Time to focus on the Spring in Yahoo! Fantasy Golf game

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The Spring portion of the Yahoo! Fantasy Sports Golf 2010 game begins this week in Houston, which means that the Winter segment is in the books. With 2,236 points, "Bump & Runners" earns the Nike VR driver for scoring the most points in the first 12 events. "HITTIN 3 OFF THE TEE" was the runner-up, just three points back. Impressive stuff and well done, fellow gamers.

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In addition to the three drivers distributed this year, Nike awards weekly winners with one dozen ONE Vapor Speed golf balls. The grand prize for winning the season is a prize package for two to attend any non-major in 2011. Details on all giveaways can be found by clicking here.

The second of three segments is comprised of the next 12 events, concluding at the U.S. Open. The Masters and THE PLAYERS are the other signature events on tap during the Spring.

Depending on your motivation to participate in the Yahoo! game, the Spring segment can represent a new beginning or a continuation. For one, everyone starts at zero at the Shell Houston Open for the second Nike driver, but league games will carry all the way through the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. As we reset, this is a great time to take a snapshot at what has already transpired and what we can anticipate over the next 12 weeks.

First, the only multiple winner in the Winter segment was Ernie Els of Group A, who triumphed at Doral and Bay Hill, the second and fourth stops of the Florida Swing. Bill Haas and Steve Stricker also lifted hardware from Group A.

Meanwhile, Group B boasts six winners -- Geoff Ogilvy, Dustin Johnson, Hunter Mahan, Camilo Villegas, Derek Lamely and Jim Furyk. Lamely's breakthrough didn't count for the Yahoo! game, however, as the World Golf Championships-CA Championship took precedent that week.

The remaining four champions are in Group C -- Ryan Palmer, Ben Crane, Ian Poulter and Cameron Beckman. Poulter's first PGA TOUR victory didn't count in the Yahoo! format as it occurred at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship; the Mayakoba Golf Classic and its stroke-play scoring was used instead.

Segregated by group, here are the non-winners that flashed noteworthy value in multiple events during the Winter segment; they should be on your short list entering the Spring:

If your mission is to win the second Nike driver and you won't be leaving anyone on the table, you'll have ample opportunities to ride the fantasy hosses into mid-June. The PGA TOUR's schedule for this period is identical to last year's slate.

The only multiple winner during this timeframe a year ago was Brian Gay, who made seven starts, and it's going to be a busy run-up to the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Here's a breakdown on how many appearances most of the notables made a year ago during the Spring stretch:

Other motivators will also force some into additional starts. With a berth in the U.S. Open at stake for some, a Ryder Cup bid on the line for others and the lucrative PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup always in the mix, there is never a shortage of dangling carrots.

Remember Kenny Perry in 2008? He played seven straight between the Masters and U.S. Open as he chased a spot on the Ryder Cup team. He won his sixth start at the Memorial (and two more shortly thereafter).

If your goal is long-term and nothing changes as we migrate into the second leg of the Yahoo! schedule, then you'll certainly want to save starts on the studs for the final two majors, the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and the Playoffs, all of which will be included in the Summer segment.

As always, please continue to check out my Power Rankings and Fantasy Insider on a weekly basis. I remain accessible via e-mail (FantasyInsider@charter.net) and you can listen to me break down my top five in the Power Rankings every week on "Talk of the TOUR" for XM Radio and PGATOUR.COM