: 2010 Regular Season Fantasy Four, 2010 RS Results, Contests, Fantasy Four, ngnation.com

FedEx Cup Fantasy Four: The TOUR Championship

September 21, 2010 by 21 Comments

We’ve made it, sportsfans! All the way to the other side! I’m very excited. It should be a real points explosion as you have 5/6 odds of scoring points this week with only 30 players in the field. I don’t need to do much of an introduction, but this is what we’ve all been waiting for.  For the winner, eternal glory, the choice of a brand new Nike driver of your choice, along with bragging rights spanning the internets.

This is the last event (!) of  The Playoffs for the NG Nation Fantasy Four and it’s definitely too late to join :) For a refresher on the rules, hit the link — Contest Guidelines and leave your Fantasy Four below.

Big change this week: YOU DON’T HAVE TO PICK PAUL CASEY!
He’s the only NG Staffer and there’s only 30 guys to pick from, so let’s go out guns blazing.

The twitterati have been buzzing with rumours of bonus points and/or a points reset, but rules and rules and we play by them. Just like Dustin Johnson. No bonus points or reset!

Another important note, the Fantasy Four Power Couple reside in Georgia and I know that Chris will be at East Lake all week. They just try to get every advantage possible. Maybe they’ll check out some practice rounds before submitting their Fantasy Four.

To see the standings up to this point and how everyone picked last week, click here

NIKE GOLF: One to Watch  (doesn’t mean you have to pick him!)

Paul Casey (5)
PC has a legitimate chance to win this and I don’t care that he doesn’t have any history here. He’s playing with a chip on his shoulder and knows he’s an underdog going into this week. Honestly, I was going to put Casey in the “Four Who Are Hot” section, but oh well. Casey has 5 straight Top 25′s (2 Top 25, 2 Top 15′s and 1 Top 10) and if you discount the Canadian Open where he was drained from The Open (where he was T3) then he’s playing right up there with the best of them.

THE FIELD: Four Who are Hot

Dustin Johnson (2)
Recent starts – 1st at BMW, T57 at DB, T9 at Barclays, T5 at PGA, 15th at WGC-Bridgestone
People are rooting for him after his tough year…and he would be a great story. T27 at his only appearance at East Lake.

Matt Kuchar (1)
Recent starts –T3 at BMW, T11 at Deutsche Bank, 1st at Barclays,  T10 at PGA, T9 at WGC, T21 at Greenbrier, T4 at Canadian Open, T27 at The Open, T6 at US Open, T8 at Memorial
People still don’t realize this streak. He’s playing the best golf on the planet right now (maybe next to Kaymer). Rookie at East Lake.

Adam Scott (14)
Recent starts – T15 at BMW, T5 at Deutsche Bank, T9 at Barclays, T39 at PGA, T9 at at WGC-Bridgestone, T27 at The Open
Adam and Phil are the only two people in the Top 15 who have wins at East Lake. Also, given his current streak, he’s got to play well. He’s full of confidence and Mere couldn’t be happier that he’ll be in town this week.

Steve Stricker (4)
Recent starts – T8 at BMW, 9th at DBank, T3 at Barclays, T18 at PGA, T9 at WGC-Bridgestone
Of the Top 5, he has the most starts by far at East Lake with 4. His solo 6th last year with his other starts here make him the favourite to win in my books.

THE FIELD: Four Who Have History

Ernie Els (8)
Best finishes – 9 in ’09, T6 in ’08, T26 in ’07, T10 in ’06, T10 in ’04, T17 in ’03, T3 in ’00
Our season long leader has been quiet in the playoffs, but his last two finishes (30th then 13th) have him going in the right direction. He also has the history to back it up. Could be a big sleeper this week with a chance to win.

Jim Furyk (11)
Best finishes – T7 in ’09, T6 in ’08, 2 in ’06, T14 in ’05, T8 in ’03
A favourite to win almost every event this year got his playoffs off to a rocky start. However, if there’s a place for him to get his groove back, this is the place. T37 at DBank and T15 at the BMW has him going in the right direction. Another big sleeper this week.

Camilo Villegas (25)
Best finishes – 1st in ’08, T9 in ’07
Villegas has had a very quiet year for getting a big win. However, he’s an intense dude with a great history here. He should give a good show to end his year after not making it to East Lake last year.

Phil Mickelson (10)
Best finishes –1st in ’09, T3 in ’08, T20 in ’07, T19 in ’04, T5 in ’02, 1st in ’00
If the fans want DJ to win it all, they want Phil to finish 2nd, or win the event.  Phil is the only two-time winner in the field this week and is coming off of a T25 at the DBank and a T8 at the Barclays. Phil is looking good and know he needs some help even with a win. He still has a chance to win though.


