Kerplookee Fantasy Golf – Tiger makes Presidents Cup Team 0 Seriously?

I ran across this article by Farrell Evans at ESPN. This was so well written I had to share it with everyone. Well said Farrell!!!

Dear Fred,
Congratulations on your recent win at the Senior Players Championship. It’s great to see you playing through your pain and having success. I wish you all the best as you lead your Presidents Cup team to Australia in November. 

I was wondering, though, if you could take some time to answer a few questions that I have about your decision to pick Tiger Woods with one of your two captain’s picks. I get nepotism, cronyism and all the ways that we help out our friends and family. But what I don’t get is why you would pick a guy who has been hurt for most of the year and who has played only eight PGA Tour events and had two top-10s. 

Do you want the players to resent Tiger more than they already do? Golf is supposed to be the ultimate meritocracy. So what do you say to Mark Wilson and Keegan Bradley, who have both won twice this year, if you leave them off the team? One of those guys is not going to make the cut.

 I know, I know. A captain can pick whomever he chooses. I remember when Lee Janzen was left off the 1995 Ryder Cup team by Lanny Wadkins, despite the fact that Janzen had won three times that year, including the Players Championship. I remember the time at the 2003 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills outside Detroit when Hal Sutton thought it was a great idea to put Woods and Phil Mickelson out together as a team. 

I get it but it doesn’t make it right. 

Your decision makes me think of the lines from that Janet Jackson hit — “What Have You Done for Me Lately”: 

Yes, honey, I love him, he is fine
He does a lot of nice things for me
I know he used to do nice stuff for you
But what has he done for you lately?

 
It’s history what Tiger did in all those big tournaments and match play events. That’s old news. What has Woods done in the game lately? You tell us in your announcement that Tiger almost won the Masters in April. April? That’s practically another decade in golf.

 Yet I know you are a good guy and that you probably felt some pressure from higher-ups in some office tower in a big city. I know The Man may have gotten to you — the golf industrial complex that says you can’t leave perhaps the greatest golfer in the world off a team that’s competing on the other side of the world if you want people in the U.S. to watch. That makes a lot of sense. It’s business. 

Still, Tiger has to take some of the blame for your decision. He should have said he’s not fit to play. He should have said there are more deserving players who rank ahead of him. He could have said, “Fred, I’m 28th and why should I take a place on the team? Let somebody else have a chance.” 

You might say athletes never back out of a challenge. Muhammad Ali fought way past his prime. Willie Mays should have quit a lot sooner. I know Kareem needed the money, but his skyhook was gone toward the end. Derek Jeter limps on because he helped the Yankees to a lot of World Series rings — a decade ago.

But Lou Gehrig took himself out of the game when he knew something wasn’t right with his body. That’s what the great ones do. Tiger is no Lou Gehrig. He’s just a selfish player who is getting something for doing nothing. I want him to explain that to the kids at his Tiger Woods Learning Center and the kids from The First Tee, an organization his fame helped to inspire. 

Freddie, you’ll do great as a captain and your team will be strong with Tiger and the 11 other guys. But it sends the wrong message to the game and to young people when you make a decision as important as this based on past achievements and the desires of corporate America. Past success gives status to players on the Champions Tour, but it has no place at the highest levels of the game. 

Sincerely,
Farrell Evans
ESPN.com

Kerplookee Fantasy Golf – Another Tigerless Major

Tiger Woods says he is still injured and won’t play the British Open. In fact he says he won’t come back unless he is 100%. I for one am not buying it one bit. Tiger has deep rooted emotional issues and that is the only reason he is not playing golf. John Elway won two superbowl rings with a torn ACL. Leon Spinks won the heavyweight championship of the world with a broken hand. Even that 15 yr old US gymnastics girl(can’t remember her name) stuck a landing on a broken foot and won the gold medal……Fact is that athletes play hurt all the time and the great ones fight through the pain and find a way to win.

Tiger will never be 100% again even if he gets there physically. Mentally, spiritually and emotionally Tiger is either going to have to get used to playing less than 100% or give up the game completely. All of this is to say that I think Tiger is finished with competitive golf. Everyone better start getting used to it! The golf media needs to move on to a different subject. Until then I’m rooting for Jason Day to complete the Bridesmaid slam! Wonder if that has ever been done before.

