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PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for The Sentry on DraftKings

By Alex Hunter @Hunta512
Dec 31, 2024

For the first tournament of the 2025 PGA TOUR season, the Sentry is being played at the Plantation Course (par 73, 7,596 yards, Bermuda greens) of the Kapalua Resort in Lahaina, Hawaii this week. This course has hosted the Sentry since 1999, and Chris Kirk won this event last season at -29. This is a 60-man field after Scottie Scheffler’s (hand) withdrawal over the weekend, and there will be no cut.

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.

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.

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DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Xander Schauffele ($11,100)

Building around Schauffelle makes a ton of sense this week. With Scheffler missing, Schauffele is the unanimous favorite to win the Sentry with field-best +500 odds on the DraftKings Sportsbook, and this $11,100 salary is just too low for those types of odds. Schauffle won the 2019 Sentry, and he has finished inside the top 10 four times in seven appearances at the Plantation Course. Including two wins, Schauffele has carded seven top-five finishes in his last 15 starts entering this week. Plus, when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at courses with Bermuda greens, Schauffele ranks first in Strokes Gained per round, via the Rabbit Hole.

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

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Justin Thomas ($9,700)

Thomas boasts an incredible resume at the Plantation Course. The 31-year-old has won twice at this par 73 – once by a significant three shots – and he has finished inside the top five five times in seven starts at the Sentry. Thomas owns a 10.1 career average finish at the Plantation Course, and he should contend at the seaside track again this week, considering his tremendous form. Thomas has finished T7th, T2nd, and third in his last three starts. Despite carrying the second-best betting odds to win the Sentry, he is only the sixth-most-expensive option on DraftKings for DFS, making him arguably the best value on the slate.

Sungjae Im ($9,500)

Im has never finished worse than T13th in four attempts at the Plantations Course – including a pair of T5 finishes – and he ranks fifth in Strokes Gained per round when we analyze this field’s histories at the par 73, via the Rabbit Hole. Notably, during his T5 at last year’s Sentry, Im led the field in birdies. The 26-year-old has finished T13th or better in seven of his past 10 starts and, as always, is a sensational target for cash games.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Sahith Theegala ($8,600)

Theegala finished runner-up to Kirk by one shot at last year’s Sentry while gaining strokes in every major category. With the Plantation Course home to wide fairways and thin rough, Theegala can freely attack this track with his driver, making it a perfect setup for the aggressive player. Theegala has finished inside the top 10 in three of his past four starts and is a great choice at this reasonable price tag.

Byeong Hun An ($8,400)

An is coming off a win at the DP World Tour’s Genesis Championship in October, which marked his seventh made cut in a row and sixth top-25 finish during this span. The 33-year-old now heads to the Plantation Course this week as the 27th ranked golfer in the world, which is a huge upgrade from the No. 60 spot he held heading into last year’s Sentry, in which he finished T4th in his first start at the event. An gained strokes across the board in that impressive debut, and he is a real threat to contend again this week. An has made three career starts at courses in Hawaii. He has flourished in the Aloha state, finishing T12th, T4th and T2nd, in that order. Of the players in this field who competed in Hawaii at least twice, An ranks first in career Strokes Gained per round.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

J.T. Poston ($7,500)

Poston had an awesome Fall Swing. After winning the Shriners Open in October, he finished T5th at the RSM Classic in November. Poston gained strokes on approach during both these finishes, and he will now look to carry this momentum over to the Plantation Course, where he finished T5th a year ago. Poston has carded two top-12 finishes in three starts at the coastal track, and he is a terrific bargain at this cheap price tag.

Taylor Pendrith ($7,500)

Pendrith has been playing incredible golf and should have an excellent Sentry debut this week. The Canadian has made 11 cuts in a row, including four top-10 finishes in his past six starts. Pendrith’s most recent finish was a T8 at the Shriners Open in October, and he opened this tournament with a career-low 10-under par 61. Pendrith ranked fifth in SG: Putting on the PGA TOUR last season, and his expertise with the flat stick should translate into plenty of success at the Plantation Course. This track is home to the largest greens on the PGA TOUR and given these putting surface’s large size, having a strong performance with your putter is essential in contending at the Plantation Course. Of the past four winners at this venue, three have led their fields in SG: Putting.

Maverick McNealy ($7,500)

McNealy is another Sentry debutant who should thrive at the Plantation Course. McNealy is playing the best golf of his career, finishing T16, T6th, T17th, and 1st in his last four starts, with that victory coming at the RSM Classic last month. This stellar run has moved McNealy up 43 spots in the world golf rankings to a career-best No. 30, and he finished last season 10th on the PGA TOUR in total strokes. Specifically, McNealy ranked 29th in SG: Putting and ninth in birdies converted, setting him perfectly for low-scoring conditions that await at the Plantation Course.

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DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Will Zalatoris ($6,900)

Coming off major back surgery, Zalatoris had a very up-and-down campaign last season, but now, nearly two years removed from the surgery, he is finally starting to play consistent golf again. In his past four starts, Zalatoris has finished T12th, T13th, T41st, and T18th while gaining strokes on approach at all of these tournaments. The 28-year-old finished T11th in his lone start at the Plantation Course two years ago and has the potential for a similar result this weekend.

Eric Cole ($6,900)

Cole finished T14th in his Sentry debut a year ago and returns to Kapalua in compelling form, finishing T16th, MC, T6th and T15th in his last four starts. That latter finish came at the RSM Classic, where Cole gained strokes in every major category and closed the event with a 7-under 63. The 36-year-old ranks ninth in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at courses home to Bermuda greens – via the Rabbit Hole – and Cole is an outstanding, cheap option for cash games this week.