Fantasy Golf At Its Finest
Every January for the past twenty eight years, League Commissioner, Tim O’Connell has assembled a high stakes fantasy golf draft at a local pub in Camillus. 
It’s a league composed of family, friends and friends of friends who share the common passion for this great game. They love watching the PGA Tour, studying whose game is trending and what up and comer might break through this year on their fantasy team. The competition is enjoyed over several adult beverages, pizza, snacks, laughs and loads of data.
The draft is composed of fifteen teams, with names such as “Next on the Tee,” “I Putt With the Pin In,” “Utica Club,” “Pearls Necklace,” “Get in the Hole” and “Slicers Not Hookers’“ to name just a few. Each team gets $100.00 to spend on drafting their respective team roster (10 players + 4 additional players in the lightning round). Teams are allowed to ‘protect’ up to five players from the previous season’s roster (at previous years draft cost + $5.00). For example, “Next on the Tee” protected world #1, Scottie Scheffler, at a cost of $74.00 and Robert MacIntyre at a cost of $12.00, leaving them to draft an additional 8 players with just the $14.00 remaining in their draft kitty.
The pre-draft room was filled with talk about Josh Allen and the Bills playoff game versus the Ravens and could they stop Lamar Jackson? What’s wrong with SU basketball? Does Autry have a clue about playing defense? How much is a bucket of Miller Lite? But it was time to get down to the business at hand. The fantasy golf draft is conducted auction style, with each team throwing out a name to bid on. First up was Rory McIlroy, ranked at #3 in the latest Official World Golf Rankings, who drew the largest spend in the entire draft at $55.00. The second most expensive draftee was Victor Hovland who went for $47.00 and third was Wyndham Clark at $43.00. As the draft continues on, each team is in search of the best value for their remaining dollars left to spend. For example, “The Tribe” was thrilled to land world #35, JT Poston, for a value price of $10.00. “Kenny G” landed Justin Lower for just $3.00 (who went on to finish third in the American Express and earn seven fantasy points).
The season begins with The American Express and runs right through the season ending Tour Championship. Weekly points are awarded as follows: first place earns 15 points, second place 10 points, third place 7 points, places fourth through tenth earn 4 points and places 11-25 earn 2 points. Double points awarded for the four major championships and The Players Championship. A cash bonus is awarded to any fantasy player who records a hole-in-one. Team “Vertigo” christened the season by winning the American Express with a combined total of 22 total points ( Justin Thomas – 10, Ben Griffin – 4, Max Greyserman – 4, Doug Ghim – 2 and Jacob Bridgeman – 2), bettering “Fuego’s” total of 17 points, led by tournament champ Sepp Straka.
Defending champion, Ed Wilsch, of ”I Putt With the Pin In” fame, rode 2-time major champion, Xander Schauffele, to claim the 2024 fantasy crown. His draft strategy this year was to wait for everyone’s draft account balance to be depleted and then value shop towards the end of the draft. Ed was excited to land Beau Hossler for just $4.00. “Hey, I only have thirteen dollars to draft with this year.”
Tommy Jaquin, of “The Tribe” summed up this special day, “I’ve been in this league for over 20 years and it’s one of the few fantasy leagues where we actually get together in person for the draft. It’s always great to get to see those guys, even if it’s only once a year.”
