Congratulations to Brian Gay ($6,600 DK $7,900 FD) for winning the Bermuda Championship last week over Wyndham Clark ($7,700 DK $9,200 FD) in a one-hole playoff with a 269 (-15) total score for 72 holes at Port Royal Golf Club. This week the PGA Tour returns to the mainland and more of a full field, with a 36-hole cut, which precedes the rescheduled Masters.
This week at (Memorial Park Golf Course ) the 2019 redesigned Tom Doak golf course will play to a Par of 72 at 7,292 yards. Brooks Koepka ($10,600 DK $11,800 FD) served as a player consultant to Tom Doak on this $18.5 Million golf course renovation and $34 Million overall community project spearheaded by the Astros Golf Foundation and Houston Astros owner Jim Crane. The course will be set up to somewhat simulate conditions at Augusta National for next week’s Masters tournament. Memorial Park will feature two inches of bermuda rough, and bermuda greens expected to be firm, reaching 12.0 to 13.0 feet on the stimpmeter, with tightly mown run off areas around the greens that will challenge the competitor that is not hitting at least 70% of the greens. The redesigned Doak greens will have some steep slopes and ridges that will emphasize strokes gained on approach, around the greens, and with putting. Memorial Park GC has five par 5’s and five par 3 holes, as did the recent ZOZO Championship at Sherwood Country Club. Even though length off of the tee and par 5 scoring will play a role in determining the best results this week, I anticipate the competitors that can especially master strokes gained on approach, around the greens, and putting, will result in the best performances this week. This emphasis will provide some values down the salary roster where a competitor gains strokes equally on approach, around the greens, and with putting. If a competitor is losing strokes on approach or around the greens, I would not advise playing them this or next week. Lanto Griffin ($8,900 DK $10,500 FD) is the 2019 defending champion when the Vivent Houston Open was previously held at The Golf Club of Houston. The (Vivent Houston Open ) returns to Memorial Park Golf Course and the PGA Tour when lasted hosted here in 1963. Starting times and weather don’t seem to be much of a factor with less than 10 miles per hour of wind expected on Thursday and Friday along with daily temperatures in the mid to high 70’s. This week Dustin Johnson ($11,500 DK $12,200 FD), Tony Finau ($10,900 DK $11,500 FD), Brooks Koepka ($10,600 DK $11,800 FD), and Tyrrell Hatton ($10,300 DK $11,700 FD) headline DraftKings and FanDuel salary rankings respectively.
DFSExperts will provide two value picks in the B and C categories that will be competitive to make the cut and quite possibly to be a contender for the win. Then exclusively for DFSExperts members, Iwill make additional predictions and recommendations to build a roster of six with supporting statistical and trending analysis from each of the A, B, and C, categories. Last week at the Bermuda Championship my B-List value pick stars were Stewart Cink 272 (-12) T-4th place, Denny McCarthy 272 (-12) T-4th place, and Michael Gligic 274 (-10) T-11th place.
This week’s free choices in the B-List are Lee Westwood ($7,800 DK $9,500 FD) who had a strong finish at Winged Foot for the U.S. Open and has been in good form overseas in recent weeks as well. Westwood has consistently gained strokes throughout his game and if he can successfully adapt to the new bermuda Doak greens, I look for Westwood to have a top 5 to 10 finish, and I would not be surprised if he contends for a win on Tour this week. The other B-List value is Mackenzie Hughes ($7,600 DK $9,000 FD) who has consistently been making cuts, is strong in strokes gained throughout his stat categories, but especially in putting and around the greens. Recent performances have shown Hughes has been improving in his ball striking stats. I look for Hughes to have a top 10 to 20th place finish this week. My two free C-List selections are Charl Schwartzel ($6,700 DK $8,100 FD) and Brian Stuard ($6,400 DK $7,600 FD). Both competitors are good values at this price and have gained strokes recently on approach, around the greens, and with putting. They have lost strokes off of the tee, but that does not concern me as the fairways are wide at Memorial Park GC, it is not an exceptionally long golf course, and I feel the emphasis for good scoring will be on approach, around the greens, and with putting, which plays to both of these competitors strengths. Both have also had more success on Bermuda greens.
