Fantasy Golf Predictions – 2014 Hyundai Tournament of Champions

Fantasy Golf Predictions for the 2014 Hyundai Tournament of Champions

Tournament Preview

It’s that time of the year again; when golf fanatics come out from their hibernation to watch their favorite players take on the early “West Coast” swing.

The 2014 PGA TOUR will officially kick off on this Friday as The Hyundai Tournament of Champions plays host to 2013’s PGA TOUR winners in beautiful Hawaii.  This year 13 new names (first time winners) will be in the field to compete.  Rookie of the Year Jordan Spieth (John Deere Classic) highlights the group of 13 first-timers, along with two-time winner Harris English (FedEx St. Jude Classic, OHL Classic at Mayakoba) and a handful of others.  Masters champion Adam Scott and PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner will also join the field, along with Dustin Johnson who won this event in 2013.

The Course

Plantation Course at Kapalua measures 7,452 yards and plays as a rare par 73. The course sits along the seaside of the West Maui Mountains. This track is known for both its scenic views and January typhoon style wind.

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Some of the guys in the field we’re hitting drives just shy of 400 yards with the help of huge wind gusts.  Last year’s event was shortened due to a few days of postponement from wind and rain, but in the prior four years, all winners produced total scores better than 22-under.  So…scoring is possible on this windy course.

The Plantation Course at Kapalua. Photo by Kapalua.com

Weather forecast for the 2014 Hyundai TOC in Kapalua, HI (from weather.com)

• Round 1: Friday  (Jan 3)  80 degrees, 60% chance of rain, scattered showers.
• Round 2: Saturday (Jan 4) 79 degrees, 30% chance of rain, scattered showers.
• Round 3: Sunday (Jan 5) 79 degrees, 0% chance of rain, sunny.
• Round 4: Monday (Jan 6) 79 degrees, 0% chance of rain, sunny.

2013 Results

Gusty winds stopped play for 3 days and cut the tourney to only 3 days from the typical 4, but Dustin Johnson was still able to post 3 rounds in the 60’s, kicking off the season strong.  A second-round 66 gave the young superstar a three-shot lead, which he almost blew with a double bogey 13th, which only gave him only a 1-stroke lead over Steve Stricker with 5 holes to play.

DJ must have spotted his girlfriend Paulina Gretzky in the crowd, because something ignited him to blast a monster drive on the par-4 14^th that rolled to the front of the green.  What was even more impressive was his chip-in for eagle which padded his lead back up to 3-shots.

Although this is the first tournament of 2014, DJ already recorded a win this season as part of the new PGA TOUR 2013-2014 wrap around schedule, by taking 1^st at the WGC-HSBC Champions on November 3, 2013.

Notes

It’s a small field this week, with only 30 players fighting for the top prize.  The winner of this event will receive $1.14 million dollars and 500 FedExCup points.   Keep in mind that wind usually plays a factor, so long ball hitters may have a bit of an advantage on this course (and few hit the ball further than DJ).

Round 1 may get a little sloppy with 70% chance of rain and wind at 13-15 mph, but come Sunday and Monday, it should be clear blue skies and beautiful Hawaiian weather.

Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Picks/Odds to Win the 2014 Hyundai Tournament of Champions

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(Cover Photo Credit)