Fantasy Central

Fantasy Island: The Players Championship

By Golf Channel Digital
May 10, 2011 12:06 PM ET

GolfChannel.com experts offer up their picks for the The Players Championship. Each week a panel of experts will offer up their picks from three groups of players based on Golf Channel's new fantasy game, Fantasy Challenge. We will also keep track of their scores and standings. The panel consists of: senior writers Rex Hoggard and Randall Mell; contributors John Hawkins and Charlie Rymer; editorial director Jay Coffin; "Morning Drive" hosts Gary Williams and Erik Kuselias; contributor Win McMurry; writer for NBCSports.com's ProGolf Talk, Ryan Ballengee; and RotoWorld.com's Rob Bolton.

You can battle the experts and play along as well. Just click here to get into the game.

*Ranking among the 16 GolfChannel.com experts

Rex Hoggard

Rex Hoggard

Score (Rank*)
5,944,631 (2)

Group A:
Phil Mickelson

Group B:
Lucas Glover

Group C:
Andres Romero

Lefty hung 20 birdies on Quail Hollow last week on his way to a tie for ninth and, more Importantly, he’s putting well heading into a tournament he’s won before.

G-Love’s third-place finish at TPC Sawgrass last year was his best of the season and he followed his last victory (2009 U.S. Open) with two solid finishes, a sign he doesn’t dwell on the past.

The talented Argentine has been an enigma since his breakthrough Tour victory in 2008, but he’s shown signs of life in his last two starts (T-8 in New Orleans and T-16 at Quail Hollow).

Randall Mell

Randall Mell

Score (Rank)
3,758,889 (14)

Group A:
Luke Donald

Group B:
Hunter Mahan

Group C:
Heath Slocum

Strong iron game, hot putter, perfect temperament to dissect Pete Dye's puzzle.

The exacting nature of his ball striking will improve his record at TPC Sawgrass.

Time for Florida native to make another headline, building on last year's T-4 at TPC Sawgrass.

Charlie Rymer

Charlie Rymer

Score (Rank)
4,286,618 (12)

Group A:
Matt Kuchar

Group B:
Lucas Glover

Group C:
David Duval

Kuchar is gonna turn his customary top 10 into a win this week. He needs the cash – taxes are due on all the other money he has been winning.

Glover has got some big time MO, drives it beautifully, and played well here last year.

Duval played well here one time, right? Maybe it's flashback week

John Hawkins

Score (Rank)
4,314,793 (11)

Group A:
Luke Donald

Group B:
David Toms

Group C:
Sean O'Hair

Career year continues with biggest win to date.

Quietly having a very nice year, still a great putter.

Unless he's paired with Sabbatini, he'll feel good on a course where he's played well before.

Jay Coffin

Score (Rank)
4,661,206 (8)

Group A:
Matt Kuchar

Group B:
Francesco Molinari

Group C:
Fredrik Jacobson

I like Lefty this week, but thinking here is that Kuchar is so consistent that he's bound to win something big sooner or later. He plays well at Sawgrass, I'm hoping this is his week.

He's only had one crack at The Players and it was a ninth-place finish. He hasn't played well in the past month but he's too good a player to not snap out of his funk.

In this group you're just looking for good value. Don't know if Jacobson qualifies as good value but he did tie for 10th here last year and he fits the mold of unassuming champions at Sawgrass.

Gary Williams

Gary Williams

Score (Rank)
5,259,860 (4)

Group A:
Matt Kuchar

Group B:
Adam Scott

Group C:
Matt Jones

Has finished T-14 and T-13 in the last two years at TPC Sawgrass and has not missed the cut all year while recording six top-10s in 10 starts. A win would take him to another level

The 2004 Players champion is playing well in 2011 and finished second at Augusta National. If he controls the long putter he will be in contention

Missed the cut in his only appearance at TPC Sawgrass in 2008, but is playing well right now, finishing sixth in New Orleans and T-21 in Charlotte. This win would change his life

Erik Kuselias

Erik Kuselias

Score (Rank)
5,092,819 (5)

Group A:
Jin Furyk

Group B:
Ben Crane

Group C:
Tommy Gainey

Five straight top-25 finishes on the PGA Tour, lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, has made the cut 13 of 15 times at TPC Sawgrass. He is due for a big week

Has improved every year at TPC Sawgrass: MC, T-66, T-36, T-6, T-5, and T-4. Two top-20s in his last two starts and he is an under-the-radar contender

May be the feel good story of 2011 as he has four top-10s, including a pair of thirds in the past month. This is his first Players and a win could make him the story of the year.

Win McMurry

Win McMurry

Score (Rank)
7,748,433 (1)

Group A:
Matt Kuchar

Group B:
Ben Crane

Group C:
Pat Perez

Last year’s PGA Tour money winner would be a stellar Playerss champion. He’s been incredibly consistent this year with six top-10s in ten starts. Add that to his resume from the last two years at The Players where he finished T-13 and T-14, and he’s a strong pick.

This tournament is always unpredictable, but for the last three years Crane has been a staple on the first page of the leaderboard Sunday afternoon.

Despite a rocky start to 2011 Perez has turned things around since the beginning of April. Since then he has three top-6 finishes in four starts, including a T-6 last week in Charlotte. And Perez has played well at TPC Sawgrass in the past, tying for third in 2006.

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee

Score (Rank)
1,650,559 (16)

Group A:
Luke Donald

Group B:
Jason Day

Group C:
Davis Love III

The Englishman finished second at the Heritage, played on a course that is very similar to the rigors of TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course. His game should carry over.

TPC Sawgrass takes a little bit of acclimation before success. A missed cut here last year might be just enough to get the Aussie comfortable on Dye's design. He has the complete game to win a tournament of this magnitude, this young.

The C group is a great chance to take a flier. DL3 had a really nice week in Charlotte and won this event in first in 1992, then in 2003, which was the first Players that I ever saw in person.

Rob Bolton

Rob Bolton

Score (Rank)
3,600,173 (15)

Group A:
Luke Donald

Group B:
Ben Crane

Group C:
Fredrik Jacobson

Six straight top-10s. Eleven consecutive rounds under par. Sold.

Finished T-6, T-5 and T-4 in the last three years here, respectively. Arguably the only current horse for TPC Sawgrass.

Six top-25s in 12 starts this year. Ranks 19th in scrambling. Finished a career-best T-10 here last year in seventh career appearance. Experience matters.

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