FINAL FOUR: Camilo Villegas, Hunter Mahan, Luke Donald and Paul Casey

This is it!

Check out the full field here >> The TOUR Championship Full Field

Leave your Fantasy Four in a comment below. Remember, pick ANY 4 golfers you want to!

Pick with your heart,

D.

*Editor’s Note: Hey everybody, I really hope you enjoyed playing the Fantasy Four this year. A big thank you and kudos to Damian for running this for us, he did a great job. We’re going to do a Fantasy Four for the PGA Tour Fall Series, for a yet-to-be-determined prize, so keep your eye out for that. It will start with next week’s first Fall Series event, The Viking Classic. Thanks again for playing everyone! Bob

Filed Under: 2010 Regular Season Fantasy Four, 2010 RS Picks, Athletes, Contests, ngnation.com

FedEx Cup Fantasy Four Recap: BMW Championship

September 12, 2010 by 3 Comments

What a finish! At the beginning of the day I thought Poulter or Casey had it in the bag. You could tell that Kuchar was tired, but what a great win for DJ. It’s going to be quite the battle at East Lake!

Lots of dissappointing finishes by Furyk, Woods, Scott, Donald, Day and McIlroy. Stricker, yet again, posted a very quiet Top 10. Watch out!

Tiger posts his 3rd straight Top 15, but that’s it for his run. We managed to pick 19/70 golfers this past week, but with only 30 next week, I feel like we may only take 10-15 total because of the stupid “only the top 5 can win” rule.

Let’s hit the stat pack!

  • Number of Entries: 11 (no Drew this week)
  • Number of Golfers Selected: 19
  • Most Popular Pick: Tiger Woods – picked 8 times
  • Number of Missed Cuts/WD’s: 0
  • Number of Top 10’s: 5  – DJ (1), Casey (2), Kuchar (T3), Stricker and Phil (T8)
  • Number of Top 10-Top 25’s: 6 – Poults (T13), Tiger + Furyk + Scott (T15), Cink (T21), Ogilvy (T24),
  • Top Nike Golfer: Paul Casey (2)
  • People That Selected the Winner: 1 – Jane
  • Average Points: 25.45

Jane keeps up the playoff hot streak! Jane joined the contest 7 weeks late, but has picked up 2 wins in the past 3 weeks. Impressive! She also takes the lead for monthly contest.

Jane’s Winning Team (52 points) : DJ (1), Kuchar (T3), Woods (T15), Rors (T37)

The Top 3 haven’t changed in the season contest, but I’ve been absolutely dreadful in the playoffs. It looks like a battle between the Power Couple for the NG Nation Fantasy Four Crown!

Below are your monthly and overall standings. (click here to see your points for the BMW Championship)

I FINALLY get a week off as the Tour Championship takes place in 2 weeks :)

Go big and give some undivided attention to football next weekend!

Filed Under: 2010 Regular Season Fantasy Four, 2010 RS Results, Athletes, Contests

FedEx Cup Fantasy Four: BMW Championship

September 7, 2010 by 28 Comments

This feels like the 10th BMW Championship of this year thanks to all the European Tour events. How can BMW sponsor all these events worldwide, yet the PGA Tour is struggling to get sponsors? Anyway, they don’t have to worry about FedEx! This week we head to Cog Hill-Dubsbread where the history is rich! The course underwent a redesign in 2008, so we’ll ignore those stats and if you rely on history, I would focus on last year more heavily than others.

The exciting news this week is that there’s no cut! Everyone has a chance, so maybe we’ll see some McIlroy Magic on Sunday.  Also, Furyk, Vijay and Stricker always seem to show up in the History section, and deservedly so, they’ve been money in the playoffs and step up to the big show!

This is Event 21 of the season and the second-last event of The Playoffs for the NG Nation Fantasy Four and it’s probably too late to join :) For a refresher on the rules, hit the link — Contest Guidelines and leave your Fantasy Four below.

To see the standings up to this point and how everyone picked last week, click here

NIKE GOLF: Four to Watch

Paul Casey (21)
Casey is a hot one and has been the hot Swoosher, with 4 straight Top 25′s, including two T12′s. However, Casey and Cog Hill don’t have much history, but let’s all we see Casey in the Playoffs for years to come. However, Cink, Petts and Tiger all have good cases going into this week, so I expect some more variation in the Nike department.

