The 2021 PGA Championship has arrived.
There are plenty of angles and ways to go about piecing together your DFS lineups, so let’s take a look at the best route to go as we head to the coast of South Carolina to The Ocean Course.
2021 PGA Championship DFS Breakdown (GPP)
10K+ PLAYS
Justin Thomas — ($11,300 DraftKings)
I’m sure Justin Thomas will be popular this week, but I’m starting my lineups here and looking to differentiate elsewhere. JT is just too good to keep out of lineups as his stellar approach play continues, ranking second in the field in his past 24 rounds. Thomas also thrives on long golf courses and is the best in the field when playing tracks longer than 7,400 yards. The former PGA Champion has had a lot of success on paspalum greens with two wins at TPC Kuala Lumpur (CIMB Classic) and Kiawah Island should be a perfect fit.
Dustin Johnson — ($10,900 DraftKings)
This is a great buy low spot for Dustin Johnson. While he hasn’t been playing great golf of late, Johnson can turn it on quickly as he has his sights set on another major championship. DJ’s ownership should be a bit suppressed this week with so many other options that are playing more consistently at the moment. The upside of this play is well worth the risk when playing massive GPP contests.
9K PLAYS
Viktor Hovland — ($9,300 DraftKings)
Mega chalk warning!
Viktor Hovland is my pick to win, so I have to bite the bullet on ownership and look to put some unique lineups around him. I would also strongly consider leaving money on the table in your lineups to try to separate yourself from the mega chalk on Vik this week.
The 23-year-old Norwegian is a perfect fit for Kiawah Island. He has the length and driving ability to tame the Ocean Course’s 7,849-yard scorecard, ranking third in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee in his past 24 rounds.
Hovland also has had amazing success on golf courses that feature paspalum greens, which we will be seeing this week. Vik has two career PGA TOUR victories and both of them were on paspalum (Puerto Rico Open and Mayakoba Classic).
Patrick Reed — ($9,100 DraftKings)
Strangely enough, despite his lack of distance off of the tee Patrick Reed plays some of his best golf on long golf courses. I also love his ability to get up and down and make tough par saves on a difficult course. Reed will likely come with a bit of an ownership discount and provides a lot of win equity in DFS lineups.
8K PLAYS
Tommy Fleetwood — ($8,200 DraftKings)
I am skipping the upper $8,000 range in my builds this week because I feel there is more value in the lower end and it enables me to do more with my lineups.
The course layout of Kiawah Island should be right up Tommy Fleetwood’s alley. The track has a real European feel to it and the coastal wind should play to Tommy’s advantage. It is difficult to see him actually winning the event but at $8,200 a top-10 should be all that is needed out of him and should certainly be doable.
Tyrrell Hatton ($8,000 DraftKings)
Hatton is another guy who may be a bit risky this week, but his win equity makes him worth the gamble. At $8,000 flat, he carries legitimate winning upside. When examining the leader board from the 2012 PGA Championship, there were a surprising amount of shorter hitting European players. Despite the length of the course, it seems like grinders can really do well here and Hatton fits that description.
7K PLAYS
Joaquin Niemann ($7,800 DraftKings)
Niemann is another player who I bet to win this week, so I certainly see plenty of value on his $7,800 price tag. The young star is a really nice fit for Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course. Ranking fifth on TOUR for driving distance, he has the necessary firepower off the tee to make the course a bit more manageable. “The Wonder Kid” is also a solid wind and gains over a half of a shot on the field per round in windy conditions.
Paul Casey ($7,700 DraftKings)
Casey is another golfer who will likely be extremely chalky this week but I am playing anyway. At this price, his floor is so high that you can plug him in and find plenty of other spots to differentiate your lineups and still feel great about it. The veteran had an excellent showing at last year’s PGA Championship with a legitimate shot to win on Sunday and it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see him in contention once again.
6K PLAYS
Stewart Cink ($6,900 DraftKings)
This may be surprising, but Cink is a sneaky bomber. He has gained a lot of distance off of the tee in the past year or so and that will give him a major advantage this week. He has also been playing some incredible golf with two wins in the past year. What’s not to like?
Thomas Pieters ($6,800 DraftKings)
Pieters is a “boom or bust” Belgian bomber who has some serious upside. His floor is probably coming in dead last but if you get him on a good week, he can make birdies in bunches. He is certainly worth a shot in a big GPP.
Pictured above: Viktor Hovland
Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
