This article is part of our Golf Barometer series.
UPGRADE
Rory McIlroy: He's back as a card-carrying member of the PGA Tour, and he's going to add a couple of events stateside. Big win for U.S. golf fans, and big win for fantasy owners. Don't worry about the celeb pairing with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki; McIlroy is about as grounded a young star as you'll see. Get out the checkbook.
Matt Kuchar: He had nine Top-10s last year and three finishes in the Top 3, but no wins. He missed just two cuts all season. He's a consistent ball striker and a cool putter. Kuchar should be one of the top 4-5 names taken in any draft, but he's still an underrated commodity for some reason.
Geoff Ogilvy: He's still just 34, and we saw his form come back during a couple of late-season Australian events. Ogilvy has a major and three WGC wins to his credit; if you hit on this play, you could hit big.
Camilo Villegas: He was smoking at the end of last season, parlaying a new grip into better play and a regaining of confidence. Go back to your 2010 cheat sheets, where he was one of the must-get stars. You can make a significant profit here.
DOWNGRADE
Dustin Johnson: He's taking it easy after a November knee scope; he won't play an event until late in the month. Don't expect to see DJ in top form until spring.
Kevin Sutherland: He has 15 starts coming his way on a medical extension, and he
UPGRADE
Rory McIlroy: He's back as a card-carrying member of the PGA Tour, and he's going to add a couple of events stateside. Big win for U.S. golf fans, and big win for fantasy owners. Don't worry about the celeb pairing with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki; McIlroy is about as grounded a young star as you'll see. Get out the checkbook.
Matt Kuchar: He had nine Top-10s last year and three finishes in the Top 3, but no wins. He missed just two cuts all season. He's a consistent ball striker and a cool putter. Kuchar should be one of the top 4-5 names taken in any draft, but he's still an underrated commodity for some reason.
Geoff Ogilvy: He's still just 34, and we saw his form come back during a couple of late-season Australian events. Ogilvy has a major and three WGC wins to his credit; if you hit on this play, you could hit big.
Camilo Villegas: He was smoking at the end of last season, parlaying a new grip into better play and a regaining of confidence. Go back to your 2010 cheat sheets, where he was one of the must-get stars. You can make a significant profit here.
DOWNGRADE
Dustin Johnson: He's taking it easy after a November knee scope; he won't play an event until late in the month. Don't expect to see DJ in top form until spring.
Kevin Sutherland: He has 15 starts coming his way on a medical extension, and he did cash a sixth-place check at the Callaway Pebble Beach Invitational in November. On the flip side, we're talking about someone who's 47 and coming off of spinal problems. I'll jump in with both feet if Sutherland plays well in the early part of the year, but I will not take anything on speculation.
Fredrik Jacobson: He's coming off a down year and his thumb might not be healed yet - he's passing on the Tournament of Champions. Don't get caught holding the bag on draft day.
Tim Clark: We know he had surgery on his right elbow in August but we haven't heard a thing from him since. And at Clark's best, he's a grinder, a feel player - this is not someone who can fall out of bed at 3 a.m. and start playing like a legend. I'm not touching him until I see something on the courts.
K.J. Choi: He was terrific last year, but you can't chase outlier seasons at age 41. Someone will pay for last year's stats and come away gravely disappointed.
Tournament of Champions: Remember when this event was something players actually wanted to compete in? Now it's worse than Senior Skip Day: so many big names are asking out for any number of reasons. You'll still turn in for the pretty pictures, but this event has come down significantly in stature.
HOLDING STEADY
Tiger Woods: The win at Chevron was a boost to his confidence, but we're still talking about a satellite event with a tiny field. Let's see what he does when the full pack comes out to play. I'm going into my auction agnostic about Woods - I won't target him, I won't run from him. The market will set the price.
