2018 PGA Tour $ League Pre-Draft Thread

TFP

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Ok, firing this thread up. First thing's first, @AirborneSas is out for next year too, so we either need to find a 20th person or roll with 19. This is with @inJacobyWeTrust already replacing @teddykgb. @johnmd20 - want back in? If not, does anyone know someone who wants to join?

Beyond that, we have the following questions to answer:

1. Are we ok with increasing the buy-in to $150? All signs point to yes based on the feedback in the 2017 thread.

2. If we start on Jan 4th with the Tournament of Champions, we need to determine how to allocate our extra funds. I'll put a follow up post going into detail on this one.

3. We need to consider alternative Add/Drop options that @FL4WL3SS usually wants. I'm open to alternative ideas as long as it's not a lot of extra work/maintenance to track.

4. When do we start the draft? I am thinking December 4th or December 11th sounds like the right time, gives us plenty time to get it done before the holidays.

5. Anything else?
 

TFP

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Here are my thoughts on the additional fund allocation from the last thread
  • We increase the buy-in to $150/person (additional $1000 to play with)
  • We find a replacement for teddykgb (keeping us at 20)
  • We start the season with the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii (Jan 4th), which adds 4 tourneys +$200)
  • We make the Players pay as a major (+$50)
  • Make the 3 WGC events pay as a major (+$150)
  • We add the 4 B tournaments as $25 winning payouts (Puerto Rico, Corales, Barracuda, Barbosol) (+$100)
  • We do the following payout (+$500)
    • 1st place - $400 (was originally $200)
    • 2nd place - $200
    • 3rd place - $100
  • That's a total of $1000 increases.

If we can't find a 20th person, we have to eliminate $150 from somewhere, probably by scrapping the WGC paying as majors or by reducing each places payout by $50 or something. The other ideas were to pay out last place and/or payout the top point getter without a weekly win (i.e. someone who hadn't won any $), but I like paying the B tournaments better (and letting their points count too obviously).

Thoughts?
 

cshea

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Might be a minor thing, but I think the Sony is a better starting point than the TOC since the TOC is a 30 man field.
 

johnmd20

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Yeah, I'll do it. Happy to join, although I'll likely finish in last place. Let me know your Paypal address and I'll send the money over.
 

bostonbeerbelly

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Glad to have you back - let me know what I owe and when/where to send.

I like the payouts and valid point about the 30 man field at the ToC.

I would prefer a December 4th starting point for the draft.
 

FL4WL3SS

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My add/drop suggestions:
  • Injured players should be allowed to be dropped at any time for a non-rostered player.
    • Potential fun idea: allow an IR slot where you can stash a player that started on your team and got hurt. Would exclude someone injured to start the season.
  • Everyone must submit their drops before the add period. This allows the worst team to have the pick of all available players. It's not fair that each successive team gets a different player pool to pick from.
  • Add one additional add/drop period if we're extending the season
 

Average Reds

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My add/drop suggestions:
  • Injured players should be allowed to be dropped at any time for a non-rostered player.
    • Potential fun idea: allow an IR slot where you can stash a player that started on your team and got hurt. Would exclude someone injured to start the season.
  • Everyone must submit their drops before the add period. This allows the worst team to have the pick of all available players. It's not fair that each successive team gets a different player pool to pick from.
  • Add one additional add/drop period if we're extending the season
Much to my astonishment, and at the risk of adding complexity, I think all of these ideas make sense except perhaps the second add/drop period.
 

Average Reds

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Here are my thoughts on the additional fund allocation from the last thread
  • We increase the buy-in to $150/person (additional $1000 to play with)
  • We find a replacement for teddykgb (keeping us at 20)
  • We start the season with the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii (Jan 4th), which adds 4 tourneys +$200)
  • We make the Players pay as a major (+$50)
  • Make the 3 WGC events pay as a major (+$150)
  • We add the 4 B tournaments as $25 winning payouts (Puerto Rico, Corales, Barracuda, Barbosol) (+$100)
  • We do the following payout (+$500)
    • 1st place - $400 (was originally $200)
    • 2nd place - $200
    • 3rd place - $100
  • That's a total of $1000 increases.

