For the 2024 U.S. Open, we make our way to Pinehurst No.2 (par 70, 7,543 yards, Bermuda greens) in Pinehurst, North Carolina. This track was designed by Donald Ross, and this will be the fourth time Pinehurst No.2 has hosted the U.S. Open. This venue last hosted this major in 2014, when Martin Kaymer ran away with an eight-shot victory, finishing at -9. For this week, there will be 156 golfers competing, and only the top 60 and ties will be advancing through the cut, which will take place following 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 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.
Tool Highlights
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- See expert models each week.
DraftKings $10,000+ Range
Scottie Scheffler ($13,000) – Even at this slate-high salary, Scheffler remains too cheap and per usual, building around him is without a doubt the best move for cash games this week. Scheffler notched another win at the Memorial this past week and in his last eight starts, he has incredibly won five times and recorded two runners-up finishes.
Following his win at the Memorial, he is the No.1 ranked player in the world by a mile, boasting more than double the amount of OWG points as the No.2 ranked player, Xander Schaufele. Scheffler has finished inside the top three at the last two U.S. Opens, and it would be shocking if he finished anything worse than runner-up this week.
DraftKings $9,000 Range
Viktor Hovland ($9,800) – After finishing T3rd at the PGA Championship, Hovland carded a T15 finish at the Memorial this past week. The 26-year-old ranked top-six in SG: Approach at both these events and will now look to carry this immaculate form as a ball striker over to Pinehurst No.2, which is a venue that sets up well for Hovland.
He just won the TOUR Championship at East Lake last August, which is a par 70 that is considered to be a Ross design, after the course saw major renovations under the famous architect. Hovland ranks fifth in Total Strokes Gained when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at Ross courses – via the Betsperts Rabbit Hole – and is a compelling spend at this sub $10,000 salary.
Collin Morikawa ($9,400) – Morikawa is a steal at this price tag. The two-time major champion finished runner-up to Scheffler by one stroke at the Memorial last week and has finished top five in four of his last six starts. Gaining strokes in every major category at back-to-back events, there isn’t a blemish in Morikawa’s game right now, and he should be in the mix for his first U.S. Open title this weekend.
Morikawa has finished inside the top five at both majors this season, and he has finished inside the top five at two of the last three U.S. Opens. Despite being the ninth most expensive golfer this week, Morikawa carries the fourth-best odds to win the U.S. Open on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Now in beta testing: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
DraftKings $8,000 Range
Tommy Fleetwood ($8,500) – Fleetwood finished T5th at last year’s U.S. Open – which is one of his three top-10 finishes at the major – and is a safe target this week. The Englishman arrives at Pinehurst riding a seven-made cut streak, with six of these finishes impressively coming inside the top 25. Ranking 17th in SG: Around-the-Green this season, Fleetwood is an excellent short-game player, and his prowess around the greens should lift him to a quality finish at Pinehurst No.2, where the greens are very difficult to hold consistently.
Hideki Matsuyama ($8,100) – Matsuyama boasts a terrific resume at the U.S. Open. In 11 appearances at the major, the former Masters champion has only missed one cut and has produced seven top-20 finishes. Overall, Matsuyama’s 25.5 career average finish at the U.S. Open ranks third among all the players competing this week who have played in at least five editions of this major.
As for his current form, Matsuyama finished T8th at the Memorial this past week – while gaining strokes in every major category – marking his fifth top-12 finish in his last seven starts. At only $8,100, Matsuyama is undoubtedly one of the best values on the board.
DraftKings $7,000 Range
Sahith Theegala ($7,600) – It’s hard not to love Theegala at this sub-$ $8,000 price tag. The 26-year-old is fresh off a T12 at the Memorial last week, which marked his seventh top-15 finish in 16 starts this season. While Theegala has only made one cut in three starts at the U.S. Open, he is playing the best golf of his career, sitting at a career-best No.11 in the world golf rankings, and his elite skills with his driver should help him succeed at the very long Pinehurst No.2. Theegala ranks 20th in SG: Off-the-Tee this season and when Kaymer won at this daunting par 70 a decade ago, he finished the event top 10 in both driving accuracy and distance. While Theegala is the No.11 ranked golfer in the world, he is only the 25th most expensive golfer on DraftKings this week.
Tom Kim ($7,300) – Kim has only failed to make the cut twice in 16 starts this season and he provided a top-30 finish at each of the first two majors of the year. Plus, since making his U.S. Open debut two years ago, Kim has finished 23rd and T8th at the last two editions of this major. Carrying +6000 odds to win this weekend on the DraftKings Sportsbook, Kim presents terrific odds relative to his DFS salary and is a rock-solid option for cash games.
Sam Burns ($7,300) – Burns has finished inside the top 35 at each of the last two U.S. Opens, and his game is in pristine form, with a top-15 finish in three of his past four starts. Burns has the driver to succeed at Pinehurst No.2 – he ranks 22nd in SG: Off-the-Tee when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds using the Rabbit Hole – and it is also an encouraging sign that this par 70 is home to Bermuda greens. Of Burns’ four solo wins on the PGA TOUR, three have come at tracks that present Bermuda putting surfaces.
DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range
Russell Henley ($6,900) – As always with major championships, Henley is vastly underpriced and is a must-have value play. Despite having one of his best seasons on the PGA TOUR and being the No.17 ranked golfer in the world, Henley is only the 38th most expensive golfer this week at $6,900, which is the cheapest he has been on DraftKings in nearly four years.
This season, the veteran has only missed one cut in 13 starts, and he has supplied eight top-30 finishes. Furthermore, Henley has carded a top-30 finish at four of the last five U.S. Opens and he has experience at Pinehurst No.2, finishing T60th at the track for the 2014 U.S. Open. Sitting 34 spots higher in the world golf rankings this time around, Henley should produce a much better finish at the Ross creation. Via the Rabbit Hole, the 35-year-old ranks third in Total Strokes Gained when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at a Ross design.
Sepp Straka ($6,500) – Very few are playing better golf than Straka heading into this major. At the challenging Muirfield Village last week, the veteran gained strokes in every major category en route to a T5 finish, which is Straka’s fourth top-eight finish in his last five starts. The 31-year-old hasn’t been great at U.S. Opens, only making 1-of-3 cuts at the major, but Straka is criminally underpriced for his current form and is a standout value when we compare Vegas odds to DFS salaries.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Straka carries +7000 odds to win the U.S. Open, which are better odds than Will Zalatoris, who is far more expensive for DFS at $8,300.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout ($6,200) – Bezuidenhout has advanced to the weekend in both of his starts at the U.S. Open and is in excellent form right now. The South African impressed at the Memorial this past week, carding a T4 finish while gaining strokes in every major category at the difficult Muirfield Village. Bezuidenhout has now recorded nine top-25 finishes in 15 starts this season, and his price tag on DraftKings has hit a new season-low after dropping $1,700 from last week’s Memorial, which also features a world-class field as one of the PGA TOUR’s signature events this season.
By no means should Bezuidenhout’s price tag be cut like this, and he is a very sharp punt this week, that will help you roster Scheffler and his slate-high salary.