Anthony Kim (34)
AK has essentially missed the cut in every event since he’s come back. His best round was his opening 68 last week and if there’s a week to pick him, it’s this week. AK will look to prove himself worthy of a Ryder Cup pick along with making the Tour Championship. On the other hand, he could say “hey, let’s just get healthy for next year…” Anthony had a T23 here last year.

Stewart Cink (35)
Cink also has 4 straight Top 25′s and is coming off of an excellent Ryder Cup pick. Cink had a T23 here in ’09, T7 in ’07, T4 in ’06..umm, this could be his week.

Carl Pettersson (39)
I should put Tiger here, but I need to show Petts some love. He’s on 3 straight MC’s since the PGA, but his record here is noteworthy. T10 in ’07, T4 i n’06, T7 in ’04. That’s pretty solid. Who knows, the MC’s could be hangover form his win earlier this year.

Other Nike golfers in the field: Tiger Woods – owns the course (51), Stephen Ames – won in ’04 (69), Justin Leonard – no history (59)

THE FIELD: Four Who are Hot

John Senden (38)
Recent starts – 8th at Deutsche Bank,  T15 at Barclays
He’s hot in the playoffs and that’s when it counts. T20 here last year

Matt Kuchar (1)
Recent starts –T11 at Deutsche Bank, 1st at Barclays,  T10 at PGA, T9 at WGC, T21 at Greenbrier, T4 at Canadian Open, T27 at The Open, T6 at US Open, T8 at Memorial
He doesn’t stop. He had the quietest T11 last week and I don’t think he had any TV coverage. The cup is his to lose as he’s been rock-solid. T10 here last year.

Adam Scott (15)
Recent starts – T27 at The Open, T9 at at WGC-Bridgestone, T39 at PGA, T9 at Barclays, T5 at Deutsche Bank
Mere already knew that his win this year wasn’t a fluke. He’s playing great and the cards are in his favour this week. T21 in ’06, 4th in ’07.

Jason Day (4)
Recent starts – T2 at Deutsche Bank, T5 at Barclays, T10 at PGA, T22 at WGC-Bridgestone
Maybe he’ll get picked this week…he’ll probably finished 1st since he’s so trendy. T59 here last year.

THE FIELD: Four Who Have History

Luke Donald (5)
Best finishes – T10 in ’09, T30 in ’07, T21 in’06, T28 in ’05, T3 in ’04, T13 in ’03
I think everyone forgot he was the hottest player in the world a few months ago. He’s still on his game, but I think people have noticed him less because others have also been playing well.

Jim Furyk (11)
Best finishes – T2 in ’09, T3 in’08, T4 in ’06, 1st in ’05, T7 in ’04, T3 in ’03
Last week was an off week from the DQ the week before. You never have to worry about Furyk and he has bundles of history here.

Vijay Singh (63)
Best finishes – T4 in’06, T13 in ’05, T17 in ’04, 11 in ’03
T11 last week made me look really good. Let’s keep it up, Vij.

Stephen Ames (69)
Best finishes –T15 in ’09, T5 in’08, T38 in ’05,  T21 in ’06, T34 in ’05, 1st in ’04
Surprise! I just needed to put Ames on here this week. He’s on the bubble and he has a lot of good finishes here and has much more history than others.

Notables 1-30:  Nick Watney (30), Rory McIlroy (29), Robert Allenby (27), Fowler (25), JB Holmes (24), Overton (19), ZJ (17), DJ (16), Phil (14), Bubba (12), Rose (10), Mahan (8), Els (7), Stricker (3)

Notable 30-70′s: David Toms (67), Vijay (63), YE Yang (61), Bryce Molder (60), Ryan Moore (58), Marc Leishman (57), Freddy Jacobsen (55), KJ Choi (52), O’Hair (50), Poulter (44), Kevin Na (41), Villegas (33), Snedeker (31)


FINAL FOUR: Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Stewart Cink and Tiger Woods

It’s my Ryder Cup special. I wanted to take McIlroy and Pettersson, but there’s only room for so many. I think we’ll see some players picked from the 50′s and 60′s this week!

Check out the full field here >> BMW Championship Full Field

Leave your Fantasy Four in a comment below. Remember, you have to pick at least ONE Nike Golfer and have your picks in by WEDNESDAY at Midnight (PST).

Pick with your heart,

D.

Filed Under: 2010 Regular Season Fantasy Four, 2010 RS Picks, Athletes, Contests

FedEx Cup Fantasy Four Recap: Deutsche Bank Championship

September 6, 2010 by 2 Comments

Congrats to Charley Hoffman, who already ruined my prediction that this contest will pick all of the winners. It wasn’t a bad week though, most everyone had a Top 10.