If we can't find a 20th person, we have to eliminate $150 from somewhere, probably by scrapping the WGC paying as majors or by reducing each places payout by $50 or something. The other ideas were to pay out last place and/or payout the top point getter without a weekly win (i.e. someone who hadn't won any $), but I like paying the B tournaments better (and letting their points count too obviously).

Thoughts?
I like all of these suggestions except for starting the season at the ToC. (Too few players.). I'd use the extra $50 from the ToC and make that the consolation fee for finishing last.

I'm ambivalent about the suggested modification from BMHH and will roll with the majority.
 

BigMike

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Instead of paying the WGC events as majors, I would propose putting more money in the end of season payout, maybe even paying to 4th place.
The one thing I would like to see is a payout for whoever ends up with the Fedex Cup Champion. I don't think we currently have thar
 

Zomp

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I'm in for whatever, but I would hesitate on adding complexity to the add drop period. We usually have trouble getting it in on time every year.

I don't like the B tournament idea but maybe that extra $100 goes to whoever has the fedex cup champ?

Making the player's a major I'm good with. Same with WGC events. and the payouts I'm fine with
 

Leon Trotsky

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I'm fine with all of the suggestions. I don't mind starting with the TOC - we have East Lake in already and that is only a 30 person field as well.
 

FL4WL3SS

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I'm in for whatever, but I would hesitate on adding complexity to the add drop period. We usually have trouble getting it in on time every year.

I don't like the B tournament idea but maybe that extra $100 goes to whoever has the fedex cup champ?

Making the player's a major I'm good with. Same with WGC events. and the payouts I'm fine with
I don't think my idea of submitting drops ahead of time would add that much complexity. If we set a hard deadline "All drops must be submitted by May xx" then if someone doesn't submit a drop by the deadline they're excluded from the add period.
 

cshea

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I'm fine with all of the suggestions. I don't mind starting with the TOC - we have East Lake in already and that is only a 30 person field as well.
I feel like East Lake is different since it is the championship. We don’t know the field when we draft, and it’s fun to follow guys on your team trying to qualify. Having multiple players make it is a bonus for drafting well. The TOC is 30 guys we’ll know of in advance and so if we have 20 teams this year, half will have 2 players the othe half will have 1. I don’t know, to me it doesn’t seem fair. I’d rather just start at the Sony with a full field.
 

Deathofthebambino

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I'll let you guys hash out the payouts and whether we include the ToC or if the WGC's count as majors, etc. None of that worries me one way or the other.

With respect to the add/drop stuff. I'm 100000% on board with submitting the drops ahead of time. As someone who is regularly picking near the top of the add/drop period because my team sucks, I think it's unfair that people picking later on (the people already in a better position) have the ability to pick up dropped players that the earlier players didn't. The other side of that is the guys in say, the top 5, at the point in the season, are probably dropping guys that are better than what the guys in say, the bottom 5 at that point, are dropping, so the pool could theoretically get better for the later guys to choose from.

Alternatively, instead of submitting our drops ahead of time, we could simply make a rule that picking up dropped players is not allowed. Only free agents are allowed to be added during the free agency period. I'm fine either way.

If we did do an Injured/IR spot, what would be the determination as to whether or not someone is actually "injured." Do they have to be out the remainder of the year, or can you drop them if they are out one week? It's not like the NFL, where there is an injured reserve or something, so I think that could become a bit more complicated than we really need.

I say we start the draft as early as possible.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

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Alternatively, instead of submitting our drops ahead of time, we could simply make a rule that picking up dropped players is not allowed. Only free agents are allowed to be added during the free agency period. I'm fine either way.
.
I think this is a better way to go. If you have a late pick, you may only want to drop someone if one of several players is still available. Otherwise, you just keep your team as is, and you won't know that before the draft starts.
 

Deathofthebambino

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I think this is a better way to go. If you have a late pick, you may only want to drop someone if one of several players is still available. Otherwise, you just keep your team as is, and you won't know that before the draft starts.
Hadn't thought of that, probably because I never have a late pick, but it makes sense. I think we just make a rule you can't pick dropped players. I wouldn't want to commit to dropping someone if I didn't know what would be available when I picked.
 

inJacobyWeTrust

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Looking forward to this season, thanks for having me!

