Since the most recent Tiger Woods news actually pertains to real news and not just the shattering of Tiger’s fantasy life, I thought it actually merited coverage. Tiger Woods announced that he will return to golf to play in the Masters tournament next month. Woods’ much publicized infidelity has made him take a hiatus from the game and seek counseling as he tries to put his personal life back together.
Woods’ impact on fantasy golf is legendary and problematic at the same time. The dominance he has displayed in golf similarly leads to dominance in fantasy golf. The fact that he was gone I think actually increased the competitiveness of fantasy golf as there were now any number of guys who were favorites to win a tournament instead of it just being Tiger versus the rest of the field. While, he has some shown some personal chinks in his moral armor, his golf game is more than likely to be completely intact.
Last year, Tiger also returned to golf after suffering a torn ACL during the 2008 US Open (which he won with that torn ACL). It took him two tournaments to get warmed before he finally won during his third tournament of the season. However, he did finish 17th and 9th in those first two tournaments, so not exactly a poor performance.
All of those fantasy owners that gambled that Woods would be back by the Majors will be very nicely rewarded this fantasy season, as they probably were able to pick-up Woods up at a discount.
If you interested in playing fantasy golf, you may want to check out our Where to Play Fantasy Golf article.
What do you think Tiger’s return will look like?
One Comment, Comment or Ping
John Hohlen
For my game, Pro Tour Fantasy Golf, there is no draft. Instead, everyone gets to use each golfer up to 3 times throughout the 24-week season. So the interesting question will be how many people use Tiger the very first time he plays. Personally, I would take a wait and see approach. But I wouldn’t be surprised if 50% of the participants start Tiger for The Masters. For most people, having the option to use Tiger is like a $100 bill burning a hole in your pocket. That’s understandable, though. It’s fun to have Tiger in your lineup and it’s fun to cheer for him. I think if Tiger wins the tournament or doesn’t make the cut, it’s not surprise either way. If he wins, it will simply being a case of Tiger coming back more focused than ever. If he doesn’t make the cut, it will be due to Tiger being away from the game for too long. I’m going to predict he finishes somewhere between 20th to 30th. I just hope I get watch Tiger on TV for the first two rounds. It sounds like there is a good possibility that he won’t be seen on TV the first two days. I’d love to know who’s going to determine Tiger’s tee time. If I had to bet, it will be whatever Tiger wants to do.
Mar 19th, 2010