My biggest surprise is that no one took Jason Day. He’s trending so well (22 – 10 – 5 – 2) …so he should win next week, right?

Also, I’d lke to show love to TW, T12 last week, T11 this week…he’ll get a Top 10 next week…Day and Woods are “trendy”.

Let’s hit the stat pack!

  • Number of Entries: 11 (no Drew this week)
  • Number of Golfers Selected: 21
  • Most Popular Pick: Steve Stricker– picked 7 times
  • Number of Missed Cuts/WD’s: 3 – AK, Rose, Harrington
  • Number of Top 10’s: 3  – Luke Donald (T2), Adam Scott (T5) and Stricker (9)
  • Number of Top 10-Top 25’s: 5 – Tiger + Vijay (T11), Cink (T18), Casey and Phil (T25)
  • Top Nike Golfer: Tiger (T11)
  • People That Selected the Winner: 0  - no love for The Hoff
  • Average Points: 19.09

My big news this week is that Brian and Jane have really stepped it up during the playoffs. They sit 1-2 behind the monthly leader Chris Wang. Brian also pulled off a ballsy Vijay Singh pick and then backed it up as the only person to take Luke Donald. Gotta show respect. However, the winner this week is… Meredith Wang, who recaptures the overall season lead with her 5th win of the season.

Mere’s Winning Team (32 points) : Adam Scott, Steve Stricker, Paul Casey and Dustin Johnson

Mere doesn’t have the season lead, as Brian and Jane push to catch Chris Wang with only 2 events remaining! Below are your monthly and overall standings. (click here to see your points from last week)

We’re back to the regular thursday start for the BMW Championship this week, so check tomorrow for that edition of the FedEx Cup Fantasy Four!

Filed Under: 2010 Regular Season Fantasy Four, 2010 RS Results, Athletes, Contests

FedEx Cup Fantasy Four: Deutsche Bank Championship

September 1, 2010 by 24 Comments

For the second week of the PGA Tour Playoffs, we head to TPC Boston for an event and course that have been played since 2003. There’s plenty of history to rely on, along with players struggling to win the Tour Championship and make the cut. We have the Top 100 this week, trying to get a win and some trying to make the Top 70. It should be a very exciting week.

The yardage at TPC Boston is basically the same as Ridgewood last week, so don’t worry about that. Also, defending champs do well, generally. Adam Scott won in ’03 and was the runner up in ’04. Tiger was also a runner-up in ’04, then won in ’06 and was the runner up in ’07. Vijay won in ’04, then was a runner up in ’06 and won again in ’08. Ridiculous. There’s another good fantasy four — Scott, Vijay, Woods..aaaand whoever. Lots of good options this week.

This is Event 20 of the season and the second event of The Playoffs for the NG Nation Fantasy Four and it’s never too late to join. For a refresher on the rules, hit the link — Contest Guidelines and leave your Fantasy Four below.

To see the standings up to this point, click HERE and witness the double points explosion that occured after the first week of play.

NIKE GOLF: Four to Watch

Stewart Cink (42)
Cink is one of the most consistent guys on tour right now. The numbers don’t lie, as he’s has 3 straight Top 20′s and 9 straight made cuts. However, he missed the cut here in ’09 and ’07, but had a T33 in ’08. He could be a good pick and he wants to make an impression of Mr. Pavin.

Lucas Glover (63)
Sure, G’Lover missed the cut last week, but he had a Top 10 at the Wyndham and a T22 at the WGC-Bridgestone. He needs to make the cut this week to move on and he should rebound well from the missed cut.  T14 in ’07, T12 in ’06 with made cuts in ’08 and ’09 is good enough for me.

Justin Leonard (68)
Leonard has definitely played his way to where he is now. He’s made 5 straight cuts, all Top 40′s, which include 3 Top 25′s and a top 10 at the Wyndham. T19 here last year, T7 in ’08 is pretty good. I think this could be his breakthrough week.

Tiger Woods (65)
Yes, only three of us picked Tiger last week and there may be even more this week. I’m sure that Tiger will win a Playoffs event, but I’m not convinced it’s this one. T11 in ’09, T2 in ’07, 1st in ’06, T2 in ’04..his record here is great, but the same could be said for many tournaments this past year. I see a similar finish to last wek, though, the Friday start should help Tiger.

Other Nike golfers in the field: Stephen Ames (69), Anthony Kim (27) , Carl Pettersson (30), Paul Casey (23)

THE FIELD: Four Who are Hot

Dustin Johnson (6)
Recent starts – T9 at Barclays, T5 at PGA, 15 at WGC-Bridgestone
Kuchar got his win, now I think it’s time for DJ to get his. I don’t think people really deserve to win, but DJ is due. There’s no way around it. He’s only played this course once and he finished T4 last year. Ummm, count it.

