Fantasy Insider: Viking Classic

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Paul Stankowski said, er, tweeted it best on Monday: "How many of u think the PGA Tour season is over?! We have 5 events 2go! This is the 'reality' season. We actually playing 4 something. JOBS!"

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VIKING CLASSIC

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Inside the Field
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Indeed. And if you can excuse the grammatical shortcuts due to space limitations, the message extends well beyond Stanko's 140-character limit. While casual golf fans are familiar with the household names, some of the best stories are the guys in the top-125 bubble. The irony is that that segment of the audience is more likely to relate to the faceless non-winners grinding it out every week, much less in the final five tournaments on the PGA TOUR schedule. Truly, it is in these trenches that my enjoyment as a fan rests.

As I stated at the top of the year in my introduction to you, I don't play other fantasy sports. The only other tug I feel across the spectrum of the sporting world is when my hometown Chicago Cubs are in action. And, well, that distraction ends this coming Sunday afternoon. Therefore, I am as engaged with the Fall Series as I am any of the majors, and there is never a shortage of matters to discuss with you.

• This begins with putting a cap on the Yahoo! game, which crowned its 2010 champion at the conclusion of THE TOUR Championship. Congratulations to "Red Devils," which finished with 6,144 points, a healthy 72 clear of runner-up, "Breslow's Ballbusters." Red Devils wins a prize package for two to any PGA TOUR-sanctioned event next year. Essentially, it's an all-expenses paid trip including passes into the tournament for the week. The Summer Segment winner was "it's in.........the water," which tallied 2,250 points. It's owner will receive the final Nike VR driver awarded to segment champs. "Dead Solid Perfect at Augusta" finished second, 35 points short.

• Next up is a suggestion to take another peek at last week's Fantasy Insider. In it, I lay out potential scheduling for the top 30 in FedExCup points. Since its original post, updates to Charley Hoffman, Robert Allenby, Bo Van Pelt and Ryan Palmer have been made. From here on out in this space, I will continue to highlight notable verbal commitments that could impact salary leagues, one-and-dones and rotisserie leagues that allow drop-adds through the season-ending tilt at Disney World.

For example, in addition to Matt Kuchar, Zach Johnson and Bo Van Pelt, all of whom I hit in that column, here's a short list of notables that have also verbally committed to next week's inaugural McGladrey Classic:

Arjun Atwal -- Making his first start at this week's Viking Classic since breaking through at the Wyndham Championship. He's also committed verbally to the Frys.com Open the following week.

Henrik Stenson -- Also in the field at the Viking and has a verbal commitment into the Frys.com Open. If he honors all three, he'd meet his membership minimum of 15 starts.

Davis Love III, Lucas Glover, Charles Howell III, John Rollins, Boo Weekley, Jonathan Byrd, Brett Quigley, Chris DiMarco and Billy Horschel -- Among others, all live, practice and/or train in the area. DL3 is the chairman and tournament host. The rookie, Horschel, is making his return to the PGA TOUR after a four-event rehab stint on the Nationwide Tour.

• Now, since the Fall Series began in 2007, give yourself a star if you knew that George McNeill sits atop its money list. McNeill's singular PGA TOUR victory came at the 2007 Frys.com Open, and three of his four runner-up paydays have occurred at this time of year, including two in 2009, both playoff losses. In 2007-09, with over $2.1 million, he banked nearly 49 percent of his overall earnings in the Fall Series alone.

Second in all-time Fall Series' earnings is Stephen Ames, with $1.94 million. He won the Children's Miracle Network Classic in 2007 and 2009. Justin Leonard is third, at nearly $1.85 million. Leonard claimed the Valero Texas Open in 2007 (before it migrated into the FedExCup schedule in 2009) and finished T2 at last year's finale at Disney World.

Overall, 69 different golfers have earned at least $300K in one Fall Series season. Of those, 15 have cracked that threshold twice -- McNeill, Ames, Leonard, Matt Kuchar, Cameron Beckman, Mike Weir (who might not return to competition until 2011 due to a partially torn ligament in his right elbow), Chad Campbell, Troy Matteson, Vaughn Taylor, Michael Allen, Chris Stroud, Mathew Goggin, Jeff Overton, Robert Garrigus and Ken Duke (who lost his TOUR card after a disappointing 2009 season). With his haul of nearly half a million in the 2008 Fall Series, McNeill is the only golfer to have made over $300,000 in each edition.

In one sense, it's one of those money lists on which you don't want to find yourself. That is, if a guy is playing out the string, he's likely grinding for a TOUR card. However, any one of them would acknowledge that if he's going to be on the list, he might as well contend.

• Finally, for those that eventually fall short of their goals to finish inside the top 125 on the money list, there are residual benefits, if not clearly visible to the casual fan.

The guys that wind up 126-150 will secure conditional status in 2011 at worst. They are exempt into the final stage of q-school and are allowed unlimited sponsor exemptions next year. From a fantasy standpoint, the most valuable that settle for conditional status are past champions, as they typically receive the lion's share of the sponsor exemptions. Non-winners in this category may or may not devote more of their time to the Nationwide Tour. Otherwise, they are fortunate to earn 15 starts on merit with the big boys.

Finishing 151-200 in earnings sets up a regular schedule on the Nationwide Tour, and this category sits higher in the priority rankings on the secondary circuit than those than finish 61-100 at q-school. Guys that started 2010 in this group include Jamie Lovemark, Tag Ridings and Kevin Chappell. All are currently inside the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour's money list and eyeing 2011 PGA TOUR cards.

Remember to email or find me on Twitter if you have any specific questions or quandaries that require attention.

Rob Bolton is PGATOUR.COM's new fantasy columnist. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the PGA TOUR. To contact Rob, please e-mail him at FantasyInsider@charter.net or http://twitter.com/RobBoltonGolf.