Kerplookee Fantasy Golf – The Masters Day 4

Congrats to Phil Mickelson! Not to take anything away from Phil but only at Augusta could you drive the ball so poorly and still have the opportunity to win. It seemed like Lefty missed every other fairway today and was still putting for birdie (or eagle) on almost every hole. The second shot he made on #13 from the pine straw between two trees landing 6 feet from the pin for a eagle putt (which he missed) was one of the best shots I’ve ever seen in my life. But the pine flower that landed right smack in his line (I think it was the 4th hole) while in the middle of his back swing during his putt was all the evidence I needed to justify he deserved to win. That was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen in golf! It was awesome to see Amy again waiting for Phil at the 18th green! Lee Westwood was fairly steady all day long and ended with an admirable 71. Westwood is a great  guy and proved to be the perfect pairing for Lefty. I’m going to go ahead and pick Westwood right now for the British Open this year. Anthony Kim came up a bit short but it wasn’t for lack of effort with a final round 65. The coverage of Kim was terrible and we only got see a few of his shots. It’s pretty obvious to me however that Kim loves Augusta National and it’s only a matter of time before he gets his chance to slip on a green jacket. Woods and Choi played together four straight days and both ended up 4th at 11 under. That has to be the first time that has ever happened. KJ Choi sealed his fate on #13 with a bogey and followed that up with another bogey on #14. I actually found myself rooting for Choi today. It was no easy task to be paired with Tiger all four rounds and KJ dealt with it great and is a true competitor. Tiger was obviously not on top of his game which is pretty sad considering he still finished 4th. Mark O’meara predicted Tiger was only about 80% but even at 80% he would still be in the hunt come Sunday. I’m sure it was a combination of factors including all the press coverage, lack of competitive play, new V grooves on the wedges and probably a hex that was put on him by Elin.  I mean let’s get serious here. Does anyone think Tiger actually deserved to win The Masters after what he did to Elin? Not a chance! The fact he even had a chance to win was probably more than he deserved. And why in the world would you play with new wedges for the first time at the Masters? Of all the places, Augusta requires an absolutely delicate touch around the greens. I wouldn’t have even considered trying one new club let alone all new wedges with different grooves. I will say however with Tiger lurking all day it did make things more interesting. And I do tip my hat to Tiger for avoiding any excuses in his interview. He could have made all kinds of excuses but chose to take the high road and simply say “I entered to win and I didn’t”   Then there was Fred Couples….For the first 10 holes Freddie kept us on the edge of our seats. There was a brief moment when Freddie was within one shot of the lead. Unfortunately however Freddie’s chances were ruined with a double bogey in #12. You could almost see it on his face as he walked across Hogans Bridge. In fact it seemed like he knew that may have been his last best chance to win the Masters. Hold your head high Freddie! You played very well and gave us all reasons to continue cheering for you. And finally Tom Watson deserves another mention. At 60 years old Watson carded a tournament total 1 under 287. It may have been unrealistic to expect much more than that from Mr. Watson but it was fun to dream while it lasted. I sure hope Tom gets invited to play at the US Open in Pebble Beach. After his last two majors he has certainly proved he deserves it. If not there is something seriously wrong with our system.

Well the Masters is in the books and golf season is officially started. For me this will go down as one of my favorite Masters of all time. 1986 is etched in my mind forever but 2010 makes the list for sure.

Congrats again to Phil Mickelson and all the best to you and your family.

Kerplookee Fantasy Golf – The Masters Day 3

Moving day is in the books and those books just got a bit thicker. Man there sure is a lot to talk about today. The highlight of the day however had to be the 35 minutes between 4:45 – 5:20. It all started when Freddie looked over at Phil as he entered Amen Corner and gave Phil the thumbs up. First Phil drains an eagle on 13 to get the crowd really excited for the first time. About 5 minutes later Freddie knocks down a chip on 15 for another eagle to get him back in the thick of things and ignites the crowd. Next up is  Ricky Barnes. Ricky follows suit with a chip in birdie on 15 and three birdies in a row, which again sends the crowd wild. Next up Lefty again this time on 14. Phil hits an absolutely perfect 9 iron about 4 feet past the pin to the left and spins in back right into the hole for back to back eagles and send the crowd into a frenzy. I can only imagine what those cheers sounded like in person echoing through the tree lined course. Meanwhile there were Tiger and KJ, paired together for the third straight day, just quietly going about there business with a pair of 70’s to keep then right in the hunt. My heart was pulling for Watson all day and he did have an early birdie on #3 that created some hope. In the end however Tom just couldn’t quite handle the combination of walking the hilly course and the length of Augusta National. A respectable 73 however does keep Watson in 15th place and will certainly draw some major roars from the crowed tomorrow on his stroll up #18. I still think Kim has an outside chance but he’ll have to rekindle some of that 11 birdie magical round from last year to have a chance.

We’re in for a fantastic final round tomorrow and I can’t wait. If for one will have all eyes on the Couples/Mahan pairing hoping that Freddie can go low just one more time. I think he’ll need to be bogey free and perhaps chip in another eagle or two but another green jacket is not out of the question.

