With the incredible finish at the Children’s Miracle Networks Hospital Classic now in the books, this year’s version of the golf pool is over. It’s time to tally up the winnings and see how we did.

Before we do though, it seems impossible to discuss PGA Tour earnings without some comment about Luke Donald. Donald sprinted out of hibernation when Webb Simpson passed him the week before and took over first place on the PGA Tour Money List. In fact, due to the lower purses available in the PGA Tour Fall Series, Donald needed a first or second place finish to have a chance at the money title.

When the fourth round began, Donald was 5 shots behind, and had 11 players between him and the title. Donald turned 2 under par, and had crawled a little closer to the lead, but still had many players between himself and the finish line. With an incredibly clutch six birdies in a row starting at number 10, Donald stormed into the lead. This stretch of golf will be as memorable as anything that happens this year. It was that clutch. With three solid pars coming in, Donald, secured the 2011 PGA Tour Money title, on top of the PGA European Tour Money title. Without question, this also secures the 2011 Player of the Year title for Donald. It also proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Donald’s ascension to the #1 World Ranking is well deserved and no fluke. As John Houseman used to say in those old Smith Barney commercials, ‘He did it the old-fashioned way, he earrrrrned it.’

Now for the 2011 Golf Pool. For those who have read my previous submissions about the pool, you will remember that there were 45 participants, we each had $11 million to spend based upon players 2010 earnings, and had to try to unearth those players that were going to seriously outperform their previous performance.

Here is my roster, what I spent on them, and what they earned. My roster is headed by PGA Fantasy Pool Player of the Year Webb Simpson:

Player                                     Cost                                         2011 Earnings

Webb Simpson                      $1,000,000                              $6,347,353

Mark Wilson                          $   800,000                              $3,158,477

Sergio Garcia                          $1,000,000                              $1,524,091

Padraig Harrington               $1,400,000                              $   802,839

Angel Cabrera                         $1,300,000                              $   628,079

Ryo Ishikawa                          $   800,000                              $   580,136

Ben Curtis                               $   900,000                              $   423,466

Henrik Stenson                      $   800,000                              $   327,799

Michael Sim                           $1,400,000                              $     47,403

Jamie Lovemark                     $   800,000                              $     34,693

Mike Weir                              $   800,000                              $     23,312

Total                                       $11,000,000                            $13,897,648

The total, $13+ million, was good for a 5^th place finish in the pool. Good, but not in the money. Simpson, Wilson and Garcia were my only choices that out-earned their salaries. The trio accounted for over $11 million of my earnings and I finished less than $2 million out of second place. It is notable that everyone who finished ahead of my team in the pool also has Webb Simpson on their team. I finished over $3 million out of first place.

Clearly, with eleven team members we could expect a disaster, but three total disasters was a bit much. Injury factored into all of them. Michael Sim followed up his break-out year with a break-down year. The final indignity was Sim made the cut in the last tournament, then withdrew even though he was sure of a check if he just finished. Lovemark hurt his back, and Weir continued to suffer with the arm injury that cut short his 2010 season.

There is good news though. It centers on my well-publicized side bets versus Grizzly John and Dan the Cow. My side bets were a clean sweep, including presses, and that eaned enough to make it a profitable year despite the 5^th place finish. It’s always a pleasure when some other chump subsidizes the cost of your run for the big money.

Grizzly John spent the entire year lamenting the failure of Tiger Woods to fire in 2011. Since he only had a four man team, the earnings of Tiger at $600k plus were nowhere near his cost of $4 million.  The Bear Man did well to finish in the middle of the pack, supported by $3.7 million winner Phil Mickelson, and $2.9 million winner Jonathan Byrd. Still, I felt the need to point out to Grizz that if Tiger had earned another $5 million, he still would have lost to my team. So all in all, he did a pretty poor job.

Dan the Cow is another story altogether. We should change his name to Dan the Cow Pile. The Bovine Emission also suffered from the loss of Tiger, but his overall team was so poorly constructed, that had Tiger earned another $8 million, he still would have lost to my team. Putrid.