2 Footer Is 2 Timer: Wins 2nd At Career Builder After Epic Sunday Charge

If you watched the fantasy leaderboard over the weekend you noticed some big moves being made up and down the rankings. The scores posted each round at the Career Builder Challenge were a smorgasbord of fluctuating numbers. Players ebbed and flowed their way through all three tournament courses for the first three rounds which made for an interesting strategy opportunity in the fantasy world. Some fantasy gamers had the battle plan to play the odds: start the guys who were playing the easier courses. Some just went off feel while others went completely rogue and picked guys like Jonhson Wagner and Steve Wheatcroft. By the end of the third round there were so many players tied it was near impossible to predict Sunday's outcome. Duf, Philbo Baggins and Lovemark were the names to watch heading into Sunday's start but the late bloomer David Lingmerth would not be denied a seat at the table. As the leaders took the long walk on Sunday there were a few things that became very clear: Jamie Lovemark couldn't handle the pressure, Phil's stamina isn't quite in top form, Dufner has total control over his emotions (if he in fact has any) and NBC finally put David Lingmerth on TV.



But it wasn't the action in the Coachella Valley that everyone was tuning in for. The radio waves were buzzing with the events on the fantasy tour as the veteran 4 Hitting 5 was going for his first career win. He barely survived the cut with a full starting roster which forced his hand for starts without much of an option to sub. But he charged through the dessert course on Sunday with Duf, Phil, Palmer and Lovemark - all of which had a shot at the win. 2 Footer was lurking close behind though and began to make his move early. The only difference between his roster and 4H5 was the likes of David Lingmerth. After the Swede's epic 3rd round performance he put himself in a position for bonus points as well and anyone who had him was now in the mix. It quickly became a duel between Lovemark and Lingmerth in the fantasy world as the better performance would determine the fantasy winner. 2 Footer kept his calm and charged ahead with Lingmerth as 4H5's trust in Lovemark began to spring a leak. And so it came to pass that the untested Lovemark couldn't keep his ship afloat and he ended up posting a +1 73. The downfall of 4 Hitting 5 was all but assured. The spotlight quickly turned on the rising star of 2 Footer. By the end of regulation play he would send both Dufner and Lingmerth into a playoff - assuring himself 30 bonus points between the two of them. In the end it wasn't even close. 2 Footer pulled away and carded a league high 249 points to take his second victory in a row! This feat has only been done once in league history when Freeside Links won the Shell Houston Open and the Masters in a two week stretch. This is certainly a power move for 2 Footer as he asserts his dominance on the fantasy tour and leads the league in earnings. He's right on the heels of Show and Dough for the Segment lead and he'll look to continue his hot streak as the West Coast Swing continues. Congrats 2 Footer.

Press Conference with 2 Footer

(Apparently the former Mrs. Dufner is a fan of 2 Footer)

Second Place

The disappointment that 4 Hitting 5 experienced on Sunday was as if someone gave him a GTO and then immediately put it in the crusher. He'd started out the week with such promise. The pick of Jamie Lovemark had the pundits howling that 4 Hitting 5 was a drafting oracle. His supporting cast was all in place and his chess pieces were ready to move. But the inexperience of the young untested Lovemark would prove to be 4H5's demise. Still it is his highest finish in his two year career and he's on the earnings board with $6. He made all the right picks and didn't hurt himself by making needless subs. Geeteeo is back but the big question now is will he keep the momentum.

Third Place

Despite having an outsider's chance at the win on Sunday Show & Dough has to feel pretty darn good about her performance thus far. The first week winner has backed up her season opening salvo with another Top 3 and has the early Segment lead. But as we've heard in 2 Footer's press conference no lead is safe. The Show will need to continue her blazing streak if she wants to stay on top. The veteran told the media that she changed her strategy from 2015 (akin to a swing change) and it seems to be working.

Notables:

It was a roller coaster week for the wily veteran Chubbs 'Part Time' Peterson as he was up and down all week. Thankfully he ended things on an up swing as he collected a massive 81 points on the final day. This sent him shooting up the leaderboard by 13 spots into a T4 finish after dropping 15 just the day before. Chubbs holds down 3rd place overall and has to be happy. However, Peterson has to be careful as he started out last year even hotter and eventually faded down the stretch. Perhaps Chubbs will make the move to Full Time.

Tiger Would Putt, formerly known as Strangers, made a move to the new name (akin to a new swing coach) last week and he's got to be pleased with the results. Just one week after the change he snagged a Top 10 finish with a T4 in La Quinta. The former league champion hasn't returned to his 2014 form as of late but this could be the kick start he needs. Look for Tiger to be on the prowl.

The veteran Eat My Grind is making moves as he's now carded consecutive Top 10s which is not easy task in a league of 37. Eat My Grind has been doing just that - grinding - over the last two years as he's yet to breakthrough with his first fantasy tour win. A strong start to the season is huge step for Grind as he'll look to make himself more of a presence this year.

The only league rookie to make the Top 10 this week was the red hot Short Strokes who finished T7. Amazingly, this is the rook's 3rd Top 10 in the first 3 weeks! We haven't seen a start from a rookie like this since Whiny Little Pitch did it all the way back in 2015! Strokes clearly has some game and it's something that should give the veterans some pause as they weigh their odds of finishing in the money. Strokes now has a big weight to carry himself as the media will be hounding him about extending his streak and starting the season with 4 consecutive Top 10s (the record stands at 7 by Gophers).

Nestling up with Short Strokes in the T7 spot was league heavyweight Papa Pilgrim. Papa has been making strides in the right direction by carding two Top 10s in the first three weeks. He's a perennial overall Top 10 finisher and he's had to grind it out to get there in the past. He's hoping the wins will come a little smoother this year and perhaps the return of a Segment title as well. Papa was one of three teams with Lingmerth which goes to show he's got the ability to pick em. He'll need to keep making solid picks though if he wants to contend. 

After going the entire 2015 season without a win Halve Ouimet (formerly Better Than Most) is on a mission to end the streak before the season gets too far gone. It's a rather large monkey on his back and it's been effecting his swing so the sooner he gets it off the better. This T9 finish at the Career Builder is a step in the right direction. Ouimet is going to need to channel his namesake Francis Ouimet to finally breakthrough but his two early Top 10 finishes are putting him on pace to do it. 

Rounding things out in a share of the 9th place finish was another veteran and former Master's champ Freeside Links. Freeside is coming off a very successful 2015 campaign where he racked up 3 wins and numerous Top 10s. The media have been reporting that he's been practicing his skills at Seaside Links in Chatham the entire off-season so only time will tell if the hard work will pay off. He's not being distracted by the early small tournaments though as he's laser focused to defend his green jacket. 

NEXT WEEK the West Coast Swing continues as the famed Torrey Pines plays host to the Farmer's Insurance Open. Gophers is the defending champ this week as this is where he began his historic charge which eventually resulted in the 2015 Jackson Cup Championship. Gophers hasn't been doing much of late however so he's not one of the favorites to defend. It would be hard to bet against the hottest teams on fantasy tour right now but the early months of the season are always susceptible for the out-of-nowhere winner to emerge. While everyone is still sharpening their battle sticks it's the primer opportunity for an unexpected champion to rise to the top. The action continues this week in San Diego as the Farmers Insurance Open kicks off on Thursday.