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PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for The Open Championship on DraftKings

For our final major championship of the season, Royal Troon Golf Club (par 71, 7,385 yards, Bentgrass/POA greens) in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland, is hosting the 152nd Open Championship. Royal Troon last hosted this major in 2016, when Henrik Stenson won by three shots at -20, three shots clear of Phil Mickelson. That year, it was a two-man race, as Stenson and Mickelson finished 11 strokes ahead of the field. There will be 158 golfers teeing it up at Royal Troon this week and following the first two rounds, there will be a top-70 and ties cut taking place.

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 cliff notes 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.

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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 right to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.
 

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Rory McIlroy ($11,400) – While it’s always difficult fading Scottie Scheffler, saving $1.4K with McIlroy is the right call for the Open Championship. The Irishman finished T4th at the Genesis Scottish Open last week and has finished inside the top five in four of his last six starts. Plus, McIlroy finished T5th at Royal Troon in 2016, which is just one of his six top-six finishes in his last eight starts at the Open Championship. McIlroy ranks first in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at courses in the UK or Ireland – via the Rabbit Hole – and he is the best starting piece for cash game lineups this week. In our PGA models, McIlroy carries the highest Perfect% on the slate by a comfortable margin.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Collin Morikawa ($9,900) – Morikawa is in tremendous form and should contend for his second Claret Jug this weekend. After finishing T4th at the Genesis Scottish Open last week, Morikawa has carded four top-five finishes in his last six starts. The 27-year-old has gained strokes on approach at six consecutive events, and he ranks second in driving accuracy this season, making him a perfect match for Royal Troon. When Stenson won the 2016 Open at this course, he finished the major fifth in driving accuracy and first greens in regulation.

Tommy Fleetwood ($9,300) – Fleetwood has finished inside the top 12 at four of the last five Open Championships – including a solo runner-up in 2019 – and is poised for another high finish at this major. The Englishman ranks fifth in Strokes Gained per round when we analyze this field’s last 50 rounds at links courses – via the Rabbit Hole – and he has made 11 straight cuts, with eight top-25 finishes during this streak. Fleetwood ranks fifth in driving accuracy this season and his precise driver should help him thrive at Royal Troon, where being in the fairway is extremely important.

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

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Tony Finau ($8,700) – Including a T18 at Royal Troon, Finau has tallied four top 20s in seven starts at the Open Championship, and he returns to Troon in terrific form this week. Finau finished T5th at the Travelers Championship in his last start, which is his fifth straight top-20 finish and the fifth event in a row he has gained strokes on approach. Finau ranks third in SG: Approach for the season, and he ranks fifth in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds in the UK or Ireland, via the Rabbit Hole.

Tom Kim ($8,300) – In the early stages of his career, Kim has shown a true knack for links golf. The 22-year-old just finished T15th at the Renaissance Club last week, after finishing inside the top five at links venue the previous two seasons. Furthermore, Kim has advanced to the weekend in each of his first two starts at the Open Championship, most notably with a runner-up finish last season, and amongst this field, Kim ranks seventh in strokes gained per round at courses in the UK and Ireland, via the Rabbit Hole. The three-time PGA TOUR winner has only missed one cut in his last 11 starts and is too cheap for his upside.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Robert MacIntyre ($7,700) – After finishing runner-up at the event last season, MacIntyre won the Scottish Open this past week – including a tournament-low 7-under 63 during the third round – marking his second win of the season. The Scot has produced five top-10 finishes this season and he has never missed a missed cut in five appearances at the Open Championship, including a pair of top-eight finishes. Overall, MacIntyre ranks second only to McIlroy in Strokes Gained per round at UK and Ireland courses, via the Rabbit Hole. MacIntyre is a true links specialist and is one of the best values of the week at this sub $8,000 salary. On the DraftKings Sportsbook, MacIntyre and Patrick Cantlay both carry +4000 odds to win the Open Championship this weekend, but MacIntyre is $1,300 less for DFS purposes.

Aaron Rai ($7,300) – Rai earned a well-deserved spot in this week’s Open Championship after posting a T4 finish at the Genesis Scottish Open last week, which marked his fifth top-20 finish in a row. Ranking seventh in SG: Approach and first in driving accuracy when compared to this field’s last 50 rounds, Rai’s game fits Royal Troon like a glove, and he is criminally underpriced for his upside.

