Irish Times Fantasy Golf

qwabercd

Macduff Gardener wrote: »

I think I know what you mean "Malloallo". Yes the organisers are a total load of dipsh*ts and should not be allowed to continue next year; but I assume we all want to continue to take part? Regarding favourite backing, you should read some of my earlier posts - check out the times the leading teams make their final substitutions, try to find a player that isn't in at least 10 of the top 20 teams - It's a "matter of fact" that if the leader (or anybody in the Top 20) selects a team that contains the most popular selections within the "Top Twenty" players - he/she can't be overtaken. I share your frustration but nothing we can do about it as long as there are internet programs that can tell you which players to pick so as not to lose your position (these are totally different to the technical aids "Camrockem" (see above) was referring to). Spent the whole of today (12 hours) picking my teams for the rest of the season (advance planning definitely needed at this stage of the competition), got 3 subs available each week, as from next week, for any hiccoughs - guarantee it all turns to ratsh*t. All the best to any readers but I don't see anybody shifting the top 3; the rest of us are just playing for the challenge and competitive edge we all have!!

Completely disagree with this. First is out of reach, but 2nd and 3rd are undoubtedly catchable. There is still a lot of variation between teams, 300 - 400 points can be made up in a few holes. Unfortunately for me they were lost in a few holes last weekend.

As with some others a few gut decisions went the wrong way recently. Was between DJ, Grace and Willett but stupidly stuck with the latter and also went for westwood over Kaymer. Very costly.

Johnny86

qwabercd wrote: »

Completely disagree with this. First is out of reach, but 2nd and 3rd are undoubtedly catchable. There is still a lot of variation between teams, 300 - 400 points can be made up in a few holes. Unfortunately for me they were lost in a few holes last weekend.

As with some others a few gut decisions went the wrong way recently. Was between DJ, Grace and Willett but stupidly stuck with the latter and also went for westwood over Kaymer. Very costly.

I think Day will still be the most popular captains pick in the Open so if he played poorly and you'd a different, less fancied captain who won (e.g. Rickie Fowler), then you could have a 1000 pts gain on one pick alone.

Johnny86

The blog is up for this week

https://itfantasygolf.wordpress.com/2016/07/06/week-14-the-scottish-open/

Macduff Gardener

Well we're on our way to the next dramatic event. Looks like Saturday could be a bit damp. Been trawling through the Top 20 teams, as usual for me on a Thursday night, and its interesting to note the following - 14 have gone for Stenson as Captain and 6 for Grace. All 20 teams have selected Stenson and Grace in their lineups, 19 have Kaymer, 16 Colsaerts, 15 Luiten, Mickelson gets the support of 13, Chappell 12, Lowry 11 and 10 go for Johnston and Bourdy. 10 teams were finalised between approx. 2200 and 2330 - drama to the end (mind you considering the no-shows of late, I suppose leaving it to the last minute is the safest option). As ever - all the best - saving my best efforts for next weekend.

Macduff Gardener

Ooops - it was Wednesday night not Thursday night but I'm easily confused because it's actually early Thursday morning ... durrr. All the best.

malloallo

Macduff that is very nice work. Please post your findings like this in the last few weeks.

What a horror with withdrawls, first Berger last week and now Chris Wood this week. I don't have Kaymer or Colsarts so there scores are almost as crucial as my own players.

Stenson looking off early on, Kaymer looks good oh no.

Stenson, Grace (c), Mickelson, Fitzpatrick, Jaquelin, Johnston, Luiten, Cabrera Bello, Wood (withdrawal) & Chappell (non starter) for me. I am aware I am in serious trouble already.

Macduff Gardener

Appreciated - I hadn't realised Wood had pulled out - that was another close shave for me - last week I ditched Koepka for Scott at the last minute and this week I opted for Grace over Wood yesterday afternoon. Heavy winds created havoc this afternoon, and living just along the Moray Coast from the course I can tell you that wind and rain will be a problem most of the weekend with intermittent sunny spells. May was beautiful, June was awful and now July can't make its mind up.
Brand, Bourdy, Colsaerts, Grace, Hatton, Kaymer, Stenson and Wang; with Day and Johnson (not available). Tomorrow is another day - good luck everybody!!

malloallo

Yeah I tweeted Wood today telling him how let down I was. In fairness the sound thing to do by the pro is to send out a tweet or something to let those know he is injured. Surely he knows that 1000's would have had him in bets and fantasy teams who he has let down. You don't wake up with a bad back after it being fine. Chris wood has lost himself a fan. At least he didn't get disqualified and lose me 50 points which is the most outrageous rule in the game this year.

