Welcome to Golfweek.com’s Fantasy Aces, your weekly source for winning fantasy golf leagues. Such information is less likely to help you remember to end every sentence this week with the word, “Eh,” but that’s hopefully not the reason you’re here.
The Fantasy Aces appear every Wednesday on Golfweek.com.
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This week’s event: Canadian Open
Site: Glen Abbey Golf Club (7,112 yards, par 72), Oakville, Ontario.
Purse: $5 million.
Winner’s share: $900,000.
Last year: Jim Furyk successfully defended his title at Angus Glen, taking the lead with a hole-in-one and finishing with a 7-under 64 for a one-stroke victory over Vijay Singh. In 2006, Furyk won at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
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See below for Golfweek’s Canadian Open rankings.
Rex Hoggard
Rex Hoggard’s best bet: Stephen Ames.
The whole of Canada will be watching Mike Weir, but it’s the Northern
transplant who is playing the better golf right now. Although his
record in the Canadian Open is slipshod (T-27 in 2007, WD in ’06, T-7
in ’05, MC in ’04), the Canadian-by-way-of-Trinidad is striking the
ball solidly, he tied for seventh in last week’s Open gale, and is due
for his annual big week.
Ace up Hoggard’s sleeve: Bo Van Pelt.
The consensus “Best Player to have not won a Tour title” will be
rested, having spent a warm week in Milwaukee, where he tied for 28th,
instead of a cold one in England; and has steadily improved at the
Canadian Open with finishes of T-15, T-20, T-38, T-20. Van Pelt is also
long enough (52nd on Tour in driving distance) to move it around a Glen
Abbey layout that has been saturated by summer showers.
Eric Soderstrom
Soderstrom’s best bet: Jim Furyk.
First, let’s not forget who picked Padraig Harrington to repeat at the
British Open last week. (Hint: It wasn’t Rex, though he did have Tiger
at Torrey, and it wasn’t Sean.) Some of the guys in the office scoffed when I
guaranteed at the beginning of the season that Harrington would win his
second major this year. (And now they owe me lunch.) So what does all
of this mean? Now I don’t have to pick Paddy at the PGA Championship.
But on to this week... I think Furyk is the smart play. It’s an easy
play, yes, considering Furyk is going for his third consecutive
Canadian Open title. But if you need Fantasy points, Furyk will get
them for you. Of all the big-name disappointments coming out of the
British, Furyk certainly wasn’t one of them, finishing tied for fifth.
He’s playing well, coming into an event where has had overwhelming
success. No brainer here.
Ace up Soderstrom’s sleeve: Camilo Villegas.
I’m basing this pick pretty much entirely on Villegas’ improbable 65
during the second round of the British Open. Seriously, how in the name
of Royal Birkdale did that happen? Anyway, he also plays well at the
Canadian Open, finishing tied for 10th and tied for fifth the last two
years. Plus, I’m sick of hearing about the new Batman movie. Give me
some Spiderman news.
Sean Martin
Sean Martin’s best bet: Anthony Kim.He’s played well in his first two
national championships of the year, finishing T-7 at his first British
Open and T-26 at the U.S. Open. His two victories this year (Wachovia,
AT&T National) came on two of the year’s best non-major setups. So
if Glen Abbey Golf Club is set up somehwere close to a major, it should
suit the brash bomber.
Ace up Martin’s sleeve: Eric Axley.
Axley, who finished T-9 at
the U.S. Open, is playing well and well-rested. He finished T-4 two
weeks ago in the John Deere Classic, then made the short trip to
Milwaukee while most of the best players were criscrossing the
Atlantic. Axley may have finished T-50, but did shoot three sub-par
rounds.
