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Weekly Preview - SBS Championship

Greg Vara RotoWire.com Golf Writer

The 2010 season is finally upon us, and unlike nearly every offseason this millennium, there was plenty to talk about. What started as tabloid fodder turned into the story of the year, possibly decade, when Tiger Woods' indiscretions became public knowledge. Not only did this scandal rock the golf world, but it struck a nerve with seemingly everyone in the world. Worse yet, it's going to affect the fantasy golf season! Unlike 2009, when we knew Tiger would be out for a determined time, we have no idea when his return will be this season. Most speculate that he won't pass on the Masters, and while I agree, nothing is certain right now. The only thing we do know is the PGA TOUR moves on without Tiger for now. Fortunately for us, Tiger rarely played early in the season anyway, so two months from now, the golf world could be back to normal - for us anyway, not Tiger.

This week: The SBS Championship

Last Year: Geoff Ogilvy shot a final-round 68 on his way to a six-stroke victory over Anthony Kim and Davis Love III.

Players to Consider:

  1. Geoff Ogilvy

    Everything is lined up for Ogilvy this week. He's the defending champ, always plays well early in the year and can handle the wind if it shows up this week.

  2. Zach Johnson

    Johnson belongs to a very exclusive club on the PGA TOUR - the "Players you should never doubt" club. Johnson tied for sixth here last year, and as long as the conditions are calm, he should be in the top-5 this time around.

  3. Stephen Ames

    Ames has shown the ability to play well no matter the conditions at Kapalua. In 2008 under prime scoring conditions, he finished third. The year prior, in poor conditions he finished T-11.

  4. Sean O'Hair

    O'Hair finished fourth here last year and oddly enough, he's one of the biggest names in the field this week. O'Hair is one of only seven returning players from last year.

  5. Ryan Moore

    Moore has no track record at Kapalua, but he finally put everything together at the end of last season and if he's going to take it to the next level, as I assume, he'll get off to a good start here.

Players to Avoid:

  1. Brian Gay

    The question concerning Gay each week this season will be which Brian Gay will show up. If last year is any indication, he'll show up big a couple times, but he's not someone you can count on each week.

  2. Bo Van Pelt

    Van Pelt finally earned his first win on the PGA TOUR last season, but let's not forget it was against a watered-down field. While Van Pelt is bound to play better this season, I doubt it starts this week.

  3. Michael Bradley

    Say what? How did Michael Bradley get into this event? Bradley somehow won an event last year, but don't expect that to propel him to the next level this week or this season.

  4. Rory Sabbatini

    Other than a runner-up finish in 2001, Sabbatini has hovered around the middle of the pack here. While he's likely to have a good season in 2010, it will have to start next week.

  5. Matt Kuchar

    Kuchar finished 25th in his only other start at this event. Kuchar is one of a few players who gained entrance with a late-season win last year, and it's always wise to avoid those players here.

Article first appeared 1/6/10

Yahoo! Fantasy Golf:

This week: SBS Championship

Group A

  1. Zach Johnson
  2. Stephen Ames

Under optimal conditions, Johnson is the choice this week. If things get nasty, I've got Ames ready to insert into the line-up.

Group B

  1. Stewart Cink
  2. Geoff Ogilvy
  3. Y.E. Yang
  4. Sean O'Hair

A pretty solid bunch of players here in Group B this week. Ogilvy and O'Hair appear to be the cream of the crop, but I can see Cink taking the Tiger-less reins and making a big move this year. Yang showed a lot of promise last season and could be the real deal.

Group C

  1. Troy Matteson
  2. Jerry Kelly

Not much to choose from in Group C this week. Matteson finished strong in 2009, which could lead to bigger and better things this season. Jerry Kelly has plenty of experience in Hawaii, even though not much at Kapalua.

Starters Round One

  1. Zach Johnson
  2. Sean O'Hair
  3. Geoff Ogilvy
  4. Jerry Kelly

If you've followed this page the past few years, you know I always get off to a slow start. I am aware of this fact, so with that said, I am ready to shake things up if necessary. For now, though, I'll stick to my guns. The starting four this week consist of three players in Johnson, Ogilvy and O'Hair who played well here last year and are generally reliable. Kelly is starting in Group C, but there's no logic to that other than he's more experienced playing in Hawaii.

Round Two and Going Forward:

The wind will go a long way in determining the starters this week. Johnson has a strong hold on Group A unless the wind picks up. In that case, Ames gets the call, but I have no problem starting Johnson all four rounds if the weather cooperates. O'Hair and Ogilvy are clearly the best two in Group B this week, but with Cink and Yang on the bench, they'll have to play well to stay in the line-up. Remember, no cut this week, so all players are in play through the weekend. Even if a player starts poorly, he might turn it around on Saturday and become the best play on Sunday. I'm not sure what to expect in Group C. Hopefully Matteson starts well, in which case I'll get him into the line-up right away on Friday.