Fantasy Golf Picks: John Deere Classic

A List

Starter: Jonathan Byrd; Bench: Brian Gay

This week's stop on TOUR is the John Deere Classic in good ol' Silvis, Illinois at the TPC Deere Run. While I will not be attending this year's event (only a couple hours away, but the day job beckons), I probably won't be missing much as big-name players are at a premium this week. In terms of the A-List, Jonathan Byrd is as good a pick as any, having won this event back in 2007. Byrd continues his strong fantasy golf play in 2011 as well, averaging 32.28 points per tournament. Brian Gay is also a strong choice as a reserve for this week, averaging over 34 points per tournament.

B List

Starters: Steve Stricker, David Toms; Bench: D.A. Points, J.J. Henry

Steve Stricker, Steve Stricker, Steve Stricker.  That's all you really need to know for this golf course and this tournament. He is the 2-time defending champion of this event, and his continued consistent play thusfar in 2011 makes him the easy favorite to win. David Toms hardly ever plays this event, however his strong play this season makes him a great choice as the sidekick to Stricker this week. D.A. Points is my biggest gamble this week, especially since he has missed the cut in each of his last five starts at the John Deere Classic.  Call it a hunch?  Who cares.  Steve Stricker.

C List

Starter: Charles Howell III; Bench: John Merrick

Howell III doesn't have a great track record at this event, but he's made the cut the last two years and is coming off an impressive performance at the AT&T National where he tied for third (Yahoo! Sports). John Merrick has a funny name and probably won't play for me anyway.  Steve Stricker!