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PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Genesis Invitational

For the third of eight Signature Events this season, the PGA TOUR is hosting the Genesis Invitational this week. This event usually is played at Riviera CC in Pacific Palisades, California, but given the tragic wildfires in that area last month, the Genesis will instead be played at the South Course (par 72, 7,765 yards, POA greens) of Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California. Three of the four rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open are held at the South Course every year, and this track hosted the 2021 U.S. Open. At the 2025 edition of the Farmers just last month, Harris English won at -8. The Genesis Invitational is hosting a field of 72 golfers this week, and there will be a top-50 and ties after the first two rounds.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

My analysis will frequently 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.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

  • Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
  • Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
  • Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
  • Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
  • Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
  • Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The CliffsNotes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

Become an All-Access Member Today

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Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
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PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link! 

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything you want to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Rory McIlroy ($10,900)

With Scottie Scheffler coming off a disappointing T25 at the WM Phoenix Open, in which he closed the event with a concerning 1-over par round, McIlroy is the No. 1 option this week and a terrific building block for cash games. The Irishman won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by two shots in his last start, which, like the Genesis, is a Signature Event that feature’s the PGA TOUR’s best players. This is McIlroy’s second win in his last four starts, and now he heads to Torrey Pines, where McIlroy has finished inside the top seven in three of his four starts at the famous venue. McIlroy ranks first in Strokes Gained per round at the South Course among this field, and he ranks first in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at courses with POA greens, via the Rabbit Hole. McIlroy is a lock for a top-five finish this weekend, and affording him is easy with many elite, cheap value plays at our disposal.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Hideki Matsuyama ($9,600)

Matsuyama carries the best odds to win of all the $9,000 players this week, and as always, the former Masters champion is a rock-solid option for cash games. Matsuyama has made 10 cuts in a row, and half of these finishes have been top-25 results, including two wins. The veteran has finished inside the top 15 in two of his last three starts at Torrey Pines, and Matsuyama ranks in the top 10 in both SG: Tee-to-Green and SG: Approach this season. If the 32-year-old can find some life with his putter this week, which is possible on these greens he knows very well, Matsuyama could contend.

Taylor Pendrith ($9,000)

Pendrith is coming off a T8 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and in his start prior to this, Pendrith finished T7th at Torrey Pines for the Farmers Insurance Open. This marked the second year in a row Pendrith has finished inside the top 10 at Torrey Pines, and he should tally another high finish at the California-based venue this week. The Canadian has finished T13th or better in eight of his past 10 starts, and he ranks fifth in SG: Tee-to-Green when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Jordan Spieth ($8,500)

Spieth had an excellent showing at the WM Phoenix Open last week, finishing T4th, while ranking top-13 in SG: Tee-to-Green, SG: Approach, and SG: Putting for the event. The three-time major champion shot 68 or better in all four of his rounds, including a 6-under 65 in the second round, which is Spieth’s lowest score since last July. Looking to carry this momentum over to the South Course, Spieth has a ton of merit at this reasonable price. At this venue for the 2021 U.S. Open, Spieth finished T19th.

Thomas Detry ($8,000)

Detry won the WM Phoenix Open last week and did so in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots. This is the Belgian professional’s first victory on the PGA TOUR, and his impressive run should continue at Torrey Pines. Detry has finished inside the top 15 in three of his past five starts, including a T15 at Torrey Pines for the Farmers Insurance Open last month. This marked the second year in a row he has finished inside the top 20 at Torrey Pines, and Detry ranks 10th in SG: Putting on the PGA TOUR this season, which bodes extremely well with the South Course up next. Each of the past four winners at Torrey Pines has finished the week top-10 in SG: Putting.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Will Zalatoris ($7,900)

Zalatoris grew up in California and has contended at Torrey Pines multiple times. He finished T7th at the 2021 U.S. Open at the South Course, and Zalatoris has finished runner-up, MC, and T13th in his last three starts at the Farmers Insurance Open. Among this field, Zalatoris ranks ninth in Strokes Gained per round at the South Course. The 28-year-old now returns to Torrey Pines riding a seven-made-cut streak with four top-20 finishes during this run. Zalatoris has gained strokes on approach in five of his seven starts during this cut streak and is vastly underpriced for his upside. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Zalatoris carries +4000 odds to win this weekend, which are the same odds as Shane Lowry, who is $1,000 more for DFS purposes.