I’m flexible on dates and will defer to the group on any format changes.

Let me know where and when to send $$$

Signed,
Guy Who Will Probably Finish Last
 

TFP

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Thanks everyone for the feedback. Here's my thoughts on some of the stuff. One thing I will say about this league though is that my favorite part about it is the simplicity. I don't want to tinker too much with something that I feel is already working great and is a ton of fun. So I was considering all of that as I was responding to these.

My add/drop suggestions:
  • Injured players should be allowed to be dropped at any time for a non-rostered player.
    • Potential fun idea: allow an IR slot where you can stash a player that started on your team and got hurt. Would exclude someone injured to start the season.
  • Everyone must submit their drops before the add period. This allows the worst team to have the pick of all available players. It's not fair that each successive team gets a different player pool to pick from.
  • Add one additional add/drop period if we're extending the season
In response to each of your bullets
  • Defining "Injured" is too vague compared to other sports. I think this adds a level of complexity that I think isn't needed here. Does someone out for one week qualify? Two weeks? What if it's for personal issues instead of injury (i.e. when Day's Mother got sick)?I feel it raises more questions and hypotheticals than it solves.
  • This requires people to commit to dropping someone before knowing who is available. I certainly wouldn't want to commit to dropping a player if I don't know who I'm going to have available at my turn to pick. It solves one issue and creates another. See my later responses on solving the original problem of people picking from a different pool though.
  • I'm good with this one - the longer season definitely makes this necessary in my opinion. Thoughts on where we should place them?
Can I bring up my annual gripe with the match play scoring? Everyone in a limited field should get at least one point.
I agree with this one. Anyone else object? If not, let's make it so.

I feel like East Lake is different since it is the championship. We don’t know the field when we draft, and it’s fun to follow guys on your team trying to qualify. Having multiple players make it is a bonus for drafting well. The TOC is 30 guys we’ll know of in advance and so if we have 20 teams this year, half will have 2 players the other half will have 1. I don’t know, to me it doesn’t seem fair. I’d rather just start at the Sony with a full field.
This is fair. Let's start with the Sony and not the TOC, seems to be a consensus there.

Alternatively, instead of submitting our drops ahead of time, we could simply make a rule that picking up dropped players is not allowed. Only free agents are allowed to be added during the free agency period. I'm fine either way.
Hadn't thought of that, probably because I never have a late pick, but it makes sense. I think we just make a rule you can't pick dropped players. I wouldn't want to commit to dropping someone if I didn't know what would be available when I picked.
I like this idea a lot. I'm good with making this rule - everyone gets to pick from the same pool but doesn't have to decide ahead of time. And the people dropped in the first add/drop period become eligible to be picked for the second one.

Looking forward to this season, thanks for having me!

I’m flexible on dates and will defer to the group on any format changes.

Let me know where and when to send $$$

Signed,
Guy Who Will Probably Finish Last
Yes, please let me know where to send the $$$.
I will PM you guys the PayPal address when I send it out to everyone for what they owe (due to carryovers, etc). Glad to have you!

I like all of these suggestions except for starting the season at the ToC. (Too few players.). I'd use the extra $50 from the ToC and make that the consolation fee for finishing last.

I'm ambivalent about the suggested modification from BMHH and will roll with the majority.
The one thing I would like to see is a payout for whoever ends up with the Fedex Cup Champion. I don't think we currently have thar
I'm in for whatever, but I would hesitate on adding complexity to the add drop period. We usually have trouble getting it in on time every year.

I don't like the B tournament idea but maybe that extra $100 goes to whoever has the fedex cup champ?

Making the player's a major I'm good with. Same with WGC events. and the payouts I'm fine with
With regards to payouts now, here's what I propose due to feedback (still open to suggestions). I don't agree with paying out the Fedex Champion because the person who owns that golfer is almost guaranteed to be high at the standings already. But if we want to throw $50 towards it, that's fine). My goal in all of the money is to spread out the winnings a bit so more people have a chance win some form of $. I also like increasing the tournament fields/potential winnings, which is why keeping the B tourneys over making the WGC majors is my preference. I removed the WGC major and added $50 to first place, fourth place, and the fedex winner. I also took the $50 originally allocated to the TOC and put it to last place. I feel good with this structure, personally.