Corey Conners ($7,300) – Conners is a steal at this cheap salary, which is a dramatic decrease from his $8,900 price tag for last week’s Genesis Scottish Open. The Canadian finished T10th at Renaissance Club in that start and owns a perfect 15-for-15 record in terms of made cuts this season. Ten of those finishes have been top-25 results, and Conners ranks fourth in SG: Approach for the season. To top it all off, the 32-year-old has made three straight cuts at the Open Championship, including two top-30 finishes.

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Sungjae Im ($6,900) – Im is one of the best values we have seen on DraftKings this season. He finished T20th at the Open Championship last season, and very few travel to Royal Troon in better form than Im. Following his T4th at the Genesis Scottish Open last week, Im has finished inside the top 12 six times in his last nine starts. Im ranks 13th in Total Strokes Gained when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, and he is the 24th-ranked golfer in the world, but is he only the 40th most lucrative option on DraftKings this week. Im hasn’t been this cheap in nearly five years and is a core play for all formats.

Adam Scott ($6,700) – Scott is another incredible value play from the $6,000 range. The Aussie had his best performance of the season last week at the Genesis Scottish Open, finishing runner-up to MacIntyre by one shot. In 15 starts this season, Scott has made 13 cuts and generated seven top-25 finishes. Additionally, the veteran has been outstanding at the Open Championship, advancing to the weekend in 18 of his last 20 starts at this major, with a whopping 12 of these finishes being top-30 results. Scott boasts +5500 odds to win at Royal Troon on the DraftKings Sportsbook, which are better odds than a $8,100 priced Matthew Fitzpatrick, which is clear evidence that Scott is extremely underpriced at $6,700.

Shubhankar Sharma ($5,900) – If in need of a full punt play, Sharma is worth considering for cash games. The Indian professional finished T8th at last year’s Open Championship and has never missed a cut at this major in three attempts. Sharma’s form is also very compelling. The two-time DP World Tour winner finished T39th at last week’s Genesis Scottish Open while impressively leading the entire field in SG: Approach at the Renaissance Club. Sharma has only missed one cut in his last 10 starts worldwide and surely will come with very low ownership.  

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for THE PLAYERS Championship WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play PGA DFS Stats Preview: Course Fits, GPP Picks, and Values FREE! Augusta Golf Squares Contest PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Wells Fargo Championship on DraftKings

For our final major championship of the season, Royal Troon Golf Club (par 71, 7,385 yards, Bentgrass/POA greens) in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland, is hosting the 152nd Open Championship. Royal Troon last hosted this major in 2016, when Henrik Stenson won by three shots at -20, three shots clear of Phil Mickelson. That year, it was a two-man race, as Stenson and Mickelson finished 11 strokes ahead of the field. There will be 158 golfers teeing it up at Royal Troon this week and following the first two rounds, there will be a top-70 and ties cut taking place.

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 cliff notes 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 right to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.
 

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Rory McIlroy ($11,400) – While it’s always difficult fading Scottie Scheffler, saving $1.4K with McIlroy is the right call for the Open Championship. The Irishman finished T4th at the Genesis Scottish Open last week and has finished inside the top five in four of his last six starts. Plus, McIlroy finished T5th at Royal Troon in 2016, which is just one of his six top-six finishes in his last eight starts at the Open Championship. McIlroy ranks first in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at courses in the UK or Ireland – via the Rabbit Hole – and he is the best starting piece for cash game lineups this week. In our PGA models, McIlroy carries the highest Perfect% on the slate by a comfortable margin.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Collin Morikawa ($9,900) – Morikawa is in tremendous form and should contend for his second Claret Jug this weekend. After finishing T4th at the Genesis Scottish Open last week, Morikawa has carded four top-five finishes in his last six starts. The 27-year-old has gained strokes on approach at six consecutive events, and he ranks second in driving accuracy this season, making him a perfect match for Royal Troon. When Stenson won the 2016 Open at this course, he finished the major fifth in driving accuracy and first greens in regulation.

Tommy Fleetwood ($9,300) – Fleetwood has finished inside the top 12 at four of the last five Open Championships – including a solo runner-up in 2019 – and is poised for another high finish at this major. The Englishman ranks fifth in Strokes Gained per round when we analyze this field’s last 50 rounds at links courses – via the Rabbit Hole – and he has made 11 straight cuts, with eight top-25 finishes during this streak. Fleetwood ranks fifth in driving accuracy this season and his precise driver should help him thrive at Royal Troon, where being in the fairway is extremely important.