Keegan Bradley ($7,700)

Bradley is a true course horse at Torrey Pines. In 14 starts at the Farmers Insurance Open, Bradley has made 12 cuts and produced eight top-25 finishes, including a T15 last month and a runner-up in 2023. The former FedEx Cup champion ranks 11th among this field in Strokes Gained per round at the South Course, and Bradley has finished T21st or better five of his last six starts, most notably with a win at the BMW Championship in August. Bradley is far too cheap for his potential at only $7,700, which is a huge decrease from the $9,900 salary he carried when he teed it up at Torrey Pines last month.

Si Woo Kim ($7,100)

Kim has made 5-of-7 cuts at Torrey Pines—including three top-30 finishes—and he is coming off back-to-back strong starts. After finishing T12th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Kim posted a T21 at the WM Phoenix Open last week. The 29-year-old gained strokes on approach at both these events, and he shot under par in all but one of these eight rounds. In this type of form, Kim has top-20 upside this weekend and is a superb bargain.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code LABS1. 

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Gary Woodland ($6,600)

Woodland has made 14 of 16 cuts at Torrey Pines—including five top-20 finishes—and he has carded five top-25 finishes in his last seven starts entering this week. The former U.S. Open champion has shot under par in 11 of his 12 rounds in 2025, and he ranks 13th in SG: Tee-to-Green on the PGA TOUR this season. Woodland’s form is undeniable, and he is a must-play at this sub-$6,600 price tag.

Justin Rose ($6,400)

Rose shined at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in his last start, finishing T3rd while gaining strokes in every major category. The Englishman has made five of his last seven cuts with four top-25 finishes and is a previous winner at Torrey Pines. Rose won the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open by two strokes, and he has finished inside the top 20 in five of his past nine starts at Torrey Pines. While this is a stacked field, Rose being priced near the minimum is inexcusable, and he needs to be attacked at this low price point.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Shriners Children’s Open Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks and Conviction Plays for the American Express

For the third of eight Signature Events this season, the PGA TOUR is hosting the Genesis Invitational this week. This event usually is played at Riviera CC in Pacific Palisades, California, but given the tragic wildfires in that area last month, the Genesis will instead be played at the South Course (par 72, 7,765 yards, POA greens) of Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California. Three of the four rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open are held at the South Course every year, and this track hosted the 2021 U.S. Open. At the 2025 edition of the Farmers just last month, Harris English won at -8. The Genesis Invitational is hosting a field of 72 golfers this week, and there will be a top-50 and ties after the first two rounds.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

My analysis will frequently 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.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

  • Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
  • Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
  • Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
  • Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
  • Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
  • Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The CliffsNotes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

Become an All-Access Member Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
Become a PRO Member
 

PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link! 

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything you want to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Rory McIlroy ($10,900)

With Scottie Scheffler coming off a disappointing T25 at the WM Phoenix Open, in which he closed the event with a concerning 1-over par round, McIlroy is the No. 1 option this week and a terrific building block for cash games. The Irishman won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by two shots in his last start, which, like the Genesis, is a Signature Event that feature’s the PGA TOUR’s best players. This is McIlroy’s second win in his last four starts, and now he heads to Torrey Pines, where McIlroy has finished inside the top seven in three of his four starts at the famous venue. McIlroy ranks first in Strokes Gained per round at the South Course among this field, and he ranks first in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at courses with POA greens, via the Rabbit Hole. McIlroy is a lock for a top-five finish this weekend, and affording him is easy with many elite, cheap value plays at our disposal.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Hideki Matsuyama ($9,600)

Matsuyama carries the best odds to win of all the $9,000 players this week, and as always, the former Masters champion is a rock-solid option for cash games. Matsuyama has made 10 cuts in a row, and half of these finishes have been top-25 results, including two wins. The veteran has finished inside the top 15 in two of his last three starts at Torrey Pines, and Matsuyama ranks in the top 10 in both SG: Tee-to-Green and SG: Approach this season. If the 32-year-old can find some life with his putter this week, which is possible on these greens he knows very well, Matsuyama could contend.

