After one week off, the PGA TOUR season continues this week with the World Wide Technology Championship. For the second year in a row, this tournament will be played at the Tiger Woods designed El Cardonal at Diamante (par 72, 7,452 yards, paspalum greens) in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Erik Van Rooyen, this event last season’s at -27, and this week’s field features 120 golfers. After the first 36 holes, there will be a top 65 and ties 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.
Tool Highlights
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DraftKings $10,000+ Range
Max Greyserman ($10,400) – Greyserman is the favorite this week and worth this slate-high salary. In his first start of the fall at the ZOZO two weeks ago, Greyserman was extremely close to picking up his first PGA TOUR win, finishing as the runner-up by only one shot. This wasn’t an outlier performance either, as Greyserman has impressively finished runner-up in three of his last five starts. Overall, the 24-year-old has made 10 straight cuts, with six of these finishes coming inside the top 25. Greyserman has moved himself up 106 spots in the world golf rankings during this streak, and he ranks first in SG: Putting and Birdie or Better percentage when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds. Greyserman has shot even par or better in 34 of his last 36 rounds – including a 10-under 60 at Sedgefield CC for the Wyndham Championship.
Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
DraftKings $9,000 Range
Doug Ghim ($9,600) – Ghim finished T15th at El Cardonal last season, and the veteran has an even better upside this time around. Ghim had missed back-to-back cuts heading into last year’s World Wide Technology Championship, and he was the 193rd-ranked golfer in the world. This time around, Ghim heads to Cabo as the 90th-ranked golfer in the world, and he has made seven cuts in a row, including a runner-up finish at the Shriners Children’s Open three weeks ago. Ghim’s ball striking has been immaculate, with him ranking first in SG: Tee-to-Green and second in SG: Approach when we analyze this field’s last 24 rounds, and he is a tremendous spend this week.
J.J. Spaun ($9,000) – DraftKings continues to underprice Spaun this fall, and as always, he is a very safe choice this week. The veteran finished T67th at El Cardonal last season, but Spaun should produce a much better finish in his second attempt at the venue. Spaun ranks second in both SG: Approach and par-4 efficiency when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, and he has a knack for flourishing in easy scoring conditions. Ed Cardonal saw nine players crack -20 last season, and when analyzing this field’s last 50 rounds in easy and very easy scoring conditions using the BetSperts Rabbit Hole, Spaun ranks fifth in Strokes Gained per round.
DraftKings $8,000 Range
Matt Kuchar ($8,500) – Kuchar is a tough fade this week. The veteran finished runner-up to Van Rooyen by two strokes at El Cardonal last season, and Kuchar is playing great golf right now. The 46-year-old has made eight of his last 10 cuts, with five top-25 finishes during this stretch. Ranking fifth in SG: Approach over his last 24 rounds, Kuchar is striking the ball at an elite level, and when you combine this factor with his prowess for paspalum greens, the veteran is a threat to contend at El Cardonal again this week. When we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at courses with paspalum greens via the Rabbit Hole, Kuchar ranks fourth in strokes gained per round.
Rico Hoey ($8,300) – Hoey has been one of the most consistent players on the PGA TOUR over the last six months, as the maker of 11 straight cuts, with eight of these finishes being top-30 results. Hoey just finished T3rd at the Shriners Children’s Open three weeks ago and he has shot under par in all but one of his last 12 rounds. This will be Hoey’s debut at El Cardonal, but his game sets up well for the par 72, with Hoey ranking fifth in 450-500-yard par-4 efficiency when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds. This is a notable stat this week, with six of the 10 par fours at El Cardonal falling between 450-500 yards and Van Rooyen ranking fourth in efficiency on these holes when he won the World Wide Technology Championship last year.
DraftKings $7,000 Range
Jacob Bridgeman ($7,800) – Bridgeman is coming off a T29 at the Shriners Children’s Open, which is his fifth made cut and fourth top-30 finish in his last six starts. While this will be his first time competing at El Cardonal, Bridgeman checks all the boxes for the susceptible track. The 24-year-old ranks fourth SG: Putting and eighth in Birdie or Better percentage when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, and Bridgeman has carded a top-25 finish in each of his last two starts at a course that features paspalum greens.
Neal Shipley ($7,700) – Shipley is a steal at this sub-$8,000 salary. The low amateur at both the Masters and U.S. Open earlier this year has become a reliable player, with Shipley making 7-of-8 cuts at the PGA TOUR level, including four top-30 finishes. The 23-year-old has gained strokes collectively with both his irons and putter in three of his last four starts, and he has a top-10 upside in this weak field.
Joe Highsmith ($7,400) – Highsmith is having a great fall swing, advancing to the weekend in all four of his starts since the beginning of September, including three finishes inside the top-16. Most notably, Highsmith finished T6th at the Black Desert Championship last month with a score of -16, showing you he has the ability to thrive in low-scoring conditions. Also, Highsmith ranks sixth in 450-500-yard par-4 efficiency when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, which bodes well for El Cardonal, where six of the 10 par fours fall in this range. Highsmith should supply a quality finish in his first try at the par 72 and is one of the best bargains on the board at this low salary.
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DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range
Scott Piercy ($6,900) – Piercy finished T23rd at El Cardonal last season and the veteran returns to Cabo in compelling form. Piercy is fresh off a T16 at the Shriners Children’s Open, and he has made 11 of his last 14 cuts. The 45-year-old’s ball striking has been rejuvenated, with him gaining strokes on approach in four of his last five starts, and Piercy has the potential for another top-25 finish at Ed Cardonal with his game ascending right now.
Wesley Bryan ($6,800) – Bryan has stormed back on the scene this fall, finishing T13th, T37th and T21st in the last three starts. The former PGA TOUR winner has shot under par in 10 of his 12 rounds during this span, and he has gained strokes on approach and with his putter in back-to-back starts. With a runner-up finish at the Corales Puntacana Championship on his resume, Bryan has the ability to catch fire on paspalum greens, and he should, at the minimum, advance to the weekend in his debut at El Cardonal this week.