Tiger's return forces fantasy owners to adjust
The most common misconception, if not irony, is that fantasy golf needs Tiger Woods. In fact, as valuable as he is to the actual game, its sponsors, advertisers, charities, history and connection to the mainstream culture, he's a pain, if not a pariah, in our world. (Herein lies the vastly untapped worth of our addictive pastime, but we'll save that angle for another day.)
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Because of his consistent domination for over a decade, Woods has single-handedly changed fantasy golf, too. His winning percentage alone -- 29.7 percent since turning pro in 1996 -- has validated the modifications that leagues everywhere have made. You have:
- Removed him completely from your game.
- Split him into "Tiger Through U.S. Open" and "Tiger After U.S. Open" (or variant halves depending on which events you include).
- Divided him into Tiger-January, Tiger-February and so on.
- Invoked a restrictive ownership clause to spread the wealth over a few years.
I'll stop there because you get the gist. No other golfer requires such manipulation. (My home league has addressed the quandary another way, albeit complex, but we'll save that for another day as well.)
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For me, the answer to the fundamental question is simple: he must be included. Somehow. Despite his track record, golf is still a results-based sport. Woods does not hit clean-up on the team with the highest on-base percentage, and he is not the primary receiver for the league's busiest quarterback.
Like everyone else that tees it up every week, Woods has to execute. He, too, starts at even par -- no runners on base, no West Coast offense. Sure, he beats more golf courses than anyone else, but the defense is the same against everyone.
With his return at the Masters confirmed, early investors in salary leagues and long-term formats are exhaling. And smiling. The heavy lifting is over. Enjoy the ride. One-and-dones can remain patient due to the deep list of venues at which Woods excels.
The $8.5-million purse at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational is the most lucrative of his comfiest confines, and it's contested in early August, giving those formats ample time to lurk. Duffer leagues are irrelevant unless they have a stipulation that all owners must burn Woods at some point. (Try this twist if you haven't already.)
What we don't know is if Woods has submitted a waiver from the 15-event minimum requirement for PGA TOUR members. (Hey, bylaws are bylaws. Just because he's Tiger Woods doesn't mean that he's exempt from membership rules and regs.)
Therefore, because we have to assume that he might not get to 15 (the Ryder Cup can count if necessary), fantasy gamers must adapt. The Yahoo! format allows a maximum of 10 starts, a seemingly benign total for the world's No. 1 to reach. Needless to say, plan on using all of them.
Woods' predictable schedule makes it a cinch to analyze, although some speculation suggests that he could appear at venues that he hasn't traditionally supported. However, we can't count on that even if he did file the waiver.
So, below are three groups based on my confidence of how Woods will fare. Adjust accordingly for your format.
| Gimmes | ||||||
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| B flight | ||||
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| Take your medicine | |||
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