Posted field in order of Golfweek/Sagarin Ranking (which is based on performance over the last 52 weeks):7. Camilo Villegas
8. Stephen Ames
9. Fred Couples
15. Jim Furyk
16. Briny Baird
22. Anthony Kim
29. Pat Perez
31. Carl Pettersson
36. John Mallinger
37. Mike Weir
38. Steve Elkington
39. Corey Pavin
41. Kevin Sutherland
46. Nick Watney
47. Retief Goosen
53. Sean O'Hair
54. John Senden
57. Dean Wilson
59. Charlie Wi
60. Tom Pernice, Jr.
62. Steve Marino
63. Nathan Green
66. Billy Mayfair
67. Ken Duke
75. Mark Wilson
78. Jeff Quinney
79. Alex Cejka
80. Brian Davis
82. Kevin Na
84. Shane Bertsch
85. Michael Allen
92. Dudley Hart
94. Cliff Kresge
96. Frank Lickliter II
97. Jon Mills
99. Matt Kuchar
102. Ben Curtis
105. Brian Gay
107. Steve Flesch
113. Bill Haas
117. Bo Van Pelt
122. Cameron Beckman
124. Patrick Sheehan
127. Chris Riley
130. Todd Hamilton
131. Tim Petrovic
134. Parker McLachlin
143. Bubba Watson
145. Robert Garrigus
151. Joe Durant
155. Jason Gore
158. Jerry Kelly
159. Kevin Streelman
162. Matt Jones
166. Carlos Franco
167. Jeff Maggert
170. Bob Tway
173. Mark Calcavecchia
174. Brad Adamonis
175. Jay Williamson
176. Kent Jones
177. Michael Letzig
181. Jeff Overton
183. Brenden Pappas
184. Will MacKenzie
190. WC Liang
198. Ryan Armour
200. Bob Estes
202. Dustin Johnson
203. Tim Wilkinson
206. Wes Heffernan
207. Troy Matteson
209. Jason Day
211. Craig Barlow
213. Chez Reavie
214. Gavin Coles
221. J.J. Henry
229. Tag Ridings
232. Nicholas Thompson
233. Jeff Gove
234. Alejandro Canizares
236. Jin Park
237. Charley Hoffman
239. Ryan Palmer
242. Marco Dawson
246. John Ellis
248. Brett Rumford
249. Charles Warren
256. Chris DiMarco
263. Nick Flanagan
264. John Huston
266. Eric Axley
268. Kevin Stadler
269. Brandt Jobe
272. Jason Dufner
273. Michael Bradley
278. Jim McGovern
280. Brad Elder
290. Craig Kanada
295. Glen Day
296. Justin Bolli
302. Andrew Buckle
313. Ted Purdy
315. Billy Andrade
324. Scott Sterling
330. Ron Whittaker
333. Mathias Gronberg
342. Kenneth Ferrie
343. Marc Turnesa
348. Scott McCarron
353. Chris Stroud
355. Jimmy Walker
358. Bob Heintz
360. Adam Bland
362. Doug LaBelle II
369. Y.E. Yang
372. Omar Uresti
374. Chad Collins
375. Lee Janzen
382. Richard Johnson
385. Todd Demsey
401. J.P. Hayes
413. Dustin Risdon
414. Richard S. Johnson
417. Harrison Frazar
420. Dan Forsman
427. Martin Laird
457. David Lutterus
470. David Hearn
473. Travis Perkins
477. Olin Browne
504. Kyle Thompson
535. Tommy Gainey
564. Larry Mize
568. Jim Rutledge
575. Jason Allred
587. Bob Sowards
598. George Bradford
609. Andrew Parr
639. Paul Claxton
647. Ian Leggatt
653. Bryan DeCorso
698. Cody Freeman
713. Brad Fritsch
766. Len Mattiace
842. David Morland IV
950. Adam Short
N/R. Steve Allan
N/R. Todd Halpen
N/R. Daniel Im
N/R. Michael Knight
N/R. Eric Landreville
N/R. Jacob Scriven
N/R. Webb Simpson
N/R. Nick Taylor
N/R. Charlie Woo
Posted: 7/23/2008
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