This week's field includes:
- Of the 47 events that were played in 2007, 35 players won but only 30 of them will be at Kapalua. Of the four majors, only the Masters and U.S. Open champion will have it's winner at Kapalua. Of the three World Golf Championships, only one the Accenture Match Play will have it's winner at Kapalua
- Of the 30 players in the field they have made 754 starts in 2007, winning 34 tournaments. They have finished in the top-3 61 times, the top-5 81 times and the top-10 131 times. For the year they have won $75,675,868 and have a combined scoring average of 71.02. Last but not least for the 2,510 rounds that our 30 players have particpated in they are 37 under par for the year.
- The field includes 9 of the top 30 in the latest Official World Golf Rankings, with four from the top-10, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, K.J. Choi and Vijay Singh. The other five top 30 player in the field are Rory Sabbatini, Angel Cabrera, Zxach Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Scott Verplank.
- The field includes 14 of the top 25 of last years PGA Tour money list. The ones in the field in the top-25 are Vijay Singh, Steve Stricker, K.J. Choi, Rory Sabbatini, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Scott Verplank, Mark Calcavecchia, Geoff Ogilvy, Woody Austin, Hunter Mahan, Brandt Snedeker, Charles Howell III and Boo Weekley.
- *The field only has two past champions: Vijay Singh (2007) and Jim Furyk (2001.
A perfect way for fantasy golfers to check on the past performance of all the players in the Mercedes-Benz Championship field are these performance charts, one with the players listed alphabetically and the other with the players listed by average finish.
One last way to check who is the best is through a special formula worked out in Golfstats that gives us the best average performances at the Mercedes-Benz in the last five years.
Who is hot and who is not:
Even though the PGA Tour hasn't had an official event in 59 days, there have been other events in which players have participated in. Here is a look at some of the hot players that are playing this week:
Stephen Ames won the last event of the year at Disney and Skins Game during Thanksgiving.Jim Furyk, finished 3rd in the Target World Challenge a couple weeks back.
Zach Johnson was runner-up in the Target World Challenge
Brandt Snedeker runner-up at the Australian Open.
Daniel Chopra won the 2nd to last event on the PGA Tour at the Ginn and finished 2nd at the Australian Masters
Angel Cabrera won three events in a row in Oct/Nov, Grand Slam of Golf, Torneo de Maestros and the Barclays Singapore Open.
Mike Weir won the last event he played in at the Fry's Electronics Open.
Here are some of the players I would avoid this week:
Mark Calcavecchia finished his year missing the cut twice and withdrawing once.
Rory Sabbatini withdrew from the Target Challenge saying he had knee problems.
Who to Watch for at the Mercedes-Benz Championship:
Best Bets:
| Vijay Singh | |||||||||||
| 2007 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00 | '99 | '98 | '97 | '96 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2 | T5 | 2 | T4 | - | T3 | T8 | 4 | T13 | - | T24 |
Full Mercedes-Benz Championship record
A great record at Kapalua, he has done everything in this event. After his great start last year his game tailed off but he has reworked his swing and switched to a new fitness coach. Comes to Kapalua with a new vigor that will make him hard to beat this week
| Jim Furyk | |||||||||||
| 2007 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00 | '99 | '98 | '97 | '96 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 3 | - | 11 | T6 | 4 | Win | T4 | 9 | - | T8 | T22 |
Full Mercedes-Benz Championship record
Even though he isn't a long hitter, has a great record at the course in which he has a vacation home on. If the weather gets wet, he will be very tough to beat
| Angel Cabrera | |||||||||||
| 2007 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00 | '99 | '98 | '97 | '96 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Playing in his 1st Mercedes | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Nobody better for the Plantation Course than Cabrera, he hits it long and hits a lot of greens. Should eat this place up, plus he has been playing well before his one month vacation, he will contend this week
Best of the rest:
| K.J. Choi | |||||||||||
| 2007 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00 | '99 | '98 | '97 | '96 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T8 | T19 | - | - | T2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Full Mercedes-Benz Championship record
Plays great in challenging conditions, he also knows how to go low at Kapalua with his 62 in 2003. Don't be surprise if he is knocking on the lead come Thursday.
| Daniel Chopra | |||||||||||
| 2007 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00 | '99 | '98 | '97 | '96 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Playing in his 1st Mercedes | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
He is very sneaky long off the tee, was 32nd in driving distance last year. Again, finished second in the Australian Masters and won at Ginn, he could be a big surprise this week.
| Zach Johnson | |||||||||||
| 2007 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00 | '99 | '98 | '97 | '96 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | T23 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Full Mercedes-Benz Championship record
Course in a way is a lot like TPC Sugarloaf were he won twice, we will see if he is on his game this week.
Longshot's that could come through:
| Brandt Snedeker | |||||||||||
| 2007 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00 | '99 | '98 | '97 | '96 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Playing in his 1st Mercedes | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Doesn't hit it long but has the type of game to do well in conditions like this. Last three starts finished 2nd in Australia and T5th and T6th in Japan.
| Stephen Ames | |||||||||||
| 2007 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00 | '99 | '98 | '97 | '96 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T11 | - | T19 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Full Mercedes-Benz Championship record
Now he surprised a lot with his victory in the Players Championship, then he won the Skin Game last month. So we wouldn't be surprise to see Ames do well in this event, especially if the course gets wet.
| Nick Watney | |||||||||||
| 2007 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00 | '99 | '98 | '97 | '96 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Playing in his 1st Mercedes | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Another of those players that can give it some stick off the tee, could do well in his first start at Kapalua
