DFS Alerts
Carolina Connection Key to this Plodder's Heritage Success
Nobody with South Carolina ties had won this event before Wesley Bryan did last year. McGirt would love to draft off that Carolina momentum and become the second this year. It would not be shocking when you consider his track record here, going 5-for-7 with top 10s in three of his last four visits. I do not expect McGirt to actually win this week but I would be surprised if he did not linger near the top of the leaderboard and pick up a top 30.
Big Hitter Arrives with Heaps of Course Confidence
One of the longest hitters on TOUR, Kokrak arrives with more fairways hit than the field in five of his last six starts. That screams course management to me because he doesn’t try to force drivers on holes that don’t call for it. He has used that skill here at Harbour Town, posting top 20s in three of his last four visits. He was even T2 thru 54 holes during the 2016 edition. “I love the golf course, I put a 2-iron in the bag and just send it down the middle of the fairway.” Course confidence plus steady recent play sounds like a good recipe.
Slow and Steady Wins the RBC Heritage Race
Harbour Town is a course that requires position off the tee which is good for a bunter like Na. More importantly, it takes great iron play and/or great scrambling. Looking at all stats since 2012, Na ranks 8th in this field when it comes to strokes gained approach and 1st in the field in strokes gained around-the-green. His form does not leap off the page but he has beat the field average in five straight starts. The form is starting to simmer. He also has six finishes of T17 or better here at the Heritage (12 starts).
Italian Cuisine at a Bargain-Bin Price Tag
The Italian is making his fourth appearance at this event. He’s improved on each return visit (MC to T45 to T22). Moli has been struggling with the flat stick this season but he did gain 1.1 strokes putting at Bay Hill (another course with TifEagle bermuda greens). In fact, bermuda is the only putting surface that Moli is positive in the SGP department (since 2012). He also arrives fresh off a top 20 at the Masters. If we look at baseline performance across the PGA TOUR and Euro Tour since 2014 he grades out among names like Patrick Cantlay, Tyrrell Hatton, Marc Leishman, and Zach Johnson. Yet, he’s not priced like that, especially on DraftKings where he is the most underpriced. Molinari makes for a good value play on all sites this week. This is a course that could finally yield a PGA TOUR victory to the Italian.
Good Putter that is Striking the Ball Beautifully
Hadwin was one of my favorite plays for the Masters early in the week, but I eventually got scared and moved down to the $6,900 price range. Obviously, that ended up being a huge mistake, as Pat Perez, Brendan Steele, and Kevin Chappell all missed the cut. Hadwin has long been known as one of the best putters on tour, but his season is eerily similar to that of Jordan Spieth’s. His tee to green game has been tremendous, it’s actually his putter that has been holding him back. If his ball striking continues this way, it’s only a matter of time before he starts to make some putts. This is a perfect golf course for Hadwin, as evidenced by his back-to-back top 30 finishes.
Time to Get Back in the Winner's Circle
Analysis coming soon.I was hoping that Simpson would end up flying under the radar this week, but I’m not sure that’s going to end up being the case. I love starting my lineups with Kuchar and Simpson, who are both of the plodding mentality. Keep the ball in play, hit greens or scramble, and roll in some putts. They are the type of golfers that limit their mistakes. Simpson is a member at Quail Hollow, so he is certainly familiar with golf in the Carolinas. He’s always had a solid tee to green game and something has clicked with his putter over the last year of play. If he keeps putting this way, it’s only a matter of time before he finds himself in the winner’s circle again. Like Kuchar, Simpson has a good track record here – seven straight made cuts with four top 15 finishes during that stretch.
This Golfer Loves Pete Dye Designs
In my opinion, Kuchar should be the most expensive golfer in the field this week. This course takes driver out of the hand of the bombers, which negates Dustin Johnson’s best weapon. Paul Casey deserves a look as well, but it’s hard to ignore Kuchar’s track record at Harbour Town and on Pete Dye courses in general. Kuchar has made 11 straight cuts at this event and has posted four straight top 11 finishes. He’s obviously used to the quick turnaround after the Masters, as he plays here every single year. It hasn’t been a great year statistically for Kuchar, but he has gained strokes on approach in three straight tournaments. Basically, I lock and load Kuchar into my cash game lineups any time he is playing a Dye course.
Francesco Molinari continues to rank as a top play
Francesco Molinari talent and pedigree that once again goes unnoticed in the DraftKings pricing algorithm. Part-time PGA players typically receive lower salaries in comparison to actual talent, and at $7,500 Molinari has both the talent and skills to be a force at The RBC Heritage Classic. Currently ranked in the 29th position in the world, Molinari sits atop the RotoGrinders DraftKings projections tool for this weeks tournament. Molinari comes into this week on the heels of 4 top 30 or better finishes and should have the game needed to play well at Harbour Town. Greens in regulation will be a popular metric to use this week, and Molinari currently ranks in the 25th position this season. Always known for his ability to hit quality golf shots, Molinari should thrive on a golf course that demands accurate golf shots. At $7,500 Molinari provides both salary relief and upside needed to make him a top value play for the week. It’s not uncommon for players who build their games around the 4 majors to peak the week after a big event.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projections Tool
Rosters lock in 20 minutes for The Masters, no breaking news to report
The first round of the 2018 Masters is set to start in less than 20 minutes. Outside of Tony Finau, we have no additional news in terms of injuries or withdrawals. Tony Finau remains optimistic for his 12:43 PM tee time on Thursday afternoon. While X-rays came back negative on his dislocated ankle, Finau is set for an MRI on Thursday morning. If the results are positive and swelling is under control, Finau will reportedly try to play. Good luck this week Grinders, as always if any late news breaks we will provide the updates needed.
