HACKER’S GOLF POOL 2010 – THE RULES
EXPLANATION OF BOXES:
Ø       Boxes are comprised (in order of appearance) of the 2009 Top 125 PGA Tour money leaders, the Top 15 European Tour (in green) and the Top 10 Nationwide Tour Order of Merit finalists (in orange).
Ø       Each team consists of 16 PLAYERS.  You get ONE selection from Box #1, TWO selections in each box in boxes #2 through #7 and a total of THREE selections in Box #8 (the bottom 3 columns)
Ø       ANY selections in Box 8 (the final three columns) may be replaced with ANY write-in selections of your choosing.  The criterion for Write-ins is that the player does NOT appear in ANY other Golf Pool Box.  Write-in choices are used primarily for entering players who did not make the top 125 money list…or for entering European Tour or Nationwide Tour players who fell outside the Top 15 or Top 10 Order of Merit respectively, but who are still expected to play at least a partial schedule on the PGA Tour.  You may also choose the write-in option to select a player who qualified for the PGA Tour via “Q School.”  TIGER WOODS MAY NOT BE USED as a Write-in selection.
Ø       HELPUL HINT:  Check the age of your older players prior to sending in your team(s).  Once players turn 50 they may choose to abandon the PGA Tour in favour of the “Champions Tour.”  Research players carefully.
THE "TIGER RULE"
Ø       Tiger Woods is NOT an eligible selection.  No one gets him.
HOW POINTS ARE EARNED:
Ø       Weekly points are awarded for Top 10 finishes in PGA Tour Events, The Open Championship, WGC events AND PGA Tour Playoffs ONLY.
Ø       On "regular" Tour weeks, 15 points are awarded for first place, 10 points for second, 9 for third…down to 2 points awarded for a 10th place finish.   (See the "Points Structure" tab below)
Ø       Top 10 points in the 6 majors  (The Canadian Open and Tour Championship count as major) are quadrupled.  4 points are awarded to ALL players who make the cut but finish outside the top 10.  (See the "Points Structure" tab below)
Ø       Points in the "Semi Majors" ( Player's Championship, WGC Events, etc.) are doubled for top 10 finishers ONLY (no points for making the cut). (See the "Points Structure" tab below)
Ø       Ties earn full points for their respective position.  For example, if 4 players tie for second place, they ALL receive 10 points….they don't win an equal share of the cumulative value for 2nd through 5th (i.e. 10+9+8+7 / 4)
PGA PLAYOFFS (THE FedEx CUP):
Ø       The value of points awarded in each playoff round increases.
Ø       The first Playoff round (The Barclays) counts as a Regular Tour Event.  Points in Round 2 (The Deutsche Bank) are doubled.  Round 3 (The BMW) are trebled.  Round 4 (Tour Championship) are quadrupled.
Ø       Escalating points are awarded for making the cut in each Playoff Round.  Although the Tour Championship has no cut, players completing the tourney, but finishing outside of the Top 10 are awarded 4 points
Ø       FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON PLAYOFF SCORING STRUCTURE CLICK HERE
PRIZE DISTRIBUTION:
Ø       The top 15 players at the end of the season are paid a cut of the main pot (after weekly prizes are deducted), with the winner receiving approximately 40% of the total pot.  Prizes are top-end-loaded to favour the Top 5 finishers most heavily.  Positions 11 through 15 will all receive the value of a single-team entry fee
Ø       The player with the worst score at the end of the season receives the (not-so-coveted) "Loonie For Last" prize, worth $1.00.
Ø       10% of the total pool goes toward defraying set-up, administration, etc.
Ø       FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON PRIZE STRUCTURES CLICK HERE
WEEKLY PRIZES:
Ø       A $20 prize will be awarded to the "Star of the Week" (the player who earns the most points in each "Regular Tour" event)
Ø       The cost of a single-team entry ($35) will be awarded to the players who earn the most points in a "Semi-Major" tournament and Rounds 2 and 3 of the Playoffs.  Several Semi-Majors (WGC events) occur on weeks when there is also  "regular" Tour event for players who don't qualify for the Semi-Major.  On these weeks, the Star of the Week prize will be determined by the player who records the highest score for both events combined, not just for the points accumulated in the Semi-Major.
Ø       A $100 prize will be awarded to the players who earn the most points in each of the 5 Majors, and the Tour Championship.
Ø       In the event of a tie, the prize will be split among all top scorers that week.  (For example, during a Regular tour event, four Stars would each win $5)
Ø       The Star of the Week Prizes are for top scorers in the MAIN POOL ONLY.  There are NO weekly cash prizes for the best showing in the two Specialty Pools (below)
Ø        FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON PRIZING STRUCTURE CLICK HERE
SPECIALTY POOLS - THE COMBO TEAM POOL:
Ø       If you are entering two (2) teams, either individually or with a partner, you may also enter the Combo Team Pool…a separate contest-within-the-contest.
