PGA Tour Championship 2017 picks, predictions for daily fantasy golf contests
The 2017 PGA season is coming to an end and we are finally at East Lake for the Tour Championship with $10 million on the line for the winner of the FedEx Cup playoffs. This is a unique event in that there are only 30 players in the field and obviously there is no cut. For daily fantasy golf purposes this provides for a very interesting strategy for making picks.
First, don’t be afraid to get crazy with your lineups. I would recommend leaving hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in salary, on the table to give yourself a better chance of having a unique lineup. The Tour Championship is also an event where sleepers can and do win frequently (Billy Horschel, Brandt Snedeker, Bill Haas, and Jim Furyk have all won this event in the past six years), so absolutely don’t be afraid to dive deep into the field and fade some of the bigger names.
When it comes to East Lake the course, it puts accuracy at a premium. The rough is brutal and the fairways are some of the most difficult to hit on tour, so guys who can keep it in play will be at the top of my list to target. The greens at East Lake are some of the most undulating that we see all year and remind me a lot of Augusta. You would think this would lead to great putters having success here, and to an extent they do; however, I want guys who excel on their approach shots. Similar to Augusta, you want to be at a closer proximity to the hole to take the stress off your putter. Unlike what we’ve seen the past few weeks, East Lake is not a birdie fest type of course and players will be forced to grind out pars and be more selective with the holes that they can realistically score at. This puts bogey avoidance into play as another key stat that we should consider.
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Key Stats:
Strokes Gained: Approach
Driving Accuracy
Bogey Avoidance
Scrambling
Ball Striking
2017 Tour Championship Picks (Daily Fantasy Golf)
Top-Tier Plays
Jordan Spieth
Spieth seems to either win (or almost win) this event or disappoint greatly. I’m leaning toward him contending this week, as his game is absolutely locked in right now and he has been able to limit his big misses off the tee. We all know his short game is among the best there is, and his iron play continues to be the best on tour this season. He controls his own destiny in the FedEx Cup race, and he should be the favorite to nab his second Tour Championship.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Driving Accuracy
Bogey Avoidance
Scrambling
Ball Striking
Hideki Matsuyama
Hideki is a high-risk, high-reward play. I project him to be the lowest-owned player above $9,000, and in an event with no cut and only 30 players you need to take some low owned “risks”. I say he has risk but we have seen him turn it on in a moments notice, and when he is locked in he is among the best ball strikers in the world. His putter has been absolutely terrible over the past month, but if he can turn it around just a little, then he has a chance to contend at East Lake.
Mid-Tier Plays
Justin Rose
After struggling to regain the magic he had at Augusta for much of the season, Rose has finally turned the corner and looks back to his best. He has an excellent track record at East Lake, and the only thing missing is a win. At $8,900, I consider him a value and he makes for a great option to pair with one of the most expensive players.
Matt Kuchar
Kuchar doesn’t have an incredible track record at East Lake, but this just feels like a spot where he could break out. He has been so close to winning so many times this yea,r and theoretically East Lake should fit what Kuchar does well. He is accurate off the tee and is good at avoiding bogeys. I don’t necessarily envision Kuchar winning this event, but at $7,700, he could finish high enough to be a part of a winning lineup.
Value/Punt Plays
Daniel Berger
I project Berger to be the chalk in the sub-$7,000 range, but he is the best long-term golfer in the range and has the skill set to play well at East Lake. His form is concerning, but he tends to raise his game at the big events. Since I’m using Augusta as a corollary course, Berger makes for a fine play (Berger has good history at Augusta). If you decide to play Berger in GPPs, I highly recommend leaving salary on the table to help diversify your lineup.
Jason Dufner
Duff is another guy whose form has left a lot to be desired and he was one of the last guys to sneak into the field, but his price is low enough for us to fit the studs we want into out lineups. His putter continues to be awful, but since I want to target ball strikers this week, I’m going to give Dufner a look in tournaments.