2014 Hero Challenge: Fantasy Picks And Power Rankings

Aug 8, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; PGA golfer Tiger Woods talks to his caddie Joe LaCava before teeing off on the 2nd hole during the second round of the 2014 PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

You might think that making Fantasy Picks in a golf tournament that features 18 of the top players in the world would be easy, but like we saw last year at the Hero Challenge(Northwest Mutual Challenge), these guys are good. Zach Johnson pitched in from the drop zone, across water, after shanking his second shot on the 18th hole to tie tournament host, Tiger Woods, and force a playoff. Did I mention, these guys are good?

Tiger Woods is first, and foremost, the big story line at the Isleworth Country Club this week. Is his body ready to compete, can he take the nice shots we are seeing on the practice range to the golf course, and compete against the best players in the world this week? I don’t think so.

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You have to give the edge this week to players who have been active in tournament play around the world during the off-season. Jordan Spieth will be jet-lagged, but he comes here off a great win at the Australian Open on Sunday, and the finest round of golf we have seen from the youngster since he’s been on the tour.

Henrik Stenson

Had this event been played at Sherwood Forest, I never would have put Henrik Stenson at the top of this list, but the 38 year-old Swede lives in the Orlando area during the off-season, and after a sluggish season, began to get his game together at the end of the European Tour season. Stenson finished strong down the stretch during the Race To Dubai playoff, finishing 2014 with a win at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last month. Stenson ended the season with a second place finish behind Rory McIlroy in the Race To Dubai, and the number two ranking in the world. We know Stenson is one of the best ball strikers on either tour, and if he can get his putter working this week, could be unbeatable.

Bubba Watson

Bubba Watson can be a real crap-shoot as a fantasy pick, but after his impressive win at the HSBC Champions last month, can he bring what we saw in Shanghai back to his home state this week. Bubba tends to play well East of the Mississippi River, but as we saw in Phoenix, and Riviera last year, he has the game to win anywhere if the course fits his eye. I look for Bubba to make the next step in 2015, and why not start at the Hero Challenge?

Graeme McDowell

Graeme McDowell is the only multiple winner of this event other than the host, but all of that was in Southern California. The popular Northern Irishman lives in Windemere, knows this golf course, and has played well down the stretch during the Race To Dubai playoffs. Although he finished T47 at Dubai last month, he had top 20’s at the HSBC Championship, and the BMW Masters. If McDowell can coax some putts in the hole this week, he will be there on Sunday afternoon with a chance to win.

Patrick Reed

We have all seen how well Patrick Reed can play in these tournaments with top players around the world. He was without doubt, our best player at the Ryder Cup, and played well at the Volvo Match Play Championships. He won the Cadillac Championship back in the spring, so plays the Florida courses well. Look for Reed to be in the mix on Sunday afternoon.

Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth refused to use jet lag as an excuse for a poor round on Friday at the Australian Open last week, and after what I saw late Saturday night, I would be remiss to not include him in my Fantasy Rankings. I have made the trip from Sydney, back to Florida, and will be the first to admit, it is brutal. He is much younger than I was in 1996 after making the trek, so if the 21 year-old Texan can make the transition, we might find him atop the leaderboard this week. His performance on Sunday was one of the finest final-rounds I’ve seen this year, and it left me wanting to see more this week.

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