I hope the winds pick up, I am praying for a week where we have a top 25 of random names as the potential is there for me to be wiped out this weekend. For sum reason I always avoid Kaymer and I think it will bite me this weekend. Fingers crossed he has a German meltdown like the footy team tonight. Stenson isn't up for it, please shoot a 76 tomorrow and go home early. Sincerely all players who have Grace as captain.

The top 20 teams being visible to everyone is outrageous. It gives them extra security like someone alluded to before. The leader would be bricking it if he had no idea what the other teams were doing. It makes it easier to stay at the top. It is a true flaw in the game and needs to be wiped out next year. Ill be making a note and passing it on to the game supervisors for sure.

Always go with your head and not your heart. Case in point captaining my hero Mickelson for the US Open over DJ cost me 600 points and picking him over Kaymer this week will probably cost me 300+ points. Please golfing Gods make Kaymer go on a bender tonight after z German result and get him disqualified, please let baby Fitzpatrick contend this week and please for the luv of God would ya let Philamena find sum form and make the cut.

jimmers

Well Grace captainers a lot happier tonight than Stenson captainers. Grace is 1 under and 11th while Stenson is 4 over and 89th. Of course a lot can change tomorrow although both are out around the same time tomorrow morning so no advantage there

Macduff Gardener

I'm currently sitting at 32nd in the league and the reason I did all of the work on the Top 20 was to try and give myself a chance of moving up the table. So, whilst I have Stenson and Grace in my team, I opted for Kaymer as Captain - the only way to make up some points, even though the only reason I selected Grace in the first place was because I thought he could probably win it. The same goes for Bland, Hatton and Wang - I had to take risks in order to progress. By the way it is currently bucketing it down here on the Moray Firth so it could be a very wet course in 6 hours time. Looks like the cut might be at least +3 or +4 so Stenson and even Wang might yet make it. As ever - all the best!!

malloallo

Macduff Gardener wrote: »

I'm currently sitting at 32nd in the league and the reason I did all of the work on the Top 20 was to try and give myself a chance of moving up the table. So, whilst I have Stenson and Grace in my team, I opted for Kaymer as Captain - the only way to make up some points, even though the only reason I selected Grace in the first place was because I thought he could probably win it. The same goes for Bland, Hatton and Wang - I had to take risks in order to progress. By the way it is currently bucketing it down here on the Moray Firth so it could be a very wet course in 6 hours time. Looks like the cut might be at least +3 or +4 so Stenson and even Wang might yet make it. As ever - all the best!!

If you picked Grace as captain you'd have one of the strongest teams in the top 100 right now. Instead your sweating it that A) Grace doesn't win or place top 5 Kaymer doesn't have a good weekend. Great team selection by yourself but you may rue being to gun hoe putting Kaymer as captain
My team is doing terrible. But I have Grace as captain, so it's not all doom and gloom

Johnny86

Today is interesting for myself too. In 51st but have Noren, Grace as captain and kaymer. Other picks outside top 25 are similar to others such as stenson, colsaerts, Cabrera-bello and Jacquelin. Stenson staying out of top20 and grace near the top will really shake things up

qwabercd

Not much difference in teams this week - grace v stenson the key thing really. A lot will struggle to field an ideal team next week imo.

jimmers

qwabercd wrote: »

Not much difference in teams this week - grace v stenson the key thing really. A lot will struggle to field an ideal team next week imo.

What compounds the difficulty fielding a team this week is the fact that there is no European tournament the following week so in selecting players for the Open it will be with one eye on the US tournament the following week (Canadian Open) but info on who will be playing is not officially available until Friday night/Saturday morning. Jason Day won it last year so chances are he will defend his title. Found some info at this link but it is subject to change.

http://rbccanadianopen.com/innerpage.aspx?x=exnYn%2B9lA9rI0Sb3%2FAWxwYEGDZa8%2BW%2Bt%2Bb04evJhWN8eF89N5joiiztF0NMevwmz

Potential Underachiever

Big swing today in the epic duel between captains Stenson and Grace.

