Why should you play fantasy golf ?

If you’ve had the privilege of playing in any of the dozens of Euro 2016 daily fantasy football tournaments that were available there is a good chance that it has really whetted your appetite for fantasy sports contests. There may be a few weeks remaining before the big European leagues get under way but fortunately other magnificent sporting events are scheduled to take place.

One of these is the battle for the Claret Jug which takes place from the 14th to 17th July, to determine the Champion Golfer of the Year . Even if you are not a huge golf fan there is something magical about the event and the prospect of participating in a fantasy golf event, in which huge prize money is on the line, is certainly worth checking out.

Synergies between fantasy football and fantasy golf

If you are familiar with the basic concepts of fantasy football, there shouldn’t be too many obstacles preventing you from transgressing to fantasy golf. Many of the strategic tips that we recommend for fantasy football managers can be applied. Here are a few things to look out for:

Horses for courses

If you have read Fantasy Football Portal’s free eBook ‘Your #1 guide to becoming a successful fantasy football manager’ you might recall that we mentioned how certain teams and players perform better at home.

 

The location of a golf event is probably even more important – courses are set up to suit certain types of golfers – long hitters, players who can draw the ball, those that adapt to fast or slow greens and also highly significant for the certain events, to be able to handle the elements. Links golf courses, for example, usually mean strong winds so this can count against a number of players. Focus on golfers who have good course form, who have played well at the same venue previously.

In-form players

Fantasy football managers know the value of having in-form strikers in their line-up. Goals are usually the highest scoring metric on almost all games so selecting players who are regularly hitting the back of the net is almost a no-brainer. Goals breed confidence and it’s a similar story in golf. Players who have had good recent results are generally either driving well or putting well. If a player is enjoying a purple streak why not try to get him onside. As the old saying goes – make hay while the sun shines!

The bookmakers

The Old Enemy are very adept at pricing up golf tournaments. We always advise managers to check out our goal projections for each fixture within a fantasy football contest, which are calculated from the bookmakers odds so checking out how they rate each player’s chances for a particular tournament is one way of cutting down the field. If a golfer is priced at very long odds, there is usually a reason behind it.

 

Remember those golfers priced at the lowest odds are also likely to be the most expensive in terms of salary cap. You will need to squeeze them in to your line-up while staying within budget constraints.

Scoring

Try to work out which of the scoring metrics you need to focus on. In DraftKings fantasy football contests, for example, crosses are vitally important so look at the scoring system for golf in detail, cross-referencing with official statistics to try and decide which elements are likely to play a key role in the outcome of a fantasy contest. How important are birdies? Is finishing position the be-all and end-all?

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Team news

Staying on top of breaking team news is a vital component in any fantasy manager’s armoury. Simply put, selecting non-starters rapidly diminishes any chance you have of being successful.

For golfers, it’s a slightly different story – you know that he will tee off on the 1st but is he in good enough shape to make the cut? Any niggling, ongoing problems might not be visible to the naked eye but a bit of research can pay dividends. Search for golf tour injuries and avoid anyone who shows up, especially if he hasn’t returned to the sort of form that he was producing before the injury was reported. You need your team of golfers playing all 4 rounds if you are to compete for those big cash prizes!

The battle for the Claret Jug has just taken on a whole new meaning!