The Mulligan: Putting a Premium at Phoenix

I want to start by patting myself on the back for my cleverly alliterative title. I wanted to work "Phil" in there somehow, but couldn't figure it out. I would pay a pretty penny to putt my Pinnacles like Phil in Phoenix. . . Anyway, the Tour heads back to Phoenix this week for the craziest stop on Tour. The fans always come out to party in Phoenix and cheer on the hometown heroes (many PGA players live in the area). TPC Scottsdale is a course of average difficulty and you can expect putting to be the difference this week (and I needed another P for my title). For this reason, I am going with players with hot putters in 2010 who have seen success here in the past.

First, Brian Gay is really emerging as one of the best players on Tour, but there are certain courses that seem to suit him better than others. He has played well so far this year. He plays well at TPC Scottsdale and he finished tied for sixth here last year. He is putting well this season (actually second on Tour) and he has the type of game that is really consistent on the courses he likes. He is a no-brainer this week. My crystal ball (actually an 8 ball that one of my college roomates stole from a bar) tells me he will hoist a trophy this week.

I also expect the best putter on Tour this season, Brandt Snedeker, to play well in Scottsdale. Snedeker has finished 21st or better in four starts in 2010, likely thanks to his solid putting thus far. He did miss the cut here last year, but he finished tied for eighth in 2008. I think he will have a good week.

Phil Mickelson has had an average 2010 to this point, but everyone loves him in Phoenix. Could this be his breakout week? Maybe, maybe not. I am speculating here, but despite his bad putting in 2010 I think Phil will have a good week like he usually does when he converses with the crowd during a tournament.

Sleeper: This week’s sleeper pick is based 100% on a gut feeling. There is no plausible reason for this pick other than the fact that I want to pick him. Boo Weekley is the type of guy who can ride the raucous Phoenix crowd to a good finish intermingled with a few Happy Gilmore style putter-as-bull dances – Ridin’ the Bull Baby.

The Mulligan: The Buick Open

The Buick Open is played at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Kenny Perry took home the trophy last year, edging out Woody Austin and Bubba Watson by a stroke at 19 under for the tournament. Warwick Hills is a Par 72, 7127 yard course that is relatively easy so don't be surprised if you see more birdies than a Hitchcock movie this week. On easy courses like these, I always like to pick players who are hot, and players who have played well on the course in the past. The Buick Open is one tournament where players that have played well in the past really seem to repeat that performance. For this reason, I am placing a premium on consistent performance in the Buick for my picks this week, while also taking into account momentum in 2009.

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First, I want to say that I think Tiger Woods is going to win this week. In fantasy golf, this is the tournament that everyone, EVERYONE, should start Tiger. He has 2 victories here, 5 straight finishes of 3rd or better and only one finish outside the Top-10 in 8 starts here. Don't let his poor performance at the Open bother you. Tiger felt that his ball striking was there, but that he got a few bad breaks on a couple of bad shots. For example, if Tiger didn't lose that ball in the tall grass coming down the stretch, he would have finished Friday 2 shots ahead of the cut line. Tiger did make mistakes but they were compounded by the difficulty of Turnberry. This week, Tiger will make up for his Open performance on a course that he thrives on.

I think Jim Furyk will play well this week. Jim won here in 2003 and he consistently plays well on Warwick. In fact he has played the Buick 14 times and finished in the Top-10 in 8 of those starts. I think his precise shot-making will help him again this week and he will contend again at Warwick.


Brian Gay has two victories already this season, and he has been on the top of several leaderboards. Last year at Warwick he finished in the Top-10. He also has 4 other Top-25 finishes as the Buick, so this could be a great week for him.


My sleeper pick for this week is Michael Letzig. After his T-8th finish last week at the Canadian Open, Letzig hopes to see his momentum carry over this week at Warwick. He has only played here once, but he finished T-12th last year. He has a well rounded game, ranking 48th in putting average, 47th in sand save percentage and 44th in driving distance. Look for Letzig to compete in some tournaments the rest of the year, possibly starting this week.


Good luck this week and lets keep moving towards the top of the fantasy golf rankings!

