This article is part of our DraftKings PGA DFS Picks series.
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Purse: $5.9M
Winner's Share: $1.18M
FedEx Cup Points: 500 to the Winner
Location: Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii
Course: Kapalua Resort (Plantation Course)
Yardage: 7,452
Par: 73
Defending Champion: Patrick Reed
Tournament Preview
The Hyundai Tournament of Champions is the name, honoring last year's champions is the game as the PGA Tour resumes the 2015-16 season with the calendar year kickoff at Kapalua. Changes for this year include a schedule facelift back to the Thursday-Sunday format after four years of Friday-Monday action. The field is 32 deep this year, but with all 32 having won in 2015 to qualify for the event, field quality is strong. Headliners for this week include the world's top two players in Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, along with four others among the top 10 in the Official World Golf Rankings. The Plantation course is rare in that it plays to a par 73, playing deceptively short at 7,452 yards due to the massive elevation changes and presence of just three par-3s instead of the customary four. If the trade winds don't act up like they did in the wind-shortened 2013 edition, players should challenge the 20-under par mark over four rounds.
Key Stats to winning at Kapalua
• Par-4 Scoring Average
• Strokes Gained: Putting
• 3-putt Avoidance
Past Champions
2015 - Patrick Reed
2014 - Zach Johnson
2013 - Dustin Johnson
2012 - Steve Stricker
2011 - Jonathan Byrd
2010 - Geoff Ogilvy
2009 - Geoff Ogilvy
2008 - Daniel Chopra
2007 - Vijay Singh
2006 - Stuart Appleby
Champion's Profile
A common misconception at Kapalua is to say the par-73 layout is a bomber's paradise, but outside of Dustin Johnson in 2013, past champs have possessed average length off the tee. While it's true that bombers have little to worry about with generous fairways and short rough, the real key to this track is stuffing approaches and putting lights out. The Plantation course has some of the largest greens on tour, making three-putt avoidance a must. Conversion inside of 10 feet will also be crucial as birdie opportunities abound at the Plantation course; it's not unusual to see rounds of 10-under or better. As a side note, many players are coming off extended breaks in their schedules, so recent form is of lesser importance when selecting lineups this week.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Jordan Spieth - $12,500 (Winning Odds: 18%)
Jason Day - $11,800 (15%)
Dustin Johnson - $10,600 (12%)
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Patrick Reed - $9,900 (9%)
Kevin Kisner - $9,200 (5%)
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Graeme McDowell - $8,500 (4%)
Jimmy Walker - $8,000 (2%)
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
David Lingmerth - $7,200 (1%)
Scott Piercy - $7,100 (1%)
Davis Love III - $6,800 (1%)
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Cash Game Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Jordan Spieth - $12,500
Jimmy Walker - $8,000
Brandt Snedeker - $7,700
Danny Lee - $7,500
Chris Kirk - $7,300
Davis Love III - $6,800
Safety comes at a price this week, but it's more than worth it for World No. 1 Spieth, who enters off one of the best years in golf history and holds a runner-up in his only start at Kapalua. Somehow Jimmy Walker has been overlooked at $8,000 so I have no problems dropping a few dimes on last year's runner-up and perennial early-season king. Brandt Snedeker enters off a so-so year but his record in Maui shows three top-11s in three starts, fitting the champion's profile to a tee. Danny Lee is a newcomer who finished off last season hot while Chris Kirk possesses a few average finishes but can easily contend if his putter cooperates. Finally, the over 50 Davis Love III holds an astonishingly good record at this event; his most recent three starts are all top-10s dating back to 2004.
Higher-Risk Tournament Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Dustin Johnson - $10,600
Patrick Reed - $9,900
Graeme McDowell - $8,500
David Lingmerth - $7,200
Scott Piercy - $7,100
Fabian Gomez - $6,700
With choices severely limited this week, pretty much every lineup combination within reason will be exercised, making differentiation nearly impossible. The solution? Don't overthink it but flex your creative lineup skills enough to avoid tying with the masses. Dustin Johnson has a rock-solid record at Kapalua, finishing in the top half in 4-of-5 tries, including his 54-hole victory in 2013. Patrick Reed will seek to defend last year's playoff win to become the first back-to-back champ since Geoff Ogilvy in 2009-10. Graeme McDowell's only appearance in Maui back in 2011 saw him take third; his average length, solid iron play and gritty putting fit the winner's profile like a glove. Rounding out the lineup are newcomers David Lingmerth and Fabian Gomez who add a bit of lower-tier flair and Scott Piercy, who has two previous mediocre finishes at this event but is known for dialing in his irons, a key to conquering Kapalua.
