Rory Sabbatini, who has six career PGA Tour wins, is a solid Fantasy pick. Photo credit: Jeffrey Gordon
The Northern Trust Open from Riviera last week was quite thrilling, as Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson made improbable birdies to force their way into a three-way sudden death playoff with Bill Haas, who eventually won the tournament. Our Pat Mayo suggested Haas at the NTO, so hopefully you took his advice.
Unfortunately for Fantasy owners, Bradley and Haas will not be competing at this week’s PGA Tour Event at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico, as they’ll be busy at the Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz. And just in case you were wondering, Haas is a three-seed and he’ll take on Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa in the Sam Snead bracket, while Bradley is a five-seed who will be matched up with Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy in the Gary Player bracket. As for Mickelson, he is taking a rest this weekend after two thrilling tournaments the past two weeks.
Let’s concentrate on the field at Mayakoba, however. Generally, this still fairly new tournament doesn’t draw the top names on the PGA Tour, but there are still plenty of talented golfers dotting the field.
Johnson Wagner is back to defend his 2011 title. He won at El Camaleon in a playoff against Spencer Levin, who we saw fall apart at the Waste Management Open in Phoenix a few weeks ago. Levin is in the field this weekend, and he’ll be looking for a little retribution.
Cameron Beckman, the 2010 champion at Mayakoba, is also back and looking for some success. He finished a respectable 12th last season, falling apart with a 71 in his final round after being right in the thick of things after 54 holes. Fred Funk, the winner of the inaugural event in 2007, and Brian Gay, who won this tournament in 2008, will also be included in the field.
Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya, Mexico
Purse – $3.7 million
Winner Share – $666,000.00
FedEx Cup Points – 250 points to winner
Course – El Camaleon Golf Club, Playa del Carmen, Mex.
This course is located 45 minutes south of Cancun on the sun-splashed Yucatan Peninsula, and the links are situated right next to the shimmering blue waters of the Caribbean Sea.
The par-70 course was designed by Greg Norman, who kept the natural feel of the place. We mentioned the sea, but there are also limestone canals, mangroves and even some lush jungle lining the course. It’s probably one of the more exotic stops on the PGA Tour. Norman felt if he was to build a golf course here, preserving the environment and delicate ecosystem was essential.
One thing you will not see at any other course on the tour is the cenotes, or subterranean caves. There are also lagoons here, and certain fairways are lined with sand dunes. It is a tropical location that is pleasing to the senses, and has to be enjoyable for PGA golfers who must feel like they’ve landed in paradise, especially if they skipped the earlier tour stops in Hawaii.
Weekly Picks –
Spencer Levin
As mentioned, Levin lost a heartbreaker here last season, so he’ll be gunning hard for a victory. In addition, the truth of the matter is there are just four A-listers, and Levin is the highest ranked option available. He has a pair of Top-10 outings in his past three tournaments, and he hasn’t missed the cut in six tournaments to date.
Rory Sabbatini
Sabbatini mastered this course last season, posting a pair of 69s on the first two days, followed by a 68 and 66. He was one of just six golfers to break 70 in each round last season. Over the past two weekends, he has fallen apart, but he has placed 29th or higher in his first three tournaments, including a ninth place at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions Jan. 6-9.
Martin Flores
Flores is one to watch this week. He has either been feast or famine this season, so there is a little buyer beware here. He has an impressive eighth-place finish at the Farmer’s Insurance Open Jan. 26-29, and he tied for 19th at the Waste Management Open in Phoenix three weeks ago. However, he disappeared at Pebble Beach with a 69th place finish, missing the final day of action. He also missed the cut at the Sony Open, so he really is hit or miss. The good news is that the field is a bit bare, so he won’t be spooked by the competition. Flores is one of the bigger names, and he should play like it.
Harrison Frazar
Frazar started the season on fire, posting a fifth-place finish at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions Jan. 6-9, and he tied for second at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Maybe exotic locations are his thing. Look for a rebound weekend for Frazar after he stumbled to a 49th place finish last week at Riviera.
Greg Norman
This is more of a sentimental pick than anything else, but the guy did design the course! He is 57 years old, and the chances are pretty long that he’ll win, even if he did draw up the course intricacies. ‘The Shark’ appeared at the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation in Palm Springs in mid-January, and he held his own until withdrawing in the third round. This will be just his second PGA Tour event since the 2009 British Open, so don’t expect the world.
Chris Stroud
The bad news is that Stroud has missed three cuts in five tournaments this season. The good news is that he turned in a fourth place finish here last year, and he seems very comfortable with the layout. He is a decent sleeper who should turn it around this week. When Stroud has made the cut, he has not even been close to the line. He has 12th and 13th place finishes earlier in the year.
Brian Gay
Gay finished tied for fifth here last season, and was one of those six golfers who had a 69 or better in each round. Things have been a little more rocky for Gay this season. While he started off tied for sixth at the Sony, he has not played well since, including a missed cut in Phoenix three weeks ago. However, he rebounded nicely to tie for 20th at Pebble Beach, and he should carry that momentum over into this weekend’s tournament against a less-than-stellar field.
Johnson Wagner
The guy is the defending champion, so that’s one reason to like him this weekend. However, he has been playing very good golf this season, too. He has entered five tournaments and he hasn’t missed the cut once. Wagner has three top 10s, including a pair of Top 3s and a victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Wagner also showed well last weekend at the Northern Trust Open, tying for 24th place. Again, the pickings are slim this weekend, and Wagner might be the most consistent player in the field to date.
Leave ‘em in the Bag
Avoid using these Fantasy options at the Mayakoba Golf Classic
Briny Baird (all Fantasy formats)
Baird surged to a fifth-place tied here last season, picking up 45.08 FedEx Cup points in the process. However, it has been all downhill since for the Floridian, especially this season. Baird’s best finish had been 91st in his first three tournaments until finally making his first cut and showing some signs of life at the NTO last weekend in L.A. Still, Baird cannot be trusted, especially with much better options on the board.
Jhonattan Vegas (Tiered and Salary Cap formats)
Vegas just hasn’t been playing with any confidence, and he has missed two cuts in the past three tournaments. The Venezuelan turned in a 133rd place finish last week at the Northern Trust Open, shooting a 75 and 77. While most of us average duffers would take that any day of the week, that’s garbage for Fantasy purposes. Sadly, Vegas has just four rounds in the 60s in 17 rounds played this season. Not good.
*All stats up-to-date as of 02/20/12.
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