The European Tour Fantasy League is a game in which players select 10 golfers per week to ‘represent’ them in the weekly tournaments on the European Tour. The European Tour Fantasy League starts with the Abu Dhabi Championship in January each year, and finishes with the DP World Championship, Dubai that decides the Race to Dubai at the end of the European Tour season.
Players can make up to five team changes per week. This requires a careful balancing act between those golfers competing in the current week’s tournament, versus those that may be competing in events in future weeks, particularly in the majors or the World Golf Championship events. Prize money for the players in the Fantasy League is determined by the prize money earned by the golfers in their Fantasy Team, i.e. their respective finishing places in the European Tour tournament/s being held that week.
As I see it, the aim of the Fantasy League is to have a full selection of 10 players competing in the tournaments that carry the most prize money, thereby ensuring that you have the greatest chance of generating prize money for your team for that week. I choose my team for a particular week by looking at a combination of factors, namely I) the golfers participating in the tournament for that particular week, II) the upcoming tournaments, and which golfers I may need to include in my team for future tournaments, given that I can only make five changes per week to my Fantasy Team, III) the current form of the golfers in most recent tournaments, IV) the previous leader board of the same event for the previous year, and V) my preference for South African players and my desire to include them, wherever possible, in my Fantasy Team, based on perceived form.
The European Tour Fantasy League is a good way for golf fans to stay connected to the European Tour by establishing some healthy competition between golf fans.
My Fantasy Team for 2012 is here if you are interested.
