RSM Classic PGA DFS Stats Preview: Course Fits, GPP Picks, and Values

The final event of the 2021 swing season has arrived. The TOUR heads just south of Augusta for the RSM Classic at Sea Island Resort (Seaside) and Sea Island Resort (Plantation).

Each golfer will play three rounds on the Seaside course and one round on the Plantation course.

The Seaside course is a par 70 layout, measuring 7,005 yards and the Plantation course is a par 72 setup coming in at 7,062 yards. The Seaside course plays more like a coastal links course re-designed by Tom Fazio, while the Plantation course is similar to a tree-lined parkland course. Both feature bermudagrass greens, and both will be very scoreable. The past five winners of the event have all finished between -19 and -22.

Some notable players in the field include Jason Day, Tony Finau, Tom Hoge, Seamus Power, Justin Rose, and Webb Simpson.

For GPP contests on DraftKings. I will be breaking down the key stats (past 24 rounds) and selecting golfers from different price tiers to provide flexibility for a DFS lineup.

For large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.

Don’t forget about the other tools that FantasyLabs has to offer, such as the Trends tool and PGA Correlation Dashboard.

This analysis may reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots on average it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation. Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.

Strokes Gained: Approach

The greens at Seaside are big, so it will be important to stick approach shots close this week to avoid having to make difficult two-putt par saves. In what should be a birdie-fest, golfers will need to stick their approach shots to contend.

High-end target: Tony Finau – $9,600 (3rd SG: APP)
Mid-range target: Matthew NeSmith – $8,300 (4th SG: APP)
Value target: Chesson Hadley – $6,200 (8th SG: APP)

Good Drives Gained

Length really isn’t a factor at either course. Looking at the past winners at Sea Island, they’re all accurate golfers off of the tee who know how to find the fairway. However, last year, “Good Drives Gained” was a much more predictive statistic at this event than “Fairways Gained.”

High-end target: Tony Finau – $11,200 (2nd Good Drives Gained)
Mid-range target: Aaron Rai– $7,800 (1st Good Drives Gained)
Value target: Kevin Yu – $7.000 (4th Good Drives Gained)

Strokes Gained Putting: Bermudagrass

This tournament could become a putting contest if the winds aren’t strong this week. Historically, the winners of the RSM Classic are great bermudagrass putters (Simpson, Kisner, Hughes).

High-end target: Denny McCarthy – $9,100 (18th SG: Putting Bermuda)
Mid-range target: Troy Merritt -$7,400 (5th SG: Putting Bermuda)
Value target: Brian Gay – $6,400 (2nd SG: Putting Bermuda)

Birdie or Better Gained

With birdies (and potentially some eagles) likely to come in abundance this week, pars aren’t going to cut it at Sea Island. I anticipate the winning score to be close to -20, so targeting golfers who go low is the right strategy here.

High-end target: Tony Finau – $11,200 (1st in Birdie or Better)
Mid-range target: Matthew NeSmith – $9,000 (4th in Birdie or Better)
Value target: Chesson Hadley – $6,900 (13th in Birdie or Better)

Strokes Gained: Par 4 (400-450)

With eight of the par 4s on the Seaside course measuring 400-450 yards, I am looking to target golfers who excel on par 4s of this length.

High-end target: Taylor Montgomery – $9,600 (2nd Par 4: 400-450)
Mid-range target: Andrew Putnam – $7,900 (4th Par 4: 400-450)
Value target: Cameron Percy – $6,500 (7th Par 4: 400-450)

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