Kerplookee Fantasy Golf – The Masters Day 2

Well 50% of the over 50 gang is still around. Sandy Lyle went the opposite direction by 17 strokes and Bernhard Langer couldn’t hold it together either. (At least now I don’t have to look at a picture of my web designers marbles). Fred Couples and Tom Watson however are still lurking in the top ten! These guys are gonna need some sub par rounds tomorrow to contend on Sunday and I have a sneaky feeling they’re up to the task. Meanwhile Mickelson and Woods both did what they needed to get into position for a charge over the weekend. Phil and Eldrick are both 6 under and two back of the lead. Certainly the odds makers are starting to lay off on those two guys. The day belonged however to the men from across the pond. Poulter and Westwood are the only two players to fire the first two rounds in the 60’s and are tied for the lead at 8 under. Kuchar still has a chance but must fire at pins tomorrow and somehow find a 66. Ernie Els was right in the thick of things until the pathetic double bogey on 15. Was he hitting 9 iron on those last two shots or what? Then there’s Anthony Kim….based on my observations today, AK is the only one out there who looks like they’re having more fun each day. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if AK cards a low score tomorrow and moves into the lead. He’s fearless, has plenty of length and has shown a great touch through two rounds.

So until tomorrow its a couple English flags atop the leader board.

Go Freddie! Go Tom! Catch some lightening in a bottle fellas!

Kerplookee Fantasy Golf – The Masters Day 1

I don’t know about you guys but that was one of the best first rounds at Augusta National in recent memory. I just love it when the old timers go out there and show the flat bellies how it’s done. Granted the pin placements were pretty generous yesterday but the playing field was even for all. As I was driving to Raleigh I had to keep refreshing the leader board on my blackberry to keep my eye on the scores. To my surprise, Bernhard Langer (one of my fantasy golf dark horse picks) was going back and forth from the lead. He finished with a respectable one under 71 and it could have been so much better. Mr. Sandy Lyle, 1988 Masters Champion, showed he still has some gas in the tank with a first round 69. And what about Mr. Tom Watson, Wow is all I can say. With his son on the bag telling him he still has the game to win, goes our and posts a 5 under round of 67! After coming some close at the British Open last year wouldn’t it be something if Tom could do it at the Masters. And finally there is Mr. Fred Couples. After 23 straight at August National without a missed cut, Freddie missed the cut in 08 and 09. Mr Cool isn’t worried about that though. He just went out there in a pair of skateboarding shoes with no socks and shot a career best 66 to take the first round lead. Actually could have been at least one shot better if the putt drops on 18.

The weather cooperated for the most part all day, the scoring conditions were perfect and I couldn’t be happier with the looks of the leader board right now. Hopefully the 50 somethings can hang on today when they move the tees back and make the pin positions a little tougher. How amazing would it be to have Couples and Watson in the final pairing on Sunday with Woods and Mickelson paired together right behind them. It’s OK to dream!

Kerplookee Fantasy Golf Blog – The Addiction Called Fantasy Golf

I am 43 years old and have been participating in Fantasy Golf games since 1997. So for approximately the past 676 weeks I have been dedicating at least two hours of time towards my fantasy golf addiction. Lets see, that is collectively 1,352 hours or over 56 days of my time spent on fantasy golf. I know people who haven’t taken 56 days of vacation in the last 13 years. Believe me I know there are other Fantasy Golf addicts who know what I’m talking about and spend twice as much time as I do. Some of them are right here at www.kerplookee.com.

I used to play fantasy golf with a guy who couldn’t wait for the scores to be posted on yahoo.com. So instead of waiting for yahoo to update the scores he built an excel spreadsheet with a hyperlink to the PGATour.com that would update the scores based on a formula he had written.While a tournament was in progress the spreadsheet would calculate possible outcomes for his team (and every other team in the league) and he would print it out and tape it to the side of his television. There is another guy I know, right here at kerplookee.com, who analyzes every team in his league every week. This means that every week he goes into the league page and clicks on every team one at a time and copy and pastes their players into a spreadsheet. From there he can manipulate the data and determine the most popular picks that week. He believes this gives him insight into how to best use his waiver move. Myself…..I just check the leaderboard about every 15 minutes to see how my team is making out. OK maybe I also peek at the teams above me on the leaderboard to see if I have a chance of making up any ground.Yeah OK those of you that know me also know that I look at the teams below me as well. And yes this is part of my Thursday morning ritual as I sip on my first cup of coffee. Did I just take the first step towards fantasy golf rehibilitation?

So why do us so called Fantasy Golf addicts do all of this. What drives us to play fantasy golf? For me I think mostly it’s the passion of the game of golf itself. Since I was 7 years old I have been playing golf and loved it from the first swing. At about 14 years old I realized I didn’t have the natural talent to make a living playing golf. I tried caddying at a local country club for a while hoping to pick up some hidden secret that would unlock the golf talent inside me. I tried taking lessons on several occassions that only seemed to confuse me and put more unnecessary thoughts in my head during my swing. But I kept plugging away and playing golf every chance I got.  I’ve always enjoyed watching golf tournaments on TV whereas a lot of my friends would rather watch grass grow. So 13 years ago when I found fantasy golf I knew I had found a home. Fantasy golf was game where I could compete at a high level. It was a way for me to use all of my golf knowledge without actually having to swing the club.  I was addicted. From that point on my laptop went with me on every vacation. If for some reason I could not connect to the internet I would call a buddy to set my fantasy golf lineup that week. To this day I still do this and my buddies call me as well to return the favor.