Macduff Gardener

All looking tight at the top tonight and lucky Johnny86 who has Noren currently sitting pretty. My man Hatton close on his heels and Kaymer, allbeiit only by the skin of his teeth, is winning the Captains battle for me. Another very wet day tomorrow, so it's still anybody's championship - but it appears Grace doesn't like the wet too much. Best of luck to everybody - this is really giving me problems for next week that until yesterday, didn't exist.

Macduff Gardener

Latest weather check suggests rain showers from 1100 and persistent rain as from around 1300. Early starters should therefore "make hay whilst the sun shines", or at least whilst it remains dry, as the leaders will definitely have their hands full later in the day. Bit of a breeze but nothing to write home about (15 MPH max). All in the lap of the Gods now. Best of luck!!

Potential Underachiever

Just waiting on the update..... I had a good week I think. Had Noren, Colsaerts, Stenson(c) and Kaymer as scorers should add up to approx 1,050pts which will fare well this week. Nice to make a correct move at last, I had 10m for my last pick and was thinkng RCB, Luiten or Noren, I hit lucky! 291st before the update....

Macduff Gardener

Hope you get on better than I did - 1039 points, including an unpopular Captain choice (Kaymer) and an outsider (Hatton) gained me exactly 2 places from 32 to 30. Seems to me that unless McIlroy, Day, Spieth, Johnson, Stenson, Grace, Mickelson, Kaymer, Luiten and Colsaerts all fail to make top 20 positions over the next 3 weeks, nobody outside the Top 20 can get into the "money slots". Please prove me wrong somebody - but the maths just don't add up. Getting to the "nitty gritty" end of the game now so I think I might throw in a couple of outrageous choices this week. You never know!!

Potential Underachiever

Macduff Gardener wrote: »

Hope you get on better than I did - 1039 points, including an unpopular Captain choice (Kaymer) and an outsider (Hatton) gained me exactly 2 places from 32 to 30. Seems to me that unless McIlroy, Day, Spieth, Johnson, Stenson, Grace, Mickelson, Kaymer, Luiten and Colsaerts all fail to make top 20 positions over the next 3 weeks, nobody outside the Top 20 can get into the "money slots". Please prove me wrong somebody - but the maths just don't add up. Getting to the "nitty gritty" end of the game now so I think I might throw in a couple of outrageous choices this week. You never know!!

I moved up 50 places myself but obviously I have a lot more wiggle room to move than you had, it's very tough at the top! The good news for you is there's two big juicy majors to come, so you can still make big moves if you can pull off a slightly alternative team with a non popular captain. You might as well go for it now, 30th or 300th is worth the same at the end of the day!

Potential Underachiever

The weather forecast could be critical for The Open, feel free anyone to post any updates or anything they hear regards the weather. There could be a huge draw bias which really is a shame for such a big event, but I would definitely alter my picks/bets if I had some good info, alot of very good players could literally be blown out of the tournament with a bad draw.

pooman

On very quick inspection, if you are playing early Friday, you've an advantage over the field in terms of wind and rain.

qwabercd

Macduff Gardener wrote: »

Seems to me that unless McIlroy, Day, Spieth, Johnson, Stenson, Grace, Mickelson, Kaymer, Luiten and Colsaerts all fail to make top 20 positions over the next 3 weeks, nobody outside the Top 20 can get into the "money slots". Please prove me wrong somebody - but the maths just don't add up.

I don't think your maths do add up. There's just over 1,200 points between 3rd and 20th. All it takes is to captain a major winner others don't have to make that up. With 3 weeks left including 2 majors, it would actually take less than that.

FWIW last week you said nobody would break the top 3 at the time. One week later after a fairly uneventful Scottish open points wise there's already a new entrant in the top 3.

rosshoulihan

Can anyone tell me how many games weeks there are left?

POB1968

23:59 13/07/2016 Barbasol Championship
23:59 13/07/2016 145th Open Championship
23:59 20/07/2016 RBC Canadian Open
1:00 27/07/2016 PGA Championship

POB1968

has anyone got today's password please ?

denis1501

Watson

POB1968 wrote: »

has anyone got today's password please ?

POB1968

Cheers mate

pooman

if watson doesn't work try woods

Clauric

pooman wrote: »

if watson doesn't work try woods

Password according to the paper is Woods. However, it says that the password has already been used (think it was a previous password), so I am not sure what is going on.