Ø       You can also choose to create a Combo Pool partnership with any other player in the pool.
Ø       PLEASE CHECK THE COMBO TEAM POOL BOX ON YOUR ENTRY FORM
Ø       Entry Fee is an additional $10 total for the Combo Pool team (not $10 per person)
Ø       A separate leaderboard is assembled, consisting ONLY of players who have entered the Combo Pool and paid the extra fee
Ø       Your Combo Pool Score is the sum of the scores of both of your Combo teams.
Ø       The top 3 finishers win prizes at the end of the season.  The winner will receive 50% of this separate pot.  2nd place earns 30% and 3rd gets 20%
Ø      DEADLINE FOR COMBO POOL ENTRY IS THE SAME AS THE MAIN POOL (JAN. 13TH)
SPECIALTY POOLS - THE WATSON'S SPRINGFEST POOL:
Ø       This contest-within-a-contest is ONLY open to participants in the annual Watson's Springfest Golf Tournament in New York, hosted by Dave Walker.
Ø       PLEASE CHECK THE SPRINGFESTOR'S POOL BOX ON YOUR ENTRY FORM (above)
Ø       Entry Fee is an additional $10 PER TEAM.  (If you enter 2 Early Bird teams, the cost is $20)
Ø       A separate leaderboard is assembled, consisting ONLY of Watson's Springfest golfers who have entered.
Ø       The top 3 finishers win prizes at the end of the season.  The winner will receive 50% of this separate pot.  2nd place earns 30% and 3rd gets 20%
Ø       THE DEADLINE FOR ENTERING THE SPRINGFEST POOL IS THE SAME AS THE MAIN POOL (JANUARY 13TH )
TRADING RULES:
Ø       Everyone gets ONE FREE TRADE as part of their entry fee.  Subsequent trades cost $5 each.  Trade money goes into the main prize pool.
Ø       ALL trades MUST be purchased in advance of the start of the season, with your pool entry fee (to the maximum of an additional $15 per team). Once the season begins you CANNOT purchase trades.
Ø       If you are purchasing trades, PLEASE CHECK THE PRE-PAID TRADING BOX ON YOUR ENTRY FORM
Ø       Players are allowed to make a MAXIMUM OF FOUR (4) TRADES PER TEAM for the 2010 PGA Tour season (1 freebie + 3 paid).
Ø       There are NO REFUNDS for unused trades at the end of the season.  Use 'em or lose 'em.
Ø       Trades are NON-TRANSFERABLE.  You may NOT transfer trades from one team you own to another OR give, sell or barter your trades to another player
Ø       Each trade MUST be conducted within the same box on the entry form.  You can't trade up OR down from one box to another.
Ø       Trade requests must be received by midnight the night before an event begins to qualify for that week's tourney.  Trades arriving later won't take effect until the following week.
Ø       It is YOUR responsibility to make sure trades are submitted on time and that they are legal trades.  Often the trades aren't reviewed or entered into the spreadsheet until the day a tourney finishes, and by then it's too late to make corrections and still be fair to the rest of the field.
HOW YOU EARN POINTS WITH YOUR TRADES:
Ø       YOU ONLY EARN POINTS FOR A PLAYER WHEN HE IS ON YOUR TEAM
Ø       If you trade for a player, you do NOT receive the points he earned before you traded for him
Ø       If you trade a player away you do NOT lose the points he earned for you to that point.  But, you do not get ANY of his subsequent points.
TRADE EMBARGOES AND DEADLINES:
Ø       In order to reward players who selected wisely from the start, NO trades will be accepted before the conclusion of The World Golf Championship - CA Championship (Mar 14th).
Ø       Following the conclusion of this event, you may trade anytime you want
Ø       Once the trade embargo is lifted, you may trade any number of players at any time…up to the maximum of 4 you are allowed for the season.
HACKER'S GOLF POOL UPDATES:
Ø       Weekly Leaderboard Updates will be distributed by e-mail only following the conclusion of each tournament…usually on Sunday nights or first thing Monday morning.  Please remember to inform me of any changes in e-mail addresses as soon as possible.
AUDITING TEAMS FOR ACCURACY:
Ø       IT IS EACH PLAYER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO AUDIT HIS OR HER OWN TEAM(S) ON A REGULAR BASIS TO ENSURE ACCURACY.  (It's MUCH easier for you to keep track of one or two teams…than it is for me to monitor several thousand selections, throughout the entire pool).