Matt Kuchar (1)
Recent starts –1st at Barclays,  T10 at PGA, T9 at WGC, T21 at Greenbrier, T4 at Canadian Open, T27 at The Open, T6 at US Open, T8 at Memorial
Kuch-daddy got his big win and he’s not going to stop there. His stats are insane and he had a T15 here last year. This tournament is an all out war.

Kevin Streelman (18)
Recent starts – T3 at Barclays, T18 at Wyndham
Streels has put together two strong weeks and he is playing well. The familiar course helped him last week. He has played TPC Boston the past two years with T35 and T50 finishes, so we’ll see what he can do.

Jason Day (14)
Recent starts – T5 at Barclays, T10 at PGA, T22 at WGC-Bridgestone
With people leaning towards Furyk, Stricker, Woods, Kuchar and DJ, Jason Day is flying right under the radar. He’s even hotter than what I’m showing — 9 straight made cuts, 6 top 25′s..1 win, 4 top 10′s..yep. T19 here last year.

THE FIELD: Four Who Have History

Steve Stricker (2)
Best finishes – 1st in ’09, T13 in ’08, T9 in ’07, T7 in ’06
Stricker is laughing right now. This is his event and he dominates in the Playoffs. He also has 3 Top 10′s in his last 5 starts and is clutch.

Adam Scott (19)
Best finishes – T17 in ’07, 2nd in ’04, 1st in ’03
Remember when Adam Scott was a pick for the President’s Cup and everyone thought it was ridiculous? It was clearly the right move. Scott also has 4 straight made cuts with a pair of T9′s in there and a win this year. He’s looking great.

Jim Furyk (8)
Best finishes – T8 in ’09, T7 in ’08, T13 in ’03
Furyk isn’t happy about last week…and they change the rule right after it happens? Ridiculous! Furyk is the only one here who hasn’t won it, and he’s playing very well.

Vijay Singh (86)
Best finishes – 1st in ’08, 2nd in ’06, 1st in ’04, 4 in ’03
Vijay has a chance right now to make a great finish. He’s in danger of not advancing and once again, he’s the ultimate sleeper. I haven’t seen it in his game, but anything can happen in the Playoffs!

Other notables in the field: Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald, Hunter Mahan, Sean O’Hair, Ian Poulter, Jeff Overton, Ernie Els, Martin Laird, Justin Rose, Geoff Ogilvy, Ben Crane, Robert Allenby


FINAL FOUR: Sean O’Hair, Adam Scott, Paul Casey and Lucas Glover

I think the easy four this week is either Stricker, Furyk, DJ, Kuchar and a swoosher, but you can’t really go too wrong there, with Cink, Leonard, Casey, Glover and Woods all poised to breakout. Day is looking great, too…this is really a toss-up.However, if you’re looking at the Top 10 from 2008 when they went from Ridgewood to TPC Boston, Vijay had back-to-back wins and Furyk basically had 2 Top 10′s..so maybe that stat will intrigue some of you.

I think O’Hair and Glover will be trying to play onto the Ryder Cup team, while Casey is going to prove that he should have been on it.

Check out the full field here >> Deutsche Bank Championship Full Field

Leave your Fantasy Four in a comment below. Remember, you have to pick at least ONE Nike Golfer and have your picks in by THURSDAY at Midnight (PST).

Don’t forget, the points are doubled for the next 3 events, so you’re still in it!

Pick with your heart,

D.

Filed Under: 2010 Regular Season Fantasy Four, 2010 RS Picks, Contests, ngnation.com

FedEx Cup Fantasy Four Recap: The Barclays

August 29, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The playoffs truly started with a bang as a well deserved Matt Kuchar picked up his first win of the season in dramatic fashion. His win was not only his first of the season, but caused the biggest points mix-up in the Fantasy Four contest to date. Due to the double points, we’ve seen a new record for scoring and a costly effect of failing to enter your picks for the week. We also saw a record low for MC’s, with only 2 this week.

