It’s been awhile since I have did a DFS preview for the PGA Tour, but I thought…what better time than for the 2020 PGA Championship! This time, the PGA Championship will be played at the historic TPC Harding Park. Located in San Francisco, CA…the course was created in 1925 and named after former President of The United States of America Warren G. Harding (who happened to be an avid golfer). One of my main researching tools happened to be a course guide by the PGA. In this guide…one phrase seemed to be used continuously…Green Approach. Ironically, if you look up statistics of the gofers this season…Approach the Green happens to be a key stat. This is obviously the most important stat to me in making my lineup…but you read the guide and see what you think.

TPC Harding Park consists of 12 Par-4…4 Par-3…and 2 Par-5 holes. It is filled with bunkers and deceptive hills. San Fransisco, California is quite the hilly city anyway and the views are spectacular at this course. In the back of my mind…I felt like I had some region bias towards my choices. I wanted to get some California guys in here, specifically ones that played collegiately in the state. Look for Tiger Woods (Stanford) to be picked a lot, as Stanford is really close to this course. Accurate drivers off the tee were a key point as well, as there were mentions of ill-placed trees to make driving difficult. Distance is less important than placement.

Collin Morikawa ($8,600):

The University of California- Berkeley product is a must pick in my opinion. He is 2nd on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained Approaching the Green. He gains at least 1 stroke on the competition at every tournament he plays in and is only behind Justin Thomas in this. Collin also ranks 4th in Eagles and 16th in Scoring Average overall, scoring a 70. I have been all over Morikawa since his 1st career tournament and I love his style of play for TPC Harding Park. Do not be shocked to see him win this weekend at 35/1 (CBS Sports).

Webb Simpson ($9,700):

I have to admit, I may be a little partial towards this one. Webb is a North Carolina native and is playing amazing golf this season. He ranks in the top 50 in all major scoring categories and, his “weak” point is driving distance…which is not a big deal here. Simpson is ranked 7th in SG (Strokes Gained) Approaching the Green and 1st in Birdies. If I can get the 4th best golfer in the world at under $10K…I am going to do it.

Hideki Matsuyama ($8,200):

Another steal to me…the Japanese product is 3rd in SG Approaching the Green. He is another golfer like Webb and Morikawa who seem to be well-rounded in all facets. The one weak point of Matsuyama is his driving accuracy, but I think his short-game will ability will overshadow this. His green in regulation stat ranks top-10…so I think there’s immense value with Hideki at $8,200.

Russell Henley ($6,600):

Henley is another great golfer who gets it on the green over and over again. He is also known for gaining strokes on the field from the tee, which bodes well with my strategy. Picking the Georgia Bulldog alum gives me a great cushion on picking some of my stars and could be a great steal. If he can get the putter going, he could legitimately shock the field. Russell is at 200/1.

Patrick Cantlay ($9,400):

I went back for another California product, but this time from UCLA. Cantlay is another great birdie guy and ranks 4th in SG Approaching the Green. He has not missed a cut all season and is another great value at under $10K. Patrick is ranked 10th in the world and his elite combination of power, accuracy and putting make him a great option at TPC Harding Park.

Doc Redman ($6,900):

That’s right…I had to go back to North Carolina to get this choice. Redman (Chapel Hill, NC) has always been a favorite choice of mine, as he is usually cheaper and is a hidden talent. Now, he did have a great streak going once play started back in June and I think that is just the beginning. The mustachioed Clemson product is ranked 13th in SG Approaching the Green and I like his ability to compete here in San Francisco…200/1 to win by the way.

AustYn

References: PGA, PGA Tour, DraftKings

PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park DraftKings Preview