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

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Tony Finau ($8,700) – Including a T18 at Royal Troon, Finau has tallied four top 20s in seven starts at the Open Championship, and he returns to Troon in terrific form this week. Finau finished T5th at the Travelers Championship in his last start, which is his fifth straight top-20 finish and the fifth event in a row he has gained strokes on approach. Finau ranks third in SG: Approach for the season, and he ranks fifth in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds in the UK or Ireland, via the Rabbit Hole.

Tom Kim ($8,300) – In the early stages of his career, Kim has shown a true knack for links golf. The 22-year-old just finished T15th at the Renaissance Club last week, after finishing inside the top five at links venue the previous two seasons. Furthermore, Kim has advanced to the weekend in each of his first two starts at the Open Championship, most notably with a runner-up finish last season, and amongst this field, Kim ranks seventh in strokes gained per round at courses in the UK and Ireland, via the Rabbit Hole. The three-time PGA TOUR winner has only missed one cut in his last 11 starts and is too cheap for his upside.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Robert MacIntyre ($7,700) – After finishing runner-up at the event last season, MacIntyre won the Scottish Open this past week – including a tournament-low 7-under 63 during the third round – marking his second win of the season. The Scot has produced five top-10 finishes this season and he has never missed a missed cut in five appearances at the Open Championship, including a pair of top-eight finishes. Overall, MacIntyre ranks second only to McIlroy in Strokes Gained per round at UK and Ireland courses, via the Rabbit Hole. MacIntyre is a true links specialist and is one of the best values of the week at this sub $8,000 salary. On the DraftKings Sportsbook, MacIntyre and Patrick Cantlay both carry +4000 odds to win the Open Championship this weekend, but MacIntyre is $1,300 less for DFS purposes.

Aaron Rai ($7,300) – Rai earned a well-deserved spot in this week’s Open Championship after posting a T4 finish at the Genesis Scottish Open last week, which marked his fifth top-20 finish in a row. Ranking seventh in SG: Approach and first in driving accuracy when compared to this field’s last 50 rounds, Rai’s game fits Royal Troon like a glove, and he is criminally underpriced for his upside.

Corey Conners ($7,300) – Conners is a steal at this cheap salary, which is a dramatic decrease from his $8,900 price tag for last week’s Genesis Scottish Open. The Canadian finished T10th at Renaissance Club in that start and owns a perfect 15-for-15 record in terms of made cuts this season. Ten of those finishes have been top-25 results, and Conners ranks fourth in SG: Approach for the season. To top it all off, the 32-year-old has made three straight cuts at the Open Championship, including two top-30 finishes.

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Sungjae Im ($6,900) – Im is one of the best values we have seen on DraftKings this season. He finished T20th at the Open Championship last season, and very few travel to Royal Troon in better form than Im. Following his T4th at the Genesis Scottish Open last week, Im has finished inside the top 12 six times in his last nine starts. Im ranks 13th in Total Strokes Gained when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, and he is the 24th-ranked golfer in the world, but is he only the 40th most lucrative option on DraftKings this week. Im hasn’t been this cheap in nearly five years and is a core play for all formats.

Adam Scott ($6,700) – Scott is another incredible value play from the $6,000 range. The Aussie had his best performance of the season last week at the Genesis Scottish Open, finishing runner-up to MacIntyre by one shot. In 15 starts this season, Scott has made 13 cuts and generated seven top-25 finishes. Additionally, the veteran has been outstanding at the Open Championship, advancing to the weekend in 18 of his last 20 starts at this major, with a whopping 12 of these finishes being top-30 results. Scott boasts +5500 odds to win at Royal Troon on the DraftKings Sportsbook, which are better odds than a $8,100 priced Matthew Fitzpatrick, which is clear evidence that Scott is extremely underpriced at $6,700.

Shubhankar Sharma ($5,900) – If in need of a full punt play, Sharma is worth considering for cash games. The Indian professional finished T8th at last year’s Open Championship and has never missed a cut at this major in three attempts. Sharma’s form is also very compelling. The two-time DP World Tour winner finished T39th at last week’s Genesis Scottish Open while impressively leading the entire field in SG: Approach at the Renaissance Club. Sharma has only missed one cut in his last 10 starts worldwide and surely will come with very low ownership.  

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for THE PLAYERS Championship WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play PGA DFS Stats Preview: Course Fits, GPP Picks, and Values FREE! Augusta Golf Squares Contest PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Wells Fargo Championship on DraftKings

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.