  • Number of Entries: 11 (no Mick this week)
  • Number of Golfers Selected: 16
  • Most Popular Pick: Paul Casey– picked 6 times
  • Number of Missed Cuts/WD’s: 2 – Mickelson and AK (both picked by Bryan D
  • Number of Top 10’s: 3  – Matt Kuchar (1), Steve Stricker (T3) and DJ (T9)
  • Number of Top 10-Top 25’s: 4 – Tiger + Casey (T12), Cink and Poulter (T15)
  • Top Nike Golfer: Tiger + Casey (T12)
  • People That Selected the Winner: 3  - Matt Kuchar picked by Jane, Brian and Chris
  • Average Points: 22.36

I think it was a great week. While Els, Overton, Mahan, Mickelson, Bubba, Watney and McIlroy failed to impress, the real gamers game out to play and Tiger, Casey and others were close to Top 10′s. Steve Stricker may be the favourite to win the FedEx cup now. While 3 entries had Kuchar, Brian and Jane only backed him up with 1 other Top 25, while Chris had that plus a Top 10, which gave him a decisive win.

Chris Wang’s Winning Team  (52 points) :Matt Kuchar (1), Steve Stricker (T3), Paul Casey (T12) and Rory McIlroy ( T56)

Chris vaults into first place, while NG Nation and Meredith only picked up 12 and 18 points, respectively.

Hit the link to check out the The Barclays Fantasy Points to see how you fared this week.

What a start to the Playoffs. I think the double points will be really exciting and I’m going to predict that at least one person will pick the winner through the entire FedEx Cup. Check below for the monthly and season ranks!

I bet you’re all excited for the Deutsche Bank. After Chris Wang’s double points explosion, I hope you all have faith that you can dethrone the power couple and make a play for the Nike driver and balls, courtesy of Nike Golf.

Filed Under: 2010 Regular Season Fantasy Four, 2010 RS Results, Athletes, Contests

FedEx Cup Fantasy Four: The Barclays

August 24, 2010 by 22 Comments

Here we are, the Fed Ex Cup…PLAYOFFS!?! Don’t talk about Playoffs. Some of these golfers are just trying to win a game. This is exciting in real life and the fantasy world. The Top 125 are here, so let’s see some fireworks.

One important note this week: While this isn’t a new event, this course has only been played in ‘08 (at Ridgewood).

Traditionally, the best golf will be played by the lower seeded players who are fighting for their lives. See, Heath Slocum at 124th place last year, winning the event.

This is Event 19 of the season and the first event of The Playoffs for the NG Nation Fantasy Four and it’s never too late to join. For a refresher on the rules, hit the link — Contest Guidelines and leave your Fantasy Four below.

To see the standings up to this point, click HERE and see if Meredith can hold on for the win with double scoring in effect.

NIKE GOLF: Four to Watch

Paul Casey (27)
Casey is my pick to win this week. He’s been very consistent all year (coming off T12 at the PGA) and a T7 at Ridgewood in ’08 should serve him well.

Lucas Glover (47)
G’Lover is a hot one and should get a lot of attention as he’s coming off a T7 after going super low at the Wyndham. However, Glover hasn’t put together back-to-back Top 25′s all season and finished T55 at Ridgewood in ’08.

Anthony Kim (14)
My eyes will still in on AK. He is the biggest underdog this week and I still don’t think he’s healthy. AK couldn’t capitalize last week, but played par golf. AK had a T12 at The Barclays in ’08. We’re all rooting for you.

Tiger Woods (112)
I for one think Tiger will play well this week. He may act distraught about the divorce, but maybe part of him says “oh, I’m free now.” It’s bad to say, but it could be true. He’s sitting at 112, so that’s some extra motivation for him.

Other Nike golfers in the field: Stewart Cink (54) , Justin Leonard (70) , Carl Pettersson (20) , Stephen Ames (76) , David Duval (120)

THE FIELD: Four Who are Hot

Rory McIlroy (21)
Recent starts – T3 at PGA, T9 at WGC Bridgestone, T3 at The Open
He’s insane and he’s making his playoffs debut. Maybe he’s like the OKC Thunder? The kid is insane and you can’t discount the way he’s playing. History won’t be much of a factor for him. He lights up the big stage and actually has lower quality competition compared to his last events.

Matt Kuchar (9)
Recent starts – T10 at PGA, T9 at WGC, T21 at Greenbrier, T4 at Canadian Open, T27 at The Open, T6 at US Open, T8 at Memorial
Kuchar is a sleeper this year to win the whole playoffs..and he played very well in last years playoffs. MC in ’08, but T26 last year.

Jeff Overton (6)
Recent starts – MC at PGA, T9 at WGC, 2nd at Greenbrier, T11 at The Open, 3rd at AT&T, T12 at Memorial, T3 at Crowne Plaza, T2 at Byron Nelson
I’m ignoring the PGA, that’s not his game and he was tired. He should be well rested and ready to prove his Ryder Cup spot is legit. T38 in ’08.