  • We increase the buy-in to $150/person (additional $1000 to play with)
  • We start the season with the Sony Open in Hawaii (Jan 11th), which adds 3 tourneys +$150)
  • We make the Players pay as a major (+$50)
  • Make the 3 WGC events pay as a major (+$150)
  • We add the 4 B tournaments as $25 winning payouts (Puerto Rico, Corales, Barracuda, Barbosol) (+$100)
  • We do the following payout (+$700)
    • 1st place - $450 (was originally $200)
    • 2nd place - $200
    • 3rd place - $100
    • 4th place - $50
    • Last place - $50
    • Fedex Champ Owner - $50
  • That's a total of $1000 increases.
 

FL4WL3SS

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It's not that hard to come up with a hard and fast rule regarding injuries, so we can completely take the "vagueness" out of it.

Honestly, that's the one thing I'm hoping gets implemented because I think it's completely unfair that someone should have to play shorthanded until the add/drop period (and God forbid it happens after the add/drop). That will make it impossible for that person to win the end of year prize by having to play with 7 guys all season instead of 8.

Maybe it's a guy that will be out more than 3 months or the entire year. I don't know, but I also suggested having an IR spot that could be used as needed.

Also if a guy is out 2-3 weeks and someone wants to drop them then so be it, that's a risk they take by dropping and making that guy available to the rest of the league. If you wanted to drop Day last year, then you would have lost him for the year.
 

Vegas Sox Fan

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There just isn't an official injury report though. We don't know when these guys are playing when they're healthy so how can we really know if someone is "injured" or just resting for 2 weeks?
 

Dan1864

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I vote that we start drafting as soon as possible.

I say we start at the Toc.

I dislike the idea of subbing an injured golfer. To many complications.

For add drop I like that you can not pick up who anybody dropped.
 

heavyde050

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anxious to see how much Tiger's draft stock increases this weekend
Me too. I still have this irrational belief that if he puts it together he could still win a major. That belief had like 80% confidence in 2013/2014, but the confidence in that belief had dropped significantly.
I am hoping both his physical and mental game are ready for competitive golf.
 

BigMike

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I dislike the idea of subbing an injured golfer. To many complications..
I am with Dan here, maybe we can do something more like an add/drop every 6 weeks, rather than just once at midyear
 

TFP

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I was thinking of just doing 2 drop periods total, with no golfers dropped in that period being eligible to be picked up. To break them up roughly equally, doing them after the WGC Match Play and after the US Open cut the season into 1/3rds. Assumes a 2 week add/drop period, so the new rosters would take effect for the Masters and the The Quicken Loans National.

I know I need to get this rolling, I'll get a post up in a day or two to finalize everything. If anyone has any final thoughts or objections, now's the time to voice them.

Let's plan on a December 11th draft start.
 

Deathofthebambino

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TFP, thanks as always for the work you've put in. I'm on board with the way you've laid it out. Not being able to pick up dropped players, but adding a second add/drop period seems a reasonable compromise all the way around.

I predict Tiger doesn't make it out of the first round.
 

johnmd20

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TFP, thanks as always for the work you've put in. I'm on board with the way you've laid it out. Not being able to pick up dropped players, but adding a second add/drop period seems a reasonable compromise all the way around.

I predict Tiger doesn't make it out of the first round.
I am not sure you're right about Tiger. He's going to play a very limited schedule, taking him in the first would be hoping and praying for a miracle and it will, again, ruin the season of whoever picks him.
 

cshea

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I’m a huge Tiger fan, maybe my heart gets the better of me, but I don’t think picking him before the 3rd round is wise. In this league you really can’t whiff on first or second round round picks.
 

heavyde050

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I’m a huge Tiger fan, maybe my heart gets the better of me, but I don’t think picking him before the 3rd round is wise. In this league you really can’t whiff on first or second round round picks.
I learned that the hard way....thanks Rory.
 

FL4WL3SS

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Tiger draft status/attractiveness may be changing based on this afternoon’s play ...
I don't think so. He'll take another 3 months off to work on his game and get in better shape. He may even wait until the Masters. We all knew he would be rusty and I think no matter what happens today and tomorrow he's exceeded expectations.