It's no Fantasy, it's a Nightmare!

Posted Mar 17 2010, 07:45 AM by Cathy Erickson
My fantasy leagues are ruining my joy of watching golf.  Oh sure, everything would be great if I could pick the winners each week, but I'm in the same pattern I get in every year...the first week I do great, then comes the slow and painful decent down the leader board, never to be seen again.
 
I battle the urge to pick my favorite players and instead I study stats, streaks, and past tournament performance.  Usually I end up with a little of both in my final selections, but I'm usually picking the wrong guys in each category.

This past week as brutal.  I have picked Ernie Els in every event he's played in this year because I believed with my whole heart that he will win in 2010.  So far he's gotten me nothing.  In an attempt to change my luck and avoid another disappointing week, I called in my brother to give some advice.  Not on the squad was Els.  My heart was torn, but after all of these weeks, I was almost relieved that JP let me off the hook.  Maybe this is my week!
 
I get a glimpse of the leader board on Saturday and almost choke on my popcorn chicken.  I don't have to tell you who's leading.  By Sunday I played the "if only" scenario in my head about a thousand times.  I could barely watch.   I finally convinced myself that I may be personally responsible for this win because I didn't pick him...maybe I have been the jinx all along!! (just let me believe that, okay?)
 
Of course I'm thrilled for the Big Easy - mostly because he's a great guy, and partly because I had another 2010 prediction come true!  But that doesn't erase the fact that I could have gotten back into contention on my fantasy picks if I would have hung on to Els for one more week...oh the frustration!
 
Remember a few weeks back when Cameron Beckman won the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico?  I was going to pick him!  He grew up in Minnesota so that is enough reason to pick him, right?  But of course I looked at stats (Cut, Cut, T80) and decided there were better choices.  I remember looking at the results online and talking back to my monitor - why?  WHY?
 
For this year's Match Play, four of us did the bracket.  Wins were worth more as you got deeper into the weekend and I was feeling confident.  First round, I get 24 of 32 right!!  I'm thrilled!  But in looking closer, 2 of my final 4 were already out.  Whoops.  By the round of 16 I had 2 guys left...with 8 guys still in hunt, I had none of them.  I found myself completely uninterested in the finals because I had no one left to root for.
 
Knowing how terrible I've been in fantasy golf, why in the world am I subjecting myself to this weekly torture?
 
Fantasy golf is a great way to stay connected with golf pals, especially if you're in the off-season for half of the year.  Last year I loved my weekly talk with my brother as we made our team picks.  Our league dissolved this year, and I miss talking golf with him.  It's fun making connections with different people and a little trash talking is always enjoyable. 
 
The goofy thing is, even though I stink it up week after week, by Monday morning I get that feeling that this week I'm going pick the right guys!!  I guess that's eternal optimist in me.  And, hey, I haven't been ALL bad!
 
If you don't mind, I'd like to skip down memory lane for just one more moment...
 
I'm remembering a little challenge I had a few years ago - WGC Match Play - my choice...Tiger or the rest of the field.  Had I been a Tiger fanatic, the decision would be a no brainer, but I struggled with the choice because it forced me to root against everyone else I liked more than TW...I tried to negotiate a few more players, but no deal.  It was one guy or 63.
 
After serious deliberation I went with Tiger (even though my math brain said take 63!)...and if you remember, Tiger almost went out in the first round!  But he clawed his way back and won...and won, and won, and won, and won, and WON!!  It was weird rooting for Tiger that week, but I did. 
 
And now that we know Tiger will be back at the Masters, there will be some serious contemplating to do!  Will he be ready to win right out of the gate?  He's shown us in the past that he can, but I'm not sure.
 
I'm determined to get at least one winner this season (Steve Stricker's win this year was in Pre-Season and didn't count!).  Can it be done?  For my sanity, I hope so.
 
Forgoing stats and past performance I went all heart this week.   Who should you put your money on at the Transitions Championship, you ask?
 
Over at http://www.kerplookee.com/ I have taken Steve Stricker, Kenny Perry, Retief Goosen, Stewart Cink, Brandt Snedeker, Tom Lehman, Charles Howell III, and JB Holmes.  
 
Come on team!!!  This could be my week!

Filed under: Tiger, Steve Stricker, Ernie Els, fantasy golf, Kerplookee, Cameron Beckman