By Brett Avery
The Fantasy Insider
PGATOUR.COM Contributor

One of The Fantasy Insider's favorite assignments as a freelance writer is a course-map project previewing each major championship. It involves lots of archive digging for lost details and divining what part of the course could prove crucial to the outcome.

The first element requires sitting at a microfilm reader for hours on end. The second requires observation from walking the layout well before the event.

Playing the 18 holes that will test the planet's best is one thing. But to really understand the challenge requires walking with only a pad, pen, yardage book and discerning eye.

So TFI was out at Whistling Straits last month shortly after the sun rose one placid morning, the dew heavy on the grass covering the dunes and sand berms. Lake Michigan was smooth as a mirror, retirement bungalow beautiful. In fact, it wasn't until the sixth hole that it dawned on TFI:

How the heck do you pick a winner at this place?

By now you've seen the pretty pictures and read the harbingers of horrific high scores. Breathless prognostication is one of the few literary licenses golf writers are allowed, but rest assured this PGA Championship will drive some players absolutely, certifiably nuts.

So who to select? It boils down to experience, un-flappable-ness, length and the eye of the beholder.

One of the most-cited statistics is this: 13 of the last 16 PGAs were a player's first major title. TFI's walk suggests this week could be No. 14, but from a guy with a proven record.

The last factor, though, is tougher to forecast. A player with passing grades on the first three could give this course a thumbs-down and negate his perceived advantage.

The PGA Championship is the last tournament of the TOUR Fantasy season scored solely on finish-in-field points. That gives us one last opportunity to take a wild-card selection or two because we won't lose much ground with a crummy week (famous last words).

Pick One: Tiger Woods ($302,071). The last thing he wants is to spend the next eight months until the Masters hearing how he's no longer the player of yore. And a proper thrashing of this field would go a long way toward solidifying his No. 1 world ranking.

Balance: $697,929.

Pick Two: Phil Mickelson ($299,910). One of the field's strongest past performance charts: second in 2001, tie for ninth in 2000, three top 10s among his first four stars. He'd put a stranglehold on Player of the Year honors.

Balance: $398,019.

Pick Three: Sergio Garcia ($187,248). In which TFI asks: Who shows up this week, the near world-beater (two top 10s) or the guy with two missed cuts? TFI hopes that first-time major string hits No. 14 with him.

Balance: $210,771.

Pick Four: Alex Cejka ($118,272). Looked awfully good through 71 holes at The INTERNATIONAL. Something tells TFI he'll eat up Whistling Straits, with his length and his eye, especially if the wind howls.

Balance: $92,499.

Pick Five: Padraig Harrington ($90,898). Tied for 29th and 17th the last two years. He's got the wind game, he's not going to find the look of Whistling Straits jarring and TFI has it on good authority he's hankering for a bratwurst and mash.

Balance: $1,601.

Hey, buddy, can you spare $925,746? Loved them but ran out of slots or into the salary cap:

•Vijay Singh ($303,998). Here's what kept him off the top lineup, something you don't often see with this guy: He's missed three cuts in this event.

•John Daly ($253,171). Hal Sutton has hinted he'd make the Ryder Cup team on a captain's selection but this guy plays best when his back is against it -- and he'd like nothing better than to make the squad on merit.

•Kenny Perry ($288,433). Considering his stellar record in nearby Milwaukee TFI was leaning toward Scott Hoch, but considering his aversion to Open Championship-style courses it seemed better to take a pass on him at Whistling Straits in favor of this guy's strong Milwaukee card.

•Jose Maria Olazabal ($57,644). He's played well of late so he's worth one of those wild-card chances.

•Trevor Immelman ($22,500). Owns everything required although light on seasoning. If he extends that first-time major streak to 14 the 25 PGA club pros in next year's field will think believe even they've got a shot.

Last week: 23 points (tied for 11,268th). Ernie Els 10 points (tied for 29th), Davis Love III 5 (tied for 15th), Charles Howell III -6 (missed first cut), Chris Riley 3 (missed second cut), Jose Maria Olazabal 11 (tied for 12th). The first team faded to a tie for 3,061st overall (257 points) after the season's third-lowest total in a full-stats week.

From the "Hey, buddy" list, all five players made both cuts and totaled 86 points (tied for 116th!): Stewart Cink 22 (tied for sixth), Geoff Ogilvy 9 (tied for 44th), Stuart Appleby 19 (tied for 19th), Brett Quigley 4 (tied for 40th), Alex Cejka 32 (second). The second lineup rose to a tie for 6,948th overall (222 points) after the highest finish by either team this season! Guess TFI should coast through more weeks, eh?

We all meant to spend $777,172: The maximum score was 145 points. Rod Pampling 34 points ($175,690), Alex Cejka 32 points ($87,200), Duffy Waldorf 27 points ($166,666), Jay Haas 27 points ($223,072), Bob Tway 25 points ($124,544).