This article is part of our DraftKings PGA DFS Picks series.
RBC CANADIAN OPEN
Purse: $5.9M
Winner's Share: $1,062,000
FedEx Cup Points: 500 to the Winner
Location: Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Course: Glen Abbey Golf Club
Yardage: 7,253
Par: 72
2015 champion: Jason Day
Tournament Preview
We move from Britain's national championship to Canada's national championship, one of the oldest tournaments on the PGA Tour, which it to be played for the 107th time. But the Canadian Open finds itself in the unenviable position of taking place in between two majors, with the PGA Championship being next week. Only by the saving grace of title sponsor RBC, does the tournament have any top names: Defending champion Jason Day, 2013 champ Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els, and Graeme McDowell are all sponsored by RBC (Royal Bank of Canada), and all are in the field. So is de facto Canadian Dustin Johnson. But after that, the 156-man field thins out rather quickly. Johnson, Day, Snedeker, Kuchar and Furyk all have performed well at Glen Abbey, they constitute the five top DraftKings prices, and all five will be highly owned. Day and Snedeker both won at Glen Abbey, where the course rotation also landed in 2008 and '09. So those four years are the ones to focus on. In all four, the winning score was between 16- and 18-under, so there will be birdies, and there will be eagles. Last year, there were a whopping 82 eagles, the most anywhere on the PGA Tour since 2008. The four par-5s (Nos. 2, 13,
RBC CANADIAN OPEN
Purse: $5.9M
Winner's Share: $1,062,000
FedEx Cup Points: 500 to the Winner
Location: Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Course: Glen Abbey Golf Club
Yardage: 7,253
Par: 72
2015 champion: Jason Day
Tournament Preview
We move from Britain's national championship to Canada's national championship, one of the oldest tournaments on the PGA Tour, which it to be played for the 107th time. But the Canadian Open finds itself in the unenviable position of taking place in between two majors, with the PGA Championship being next week. Only by the saving grace of title sponsor RBC, does the tournament have any top names: Defending champion Jason Day, 2013 champ Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els, and Graeme McDowell are all sponsored by RBC (Royal Bank of Canada), and all are in the field. So is de facto Canadian Dustin Johnson. But after that, the 156-man field thins out rather quickly. Johnson, Day, Snedeker, Kuchar and Furyk all have performed well at Glen Abbey, they constitute the five top DraftKings prices, and all five will be highly owned. Day and Snedeker both won at Glen Abbey, where the course rotation also landed in 2008 and '09. So those four years are the ones to focus on. In all four, the winning score was between 16- and 18-under, so there will be birdies, and there will be eagles. Last year, there were a whopping 82 eagles, the most anywhere on the PGA Tour since 2008. The four par-5s (Nos. 2, 13, 16 and 18) are the four easiest holes on the course, with all but No. 13 playing about a half-stroke under par last year. With three of the par-5s in the final six holes, we could be looking at some wild swings down the stretch. Weather-wise, it will be hot all week, around 90, with a chance of thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday -- in other words, the forecast shouldn't impact your lineup thoughts.
Key Stats to Winning at Glen Abbey
• Driving distance
• Greens in regulation
• Sand save percentage
• Par-5 scoring
Past Champions
2015 - Jason Day
2014 - Tim Clark
2013 - Brandt Snedeker
2012 - Scott Piercy
2011 - Sean O'Hair
2010 - Carl Pettersson
2009 - Nathan Green
2008 - Chez Reavie
2007 - Jim Furyk
2006 - Jim Furyk
Champion's Profile:
The course features some tight fairways, but at just over 7,200 yards it is short enough that long hitters can get away with some inaccuracy off the tee en route to the smallish greens. Day didn't drive it straight last year, but he hit it incredibly far, and that served him well, obviously. Snedeker didn't drive it straight or far in 2013. But both putted great. Day's 17-under total included 10-under on just the last three holes, two of which are par-5s. Long drives, even a bit wayward, will allow golfers relatively short approach shots, to better the chances of getting on the greens in regulation. If they miss, strong sand play will be important, with more than 100 bunkers dotting Glen Abbey. Par-5 scoring matters here more than on just about any other course the golfers will see all year.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Dustin Johnson - $12,500 (Winning odds at golfodds.com: 5-1)
Jason Day - $12,300 (5-1)
Matt Kuchar - $10,600 (12-1)
Brandt Snedeker $10,300 (20-1)
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Jim Furyk - $9,900 (25-1)
Tony Finau - $9,300 (40-1)
Charley Hoffman - $8,900 (40-1)
Emiliano Grillo - $8,500 (30-1)
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Ryan Palmer - $8,000 (50-1)
David Hearn - $7,900 (50-1)
Harold Varner III - $7,800 (80-1)
Colt Knost - $7,100 (60-1)
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Matthew Fitzpatrick - $6,800 (80-1)
Luke List - $6,600 (Field, 11-4)
Jerry Kelly - $6,000 (Field, 11-4)
Scott Pinckney - $5,500 (Field, 11-4)
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Cash Game Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Matt Kuchar - $10,600
Charley Hoffman - $8,900
Emiliano Grillo - $8,500
Harold Varner III - $7,800
Colt Knost - $7,100
Chez Reavie - $7,100
Kuchar was seventh last year, second in 2013. He's 17th on tour in birdie average. Hoffman also has played well at Glen Abbey, tying Kuchar for seventh and 16th in 2013. He's ranked 23rd in eagles. Grillo will be a popular pick. He's playing well and is among the tour leaders in par-5 scoring, while ranking 30th in GIR. Varner bombs it off the tee, leading to a good par-5 stroke average. But, he's not a good putter. Knost will be another popular, low-priced pick, enjoying his best season with strong play around and on the greens. Reavie, who won at Glen Abbey in 2008, is playing his best golf in years and is 40th on tour in GIR.
Higher-Risk Tournament Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Dustin Johnson - $12,500
Jason Day - $12,300
Mark Wilson - $7,300
Matthew Fitzpatrick - $6,800
Zac Blair - $5,600
Scott Pinckney - $5,500
We'll load up with Johnson and Day, the top two golfers in the world, both of whom have played well at Glen Abbey. Day is the defending champion and Johnson was runner-up to Snedeker in 2013; he did not play in 2015. That's almost half our $50,000 right there. Wilson's best days are far behind him, but he managed a T22 last year and a T6 in 2013. He hasn't played a lot this year, but the last three times he's made the weekend he finished top-25. Fitzpatrick, the young Brit, will attack strong, and he tends to play the par-5s well. Blair is among the shortest drivers on tour (189th!), but that won't hurt him too badly here, which should improve his poor GIR numbers, too. He's made five straight cuts overall, and did so at Glen Abbey last year. Pinckney is a statement pick. He is ranked last in DraftKings at $5,500 (tied with four others) and, while he's not having a good year by most metrics, he's far from the worst golfer in the field. Pinckney is 25th on tour in strokes gained-off the tee and 16th in GIR. That's the worst golfer in the 156-man field? Think Pinck!