Taylor Pendrith ($9,000)

Pendrith is coming off a T8 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and in his start prior to this, Pendrith finished T7th at Torrey Pines for the Farmers Insurance Open. This marked the second year in a row Pendrith has finished inside the top 10 at Torrey Pines, and he should tally another high finish at the California-based venue this week. The Canadian has finished T13th or better in eight of his past 10 starts, and he ranks fifth in SG: Tee-to-Green when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Jordan Spieth ($8,500)

Spieth had an excellent showing at the WM Phoenix Open last week, finishing T4th, while ranking top-13 in SG: Tee-to-Green, SG: Approach, and SG: Putting for the event. The three-time major champion shot 68 or better in all four of his rounds, including a 6-under 65 in the second round, which is Spieth’s lowest score since last July. Looking to carry this momentum over to the South Course, Spieth has a ton of merit at this reasonable price. At this venue for the 2021 U.S. Open, Spieth finished T19th.

Thomas Detry ($8,000)

Detry won the WM Phoenix Open last week and did so in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots. This is the Belgian professional’s first victory on the PGA TOUR, and his impressive run should continue at Torrey Pines. Detry has finished inside the top 15 in three of his past five starts, including a T15 at Torrey Pines for the Farmers Insurance Open last month. This marked the second year in a row he has finished inside the top 20 at Torrey Pines, and Detry ranks 10th in SG: Putting on the PGA TOUR this season, which bodes extremely well with the South Course up next. Each of the past four winners at Torrey Pines has finished the week top-10 in SG: Putting.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Will Zalatoris ($7,900)

Zalatoris grew up in California and has contended at Torrey Pines multiple times. He finished T7th at the 2021 U.S. Open at the South Course, and Zalatoris has finished runner-up, MC, and T13th in his last three starts at the Farmers Insurance Open. Among this field, Zalatoris ranks ninth in Strokes Gained per round at the South Course. The 28-year-old now returns to Torrey Pines riding a seven-made-cut streak with four top-20 finishes during this run. Zalatoris has gained strokes on approach in five of his seven starts during this cut streak and is vastly underpriced for his upside. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Zalatoris carries +4000 odds to win this weekend, which are the same odds as Shane Lowry, who is $1,000 more for DFS purposes.

Keegan Bradley ($7,700)

Bradley is a true course horse at Torrey Pines. In 14 starts at the Farmers Insurance Open, Bradley has made 12 cuts and produced eight top-25 finishes, including a T15 last month and a runner-up in 2023. The former FedEx Cup champion ranks 11th among this field in Strokes Gained per round at the South Course, and Bradley has finished T21st or better five of his last six starts, most notably with a win at the BMW Championship in August. Bradley is far too cheap for his potential at only $7,700, which is a huge decrease from the $9,900 salary he carried when he teed it up at Torrey Pines last month.

Si Woo Kim ($7,100)

Kim has made 5-of-7 cuts at Torrey Pines—including three top-30 finishes—and he is coming off back-to-back strong starts. After finishing T12th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Kim posted a T21 at the WM Phoenix Open last week. The 29-year-old gained strokes on approach at both these events, and he shot under par in all but one of these eight rounds. In this type of form, Kim has top-20 upside this weekend and is a superb bargain.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code LABS1. 

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Gary Woodland ($6,600)

Woodland has made 14 of 16 cuts at Torrey Pines—including five top-20 finishes—and he has carded five top-25 finishes in his last seven starts entering this week. The former U.S. Open champion has shot under par in 11 of his 12 rounds in 2025, and he ranks 13th in SG: Tee-to-Green on the PGA TOUR this season. Woodland’s form is undeniable, and he is a must-play at this sub-$6,600 price tag.

Justin Rose ($6,400)

Rose shined at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in his last start, finishing T3rd while gaining strokes in every major category. The Englishman has made five of his last seven cuts with four top-25 finishes and is a previous winner at Torrey Pines. Rose won the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open by two strokes, and he has finished inside the top 20 in five of his past nine starts at Torrey Pines. While this is a stacked field, Rose being priced near the minimum is inexcusable, and he needs to be attacked at this low price point.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Shriners Children’s Open Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks and Conviction Plays for the American Express

About the Author

Alex Hunter is an avid DFS player who produces NFL and NBA content for FantasyLabs. He has been playing DFS for nearly a decade, dating back to the DraftStreet days and has been in the fantasy/betting content business for over eight years. Alex earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Worcester State University and has contributed content for some of the biggest outlets in the industry, such as DraftKings Network, Stokastic (formerly Awesemo) and RotoWire, covering NBA, NFL and PGA. Alex is a data-driven analyst that has multiple wins and high finishes in GPPs on his DFS resume, as well as years of being a successful cash-game player. If you have any questions or need any lineup advice, Alex can be found @Hunta512 on Twitter.