Introduction
Golf is a popular fantasy sport and there are tournaments to compete on for 50 weeks of the year. There are several Tours around the world and time differences between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres mean even over the winter months in the United States the Asian and Sunshine Tours schedule tournaments.
One of the reasons for the popularity of fantasy golf is extensive live television coverage. Terrestrial and dedicated channels show live golf from the US PGA and European Tours during the regular season. The World Golf Championship events and majors also receive extensive coverage, in addition to the Ryder Cup.
Most stroke play tournaments consist of 72 holes over four days. That means a fantasy player can have an interest for four days, especially if the selected players contend. Sundays in particular are favourite days for fantasy golf players as this is when the final round of most tournaments is played.
Main Events
The two main Tours are the US PGA Tour and the European Tour. The US Tour begins in the first week of the year with the Tournament of Champions. This is a limited field event with only tournament winners from the previous season eligible to play. The regular season finale is the Tour Championship in September.
The Tour Championship is the last event of the Play-Off series. This consists of four lucrative tournaments which determine who wins the FedEx Cup. The player who amasses most money during the season receives a 10 million dollar bonus.
The European Tour is more of a global tour. It includes co-sanctioned events with the Asian, Australasian and South African Tours. Strangely the first event on the 2015 schedule took place at the end of the previous year.
At the end of the season in Europe and the States the money list shows who has won most cash. Luke Donald became the first player to win both titles in 2011 and Rory McIlroy emulated that feat a year later.
The Majors
There are four major championships during the golf season. These are the most lucrative events and define a player’s status in the history of the game. Only five players have won each at least once and only an additional ten players have won three.
Jack Nicklaus has won 18 major championships and won each at least three times. Tiger Woods’ objective almost from the time he won his first major in 1997 was to surpass Nicklaus’s total. His tally at the end of 2012 was 14 and at the time it was about even money that he would win five more.
US Masters
The US Masters is the first major of the season and it is staged in the first week of April. The tournament is always played at Augusta National and is the only major that is played on the same course every year. The winner receives a Green Jacket which is a ceremonial award that can be worn for official functions. Augusta is characterized by wide fairways but slick and undulating greens.
US Open
The US Open is the second major of the year and is always played in the middle of June. It is played on a different course every year but Pebble Beach is a regular venue as it is considered to be one of the best courses in the States. US Open courses are always set up in the same way with narrow fairways and penal rough. Par is a good score on any hole and the winner often does not beat par in total over 72 holes.
British Open
The ‘Open’ is the third major of the season and is played in the third week of July. The winner is declared the champion golfer of the year as the qualifying criteria make the tournament the unofficial world championship of golf. There is a rota of eight host courses but they are all links courses, that is courses by the coast. St Andrews hosts the Open every five years as this course is the most historic and renowned in the world.
US PGA
The US PGA Championship is the fourth and final major of the year and is played in the third week of August. The tournament is the flagship event of the golf profession in the States and as such several regular golf professionals qualify to play. There is no strict rota of courses but each year the host course is set up to reward a decent all-round game with no major weaknesses.
Ryder Cup
Every two year the leading golfers from Europe and the United States meet in the Ryder Cup. The event alternates between courses in both parts of the world. Each side has twelve playing members who qualify through results over the previous year or as captain wildcard picks. There are 28 points to play for in the Ryder Cup, made up of foursomes and four balls on the first two days and singles on the third and final day.
Most Popular Fantasy Games
The most popular fantasy market involves selecting players to win the tournament. The usual number of entrants for a regular tournament is 156 so identifying one player that will return the lowest score over four days is a difficult task. However, the open nature of most golf tournaments is reflected in the fantasy rewards.
As it takes four days for a fantasy game to reach expiry organizers offer markets on a daily basis. These are generally 18 hole fantasy games, consisting of three players over the first two days of a tournament and two players over the second 36 holes. Tournament fantasy selections over 72 holes are also popular.
Player Statistic
The US and European Tour websites include detailed statistics for every eligible player. The American version is more comprehensive and focuses on just about every aspect of the game. World rankings and money list positions are also included in this part of the relevant websites. There are four main statistical areas which reflect the different skills required to play golf well.
Accuracy
The main accuracy areas are driving accuracy and greens in regulation. A drive is considered to be accurate if it lands on the fairway but any ball that finishes in the semi or full rough is marked down as inaccurate. Each golf hole has a regulation number of shots in which to reach the green. Par fours count as two shots and if the green is reached in that number or less it is recorded as being a green hit in regulation.
Distance
In tournament play the distance a player hits a drive is recorded on two key holes. Over the course of a season an average distance figure is built up and this reflects whether a player is seen as a relatively long or short hitter.
Short Game
This is a key area of the game and players need a good short game to contend in any tournament. Chipping, putting, bunker play and scrambling are the important areas. A player who drives poorly can still be a factor in tournaments with an excellent short game.
All Round Rank
This is a measure of a player’s complete ability and is calculated using combined figures from the key areas of driving, approach play and competence on and around the greens.
