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Want to see how these picks and more fit into lineups for the CareerBuilder Challenge? Chris is selling lineups only $5. He covers DraftKings Cash Games & Tournaments. Just scroll to the bottom of the picks. This is a separate service than our traditional monthly membership.
Welcome back for another week of daily fantasy golf. The Sony Open wrapped up last night in Hawaii with Fabian Gomez picking up the win on the second playoff hole with Brandt Snedeker. Gomez was red hot on Sunday shooting a 62 which included an amazing streak of seven straight birdies from hole 6 through 12.
Our cash game lineup managed to salvage cashing in a few 50/50's and double ups but not all so we will chalk it up as a loss. Tough week for Justin Thomas, missing the cut and David Hearn getting a MDF on Saturday. Either way, we are moving on to this week and plan to start another streak.
The PGA Tour will now head back to the mainland after a terrific couple weeks in Hawaii.
This week the tour heads to La Quinta, California for the CareerBuilder Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation. The tournament was formerly known as the Humana Challenge and originally named the Bob Hope Classic. The tournament will take place on three different courses (Listed above) and will be a Pro Am for the first 54 holes of the tournament. Each player will get matched with an amateur and get one round on each of the three courses before the cut of 70 golfers and ties is established following Saturday's round. The final round will be played on the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West this year. It will be the first time since 1987 that the course will be used for this event. The Nicklaus Tournament Course will also be back in the rotation for this event. It is the regular home of the Q school finals each year. The third course being used is La Quinta Country Club and it will be the 51st straight year here at the event. All three courses are Par 72's with the Stadium Course being the longest and most challenging.
This week the key stat across all three courses is going to be Ball Striking. To recap exactly what Ball Striking is: It is the combination of a players Driving Distance, Driving Accuracy and Greens in Regulation. With all three courses littered with water and sand it will be extremely important to hit fairways and greens. Another key stat this week will be Sand Save % with the amount of sand scattered around the courses, especially protecting the greens. The average winning score since 2010 has been around -26 so birdie or better % will also be factored in. The winning score should come in a bit lower than that average with the addition of the Stadium Course, which by some has been ranked as one of the toughest course's in America.
Below is a list of all the featured stats being used on the cheatsheet this week:
**Stats for the first month of the season will be pulled from the 2015 rankings**
Patrick Reed
Vegas Odds - 10/1
Draftkings - $12,400
Fantasy Feud - $193,000
Fantasy Aces - $6,500
Since the end of the 2015 PGA Tour season Patrick Reed has been putting in the time across the globe and playing almost every weekend it seems. He has recorded five straight Top 10 finishes including two runner ups(Hyundai Tournament of Champions & BMW Masters). Don't let his 2015 stats fool you as he has dramatically improved in some key areas. While he ranked 160th in Ball Striking and 141st in GIR in 2015 he is currently ranked 2nd in both categories. He is ranked 1st in Scrambling so far this year which dates back to the FRYS.com Open in October. It is a small sample size but very positive to see the dramatic changes in his game. Look for Reed to keep the train rolling and contend again this weekend.
Bill Haas
Vegas Odds - 28/1
Draftkings - $11,500
Fantasy Feud - $165,000
Fantasy Aces - $4,350
He is the defending champion of this event and has finished 6th or better three times in the last five years. While there are two new courses being used this year, he is ranked highly in the stats I am targeting this week. He is a top Ball Striker with a little better than average distance and accuracy off the tee with excellent GIR skills. Add to that his 31st rank in Scrambling and you have a great pick for this week in any format. He is an almost must play on Fantasy Aces where his salary is extremely low compared to other players of his talent level.
Jason Bohn
Vegas Odds - 40/1
Draftkings - $10,100
Fantasy Feud - $130,000
Fantasy Aces - $4,500
He makes a terrific cash game play this week as he checks off all categories. He has not missed a cut at this tournament in four straight years but hasn't finished inside the Top 30. He played four tournaments in the fall portion of the season finishing T39 at the Sanderson Farms Championship, T3 at the FRYS.com Open, and runner up at both the Shriners Open and OHL Classic. Finally, statistically speaking he is one of the best fits in the field this week. He is highly ranked in Ball Striking, Driving Accuracy, GIR, Birdie or Better %, Scrambling and Putting. Will he finally break through and get that win he has been so close to getting the past few months? I think he has a great shot this week.
Charley Hoffman
Vegas Odds - 45/1
Draftkings - $9,200
Fantasy Feud - $130,000
Fantasy Aces - $3,500
A very boom or bust play for large field tournaments this week. He is either going to score a Top 10 and contend or play awful and miss the cut. After missing the cut at this tournament in 2011 and 2012 he placed 10th, 9th, and 2nd last season. After making it all the way to the Tour Championship last season he posted two missed cuts (Shriners Open/OHL Classic) in the wrap around portion of this season. I look for Hoffman to kick off 2016 with a strong tournament and a possible low ownership due to the price range. A fantastic value on Fantasy Aces at only $3,500.
Francesco Molinari
Vegas Odds - 55/1
Draftkings - $8,700
Fantasy Feud - $116,000
Fantasy Aces - $4,800
He was a very consistent fantasy option last season missing only two cuts. He finished with two Top 10's including one here at this tournament where he shot -19 and finished T10. He kicked off the 2016 season last week at the Sony Open and shot -10 and finished in a tie for 33rd. He has also been playing well on the European Tour since last playing in the US at the PGA Championship back in August. Safe in all formats this week.
Smylie Kaufman
Vegas Odds - 80/1
Draftkings - $7,700
Fantasy Feud - $102,000
Fantasy Aces - $4,550
The LSU alum has had a great start to his PGA Tour career, picking up a win at the Shriners Open and making all six cuts. He averages 299 yards off the tee and has been hitting 75% of greens in regulation to start the year. He has the early lead in the rookie of the year race that proves to be very exciting to watch again this season. He comes in at an affordable price and will be safe in all formats this week.
Johnson Wagner
Vegas Odds - 125/1
Draftkings - $6,900
Fantasy Feud - $67,000
Fantasy Aces - $4,050
He has made the cut at this tournament in each of his last three appearances. He should be setup nicely for this year's event with the new course as Ball Striking will be very important. He ranked 40th last season and was lights out in GIR ranked 26th on Tour.
Lucas Glover
Vegas Odds - 80/1
Draftkings - $6,700
Fantasy Feud - $67,000
Fantasy Aces - $4,450
He is a low end value that can be used in cash games this week. He has the distance off the tee and is also very accurate. He finished 15th at this tournament last year and has made the cut in two of the last three. He has made three straight cuts and hasn't missed one since the Shriners back in October and is coming off a T50 at the Sony Open after shooting three rounds under 70.
Want to see how these picks and more fit into lineups for Sony Open in Hawaii? Chris is selling lineups for only $5. He covers DraftKings Cash Games & Tournaments. Fill out the form below or click here to purchase using PayPal. This is a separate service than our traditional monthly membership.
Sony Open in Hawaii
Chris Durell has been playing Daily Fantasy Sports for three years and fantasy in general for more than a decade. He is active player in college football, NFL, NBA and of course PGA. He lives in Saskatchewan, Canada with his wife and two daughters. You can follow him on Twitter at @jager_bombs9 for advice, strategy, answers to any PGA questions and how he copes with the winters up north.
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