The Loop
Fantasy Fix: Should you plug Tiger Woods back into your lineup at Doral?
By Alex Myers
After a few days of speculation, Tiger Woods will play this week's WGC-Cadillac despite withdrawing from the Honda Classic with a bad back. As you'll probably hear a million times this week, the last time he withdrew during a final round (the 2012 edition of this event), he won his next start the next week. So, we're plugging him into the lineup, right? Not so fast. Woods will certainly find the form that won him five titles last year again, but for now, we're holding off until he proves he can play four rounds in a PGA Tour event. Instead, here's a look at who we're playing this week at the revamped Trump National Doral:
Starters -- (A-List): Adam Scott. The Aussie has a chance to take the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking from Tiger this week. As if winning a WGC and $1.5 million wasn't enough motivation.
(B-List): Rory McIlroy. How did he not win last week at the Honda Classic? While we're still trying to figure that out, we know he's finished no worse that T-9 in his last five worldwide stroke-play events.
(B-List): Keegan Bradley. A rough Sunday at PGA National dropped him to 10th, but it was still his sixth top 20 in seven stroke-play starts this season. Bradley has top 10s in his only two appearances in this event.
(C-List): Sergio Garcia. After a rough opening round at PGA National, Garica ripped off rounds of 68-68-67 to finish T-8. He finished T-3 here last year.
Bench/Backups: Luke Donald, Dustin Johnson, Jason Dufner, and Graeme McDowell.
Knockout/One-and-done pick: Keegan Bradley. One of the most consistent players on tour, it just feels like he's really ready to break out. We hope it's this week.
Previously used: Tim Clark (Sony), Graham DeLaet (Phoenix), Rickie Fowler (Honda Classic), Bill Haas (Farmers), Charles Howell III (Humana), Dustin Johnson (Northern Trust), Martin Laird (Kapalua), Jimmy Walker (Pebble -- winner!).