There are several quality picks that are very undervalued throughout the field, but especially in the B-List and C-List groupings. This is a deeper field this week, with many of the A-List players wanting some competitive reps prior to the Masters. Many within the B-List grouping have played well recently on similar style golf courses and will emerge as players to watch to win. I have picked the winner in four of the last twelve weeks and many of my B-List and C-List picks are finishing in the top 5 to 10, including a win for Stewart Cink at the Safeway event and two B-List picks finishing T-4 at the Bermuda Championship last week. Beyond the obvious, pay attention to my free picks, combined with the more in-depth analysis exclusively for DFSExperts members and you could be cashing a three to six figure ticket. Join me on the members side and be enlightened.
A-List DFS Picks for the Vivint Houston Open: 2020
I consider the A-List category this week to be all players on the salary roster to be above $8,000 DK $9,000 FD. DFSExperts will add to the obvious statistical analysis, with deeper research and the eyeball test. These details and trends from the entire field are only possible to come from someone that is intimately familiar with competitive golf, that is willing to go beyond the numbers and reaches the depth and breadth of the competitor and person to be out in front of positive results.
Heading the A-List players this week are, Dustin Johnson ($11,500 DK $12,200 FD), Tony Finau ($10,900 DK $11,500 FD), Brooks Koepka ($10,600 DK $11,800 FD) and Tyrrell Hatton ($10,300 DK $11,700 FD). Three of these players are appropriately priced and should contend for the win this week, being in good form, and leaders in strokes gained relative to the competitive field. Not sure about Koepka at this price, coming off knee and hip issues, along with Covid-19, that have not allowed him to have many competitive reps of late. Even though he is intimately familiar with the golf course redesign, having served as Tom Doak’s player consultant, I don’t think he can overcome the time off and physical issues. Any one or two of these top four salary players, with the exception of Koepka, are good cornerstones to your lineup this week. Any one of these top four are appropriately priced and should be competitive for a win or top 5 to 10th place finish. Farther down the A-List, I believe Lanto Griffin ($8,900 DK $10,500 FD) and Doc Redman ($8,800 DK $10,400 FD) are good values based on their recent form and favorable strokes gained strengths. However, if Redman does not hit many greens he has struggled at times on and around the greens, but is usually so strong with his ball striking skills that it can carry him to victory even in a strong field. My one fade in the A-List is Brooks Koepka. Let’s see how he does this week and I will reevaluate him for next week at the Masters.
B-List DFS Picks for the Vivint Houston Open: 2020
My B-List grouping ranges in salary from $7,000 to $7,900 in DK and $8,000 to $9,600 in FD. Lee Westwood ($7,800 DK $9,500 FD), Alex Noren ($7,800 DK $9,600 FD), Mackenzie Hughes ($7,6000 DK $9,000 FD), and Martin Laird ($7,300 DK $8,300 FD) all have consistent strokes gained across the board, with the emphasis on approach, around the greens, and putting, which will serve them well at Memorial Park this week. With a hot putter, all have the potential to win this week, but certainly will be amongst the top 10-20 finishers. I think there are many good three through six roster selections in this B-List grouping. Two fades I see in the B-List category are Lucas Glover ($7,400 DK $8,900 FD), who is weak on and around the greens, and Russell Knox ($7,200 DK $8,600 FD) who is losing strokes with putting and is not gaining enough strokes in ball striking stats to counter his lack of length off of the tee.
C-List DFS Picks for the Vivint Houston Open: 2020
There are several good values and dark horses that can have some success this week in the C-List category, ranging in salary from $6,000 to $6,900 in DK and $7,000 to $7,400 in FD. Two excellent choices in the C-List category are Charl Schwartzel ($6,700 DK $8,100 FD), and John Huh ($6,300 DK $7,200 FD) who both have consistent strokes gained stats in the areas of; on approach, around the greens, and putting, with recent good form and successfully navigating their way to the weekend. If you want to go a little deeper to be able to load the first five roster spots with A and B-List players I would look at Jamie Lovemark ($6,100 DK $7,000 FD) and Luke Donald ($6,000 DK $7,000 FD). With performances a little above average for both on approach this week, combined with consistently good stats respective to strokes gained around the greens and on the putting surfaces, this will be a good week to count on them making the cut for you.
No-go’s in the C-List category this week are Graham DeLaet ($6,100 DK $7,000 FD) and Ted Potter Jr. ($6,100 DK $7,000 FD). No recent cuts made or signs of a top 20 finish on the horizon.
While these are a few teasers for this week, more in depth analysis and justification for my recommended lineup plays, or don’t play this week, are exclusively available for members of DFSExperts.com. Send us any fodder for the “Wall of Fame” including screenshots. We will put them up on social and proclaim you the DFS champion of the world. Good luck, and Golf On!
