PGA DFS Core Plays: Zurich 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 around? Find out below.
Zurich Classic
The RBC Heritage was a fun event and we were really close to having a big week. Sungjae Im and Patrick Cantlay were both in contention no Sunday and Cam Davis ended up being a huge difference-maker in tournaments thanks to finishing in a tie for seventh. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough exposure to Matt Fitzpatrick in betting or in DFS. On last week’s show with STLCards, we talked about how much Fitzpatrick loves Harbour Town, but I know the full story behind it. Apparently, Hilton Head was the favorite vacation spot for the Fitzpatricks growing up. He has now won the U.S. Open at the same course where he won the U.S. Amateur and has won at the course he loved coming to most of his childhood. Stories like this are exactly why we focus way too much of our attention on narratives, but aren’t they fun when they come to fruition?
This week we have the Zurich Classic, which is a team event these days. While I like this event more than most, it does take a lot more work on the backend when it comes to modeling and posting course history. I want to make a couple of points before we get into the specifics of the event. First off, we only have projections for half of the golfers in LineupHQ. This prevents you from building lineups that have two golfers on the same team. The scoring is for the team, so it doesn’t matter if you roster Patrick Cantlay or Xander Schauffele. In this example, we only have Cantlay with a projection in LineupHQ. Keep that in mind when using our lineup builder here at RotoGrinders.
When it comes to my model (download link below), you can adjust the weights however you like and it will give you individual ratings like usual. It will also calculate a rating for the team (which is just the average of the two individual golfers). When you upload your custom ratings into LineupHQ, only one golfer will have a projection. If you have any questions at all, you know where you can find me (Twitter or Discord). As for the event itself, there are 80 teams of two teeing it up this week with the top 33 teams and ties moving on to play the weekend. The first and third rounds will be played with the bestball format and the second and fourth rounds will be played with the alternate shot format.
The course in play this week is TPC Louisiana, which is located just outside of New Orleans. It’s a Par 72 that measures just over 7,400 yards. This is another Pete Dye design that tends to neutralize power. The greens here are fairly small (5,500 square feet on average) and they feature poa annua grass. As far as course fit, I’m looking for golfers that are solid all-around. The team aspect increases the variance, especially since the format changes each day. Teams that don’t have any glaring weaknesses should be in the best spot to succeed. I’m also leaning into the team chemistry narrative (golfers that are friends, have played together before, went to college together, etc.).
Model Video & Download Link for the Zurich Classic
Field Size:
- 80 teams of two golfers
Cut Rule:
- The top 33 teams and ties move on after the first two rounds
Weather Forecasts
- Roth’s DFS Forecast (link coming soon)
- Windfinder
- Weather Channel
Golf Course
- TPC Louisiana
- Location: Avondale, Louisiana (just outside of New Orleans)
- Designer: Pete Dye
- Par 72, 7,425 yards
- Average green size: 5,225 square feet
- Grass type on greens: poa annua
Event Format
- First and third rounds will be four-ball (best ball)
- Second and fourth rounds will be foursomes (alternate shot)
Skill Sets to Target
- Ball striking
- All-around
- Strokes gained putting
- Team golf experience
- Team chemistry