PGA Drive for Show, DFS for Dough - Zurich Classic
Our PGA gurus are here to break down the field for the Zurich Classic! Join Justin Van Zuiden (stlcardinals84) and Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) for Drive for Show, DFS for Dough, your first look at this week’s PGA DFS slate.
Show Highlights
This podcast episode focuses on providing expert strategies and insights for the Zurich Classic. Hosted by Justin Van Zuiden and Derek Farnsworth, the episode dives into the importance of player selection, course evaluation, and lineup building.
Watch the video below to hear all about the Zurich Classic PGA DFS slate!
Course Overview
- 74 two-man teams
- Format rotates best ball / alternate shot each round. Best ball rounds produce 10–12 under par team scores; last year’s winning score was -28.
- Getting all six slots through the cut is essential — a 6-6 lineup is nearly impossible to beat otherwise.
- Pete Dye design; plays shorter and tighter than a power course — all archetypes can compete.
- Primary skills: approach play, Driving Accuracy, putting, Birdie or Better %. Scrambling is low priority.
- Highest-variance event on the calendar.
DFS Strategy
- Spend up: $10,000 and $9,000 tiers are strong; $8,000 range lacks conviction.
- Use 2026 Birdie or Better % as the primary filter; approach and Driving Accuracy are secondary.
- Gerard and Yellamaraju will be heavily owned — build your leverage plan accordingly.
- Course history is a tiebreaker only — variance here is extreme.
- Avoid YOLO plays in cash and single-entry formats.
Player Highlights
$10,000 Range
- Koepka / Lowry — target — highest combined talent ceiling in the field; Lowry has deep course history; Koepka made 20 Masters birdies and needs FedExCup points for signature event access; putter concerns are mitigated by the format. Best use: all formats.
- Matthew Fitzpatrick / Alex Fitzpatrick — target — Matt coming off a win; recent results of 6th, 14th, 23rd; gaining in all four strokes-gained categories; Alex won his last DP World Tour start; a win earns Alex his PGA TOUR card. Best use: all formats.
$9,000 Range
- Gerard / Yellamaraju — primary $9,000 target — Gerard is an elite ball striker; Yellamaraju is well-rounded and a better putter, making the pairing additive; Gerard ranks 8th and Yellamaraju 3rd in the field in 2026 Birdie or Better %. Expect high ownership. Best use: all formats.
- Griffin / Novak — cautious — defending champs; both out of form; Griffin’s driving has regressed significantly; Novak showed modest improvement last week. Best use: GPP, low exposure.
- Li / Smith — sprinkle — two European Tour ball strikers with status motivation; Li showed ceiling at the Masters before a Sunday blowup; inconsistency is the risk. Best use: GPP.
$8,000 Range
- Brennan / Keefer — $8,000 favorite — Keefer texted Brennan right after his first PGA TOUR win to set up this pairing; Brennan is a big hitter; Keefer adds length with volatile consistency; ceiling is the best in this tier. Best use: GPP, single-entry viable.
$7,000 Range
- Smotherman / Putnam — target — elite iron player meets elite short game; both posted top-five finishes this spring; safest cut-making bet in the $7,000 range. Best use: cash and single entry.
- Jarvis / Ewart — sprinkle — Ewart went win, win, 2nd, and 16th on the DP World Tour before the Masters; made five of the last seven cuts on TOUR. Note: DraftKings is missing DP World Tour stats — verify manually. Best use: GPP.
- Lipsky / Hoey — sprinkle — Lipski has four straight top-25s here; Hoey is a solid ball striker on a four-cut streak. Best use: GPP.
$6,000 Range
- Fishburn / Blair — value target — BYU teammates; two years playing together; 4th here in 2024; Fishburn provides upside, and Blair provides consistency; Blair had a recent strong Puerto Rico finish. Best use: GPP.