This article is part of our DraftKings PGA DFS Picks series.
THE GREENBRIER CLASSIC
Purse: $6.7M
Winner's Share: $1,206,000
FedEx Cup Points: 500 to the Winner
Location: White Sulphur Springs, W.V.
Course: The Old White TPC
Yardage: 7,287
Par: 70
Defending Champion: Angel Cabrera
Tournament Preview
This week The Old White TPC in West Virginia will play host for just the sixth time in its budding history for the Greenbrier Classic. Stuart Appleby famously won the first edition in 2010 by shooting a Sunday 59 to win; the course has since been lengthened to preserve the course's credibility, though it is still seen as a birdie fest. The par-70 layout per usual has just two par-5s, and features a par-3 finishing hole that disgusts many golf purists. The field makeup is relatively weak with six of the top-30 players in the world, but includes last week's winner Bubba Watson and recent U.S. Open contender Louis Oosthuizen. Since the course was lengthened in 2011, the winning score has hovered around 13- to 16-under par and is expected to play similarly this year.
Key Stats to winning at The Old White TPC
• Par-4 Scoring
• Strokes gained: Tee-to-Green
• Birdie-or-Better Percentage (Par-Breakers)
Past Champions
2014 – Angel Cabrera
2013 – Jonas Blixt
2012 – Ted Potter, Jr.
2011 – Scott Stallings
2010 – Stuart Appleby
Champion's Profile
Removing the inaugural year where the course was shorter, the limited list of champions is underwhelming but offers enough insight to matter. As with any par-70 course, par-4 scoring will prove important as will par-breakers on the vulnerable course. The generous fairways allow long hitters to spray it off the tee with low risk and setup short irons for plenty of birdie looks. Players who perform well at other low-scoring tournaments like the Humana Challenge and Fall Series events tend to find the leaderboard here. Don't be surprised to see some lesser-known Web.com graduates push for a maiden victory given the similar "go low" setup those players often witnessed on the PGA Tour's breeding ground.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Bubba Watson - $13,000 (Odds: 10/1)
Webb Simpson - $11,800 (22/1)
Graham DeLaet - $10,600 (25/1)
Bill Haas - $10,500 (28/1)
Kevin Kisner - $10,200 (28/1)
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Tony Finau - $9,800 (Odds: 33/1)
Kevin Na - $9,100 (40/1)
Justin Thomas - $8,800 (40/1)
Brendon Todd - $8,500 (40/1)
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Daniel Berger - $8,200 (Odds: 45/1)
Kevin Chappell - $8,100 (45/1)
Patrick Rodgers - $8,000 (55/1)
Steven Bowditch - $7,300 (66/1)
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Bo Van Pelt - $6,900 (Odds: 66/1)
Jon Curran - $6,800 (80/1)
Daniel Summerhays - $6,700 (90/1)
Morgan Hoffmann - $6,400 (100/1)
John Peterson - $6,400 (100/1)
Peter Uihlein - $6,300 (100/1)
Charlie Beljan - $6,100 (100/1)
Vijay Singh - $5,700 (175/1)
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Cash Game Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Bill Haas - $10,500
Pat Perez - $8,700
Cameron Tringale - $8,200
Brendon de Jonge - $7,800
David Lingmerth - $7,600
Shawn Stefani - $7,000
Bill Haas heads the safe crew with three of his four starts here inside the top 25, including a runner-up in 2011. Pat Perez owns two top-10s at this event and has demonstrated the ability to go low in tournaments like the Humana Challenge. Cameron Tringale and Brendon de Jonge have both been mediocre lately but struck it rich in April with top-5s at the weaker-fielded Houston Open; ironically they also have a pair of top-5s at the Greenbrier Classic. David Lingmerth is coming off a confidence-boosting win at the Memorial Tournament and was 16th or better in both visits to The Old White TPC. Lastly, Stefani has made a stellar 15-of-19 cuts this season and played the weekend in both appearances in West Virginia.
Higher-Risk Tournament Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Paul Casey - $12,300
Graham DeLaet - $10,600
Justin Thomas - $8,800
Morgan Hoffmann - $6,400
Charlie Beljan - $6,100
Vijay Singh - $5,700
With many opting for favorite Bubba Watson fresh off a win, it's probably best to avoid the chalk this week in large tourney formats; not only to differentiate, but because it's downright tough to win back-to-back. Paul Casey has knocked on the door three times this season and has yet to get an answer, but it's only a matter of time before the Englishman triumphs. DeLaet also comes off a nice week at the Travelers, and with a decent history in West Virginia he will likely be a nicer low-owned pick. Justin Thomas is long, fearless and has proven he can go low; the only question is whether he can avoid the bad round or somehow mask it with a crazy low round. Morgan Hoffmann hasn't been spectacular but did close with a Sunday 66 at the U.S. Open and put together three under par rounds last week making him worth the risk. Beljan's long and crooked tee ball grants him an advantage on the forgiving fairways of The Old White TPC as he has picked up two top-11 finishes at this event the last three years. Finally, Vijay Singh is 52 but has surprisingly made 11-of-16 cuts and has three top-15 finishes this year and screams bargain bin value at $5,700 if he can make the cut.
