PGA DFS Core Plays: RSM Classic
Top-ranked DFS player, Notorious, breaks down his favorite PGA DFS picks at various salary ranges for this week’s tournament. Who should you be building lineups around? Find out below!
Since revamping my PGA model, I’ve had quite a bit of success in DFS. I’m still searching for a big tournament win, but I will happily take profitable weeks whenever possible. Unfortunately, the PGA TOUR only has one event left on the schedule in 2024. While looking forward to a break, I am excited for a decent field and for Shot Tracker this week at the RSM Classic.
There will be two courses in play at Sea Island this week — the Seaside Course and the Plantation Course. Golfers will play each course on Thursday and Friday. After the cut, the final two rounds of the event will be held at the Seaside Course. In other words, golfers will play the Seaside Course three times if they can make it through the cut. That will be a tougher challenge this week, as there are 156 golfers in the field.
Noto’s PGA Model Download & Video for the RSM Classic (link coming soon)
The Seaside Course is a Par 70 that measures 7,005 yards. It features wide fairways and large greens. Due to the number of water hazards on the course, driving accuracy has been a lot more important than driving distance. The Plantation Course is a Par 72 that measures 7,060 yards. It’s typically the easier of the two courses (at least relative to par), as there are four par fives on the scorecard.
Given how the Seaside Course limits the driver a bit, it is more of a second shot and in type of course. In other words, I’m focusing my attention on strokes gained approach, strokes gained around the green, and strokes gained putting. Both of the courses have bermudagrass greens, so I don’t mind using bermuda splits (which can be found in my model). The winning score will likely be at least -19, so making birdies and avoiding bogeys will certainly come in handy this week.
Let’s end the season with a bang.
Editor’s Note: RotoGrinders has partnered with Betsperts Golf and 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 right to your computer with the click of a button.
- See expert models each week.
PGA DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel Core Plays for the RSM Classic
Field Size:
- 156 golfers
Cut Rule:
- Top 65 and ties
Weather Forecasts
Editor’s Note: Looking for more places to play? Check out our PrizePicks promo code and Sleeper promo code, two of the best DFS apps available today.
Sea Island (Seaside Course)
- Location: St. Simons Island, Georgia
- Seaside: Par 70 — 7,005 yards
- Course type: Coastal
- Recent winners: Ludvig Aberg (-29), Adam Svensson (-19), Talor Gooch (-22), Robert Streb (-19), Tyler Duncan (-19)
- Difficulty: 2023 (53rd), 2022 (33rd), 2021 (33rd), 2020 (40th), 2019 (25th)
- Green type: bermuda
- Green size: 7,200 square feet
- Fairway width: 41 yards
- Missed fairway penalty: medium/low
- Holes with water hazards: 13
- 2023 tournament averages:
- - Driving Accuracy: 70% (TOUR average: 59%)
- - Driving Distance: 285 yards (TOUR average: 293)
- - Greens in Regulation: 78% (TOUR average: 66%)
- 2023 approach shot distributions:
- - 50-75 yards: 4%
- - 75-100 yards: 6%
- - 100-125 yards: 13%
- - 125-150 yards: 22%
- - 150-175 yards: 21%
- - 175-200 yards: 12%
- - 200-225 yards: 12%
- - 225+ yards: 10%
Event and Course Notes
- Shot Tracker is back this week! Well, for most of the rounds anyway
- The first two rounds will be played on the Seaside and Plantation courses. The final two rounds will be played on the Seaside Course
- Full field of 156 golfers this week, so getting 6/6 should be a tough task
- There are a ton of golfers that live and train on Sea Island. However, course history has had mixed results for those playing a home game
- The Plantation Course is usually the easier of the two since it’s a Par 72
- Both courses have water in play on at least 10 of the holes
- Both courses have bermudagrass greens
- The Seaside Course has very wide fairways, but accuracy has been more important than distance
- The winning score is typically at least -19, so making birdies and avoiding bogeys is the name of the game
- The main defense is the wind (especially on the Seaside Course), so make sure to check the forecast
What to Look For
- Strokes gained approach
- Birdie or better %
- Strokes gained putting
- Bogey avoidance
- Strokes gained on short courses
Core Plays
Ben Griffin
DraftKings: $9,300 / pOWN%: 19%
FanDuel: $11,000 / pOWN%: 18%
Strokes Gained Off the Tee: 84
Strokes Gained Approach: 27
Strokes Gained Around the Green: 11
Strokes Gained Putting: 16
Birdie or Better %: 29
Bogey Avoidance: 11
Griffin has been a staple in my lineups this fall, and he’s been solid, posting top-25 finishes in four of his last five starts. His only weakness is off the tee, and the Seaside course is more of a second shot and in type of course. Compared to the rest of the field, Griffin is excellent on approach, around the green, and putting. He’s coming off a T8 finish last week at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, and he finished T8 at this event last year. He has excellent splits on short courses, on easy courses, and on bermuda courses. He’s my favorite starting point for lineups, especially on DraftKings.
Want to read more? Sign up for Premium!
