Bethpage State Park Black Course is 7,432 yards and is a par 70. This course is hosting its third major championship this week – it hosted the 2002 U.S. Open where Tiger Woods won, and the U.S. Open was also hosted here in 2009 when Lucas Glover was victorious. It’s one of the toughest tracks in the United States, and there’s even a sign on the course’s perimeter that warns golfers of its challenging nature.
Below are 10 elite and 5 value picks for the PGA Championship this week, and I list their salary numbers for DraftKings and FanDuel as well.
10 Elite Players To Target
Dustin Johnson (Salaries: DraftKings – $11,100, FanDuel – $12,200) – The world’s top-ranked golfer is on a mission to win the second major of his career. Has 8 top 10’s this season in 12 starts in which he’s never missed the cut. Was 2nd at The Masters and 5th at The Players Championship – the unofficial fifth major tournament on the PGA Tour. In his two starts on this course, he was 3rd in 2012 and 18th in 2016, both at The Northern Trust tournament which are significant as they are playoff events. His power is perfect for this long course, and his touch is getting softer and softer around the greens which
Rory McIlroy (Salaries: DraftKings – $10,900, FanDuel – $12,100) – Winner of the PGA Championship in 2011 and 2013, Rory seeks out his first major championship in 5 five years. Is a stroke gained beast, and is just outside the top 10 in greens in regulation. Has 7 top 10’s this season in just 9 starts, and won The Players Championship in March.
Brooks Koepka (Salaries: DraftKings – $10,400, FanDuel – $11,800) – Plays the best when the stage is the biggest and is seeking out his 4th major championship. He won this tournament last year, and although that was on a different course, the same result could come this year. The analysts don’t like his stats for this particular course, and he did finish 70th in 2016 on this track, but he’s already a superstar and his game is in much better shape than it was in 2016. Was runner up at The Masters, and is coming off a 4th last week at the AT&T Byron Nelson.
Rickie Fowler (Salaries: DraftKings – $9,300, FanDuel – $11,100) – Is oh so hungry for his first ever career major championship and this week could be the one where he silences his critics with a big victory. Led the 2016 Northern Trust here after 54 holes but had a +3 in his final round to settle for a 7th. Is 12/12 this season, he won the Waste Management Phoenix Open earlier this year and was 4th in his last start at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Jon Rahm (Salaries: DraftKings – $9,500, FanDuel – $11,200) – Has 8 top 10’s in 11 starts this season, and like Fowler, is a star player looking for his first major win. Was 12th at The Players Championship, 9th at The Masters, and won the Zurich Classic in collaboration with Ryan Palmer a couple of weeks ago in match play. If he can keep his fiery composure under control, he very well could be the golfer hoisting the trophy on Sunday evening.
Jason Day (Salaries: DraftKings – $9,000, FanDuel – $11,300) – He may be playing with a broken back but his game isn’t broken. Was 8th at The Players Championship and 5th at The Masters, and was 4th on this course in 2016. His game elevates during the biggest events, and this week certainly qualifies as such.
Xander Schauffele (Salaries: DraftKings – $9,100, FanDuel – $10,900) – Has the swagger of a major’s champ but has yet to win one. This could be his week as he’s still beaming with confidence after his runner up finish at The Masters and has two victories this season – at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and at the WGC-HSBC Champions. Has a fantastic track record at major tournaments, and a win at one may not be far off – in fact, it could come on Sunday.
Tiger Woods (Salaries: DraftKings – $11,300, FanDuel – $11,700) – Is the most expensive player on DraftKings and I think he’s overvalued there, but nonetheless, he’s officially a threat wherever he plays after his Masters’ win last month. He won the 2002 U.S. Open here, and while I don’t expect him to win again on this course this week, he is still knocking on the door for a top 10 finish.
Sergio Garcia (Salaries: DraftKings – $7,900, FanDuel – $9,700) – Is really undervalued on DraftKings based on his salary number this week, and as a result, he will be highly owned in GPP’s – around 25% or potentially even higher. Has three top 10 finishes on this course in his career, and placed 4th in his last start at the Wells Fargo Championship. His game really suits this track, and I’m very bullish on his finish this week.
Justin Rose (Salaries: DraftKings – $9,900, FanDuel – $11,500) – Was a surprising cut at The Masters after having an 8th at The Players Championship. Coming off a 3rd place finish in his last start and he’s once again ready to win another major – his first since winning the U.S. Open in 2013. His best finish in a PGA Championship was a 3rd in 2012, and it’s certainly possible that he can top that result this week.
5 Value Players To Target
Scott Piercy (Salaries: DraftKings – $6,500, FanDuel – $8,100) – Has a 3rd and a 2nd in his last two starts – the 2nd came last week when he had zero bogies over his 72 holes which
J.B. Holmes (Salaries: DraftKings – $6,600, FanDuel – $8,800) – Won the Genesis Open in February but hasn’t done a whole lot since. He was 27th here in 2009 so he has some course experience, which is valuable on tough tracks. His length will come in handy this week.
Kyle Stanley (Salaries: DraftKings – $6,800, FanDuel – $8,500) – Is coming off his season-best finish with an 8th at the Wells Fargo Championship, and has made three straight cuts including a 21st at The Masters.
Brian Gay (Salaries: DraftKings – $6,300, FanDuel – $8,000) – Has only missed two cuts in 17 events this season. He likely won’t have a high finish this week, but has a good probability to make the cut, and is a sound value play.
Emiliano Grillo (Salaries: DraftKings – $7,100, FanDuel – $8,600) – Has just one missed cut this season and recently had a 26th at The Players Championship and a 62nd at The Masters. Was runner up here in 2016!
All the best this week with your DFS contests, and enjoy the thrilling PGA Championship action!
