TFI: Is it Clarke's time?  The Fantasy Insider PGATOUR.COM Contributor It was a simple question in regards to Vijay Singh: Love him or leave him? The Fantasy Insider was venting steam last week when he threw out that question. OK, he was also doing a little hand wringing, worrying whether the No. 9 player in the World Ranking (ninth!) should remain on his roster once he invariably loses his protected status and can be put on the waiver list.  Darren Clarke likes Bay Hill, hence the Fantasy Insider likes Clarke at Bay Hill this week. (Action Images/WireImage)
TFI received oodles of email, both from people who had him on the roster and those who did not nab him in the draft (thanks much to all the writers!). And with few exceptions the missives urged TFI to keep him in the lineup -- even if they were team owners who had him and weren't overjoyed with his play so far this season. "I'll rate my happiness with him at a five, just hoping Vijay could still deliver," wrote Ramon Quintana, a first-year fantasy competitor from Spain who says he's doing well in the rotisserie format but "losing too many matches" in the match-play format. "I got him in Public League 1341 (Getinthehole Team02) and am in second place, four points behind the leader. Always playing him is not that bad. I'd rate my happiness at a five, just hoping Vijay could still deliver (I suppose it will be a SIN not to play SINGH). "On the other hand, playing in PL 1953 with Getinthehole team04, I'm leading without Singh, even playing John Daly every now and then! The fact is that I have a strong team with Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Jesper Parnevik, Ted Purdy, Heath Slocum, Chris DiMarco, Robert Karlsson, Kevin Stadler and Daly. If I had the chance I'd trade Poulter for Singh. Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong ... we'll see in the FedExCup playoffs." Luigi represented another bunch of correspondents who, "feel your Vijay Singh pain," but have what they believe is an even larger problem: Adam Scott. "Ironically enough, he was my sleeper pick a few years back when I entered, and was the main reason I won a 'pick any player under the salary cap' pool at the office," Luigi explains. "Anyway, I'd trade you Scott for Singh in a heartbeat. I think Singh has at least two more solid years of top-10 money." As if a few more paragraphs of encouragement in Singh's defense weren't enough, Luigi added a postscript: "Stick with Singh. With his work ethic and love of the game, he's too good to not pay off." Of course, Tom Davis put everything in perspective in the span of 36 words: "I wish I was in your league. Dude plays almost every week and his worst finish is 39th! You want to drop him, that's funny. Drop him and pick up Briny Baird or somebody like that." Consider TFI sold, girls and boys. For now he'll keep Singh on the roster. But he's also tucking away a list of the email addresses of everyone who wrote. Because if Singh goes any deeper into the tank TFI may just poll you again to see if it's time to boot him. Three players TFI might pick up/trade for to get onto his roster this week: • Tiger Woods. People, this is Bay Hill! The guy's won there about 14 times (even though he hasn't been better than a tie for 20th his last three years). Why the heck wouldn't you want him on the roster this week? • Darren Clarke. Yes, he's missed three of his last eight cuts worldwide, including his most recent start (Singapore Masters), and lost in the first round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. And you are correct that he's only hit the top 20 once in that stretch (tied 20th, Dubai Desert Classic). But in his last three outings at Bay Hill Club he's finished third, tied for eighth and tied for sixth. So let's chalk it up to TFI having a sneaking suspicion about the time being opportune for Clarke to shake off the doldrums. • Stephen Ames. A crossed-fingers pick, in part because TFI wants to see the guy do well and in part because it seems the rehab for his back is complete. Ending last season with two WDs (not to mention passing on THE TOUR Championship) was tough. Tweaking his injury after tying for 11th in the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship was discouraging. But the Accenture Match Play Championship quarterfinalist should be able to contend with the deep rough at Bay Hill (knock on wood), where he's had three top 10s in seven starts. Two players TFI might waive/drop/trade away to get off his roster this week: • Greg Owen. Last week's column nearly had him in this spot but a last-minute reprieve (chalk it up to TFI's kind-heartedness) allowed him to miss his sixth cut in seven starts before appearing here this week. Difficult to figure this one out: 33rd in both fairways hit and greens in regulation ... oh, yeah, 157th in putting average and 174th in putts per round might have something to do with it. • Shigeki Maruyama. This first 10 weeks of the year have been a train wreck: three missed cuts, two withdrawals, a tie for 77th in the Nissan Open and a tie for 68th last week in the PODS Championship. Don't look now but he's already fallen to 162nd in the Official Golf World Ranking and with some of his best showings in the past two years about to take another mathematical downgrade he's looking at being outside the top 200. Rotisserie results for Expert League at PODS Championship: Overall: 58.0 points (first). Rotisserie lineup for Expert League at Arnold Palmer Invitational: Paul Casey, K.J. Choi, Colin Montgomerie, Geoff Ogilvy. Active but not in lineup: Bubba Watson. Not in field: Tim Clark, Anders Hansen, Padraig Harrington, Ryan Palmer, Steve Stricker, Kevin Sutherland, David Toms. Roster moves: Dropped Kevin Stadler, added Colin Montgomerie; dropped Cameron Beckman, added Paul Casey. Match-play results for Public League 3359 at PODS Championship: TFI 12, back9 6. Overall: 5-3 (tied for first in West Division). Match-play lineup for Public League 3359 at Arnold Palmer Invitational: Darren Clarke, Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson, Ernie Els. Reserves: Daniel Chopra, Jonathan Byrd, Mark Calcavecchia, Troy Matteson, Andrew Buckle, Nick O'Hern, Davis Love III. Not in field: Anders Hansen. Roster moves: Dropped Craig Barlow, added Darren Clarke. Salary Cap Cup results for PODS Championship: The main lineup of K.J. Choi (869 FedExCup points, tied sixth), Sergio Garcia (170 points, tied 27th; late lineup replacement for the withdrawn Justin Rose), Camilo Villegas (50 points, tied 68th), Daniel Chopra (170 points, tied 27th) and Ryuji Imada (0 points, missed cut) earned 1,144 points and placed 12,248th. Through Week 9 it totaled 29,679 points and ranked 1,048th. Choi looked golden for so much of last week, that placing truly hurts (especially late in Segment 1). The "Hey, buddy" backup lineup of Vijay Singh (272 points, tied 19th), Charles Howell III (869 points, tied sixth), Troy Matteson (50 points, tied 68th), Boo Weekley (0 points, missed cut) and Charlie Wi (83 points, tied 43rd) earned 1,274 points and placed 9,406th. Through Week 9 it totaled 16,199 points and ranked 13,864th. So if TFI had put Howell III in the top lineup, and ... ah, what's the use? Week 9 winner: Get You Albatross Here 9,438. Segment 1 leader: Let The Big Dawg Eat 44,702. Salary Cap Cup lineup for Arnold Palmer Invitational: Main lineup, Tiger Woods $300,000, Vijay Singh $280,500, Darren Clarke $186,250, Camilo Villegas $127,750, Daniel Chopra $75,000. Total: $969,500. "Hey, buddy" backup lineup, Phil Mickelson $296,750, Geoff Ogilvy $287,000, Scott Verplank $173,250, Heath Slocum $121,250, Jonathan Byrd $82,250. Total: $960,500. Tiebreakers: 274, 2. Have a question or comment for TFI? Send it to him at brettavery@aol.com. Please be sure to include your name, where you're from, the name of your team and, if it relates to League Championship, the name of your league and whether you're competing in the rotisserie or match-play format. |
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