Nick Watney (29)
Recent starts – T18 at PGA, T16 at WGC Bridgestone, T7 at The Open, T7 at AT&T
Watney has taken a backseat to DJ and Mahan in recent weeks, but his play has been great. T6 at the Barclays last year. Good sleeper pick this week.

THE FIELD: Four Who Have History

Steve Stricker (2)
Best finishes – 1st in ’07, T2 in ’09, T19 in ’08,
Stricks should be the favourite. He’s coming off a T18 at the PGA and a T9 at Bridgestone. He’s hot and has all the history.

Ian Poulter (49)
Best finishes – T9 in ’09, T9 in ’07, T9 in ’06
Looking through the stats this was a very big surprise. Poulter hasn’t been the same since his win this year, but he should be driven and needs to get into form. Another good sleeper this week

Jim Furyk (3)   — DQ
Best finishes – T15 in ’09, T12 in ’08, T25 in ’07,
Furyk has had one of his best years ever and is always a contender.

Vijay Singh (65)
Best finishes – 1st in’06, 1st in ’08
Vijay is a long shot, but he’s the defending champ at Ridgewood and a two-time winner here. Vijay has also made 8 straight cuts, 3 of them being Top 15′s. Another big sleeper.

Other notables in the field: Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, Hunter Mahan, Retief Goosen, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Luke Donald.


FINAL FOUR: Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Hunter Mahan and Tiger Woods

I think I took big names, but I really think Poulter and Woods are not popular picks. I think most people will be on DJ, McIlroy, Stricker and Furyk I really wanted to take Kuchar or Overton. These guys haven’t even won an event on tour but sit 6th and 9th in FEC points. It also kills me not to take Watney or a sleeper like Luke Donald. It should be an incredible week and I can’t wait to see all the picks!

Check out the full field here >> The Barclays Full Field

Leave your Fantasy Four in a comment below. Remember, you have to pick at least ONE Nike Golfer and have your picks in by Wednesday at Midnight (PST).

Don’t forget, the points are doubled for the next 4 events, so you’re still in it!

Pick with your heart,

D.

Filed Under: 2010 Regular Season Fantasy Four, 2010 RS Picks, Contests

Fantasy Four Recap: Wyndham Championship

August 23, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I couldn’t be happier about G’Lover and Leonard picking up Top 10′s this week, but still some congratulations goes to Arjun Atwal who proves that sleepers are everywhere. Golfers can find their rhythm at any point, so it’s hard to really predict winners, as seen by our own fantasy four events. However, collectively, we’ve picked 6 out of the 18 winners during the Fantasy Four season…which isn’t too bad. This is the end of month 4, but the contest is far from over. There are 4 events left for double points! It’s sort of like a FedEx Cup Fantasy Four Bonus Round. Can you tell I’m excited? Let’s just get into the stats for the (low scoring) Wyndham Championship.

  • Number of Entries: 10 (once again, missing Bryan and Mick)
  • Number of Golfers Selected: 20  (awesome!)
  • Most Popular Pick: Carl Pettersson– picked 5 times
  • Number of Missed Cuts/WD’s: 8– Moore, Pettersson, Couples, Stenson, Cejka, Stadler, Duval, Kim
  • Number of Top 10’s: 3  – Justin Leonard (T3), Lucas Glover (7), Brandt Snedeker (T8)
  • Number of Top 10-Top 25’s: 4 – Jacobsen (T12),  Kevin Na + RSJ + Leishman (T18)
  • Top Nike Golfer: Justin Leonard (T3)
  • People That Selected the Winner: 0 (Arjun Atwal)
  • Average Points: 5.4 (2nd lowest scoring week ever)

Ryan Moore, Jason Dufner and Carl Pettersson really let everyone down. Popular sleeper pick, Freddy Couples, failed to make the cut, also. Courtney took a couple of Nike boys and pulled out the win!

Courtney Z’s Winning Team (16 points) : Justin Leonard (T3), Lucas Glover (7), Fredrik Jacobsen (T12) and Henrik Stenson (MC)

However, Courtney failed to capture the monthly win. NG Nation wins the monthly points race, however, since I’m not eligbile to receive prizes, Meredith Wang wins Month 4. (That’s back to back wins heading into the playoffs).

Hit the link to check out the Wyndham Championship Fantasy Points to see how you fared this week.

That’s it for Month 4 and Meredith still has the lead. However, points are doubled for the next 4 events so there should be plenty of movement!

I’ll be back with a FedEx Cup Preview and also the Fantasy Four Playoff Edition: The Barclays.

Stay tuned and congrats again to Meredith.