The Mulligan: Quail Hollow Championship

This week, the Tour heads to Charlotte for the Quail Hollow Championship. Measuring 7442 yards, Quail Hollow is a longer course so the heavy hitters should play well this week. So, as you can imagine I am going to put some guys who hit the long ball in my fantasy golf picks list this week.

Tiger is back in the field this week, and he is a previous winner of this tournament. I am not saying anything surprising or original when I say that Tiger Woods is the best player in golf. He has won here before, but he has won everywhere else too. The question is whether to start Tiger this week or save him for a later tournament. There is really no good way of determining this, except that I recommend starting him in as many majors as possible since he tends to play his best golf under pressure. If you feel good about starting Tiger this week, I say go for it. If not, there will be plenty more opportunities down the road. Of course, if you play in a league that does not limit how many times you can start a particular player, Tiger should be in your lineup.

Phil Mickelson has finished in the top 10 in three of five starts at Quail Hollow. After an inconsistent start to the season, I am sold that Phil is worthy of a start in most tournaments from here on out. The most convincing evidence of this came on the front nine of Augusta where he tied Johnny Miller's front nine record of 30. I think Phil is a great play this week, and he will be in my starting lineup.

Brian Gay is a good momentum play this week coming off his 10 shot slaughtering of the rest of the field. While a repeat of his performance two weeks ago is unlikely, a good showing wont surprise anyone. Consider him the new Rory McIlroy and hop on his bandwagon before the wheels fall off.

Ian Poulter is my final pick this week. His putter is on fire (averaging approximately 28 putts per round) and he has played well this year as a result. Although his showing at Quail Hollow has been lackluster in the past (2 missed cuts and 25th), he did finish in the top 25 here last year. I think this is the perfect time to start him.

Good luck this week and lets keep moving to the top of the fantasy golf rankings!

The Mulligan: Masters Recap and The Verizon Heritage

Sunday at Augusta was an impressive day of golf all around. Tiger and Phil were paired together and, although they were not the final pairing, they both made a run at the leaders. Mickelson started his round off by going out in 30, tying Johnny Miller’s front 9 record. This put him in position to win, but he faltered late, hitting a ball in the water and missing 2 makeable putts on the back 9. Tiger made his run a little later, getting himself in the mix before bogeying both 17 and 18 to finish in 6th place overall. Both Tiger and Phil played well on Sunday, but not quite well enough to win the tournament.

48 year old Kenny Perry appeared to have the tournament in hand through 16 holes. He had a 2 shot lead before bogeying both 17 and 18 allowing both Chad Campbell and Angel Cabrera to catch up, forcing a three person playoff. Cabrera outlasted both Campbell and Perry in the playoff and he was the only player who really went out and played to win the title on Sunday. He earns his second PGA Tour title and his second Major victory.

This has been a very competitive season so far. After the 1st Major Championship of the year, the race for the Fed Ex Cup is tight:
1. Geoff Ogilvy 1,350
2. Phil Mickelson 1,273
3. Kenny Perry 1,218
4. Nick Watney 1,190
5. Paul Casey 900

Coming off the Masters, the Tour will head to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina for the Verizon Heritage. Harbour Town is one of those courses that is known for its beauty. The finishing hole runs along the Atlantic Coast allowing players and spectators to enjoy the view of Calibogue Sound and its scenic lighthouse.

Harbour Town is a relatively short course and the precise shot makers should enjoy more success than the erratic bombers this week. For this reason, I am putting Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard in my fantasy golf lineup for this week.

Furyk is the king of precision (4th in Driving Accuracy, 5th in Scambling) and this course should fit his game well. He has four top-10’s in his last five starts here, and is coming off a strong week at the Masters. Leonard won this tournament in 2002, and his game also fits the short, precision-player course nicely.

The popular pick this week is obviously Boo Weekley who won this tournament the past two years. You can’t go wrong with starting him this week, even though his game really doesn’t seem to fit the course as well as some other players in the field.

Fantasy Sleeper: Brian Gay comes into this week ranked 4th in driving accuracy and I have a feeling that he could play well this week. If you want to go out on a limb, put him in your fantasy golf lineup.