This article is part of our Golf Barometer series.
Some of our Upgrades are based on recent performance, while others are presuming something good to come at this week's Transitions Championship.
UPGRADE
Nick Watney: If you were redrafting today, it would be impossible to take him too early. The full package is here, everything a superstar needs. Sure, he's a little wayward off the tee now and again, but you can say that about just about every major stud on the circuit. Watney is long, very precise with his irons, a superb putter (third in PPR) and a creative shotmaker around the green (second in scrambling). Putting away Dustin Johnson last week only adds to Watney's confidence; a major isn't far away.
Spencer Levin: Consistency is your friend in the fantasy golf racket, and Levin brings it in spades. He's a dynamite ball striker (24th in GIR), he's made 7-of-8 cuts this season and he has four heavy cashes in a row (all of them more than $100K). He's giving us volume as well, making his ninth start of the year this week. What's not to like?
K.J. Choi: He hasn't had much of a 2011, but it's a good time to use him now that we're at the Transitions Championship. Choi has two wins and four Top 10s at this event over nine starts, so he obviously likes the look of the Copperhead layout.
Retief Goosen: His card this year has been a mess, but Copperhead might bail him out - remember he won
Some of our Upgrades are based on recent performance, while others are presuming something good to come at this week's Transitions Championship.
UPGRADE
Nick Watney: If you were redrafting today, it would be impossible to take him too early. The full package is here, everything a superstar needs. Sure, he's a little wayward off the tee now and again, but you can say that about just about every major stud on the circuit. Watney is long, very precise with his irons, a superb putter (third in PPR) and a creative shotmaker around the green (second in scrambling). Putting away Dustin Johnson last week only adds to Watney's confidence; a major isn't far away.
Spencer Levin: Consistency is your friend in the fantasy golf racket, and Levin brings it in spades. He's a dynamite ball striker (24th in GIR), he's made 7-of-8 cuts this season and he has four heavy cashes in a row (all of them more than $100K). He's giving us volume as well, making his ninth start of the year this week. What's not to like?
K.J. Choi: He hasn't had much of a 2011, but it's a good time to use him now that we're at the Transitions Championship. Choi has two wins and four Top 10s at this event over nine starts, so he obviously likes the look of the Copperhead layout.
Retief Goosen: His card this year has been a mess, but Copperhead might bail him out - remember he won here in 2009 and was fifth last season. Goosen's length is never an issue, and he's a dynamite putter once he gets a little momentum. When you're a two-time lightning-strike survivor, nothing really fazes you.
Tiger Woods: The angels didn't sigh and weep over his 70-66 close last week, but hey, it's a start. And we know his game is tailor-made for Augusta, just around the corner. At least Woods doesn't have to do the Players Championship slog ahead of that - he's never liked the swamp layout, but it's been slotted as a May event for a few seasons now.
DOWNGRADE
Jeff Overton: We hoped that perhaps he turned a corner at The Honda, but then he finished dead last at the WGC-Cadillac, carding an ugly 75-77-73-73 line. Overton was able to score consistently last year despite ordinary component numbers; he's been lacking that knack in 2011.
Sergio Garcia: He's making his 2011 PGA Tour debut, and we're not going near him on spec. Remember he didn't even crack the Top 20 in any U.S. event last year, and he's done nothing of note in his two Copperhead starts (T41, 59). He's still the worst name return for your dollar (or Euro) in golf.
Jerry Kelly: It was a blast watching him make a run at the Bear Trap two weeks ago, but a wonky back forced Kelly to withdraw midway through his second round in Puerto Rico last week. You take every ache and pain very seriously when it's tied to a veteran player like Kelly - he's 44. As of press time Kelly is still in the Transitions field, but there's no reason to take any fantasy risk on him.
Steve Marino: He dropped out of the Transitions field on Monday; let's hope the knee problems of mid-February aren't back again. We're still patiently awaiting that breakout win.