Filed Under: 2010 Regular Season Fantasy Four, 2010 RS Results, Athletes, Contests

Fantasy Four: Wyndham Championship

August 18, 2010 by 20 Comments

This tournament could also be called “Glory’s Last Shot.” This is the last chance players have to qualify for the FedEx Cup and get some points. Some big names like Weir and Stenson will be battling this week, so they could be good picks.

One important note this week: While this isn’t a new event, this course has only been played in ’08 and ’09, so maybe skew your history factor towards the past two years.

This is Event 18 of the season and the last event of Month 4 of the NG Nation Fantasy Four and it’s never too late to join. For a refresher on the rules, hit the link — Contest Guidelines and leave your Fantasy Four below.

NIKE GOLF: Four to Watch

Anthony Kim
We’re all hoping for a big comeback this week. AK was close to making the cut this past week. This course demands fairways and I’m not sure if AK can deliver. We all know AK can go low and he’s worth a shot this week.

Carl Pettersson
Should be the favourite this week, as he’s the hottest guy in this event, playing well and won here in ’08. He knows the course and should be a lock this week.

Lucas Glover
G’Lover dissappointed last week, but he has gone low a few times this season and was picking up Top 25′s. I don’t care about the PGA for Lucas because it’s not his style. He should rebound very well here. He also has a bunch of Top 25′s at this event.

David Duval
The other DD is currently 115 in the FEC standings and could lose that if others play well. He needs to play solid and make the cut to ensure he gets through.  He’s also coming off of back-to-back Top 25′s. Watch out, it could be breakout time.

Other Nike golfers in the field: Justin Leonard, Trevor Immelman, Matt Hill

THE FIELD: Four Who are Hot

JJ Henry
Recent starts – 2nd at Turning Stone, T24 at Canadian Open, T26 at Reno-Tahoe
The week off from the PGA should help him and he’s made 5 straight cuts. Also had a T4 here in ’08.

Jonathan Byrd
Recent starts – T10 at Turning Stone, T21 at Greenbrier
In those events he shot -13 and -12, picking up rounds of 63, 64 and 65. He’s hot and he also has history. T24 here in ’09, T13 in ’07.

Jason Dufner
Recent starts – T5 at PGA, T33 at Turning Stone
He had the quietest Top 10 last week but he played well and also has a T26 here in ’08. I think he could win.

Richard S. Johnson
Recent starts – T8 at Turning Stone, T21 at Greenbrier, 1st at Scandinavian Masters
By the numbers, he’s actually the hottest guy in the field.

THE FIELD: Four Who Have History

Ryan Moore
Best finishes – 1st in ’09, T6 in ’06
Ernie is a machine. Sure, he choked last week, but you ‘ve gotta show him love. He wasn’t even playing well and he had a T6 last year and the T4 in ‘04 at Whistling Straights helps his case.

Brandt Snedeker
Best finishes – 1st in ’07
It’s a stretch, but Vijay has 7 straight made cuts with 3 Top 25’s. He’s also made the cut at The US and British Opens. Big sleeper.

Kevin Stadler
Best finishes – T2 in ’09, T7 in ’07
Phil was throwing garbage up on Sunday and has consistently choked during his attainable goal of #1. I don’t think he can handle the pressure, but who knows.

Scott McCarron
Best finishes – T17 in ’09, 2nd in ’08
He’s the only man who had Top 25 finishes in ’08 and ’09 on the course, so he has the best history as far as I’m concerned.

Other notables in the field: Henrik Stenson, Fred Couples, Kevin Na, Fredrik Jacobsen, David Toms, Aaron Baddeley, Boo Weekley, Davis Love III, John Daly, Martin Laird


FINAL FOUR: Jonathan Byrd, Jason Dufner, Anthony Kim and Lucas Glover

Heck, I can’t quit on AK. I would rather take a chance on him this week while it’s normal scoring conditions instead of double points next week. Pettersson should do well, but I don’t think he’ll pick up his 2nd win of the season. I think Weir, Stenson, Immelman, Couples and Daly are all good picks with a lot of upside. These guys have a lot to play for, which is something to consider. I’m taking Glover because I think he wants that Ryder Cup spot..and can make some noise with a win (same for AK).

Check out the full field here >> Wyndham Championship Full Field

Leave your Fantasy Four in a comment below. Remember, you have to pick at least ONE Nike Golfer and have your picks in by Wednesday at Midnight (PST).

Make them count (double points explosion next week),

D.

Filed Under: 2010 Regular Season Fantasy Four, 2010 RS Picks, Athletes, Contests, ngnation.com
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