Fantasy golf is a means of staying connected with friends I would otherwise have lost touch with. It provides me with a cheap form of entertainment without leaving the house. When I pick the winner, or better yet three golfers in the top five, of a golf tournament I get as much satsifaction (ok maybe more) as making a birdie. I know I’m not alone here. I know there are over 5,000,000 other fantasy golf addicts across the country. Please chime in and reassure me that I’m not going through this addiction by myself.

Sorry but I gotta go now and check how my golfers are doing this week at Doral. I think I’m looking good with VJ, Els, Casey and Furyk.

Kerplookee Fantasy Golf Blog – Tiger Woods vs Jack Nicklaus

Ok now that the square grooves are gone this begs the question should other technology be stopped. I mean just how much is technology repsonsible for Tiger Woods winning 71 times? Could Tiger have won that many times using Persimmons woods, hickory shafts and a Gutta Percha? Would Phil Mickelson win 71 times if he was allowed to continue using the square groove wedge?(seriously doubt it) Is it fair to the history and integrity of the game that guys are hitting the ball 400+ yards off the tee these days? I personally think it’s a combination of the two. Players are taking better care of themselves and working harder than they used to. Going to the gym and yoga class is a far cry from sipping scotch and playing gin rummy at the club. Certainly equipment plays a large role in setting course records and winning long drive contests but is the playing field the same. How will we ever know?

Well how about his idea…..Tiger Woods vs Jack Nicklaus, head to head, with a few exceptions. Jack gets to use whatever technology he wants. Jack can use any driver, irons, wedges (square, rectangle, triangle, whatever) putter and ball that he wants. Tiger on the other hand has to use the equipment Jack used in his prime. They’ll both tee it up from the same tees but on a course where the distance was the same as it was when Jack was in his prime. Maybe that’s not exactly the fairest way to do this but we have to give Jack a little handicap for his age difference. Now wouldn’t that be a great match to watch? There would be a much better chance of me buying that on pay per view than some gladiators out there beating the ever loving snot out of one another. So who would win I wonder? I have a sneaky feeling we’ll never find out. But just maybe somebody out there will build a computer generated game to show us the outcome of this match. And just maybe this computer generated game gets on the golf channel. And just maybe Jack Nicklaus is the winner and Tiger Woods sees this on TV from his seated row machine is his basement while getting in a quick workout at 6am and watching Good Morning America. And then just maybe, like Mason “the line” Dixon did with Rocky Balboa, Tiger will call Jack and set up the exhibition match. All of the proceeds go to charity or course and kerplookee.com will be there to listen for the Sweetest Sound in golf. This would be the greatest match since Sea Biscuit vs War Admiral!

Did I just print this or was I just dreaming!

Are you kidding me? First of all what in the world was McCarron thinking by calling someone a cheater. This is worse than saying the word “Bomb” on an airplane. He knows damn well that Michelson didn’t cheat. Lefty is simply using the rules to his advantage by using a 20 year old Ping pitching wedge that has square grooves. Lefty doesn’t make up these ridiculous rules he just obides by them. In football when the quarterback throws the ball 20 feet over the wide receivers head to avoid a sack is that cheating? Well is it? The QB clearly didn’t throw the pass with the intention of it being caught so it’s cheating right? Of course not, the QB is simply utilizing the rules establised by the NFL. This is the exact some thing Mickelson is doing by using the old ping wedge with the square grooves. So why then is McCarron so upset about this to call someone a cheater. Is McCarron upset that he couldn’t locate a sqaure groove wedge to put in his own bag? In that case…..Hey Scott, I have one in my gargage, give me a call and I’ll sell it to you. Or maybe McCarron doesn’t agree with the rules and thinks the wedge should be illegal? In that case…..Hey Scott get with the program buddy. The rules are the rules are the rules. Live with them, overcome and adapt. Or else go become the PGA commissioner and change them, but quit flinging around accusations about your fellow players. The most likely reason however is jealousy! Lefty is sitting T10, 3 strokes back and has a good chance to win the tournament. McCarron meanwhile is packing his bags. In that case… Hey Scotty, suck it up pal, Lefty is just a better player than you so deal with it.

Seriously I hope McCarron has apologized to Mickelson. Throwing around words like “cheater” on tour is worse that calling a marine a coward.

I’m sure glad there is no way to cheat in fantasy golf!