As reported by: Golf Digest on Twitter Tony Finau had X-rays Wednesday that revealed no breaks; will have MRI early Thursday to determine status, but Finau is "optimistic"
For the second year in a row, the golf world will have to deal with a big injury prior to The Masters. Tony Finau injured his ankle after celebrating a hole in one during the par 3 contest this afternoon. X-rays on the ankle revealed no breaks, but Finau will still have an MRI early on Thursday. Finau posted on his Twitter account tonight that he is optimistic. Due to his late tee time and the fact that there are no alternates in The Masters, Finau will most likely wait until the last possible moment to decide his status for the tournament. At this point, the choice to roster Finau relies heavily on how much risk you are willing to take. With both his odds and ownership dropping, most in the industry have already made up their minds on Finau. If he is healthy Finau would be a great play this week, but the risk of his ankle not holding up to four rounds of golf is a very scary proposition. We will provide any updates on his injury if any news breaks.
As reported by: Tony Finau Twitter Weather update for The Masters
With a very active start to the baseball season in terms of outside elements, it’s nice to see a calm weather report for the first major of the year. Kevin Roth’s weather report is up in the main forum and it looks like the first two days of golf will be just about perfect. Golfers lucky enough to make the cut could see a bit of rain on Saturday, but for now, there is no real edge in playing a tee time wave for the first two days. I am lucky enough to be at this year’s Masters, and the course is absolutely perfect. Even with the little bit of rain received this morning, the course will still play firm and fast the first two days.
As reported by: Kevin Roth Weather Report Tony Finau injures ankle during Par 3 Contest at the Masters
Tony Finau’s first chance to play The Masters could be in jeopardy. After making a hole in one during the par 3 contest today, Finau twisted his ankle while running up to the green. From the video taken behind the tee, you can see that Finau twisted his ankle pretty bad. As of now, there is no official word on the severity of the injury but from the video, it looked to be pretty serious. We will update Finau’s status as more news becomes available. Finau’s first-round tee time is 12:43 est time tomorrow.
As reported by: Golfweek on Twitter Xander Schauffele set to make his Masters debut
At this time last year, Xander Schauffele was a complete unknown to the world of golf. With two wins in his first season on the PGA tour, Schauffele quickly rose up the world ranking ladder, and now finds himself in the discussion of being one of the better young players on tour. Currently ranked in the 26th position in the world, Schauffele will compete in his first Masters this week. With such a strong field it’s easy to see why any Masters rookie could go under-owned. With a big win at last year’s Tour Championship, Schauffele is not your average Masters rookie. Undaunted when facing the pressure of winning, Schauffele has shown that he has what it takes to play well when it counts the most. Currently projected to have a very low ownership this week, Schauffele has the game to more than pay off his salary this week. Many in the industry will simply pass over the Masters rookies, but Schauffele has the talent to play well in spite of experience.
As reported by: DraftKings projected ownership Jordan Spieth looks to build on a great week
Jordan Spieth spoiled the plans of many in the DFS community by not playing poorly this last week. A poor performance at last week’s Houston Open would have definitely lead to a lower than expected ownership for the first major of the year. Spieth, however, looked great this last week and should be in line to once again play well at the Masters. Spieth has yet to finish outside the top 11 in his four years playing at Augusta. If it were not for an ill-played 12 hole in the 2016 Masters Spieth would have claimed his second green jacket. With confidence back in hand Spieth once again becomes a strong play in in all formats this week. In 16 rounds at Augusta National Spieth is an amazing 26 under par. Even with his popularity once again on the rise, Spieth has the course history worth of a top end roster spend this week.
As reported by: PGA Cash Game Breakdown Bryson DeChambeau provides a source of value in his second Masters appearance
As an amateur playing in the 2016 Masters Bryson DeChambeau made headlines by playing his way near the lead through 36 holes. DeChambeau would soon turn pro but struggled to live up to the hype created by his great play in The Masters. Currently ranked in the 63rd position in the world, Dechambeau comes into his second Masters with a bit of momentum on his side. Fueled by the confidence gained by his first win at last years John Deere Classic, DeCambeau already has three top ten finishes this year including a second place finish at this year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. Reasonably priced on DraftKings, DeCambeau becomes a great source of value for the year’s first major. With multiple clubs in his bag named after holes at Augusta, this former NCCA champion has a fondness for this tournament. With plenty of length off the tee and the ability to hit repeatable accurate golf shots, DeChambeau should have no trouble paying off his $6,900 salary this week.
As reported by: Pga Value Breakdown